Best Credit Cards Military Spouses 2023 | Annual Fees Waived

The best credit cards for military spouses have no annual fees plus offer huge welcome bonuses after meeting minimum spend and outstanding recurring benefits. Both the The Platinum Card^® from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve^® Card are available with no annual fees for military spouses.

To be crystal clear: Chase and Amex waive annual fees for civilian spouses married to an active duty servicemember AND ALSO waive annual fees for the military servicemember. This is thanks to the protections extended to military souses under the Military Lending Act (MLA).

A married couple with the husband or wife in the military can double dip on annual fee waived cards. Each person can get their own card and get their fee waived. Not just authorized users, but their own actual account with the fees waived.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Annual fee of $695 waived for US military personnel and spouses
• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5x points on airfare booked directly with airline or on amextravel.com up to $500,000 per calendar year
• Earn 5x points on prepaid hotels at amextravel.com
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
• $200 Uber Cash: Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on Uber Eats and rides
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at 1 qualifying airline
• $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit, can be used for gift cards, enrollment required
• 40 Centurion Lounges and 1200+ Priority Pass airport lounge access for free
• $189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Heavy metal card that looks and feels really cool. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card^®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express – learn how to apply
• Read my full review of the Amex Platinum card for military, terms apply

As most military spouses know, travel is a huge part of military life. You usually are stationed with your spouse far away from your family. Travelling home to see family and friends is a big expensive part of military life. If you can reduce this expense, you can significantly increase your savings.

With the cards listed on this page, you can earn exclusive travel benefits like hotel points and air miles which can be turned into free flights, free hotel stays, travel credits, and airport lounge access.

Both Chase Bank and American Express waive annual fees on all of their personal credit cards for military spouses. Check out this list below for the best credit cards available for military spouses:

Military Spouse Credit Cards Podcast Episode

Jamie and I recorded a great podcast episode on our Military Money Manual Podcast that covers all the best credit cards for military spouses. You can listen below, on Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Credit Cards for Military Spouses

Read the Review	Annual Fee Waived	Other Sample of Benefits	Value
American Express® Gold Card	$250	4x points on US supermarkets and restaurants	$1700
The Platinum Card® from American Express	$695	$200 Uber + $200 airline credit + $200 hotel credit	$2000
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card*	$450	Free night, Diamond Status, $250 credit	$2000
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card	$650	Free night, $300 credit	$1500
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card	$550	Annual companion benefit	$2000
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card	$550	$300 annual travel credit	$2000
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	$95	Upgrade to a Chase Sapphire Reserve	$1600

Imagine the next time you go home to visit your or your spouse's family you can book one or two tickets for free. What if you could fly the whole family for free?

Or, if you go road tripping, you can stay at hotels along the way without paying a dime. If you want to take the family to Disney World, you can do it for much cheaper than the advertised price. Those are the benefits these credits cards offer military families.

Thanks to generous interpretations of the Military Lending Act (MLA) and Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), military spouses can get the annual fees waived on the best luxury travel and rewards cards available from Chase, Amex, and Citi.

Best American Express Cards for Military Spouses

American Express offers all of their personal charge and credit cards, for no annual fee for active duty servicemembers. Spouses can also get their annual fees waived. In some common property states, the SCRA benefits are automatically applied.

In non-common property states, you must add the servicemember as an authorized user to the account. Then the fees should be reimbursed. As always, your experience may vary.

Please let us know in the comments if you needed to add your active duty spouse to your account to get the fee waiver or it was automatic. Please include what state you currently reside in to help gather data.

