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When you're a parent, there's no shortage of bills to pay. The good news is, best credit cards for families can help you save on those pesky expenses.
Our experts narrowed it down to find the card offers with the most family-centric benefits. On this list, you'll find cards that earn extra cash back in the most common spending categories, reward consumers with big bonus offers, and help you avoid interest charges.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Great for: Big rewards on everyday purchases
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months
APR
19.24%-29.99% Variable
Rewards 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
1%-6% Cash Back
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Welcome Offer Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$250
This card offers market-leading cash back at U.S. supermarkets. The welcome bonus and intro APR offer sweeten the deal. Terms apply. If you spend a lot on groceries (excluding wholesale clubs and superstores like Costco and Walmart), this card is worth considering. Read Full Review
Great for: Unlimited cash rewards
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Regular APR
20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
Rewards Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
2% cash rewards
Annual Fee N/A
$0
Welcome Offer Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
$200 cash rewards
This card’s unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases is the highest we’ve seen for a flat-rate rewards card with no annual fee. It also has an incredibly easy-to-earn $200 welcome bonus and a generous intro APR offer. We simply haven’t come across this combination of top perks in one card before. Read Full Review
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Great for: Save on dining
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles on purchases billing cycles, and after that 18.24% - 29.24% (Variable).
Purchases: 0%, 12 billing cycles on purchases
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 billing cycles
Regular APR
18.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Rewards 4X points on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery. 2X points on streaming services. Plus, a $15 credit for annual streaming purchases like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify®, Apple Music, Disney+, HBO Max and more! 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, gas stations, and EV charging stations. 1X point on all other eligible purchases.
1x - 4x points
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
20,000 bonus points
A great pick that offers lucrative rewards (up to 4x points), a big bonus, and a competitive 0% intro APR offer, all with no annual fee.
Great for: Amazon shoppers
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.49% - 29.24% Variable
Rewards Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership, unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and unlimited 1% on all other purchases
1% - 5% back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card
If you have an Amazon Prime account, do we have the card for you! This one is part of Chase's lineup, and earns a whopping 5% cash rewards on Amazon, Whole Foods, and Amazon Fresh purchases. Best of all, that cash back is available to you as soon as the next day -- so if you make frequent Amazon purchases and have a Prime membership, you'll easily save. Read Full Review
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Great for: Premium travel perks and easy to use
On Capital One's Secure Website.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
Excellent (740-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Rewards Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
2X-10X miles
Annual Fee
$395
Welcome Offer 75000 Miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
75,000 Miles
Our favorite premium travel card. Yes, there’s a premium annual fee here, but you get what you might expect from a luxury card, like up to 10X miles on spending through Capital One Travel, a $300 travel credit, experience credits, and a huge welcome bonus. Read Full Review
Great for: Great bonus categories
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% Intro APR on Purchases
Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months
Regular APR
20.49%-29.24% Variable
Rewards 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
5% cash back offer
Annual Fee N/A
$0
Welcome Offer Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening!
$200 bonus
This Chase card is one of our favorites, and with good reason. You earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate, alongside other standout perks (and at least 1% on all purchases). Plus, this one comes without an annual fee and with a generous welcome bonus. Read Full Review
Great for: Long 0% intro APR offer
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 21 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Regular APR
18.24%, 24.74%, or 29.99% Variable APR
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee N/A
$0
Welcome Offer
N/A
This no-frills card is a solid choice if your priority is to avoid credit card interest for as long as possible. It offers an incredible 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. The balance transfer fee (5%, min: $5) is higher than some cards — but if you want an equally long intro APR on purchases, then this card is hard to beat. Read Full Review
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Great for: Gas and Costco spending
Excellent (740-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.49% (Variable)
Rewards 4% back on gas and EV charging ($7,000 annual spending cap), 3% back on restaurants and travel, 2% back on Costco purchases, 1% back on other purchases
1% - 4% back
Annual Fee
$0 for Costco members
Welcome Offer
N/A
Hard to beat for Costco shoppers with the lucrative rewards program and no annual fee for members. The cash back rates on gas and EV charging are among the highest you'll find. Read Full Review
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Great for: Flexible travel rewards
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases
Annual Fee N/A
$95
Welcome Offer 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 Travel℠.
