Active service members can choose from dozens of great, military-specific credit card deals. But, as a Veteran, many of these same perks don’t apply. This reality can make picking the right card after you leave the military challenging. As such, we’ll use this article to provide an overview of the best credit cards for Veterans.
Specifically, we’ll discuss the following:
- Defining Your Credit Card Priorities as a Veteran
- Best Credit Cards for Veterans Who Travel
- Best Credit Cards for Veteran Business Owners
- Best Cash-Back Credit Cards for Veterans
- Cards for Veterans with No or Bad Credit
Defining Your Credit Card Priorities as a Veteran
Before discussing the best credit card options for Veterans, we need to address an important fact: not all Veterans are the same. In other words, why a card makes sense for one Veteran may not apply to another. As a result, before choosing a credit card, you need to define why you need that card. That is, what are your priorities?
While not an all-inclusive list, here are a few questions you should ask yourself before picking a particular credit card:
- How do I plan on using my card?
- What are the primary expenses that I plan on paying with my card?
- Do I have any “must-have” credit card terms (e.g. cash-back, no annual fee, etc.)?
The bottom line is that too many credit card options exist to choose one blindly. After you answer the above questions, you should narrow down your choices. The following card options certainly do not represent the only credit cards for veterans, but you should be able to find a solid choice that meets all of your above priorities.
Best Credit Cards for Veterans Who Travel
The Platinum Card® from American Express
As stated above, travel credit cards generally have far higher annual fees. But, in return, cardholders receive tremendous travel perks. At /year, the Platinum Card’s annual fees are certainly high. However, if you plan on traveling extensively, you can more than recoup these fees via associated card benefits.
In particular, the Platinum Card offers huge bonuses – If planned properly, this bonus alone can pay for an international trip, more than justifying the high annual fee. Additionally, the Platinum Card provides annual savings through a wide range of statement credits — including for hotels, airlines, Uber, digital entertainment, CLEAR Plus, Resy dining, Walmart+, Saks, lululemon, and more (enrollment required; terms apply).
Major Benefits
For frequent travelers, the most significant benefit to the Platinum Card is the airport lounge access it provides. Cardholders can access 1,550+ lounges in 140+ countries through the Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Delta Sky Clubs (limited to 10 visits/year starting Feb. 1, 2025 unless $75,000 annual spend is met).
Airport food is expensive. Say your average airport meal costs $15 (a conservative estimate). If you find yourself in airports 20 times per year and eat for free in a lounge rather than pay for a meal, that saves you $300. Add in the free beer and wine offered in these lounges, and you can recoup that high annual fee in lounge food and drink alone.
Learn more about The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best Credit Cards for Veteran Business Owners
American Express® Business Gold Card
Veteran business owners have unique needs and priorities when it comes to credit cards – typically far different than your average cardholder. The goes a long way towards supporting these needs. Of note, cardholders can Additionally, you receive 4x points for the two expense categories with the most purchases in a given month, meaning you get rewarded for where you spend most frequently.
Currently, the Business Gold Card charges a annual fee and a APR.
Major Benefits
But, this fee must be measured against what we see as the card’s primary benefit: its pay-over-time option. For small business owners, managing cash flow proves one of the most critical tasks to successful operations. Without cash, operations stop.
This pay-over-time option provides business owners a flexible payment option for purchases over $100. When a purchase qualifies for pay-over-time treatment, cardholders can pay the entire balance at the end of the month, saving on interest. But, if cash flow is an issue in a particular month, this feature allows business owners to pay off the balances on larger purchases – with interest – over time. Bottom line, while you’ll still pay interest on these purchases, this feature provides veteran business owners some outstanding flexibility when it comes to managing cash flow.
Best Cash-Back Credit Cards for Veterans
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Some veterans prioritize cash-back rewards with their credit cards. And, for these individuals looking to maximize cash, the provides outstanding terms. For a modest annual fee(), cardholders receive 6% cash-back on groceries (up to $6,000/year), 6% back on streaming subscriptions, 3% back on gas, and 1% for all other purchases.
Major Benefits
The major benefit here is the outstanding cash-back potential. For example, say you spend the full $6,000/year on groceries (~$115/week in groceries), $1,560 ($30/week) on gas, and $3,000 in other purchases – a conservative estimate for a family. That would equate to just over $435 in annual cash back, or net cash of $340 when you factor in the annual fee – not bad for just spending like you normally would!
On top of that, new cardholders can
Cards for Veterans with No or Bad Credit
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
Realistically, most credit cards require decent credit scores. If you have bad credit or no credit, card approval can be extremely challenging. Fortunately, the is an option for veterans in one of these categories to A) get a credit card, and B) build their credit score.
With a secured credit card, Capital One cardholders put down a refundable security deposit, as low as $49 for a $200 initial credit line. That deposit then serves as collateral for the credit card. You can then earn your security deposit back as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly. With no annual or hidden fees, plus the ability to monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One, it’s a great option to build credit.
Major Benefits
This option helps cardholders build their credit scores while still having the functionality of a normal credit card. Capital One monitors your usage and offers upgrades in as little as six months with no additional deposit.
Final Thoughts
Like all tools, credit cards shouldn’t be viewed from a one-size-fits-all perspective. Rather, Veterans should first decide how they plan to use a card and their priorities. From this foundation, you can decide on the best credit card for your unique situation.
Maurice “Chipp” Naylon spent nine years as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps. He is currently a licensed CPA specializing in real estate development and accounting.