Amex Gold Card: Top Recommended Card for Military Spouses

American Express^® Gold Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• $250 Annual Fee waived for US military and spouses
• Earn 60,000 Membership Reward^® Points after spending $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new card in the first 6 months of Card Membership
• Earn 4x points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the US
• Earn 4x points on US supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1x points) – includes OCONUS Commissaries
• Earn 3x points on flights booked directly with the airline or on amextravel.com
• No foreign transaction fees – great for the 4x on restaurants when travelling for fun, OCONUS TDY, or PCS!
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Amex Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 annually.
• $120 per year Dining Credit: Earn up to $10 per month in statement credits when you use your Amex Gold at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Molk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
• Choose between the Gold or Rose Gold version when you apply.
• Read my full review of the Amex Gold card for military, terms apply

American Express Platinum

The Platinum Card^® from American Express
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Annual fee of $695 waived for US military personnel and spouses
• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5x points on airfare booked directly with airline or on amextravel.com up to $500,000 per calendar year
• Earn 5x points on prepaid hotels at amextravel.com
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
• $200 Uber Cash: Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on Uber Eats and rides
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at 1 qualifying airline
• $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit, can be used for gift cards, enrollment required
• 40 Centurion Lounges and 1200+ Priority Pass airport lounge access for free
• $189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Heavy metal card that looks and feels really cool. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card^®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express – learn how to apply
• Read my full review of the Amex Platinum card for military, terms apply

Of all the great cards available, I highly recommend the Amex Platinum for military spouses. This card has the highest annual fee waived and offers amazing travel and lifestyle benefits.

Besides the huge welcome bonus you get many other perks with this card.

The $200 annual Uber credit can be redeemed for Uber Eats, meaning free food for you and your family! If your active duty spouse also has a AMEX Platinum, you can combine the credits in a single Uber account for $30 per month. My wife and I currently receive $45/month in credits from our 3 AMEX Platinum cards (Ameriprise, Schwab, and Regular).

The best travel benefit is the Centurion and Priority Pass Lounge access. When you're travelling domestically or internationally, airports can be loud, bright, and chaotic. Escape all of that noise and retreat to a Centurion Lounge or Priority Pass lounge at hundreds of airports around the world.

Most lounges also offer free food and drink. It's an outstanding benefit included with your card. It makes travelling so much easier and more pleasureable. Once you experience it, you won't be able to go back!

Learn more about the Amex Platinum in my full review.

American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card

American Express Hilton Honors Aspire Card
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• $450 annual fee waived for military servicemembers and military spouses
• Complimentary Diamond Status at all Hilton brands (suite upgrades, breakfast, check in gifts, etc)
• 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points welcome offer after $4,000 of purchases in the first 3 months
• 1 weekend night reward after opening your account and every year on renewal
• $250 Hilton Resort Credit
• $250 airline fee credit
• 14x Hilton Honors Bonus Points at Hilton properties
• No foreign transaction fees
• The information and associated card details on this page for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Military Money Manual and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
• Full review of Amex Aspire card, terms apply
• All information about American Express Hilton Honors Aspire Card has been collected independently by MilitaryMoneymanual.com

This card has amazing benefits for military spouses and servicemembers. The $450 annual fee is completely waived, which means you get all of these benefits without paying a dime!

When you hold this card you get complimentary Diamond Status. That means free room upgrades, welcome gifts, free breakfast at every Hilton hotel, executive lounge access, late check-out, and early check-in.

The Diamond Status a tremendous free benefit available to military spouses and their active duty partners. Other benefits of this card include the $250 resort credit, which can be redeemed at any of the 226 resorts listed on this page: Hilton Resorts. That means free food, free massages, or free whatever else you charge to the room. It's an amazing benefit.

You also get an annual weekend night reward credit after opening your new AMEX Hilton Aspire card. This reward renews every year on your account anniversary. It totally makes the card worth keeping open for years on end, especially since you're not paying any annual fees!