60,000 bonus points
The enormous welcome bonus (worth $750), bonus travel and dining rewards, and $50 annual hotel credit alone make this card well worth the annual fee. This card’s points are valuable and easy to use, as you can redeem them at 25% more value for Chase Travel bookings, giving it less of a learning curve than other travel cards. It also has a strong list of travel protections you don't see often from such an affordable card, including primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. Read Full Review
The good news is that there are plenty of excellent credit cards for families. However, having so many options can also make it difficult to pick a card. Here's a straightforward step-by-step guide to choosing a credit card that fits your family's needs:
The easiest way to decide on a card type is to pin down your biggest need in a credit card. Looking for a simple way to save money? A cash rewards credit card is exactly what you need. Are you trying to get out of credit card debt? A balance transfer card can help with that. Do you travel a lot? Travel rewards and using a credit card that doesn't have a foreign transaction fee can save you quite a bit of money.
Now that you know which type of credit card you want, you can pick out a few potential options.
Browse our different credit cards above and figure out which features are most important to you, such as cash back rates or sign-up bonuses new cardholders can earn after account opening. Use those features to decide which cards make the cut.
Once you have your finalists, compare them side by side to see which one you like the most. Then, fill out an application online for the card you want.
When it comes to the best credit cards, they all have great benefits. It's just a matter of finding the card that will save your family the most money. Think about which benefits you'll really be able to use, check if any of the cards charge an annual fee, and do the math on how much value you'll get from each card option.
There are quite a few types of credit cards. Choosing the type you want is a good way to start your search for a new one. Here are the best types of credit cards for families and why they're so popular.
Cash back credit cards are perfect if you're looking for a simple way to save money on all your expenses.
These cards earn cash rewards on purchases. You can typically redeem your cash back as a statement credit on your credit card bill, a direct deposit to a bank account, or by requesting a check.
Some cash back cards offer a high rate, such as 2%, on all eligible purchases. Others have bonus categories, such as 3% on gas or 6% on groceries. Those are great if your family has a few big expense categories every month.
COMPARE PICKS: Best Cash Back Credit Cards
Intro 0% APR credit cards are a big help if your family has costly bills coming up that you need time to pay off.
This type of card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases. For as long as the intro period lasts, the card issuer doesn't charge you interest on any purchase you make. If you get a card with a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months, then you have 15 months where you can pay off bills interest free.
You could use a 0% APR card to cover any major expense, such as school supplies, medical bills, or sports equipment. Just try to pay off the full balance by the end of the intro period. Otherwise, the card issuer will start charging interest on the remaining balance.
COMPARE PICKS: Best 0% intro APR Credit Cards
Travel rewards credit cards are great if your family goes on vacations often or you're planning an expensive trip.
These cards earn rewards you can use for travel purchases. The ways you can redeem travel rewards depend on the card. There are travel cards that earn airline miles, hotel points, and points in credit card rewards programs.
It takes a little time to learn how travel credit cards work and to find the best travel credit card for you. If you don't mind the learning curve, this type of rewards card could save you money every time your family travels. Most travel cards also don't charge a foreign transaction fee, so it's good to have one if your family goes abroad.
COMPARE PICKS: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Balance transfer credit cards are one of the best ways for families to pay off credit card debt.
They offer a 0% intro APR on balance transfers. That means you can take your balances on other credit cards with high interest rates and move them over to a balance transfer card. Once they're transferred, you can pay them down with no interest for the entire intro period.
There's usually a small balance transfer fee (the standard amount is 3%). But that's a small price to pay to go from an interest rate of 20% or more to 0% during the promo period.
COMPARE PICKS: Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards
Card | Rating | Great For |
---|---|---|
2024 Award Winner
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Big rewards on everyday purchases |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Unlimited cash rewards |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Save on dining |
|
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Amazon shoppers |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Premium travel perks and easy to use |
|
2024 Award Winner
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Great bonus categories |
2024 Award Winner
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Long 0% intro APR offer |
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Gas and Costco spending |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Flexible travel rewards |
Credit card benefits that are helpful for parents include cash back rewards, bonuses on everyday purchases, and 0% intro APR offers. All these benefits can help parents save money on their regular spending.
Yes, you can add your kids as authorized users on your credit card account. Some card issuers have an age minimum for authorized users, but there are also several card issuers that let you add authorized users of any age.
The best credit card for family travel is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It offers a large sign-up bonus for new cardholders, flexible travel points with multiple ways to redeem them, and high rewards rates in several popular categories, including hotels, rental cars, and flights.
This rewards card is somewhat expensive with its annual fee. However, it balances that out with a big annual travel credit toward Capital One Travel Bookings and 10,000 bonus miles (a $100 value) every account anniversary. Those benefits alone are worth hundreds of dollars and balance out the cost of the annual fee.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Amex.