What is the best credit card for families?

Depending on your individual goals, there could be multiple cards that work for you and your family. Whether you like cash-back, travel domestically or internationally, want to stay at luxury hotels, or stretch your points at budget hotels, we have all of your options laid out clearly with all of the important information you need to make your decision!

What is the best everyday credit card for my family?

We’ve reviewed every credit available in the U.S. market and picked out our favorites for you. Depending on how much you spend, there may be multiple options that could be a good fit. Some premium credit cards come with an annual fee of over $500, but they could be worth it if you use all of the benefits! Scroll up and read our review!

What is the best cash-back credit card for my family?

Getting cash-back on your purchases is like stacking coupons and getting an instant discount on every purchase. Depending on where you shop the most, the right credit card for your family may vary. Take a look at our list here.

The 14 Best Credit Cards for Families [2023 Guide]

It’s no secret that raising kids can be very expensive. With a constant list of expenses and responsibilities, managing the monthly bills can get overwhelming. But with the right credit card, you can save money on your family’s expenses and get rewarded with perks.

Whether you and your family prefer cash-back or want to earn some points and miles, we’ve found the best credit cards for families.

Gas and groceries can not only help fast-track your next family vacation, but they can also offer valuable benefits such as travel insurance and purchase protection. You might want some extra coverage on that new tablet — and the right family credit card can offer it!

For family travelers, having the right credit cards in your wallet can help reduce your costs and give you peace of mind if something goes wrong. That can offer value whether you’re just going on a quick road trip for the weekend or planning a big European summer vacation.

From bonus points to unlimited cash-back, we’ve got you covered. Don’t worry if this all sounds overwhelming — we will break it all down for you!

Table of contents

The 14 Best Credit Cards for Families
How To Pick The Best Family Credit Card
Best Credit Cards for Families
Methodology
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

The 14 Best Credit Cards for Families
How To Pick The Best Family Credit Card
Best Credit Cards for Families
Methodology
Final Thoughts

The 14 Best Credit Cards for Families

Card	Best For	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits for Families
Chase Freedom Flex℠	Cash-back	Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months. Annual fee of $0	5% back on rotating quarterly categories 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases
Citi® Double Cash Card	Cash-back	No welcome offer available. Annual fee of $0	Unlimited 2% cash-back on every purchase
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Family Travel	Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	3x points on dining, groceries, and select streaming services Access to Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal and transfer partners Travel insurance included
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Family Travel	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	2x miles on every purchase Access to Capital One Travel and transfer partners Airport lounge access
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Family Travel	Earn 80,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	5x points on flights Access to a long list of travel benefits Annual and monthly statement credits Airport lounge access
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card	Online Shopping	Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval and earn 5% back everywhere on up to $2,500 in spending for the first 3 months after account opening ($125 value). Eligible Prime membership required. Annual fee of $0	5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods Market 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	Online Shopping	Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months Annual fee of $0 (rates and fees)	3% back on online purchases, gas stations, and groceries Monthly credit towards The Disney Bundle and Home Chef
American Express® Gold Card	Gas and Groceries	Earn 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $250 (rates and fees)	4x points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets Up to $120 annual dining credit Up to $120 annual Uber Cash
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Gas and Groceries	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees)	6% back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year) and on select streaming services 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations and transit
Citi Premier® Card	Gas and Groceries	Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024. Annual fee of $95	3x points at gas stations, supermarkets, restaurants, airfare, and hotels Access to Citi ThankYou travel portal and transfer partners
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi	Gas and Groceries	No welcome offer available. Annual fee of $0	4% cash-back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases 3% cash-back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	Everyday Spending	INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! Annual fee of $0	3% cash-back on dining and drugstore purchases
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card	Dining	Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months . Annual fee of $0	10% cash-back on Uber and Uber Eats 8% cash-back on Capital One Entertainment purchases 3% cash-back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores
Disney® Premier Visa® Card	Dining	Earn $300 Statement Credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $49	2% in Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases at grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and most Disney locations 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on card purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or ESPNPlus.com

How To Pick The Best Family Credit Card

As with any credit card, you should choose a family credit card that works for you. Your family’s needs may be very different from the next when it comes to everyday expenses and reward preferences.

Some families may prefer to receive cash-back, while others like to redeem points for a family vacation.

To each their own! We don’t judge, we just want to educate you on your options.

Rewards for Everyday Expenses

Parents constantly juggle an ever-increasing amount of responsibilities and expenses. Doctor appointments, school supplies, homework, after-school sports, grocery shopping, clothes shopping, family dinners, filling up the car with gas — the list goes on and on.

If you have to make all of these everyday purchases, you should at least be rewarded for it. By using the right card for your family’s everyday expenses, you could be padding your bank account with some cash-back or building up points and miles for a family vacation.