American Express Bonvoy Brilliant

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card
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• $650 annual fee 100% waived for US military personnel
• Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 3 months.
• Each Card renewal year, get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
• A Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member will earn 50% more points on eligible purchases at participating hotels for each U.S. dollar or the currency equivalent that is incurred and paid for by the member.
• Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy(TM) program. 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
• Marriott Brilliant Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, Card Members are eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. Benefit options include: Five (5) Suite Night Awards, 85K Free Night Award, and mattress and box spring $1,000 discount from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• $100 Luxury Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis®) when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership through any Authorized Enrollment Provider for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85) when you pay the application fee with an eligible Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Each calendar year you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
• Enroll in Priority Pass Select, which offers unlimited access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying.
• This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
• Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass(TM) Select membership.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
• Cell phone protection: You can be reimbursed for your costs to repair or replace your damaged or stolen cell phone up to $800, subject to a $50 deductible, for 2 approved claims per 12-month period when your prior month's wireless bill was paid utilizing an Eligible Card Account. Terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

This card is a no-brainer. You can earn heaps of Marriott Bonvoy points, good for free hotel and resort nights, after meeting the welcome bonus minimum spend requirement. You get a free night stay annually at any Marriott or Ritz Carlton property up to 85,000 points. This can be worth over $2000, depending on where and when you stay.

My wife and I recently booked the 60,000 point, $2000/night Ritz Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Al Hamra Beach resort. This place is insane, with private pools at each villa and private beach access. We were so excited to go stay there in December. Check this place out:

With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you can stay at this hotel along with over 6000 other amazing properties with your Marriott points and annual free night. If you or your spouse is in the military, you'd be crazy not to pick up this card.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express
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• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 but waived for military + spouses with Military Lending Act
• Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
• 6% cash back on US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1%), including most OCONUS Commissaries
• 6% cash back on select US streaming services, including Apple Music, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Prime Video (full list here)
• 3% cash back on transit like taxis, Uber, Lyft, parking, tolls, trains, buses, etc
• 3% cash back on US gas stations (including OCONUS NEX or AAFES)
• 1% back on other eligible purchases, terms apply
• Get $7 back each month after using your Blue Cash Preferred Card to spend $12.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription to The Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Enrollment required.
• Terms Apply

If you're looking for the best cash back rates, the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred needs to be at the top of your list. The annual fee of $95 is waived for active duty military spouses. Note that you may need to add your active duty servicemember as an authorized user, depending on your state.

The 6% cash back on US supermarkets works at all DECA Commissaries, whether you are overseas or in the US. The 3% cash back on US gas stations also works overseas at NEX/AAFES gas stations on base.

Best Chase Credit Cards for Military Spouses

Chase changed their military policy in 2017. Any Chase personal card opened on or after 20 Sep 2017 is eligible for annual fee waivers, whether you are an active duty servicemember or married to an SM.

This is an awesome change to Chase's policy. Since making this change, my wife and I have applied for many more Chase cards than we did before. Now is the perfect time to get any of the travel, hotel, or airline Chase credit cards listed below.

My wife opened a Chase Sapphire Reserve card in October 2018. Before we even received the card we received a letter from Chase notifying us that her annual account fees were waived under Chase's interpretation of the MLA. This will save us $525 per year in annual fees!

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards^®
• 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal
• 3x points on dining (includes takeout, delivery, and dine-in)
• 2x points on all other travel purchases
• Points can also be redeemed with “Pay Yourself Back” for 1.25 cents each on eligible purchases in select, rotating categories
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R). For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• No foreign transaction fees, great for overseas OCONUS assignments, TDY, and PCS
• Primary rental car insurance coverage & trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Upgrade to a Chase Sapphire Reserve after 1 year (compare Reserve vs Preferred)
• $95 annual fee waived for military and spouses with Chase Military Lending Act
• Member FDIC

Refer a Military Spouse to Chase

After one spouse opens up the CSP, and you can comfortably meet the minimum spend, you should refer your spouse from your CSP so they can open their own CSP. Chase has the refer a friend website here.

You can both be authorized users on each other's accounts and still open your own account.

Military couples both get annual fees waived on Chase cards as long as one member is active duty. Check your spouse's and your own MLA status here: https://mla.dmdc.osd.mil/

If it says you or your spouse are not eligible for MLA, make sure her or his Social Security Number is properly loaded in DEERS.

You can earn up to 15,000 points for the referral, plus you will both earn 60k welcome bonuses after meeting the minimum spend, plus if you spend $4,000 on travel or dining you'll earn 2x points.

A military couple could potentially earn 200,000 (2x 100k welcome bonuses) + 16,000 ($8000 minimum spend on 2 cards on 2x travel or dining), + 15,000 referral bonus = 231,000 Ultimate Reward Points

At 2 cents per point by transferring to a travel partner, that's $4620. Just cashing out the points yields $2310. What could you do with an extra $2300?

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Reserve^® Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• $550 annual fee waived to $0 for US military + spouses with Chase MLA policy
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards^® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
• 3x Points on other Travel (airfare, hotels) after earning the $300 travel credit
• 3x Dining restaurants, takeouts, delivery
• Chase Ultimate Reward Points redeemed through the Chase travel portal are worth 1.5 cents, a 50% bonus.
• Priority Pass lounge and restaurant access with over 1300+ airport lounges worldwide
• Up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry every 4 years
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Primary coverage with Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
• No foreign transaction fees
• Learn more in the Chase Sapphire Reserve review

My wife and I used to pay $525 per year to own this card before Chase changed their military policy.

Now, since the card is fee waived for military, it makes sense for both of us to open our own accounts. That way we can each get the $300 annual travel credit and both earn the huge welcome bonus after meeting minimum spend.

The other perks of the card include free Priority Pass lounge access, a great travel insurance benefit for hotels and air travel booked on the card, and no foreign transaction fees.

The no foreign transaction fees really come in handy when you live overseas or travel TDY/TAD overseas a lot. This has been our experience in the military so far. We have saved hundreds of dollars on foreign transaction fees with this card since 2016.

You should also look at the Chase Sapphire Preferred with it's increased welcome bonus. It may make more sense to open this card first and then upgrade to a Sapphire Reserve after one year. Compare the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs the Chase Sapphire Reserve military spouses.

Chase IHG Rewards Club Premier

Chase IHG^® Rewards Premier Credit Card
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• $99 annual fee waived for US military according to Chase MLA policy
• Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• Enjoy a Reward Night after each account anniversary year at eligible IHG hotels worldwide. Plus, enjoy a reward night when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG^® hotel stay.
• Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
• Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier card member
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck(R) or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
• IHG Rewards bonus points are redeemable at hotels such as InterContinental(R), Crowne Plaza(R), Kimpton(R), EVEN(R) Hotels, Indigo(R) Hotels & Holiday Inn(R)
• No foreign transaction fees – essential for international travel

Chase Southwest Priority

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card
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• Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $149 annual fee waived for military and mil spouses
• Earn 3x points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases
• Earn 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
• Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
• 7,500 Anniversary points each year.
• $75 annual Southwest travel credit
• 4 Upgraded boardings per year
• 25% back on in flight WiFi and drink purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Member FDIC

Chase World of Hyatt

The World of Hyatt Credit Card
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• Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
• Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent
• Hyatt rooms start at just 5000 points, so you could earn 6 nights with just the welcome bonus
• 1 free night at any category 1-4 Hyatt hotel every year you keep the card open
• Earn ANOTHER free night at category 1-4 hotel when you spend $15,000 on the card in a year
• Cardholders get World of Hyatt Discoverist status (Level 2/4) just for having the card, as long as the account is open
• $95 Annual fee waived for US military personnel and spouses with Chase MLA policy

This should be a great list to get you started! If you are interested in the optimal order in which to open credit cards to maximize your benefit as a military servicemember, check out my step by step guide.

As you can see, the best credit cards for military spouses waive the annual fee but still offer huge sign up bonuses and recurring annual benefits. Switching to these cards makes sense for both active duty servicemembers and their spouses.

Take advantage of your MLA and SCRA benefits while you still can. I would not be surprised if the credit card companies started restricting how generous they are with the military annual fee waivers.

Are you or your spouse in the military? Are you paying any annual fees on your credit cards? If you are, let me know why in the comments!