For example, some cards offer increased earnings in categories like gas and groceries. So if your family spends a lot on those categories each month, you could earn extra rewards.

Welcome Offer

When applying for a credit card, one of the most important factors you should consider is the current sign-up bonus.

A sign-up bonus is usually a fixed amount of points that you will receive after spending a predetermined amount on your new credit card within a certain amount of time, usually the first 3 months.

For example, you could earn a 50,000-point bonus if you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months of approval for a new credit card. Those 50,000 points are in addition to the points earned from spending $3,000.

Hot Tip: Sign-up bonuses change all the time, so watch for the best credit card bonuses to get for a new card when the bonus is high.

Perks

When it comes to credit cards, and especially travel credit cards for families, there are often competitive perks.

Depending on how much your annual fee is — which could be $0 — your perks can vary greatly from one card to another.

Common perks on family travel credit cards often include:

Airport lounge access
Automatic loyalty status with major hotel chains
Annual free hotel nights
Trip insurance
Rental car insurance
Travel statement credits

These perks may be considered more valuable to some than others, so it’s always a good idea to compare cards to see what’s included and consider what you will really take advantage of.

Annual Fee

Many credit cards come with an annual fee. You may balk at the idea of paying to have a credit card. But depending on the perks and sign-up bonuses, more often than not, you can get value out of paying an annual fee.

While there are certainly some travel credit cards with no annual fee, some of our favorite cards for families come with annual fees. In fact, it can be easy to justify paying hundreds of dollars per year in annual fees by the amount of value you receive from them.

That said, if you look at the benefits and don’t think you’ll be able to take advantage of them, a no-annual-fee card may be a better fit.

Ease of Use

An often-overlooked obstacle when gathering points for a big trip is how complicated it can be when it comes time to redeem said points.

Parents have enough on their plates without needing to add hours of research just to learn how to redeem their points and miles.

For example, it doesn’t make sense for you to sign up for a Delta credit card if Delta doesn’t serve your local airport, right?

It may make more sense to sign up for a Chase card where you can book whatever you want directly through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.

Best Credit Cards for Families

Alright, let’s jump into the fun part and start looking at some credit card options for you and your family!

Below, we’ll dig into credit cards that are a good fit for families looking for cash-back or points and miles. We’ll break them down into categories that are best for earning and redeeming based on family spending habits and redemption goals.

Want cash-back for your family to use immediately? We’ve got you covered. Prefer to save up some points so you can plan a family vacation for cheap? We’ve got that too!

Best Family Credit Cards for Cash-Back

Families looking for immediate rewards in the form of cash-back have some great credit card options.

Swiping the right card could mean extra discounts on all of your family’s purchases.

1. Chase Freedom Flex℠

The Freedom Flex card has no annual fee and earns a lot of cash-back for your family.

With 5% back on rotating quarterly categories and 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, the card makes a lot of sense for a lot of families.

2. Citi® Double Cash Card

The Double Cash card has been a popular credit card for families for a long time, and for good reason.

This card earns unlimited 2% cash-back on every purchase: 1% when you buy, and another 1% when you pay your bill. That means no chasing after bonus categories, just spending and earning. This makes it an easy choice for rewards and ease of use for families.

Best Credit Cards for Family Travel

There is nothing like taking a special family vacation that will create memories for a lifetime…but sometimes the costs be prohibitive.

Fortunately, some of our favorite cards earn points that can help you greatly reduce or even eliminate some of those expensive travel costs — and even make travel a little bit more comfortable!

3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a great card for families who want to focus on their next family vacation.

This card earns 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services, so regular monthly expenses can quickly boost your balance. And when you’re ready to hit the road with the kids, just transfer those points over to one of the many transfer partners or book via the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.

4. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The CapitalOne Venture card is one of the most straightforward, easy-to-use rewards credit cards available. That means less time doing math and more time enjoying vacations with your family!

You will earn 2x miles on every purchase and you can use those miles to redeem for travel through the Capital One Travel Portal or transfer them to one of the many transfer partners.

When you and your family travel, you can enjoy 2 complimentary visits to a Capital One Lounge or Plaza Premium Lounges each year, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit, travel assistance, and more!

5. The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Platinum card is a premium card from Amex, which means it carries a hefty annual fee, but also has a long list of benefits that many families should be able to take advantage of.

From bonus points to statement credits and lounge access, this card has a lot to offer families.

Although the annual fee is staggering, new card members may be targeted for welcome bonus offers as high as 100k to 150k Amex points!

If you’re looking to take some luxurious family vacations, the Amex Platinum card would fit nicely in your wallet.

Best Family Credit Cards for Online Shopping

If you’re like many families in the U.S., online shopping is a big part of your expenses.

The convenience of being able to order almost anything online and have it delivered to your door means you can spend less time shopping and more time with your family.

If you want to maximize your rewards when you click “add to cart,”, check out these cards.

6. Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

The Amazon Prime Signature card is a no-brainer for families who shop on Amazon.

The card offers a whopping 5% cash-back at Amazon and Whole Foods Market, plus 2% cash-back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores!

For no annual fee, this credit card is a family favorite.

7. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is a great everyday cash-back card for families.

This no-annual-fee Amex offers 3% back on online purchases, as well as gas stations and groceries! Those are popular categories for many families.

Plus, the card comes with monthly credits toward the Disney Bundle and Home Chef. And don’t forget about other benefits of having an American Express card, such as purchase protection and access to Amex Offers.

Best Family Credit Cards for Gas and Groceries

Gas and groceries are easily the biggest spending categories for many families. If you’re spending that money anyway, why not get rewarded for it?

Some of our favorite credit cards for families earn big bonuses on these categories, which means more money and more points in your pocket!

8. American Express® Gold Card

The Amex Gold card is a go-to card for food lovers. This iconic card earns 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets — that can add up to big rewards!

With this card, you’ll get up to $120 in annual dining credits and up to $120 in annual Uber Cash — not bad! The annual fee may scare some families off, but if you can use the benefits, it can easily pay for itself.

9. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

If you’re looking to earn some cash-back on your grocery purchases, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is one of the best options.

This card earns 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year) and on select streaming services, plus 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations and on transit.

With a nice little welcome bonus and no annual fee for the first year, this credit card is a great option for many families.

10. Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier card is an excellent option for families looking for a card with good earning rates that they can redeem for family travel.

Earning is simple and uncapped, with great 3x bonus categories at gas stations, supermarkets, and restaurants, and on airfare and hotels.

The big welcome bonus and small annual fee make this a go-to for many families.

11. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Costco fans, rejoice! There is a card here for you and it has no annual fee with your paid Costco membership.

The Costco Anywhere card earns 4% cash-back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter. Plus, get 3% cash-back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases. Those are some great rates for a card that has no annual fee beyond your Costco membership.

And let’s not forget that it earns a solid 2% cash-back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com.

Best Family Credit Cards for Everyday Spending

As a parent, it’s easy to see how almost any of the cards listed above could be ideal for everyday spending.

But if you need another option to earn great rewards on anything that doesn’t fit into major rewards categories, here you go!

12. Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Freedom Unlimited card is easily one of the best cash-back credit cards available for families.

This card will earn 3% cash-back on dining and drugstore purchases, and then 1.5% back on everything else — for no annual fee! You can even score 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards!

And if you already have a Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card, you can receive that cash-back as UR points instead. So you can earn 3x to 5x points on your purchases, which is really good.

Best Family Credit Cards for Dining and Entertainment

We get it, it’s not all diapers and gas station trips for your family. Sometimes you need to go out and have some fun.

If you want to maximize your rewards, take a look at these dining and entertainment cards for families.

13. Capital One SavorOne Rewards Credit Card

We’ve got your budget in mind with the Capital One SavorOne card because this card packs in big rewards with no annual fee.

Not only does the Capital One SavorOne card earn a very respectable 3% cash-back at grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment, and even popular streaming services, but it also earns 10% cash-back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases and 8% cash-back on Capital One Entertainment purchases!

Plus get 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel on your family vacations.

14. Disney® Premier Visa® Card

Disney fans, this one is for you.

If you want to earn Disney Dollars, the Disney Premier card is the fastest way to do it.

This card earns 2% in Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases at grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and most Disney locations. For families, that can add up quickly and be a great way to visit Walt Disney World for cheap or even free.

Plus you can earn 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on card purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or ESPNPlus.com.

Methodology

The Upgraded Points team constantly analyzes and performs real-world testing of the most popular cards on the market. We do this to help our millions of readers make important decisions about which cards they put in their wallets, and we use our “U.P. Rating” to make that process easier for them.

We analyze many factors including benefits, earning structure, welcome bonuses, fees, redemption value, APR, and credit-building features.

For our best cards for families’ choices, we take all of those insights and then filter them even further so we are left with only cards that provide maximum returns on common family expenses, with justifiable annual fees (if necessary), and high ease of use when it comes to redeeming rewards.

Final Thoughts

Families looking to get cash-back, free flights, hotel nights, or travel perks from their everyday spending have no shortage of options when considering credit cards in the United States.

Finding the balance between annual fees and benefits is something that each family will need to look at and evaluate individually. Hopefully, we have laid out your best options clearly.

If you’re looking for even more information on making the most of family travel, explore our Family Travel section to make all your vacations stress-free and point-earning!

The information regarding the Capital One SavorOne Card Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Disney Premier Visa® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® from American Express, click here.