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No matter your kids’ ages, you know they demand everything from you — your wisdom, your time, and of course your money.
So whether you’re stocking up on diapers, refilling school supplies, or saving for college tuition, wouldn’t it be nice to get some rewards on all your spending on your kids and get some perks along the way?
That’s exactly what the right credit card can provide for your family.
Cards like the Citi Double Cash give 2% back on everything, while others like the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card give even more cash back on certain categories.
Here are our picks for the best credit cards for families right now.
Table of Contents
Citi Double Cash
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Citi Double Cash: Best for Everyday PurchasesLearn MoreWe earn a commission on this offer.
- Basics: The Citi Double Cash card essentially gives you 2% cash back on everything. You get 1% cash back when you swipe and an additional 1% when you make a payment.
- Example: Think about how much of your family's spending could be paid for with a credit card. Excluding housing costs (since those generally can't be paid with a credit card), you probably have at least $2,000 monthly in bills and other expenses. If you put these costs on your Citi Double Cash and paid your balance in full every month, this would come out to $480 in cash back per year.
- Bottom Line: If as a busy mom or dad you just want one go-to card that essentially gives you a 2% discount on everything you buy with it, the Citi Double Cash is for you.
- Sign-Up Bonus
LIMITED TIME OFFER -- Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.
- Annual Fee
$0
- Credit Score
Good - Excellent
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
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Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for Large FamiliesLearn MoreWe earn a commission on this offer.
- Basics: The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers 6% cash back on your first $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets per year, 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back on transit purchases (including Uber, Lyft, parking, tolls, and train fares), and 3% cash back on all your purchases at U.S. gas stations. It gives you 1% cash back on all other purchases, including spending at grocery stores beyond the first $6,000 per year. It has a $95 annual fee.
- Example: A large family can easily hit $6,000 spend at U.S. supermarkets per year — that's only $500 per month. If all of these purchases are put on your AmEx Blue Cash Preferred, the family will earn $360 cash back in grocery purchases alone, not to mention the other cash back categories. Keep in mind that the card does have a $95 annual fee.
- Bottom Line: If you have a lot of kids — especially teenagers — the Amex Blue Cash Preferred is a no-brainer. If you spend well over $6,000 on groceries per year, it may be worth it for both you and your spouse to separately apply for a card so you can spend $12,000 on groceries per year at 6% cash back. Also, if you or your spouse has a long commute, the Preferred's 3% unlimited cash back at U.S. gas stations is a nice perk as well.
- Welcome Offer
$350 with $3,000 spend within first 6 months from opening account. Terms Apply.
- Annual Fee
- Credit Score
Good - Excellent
Capital One Savor
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Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Families Who Like to Eat OutLearn MoreWe earn a commission on this offer.
- Basics: Sometimes time is short, and Mom or Dad don't have the time to prepare dinner for the family. When this happens, eating out is the go-to option. If this scenario sounds like your family on a regular basis, know that the Capital One Savor gives you a massive 4% cash back on dining and entertainment in addition to 2% cash back at grocery stores and 1% cash back on everything else.
- Example: How much do you spend on dining and entertainment? It may be more than you think. The average American household spends almost $2,500 on entertainment and $3,000 on dining out. If they put all those expenses on the Capital One Savor, they would earn $220 cash back on those purchases alone on an annual basis.
- Bottom Line: If your family is a regular at local eateries, then you should seriously consider the Capital One Savor as your next credit card.
- Welcome Offer
$300 with $3,000 spend within first three months from opening account
- Annual Fee
$95, waived for the first year
- Credit Score
Good - Excellent
Chase Sapphire Preferred
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Chase Sapphire Preferred: Best for Families Who Travel- Basics: If your family is more of a camping or staycation type, you probably don't need a travel credit card. But if you're routinely paying for tickets for all your kids across the country or around the world, getting free flights from a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred certainly sounds nice, doesn't it? This card gives you two Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and dining worldwide and one point per dollar spent on all other categories. By our math (see below), each point is worth 5 cents each when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- Example: If you book through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can use 80,000 points which is worth $4,000. This comes out to a value of 5 cents per point. Equivalent to $1,000 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R).
- Bottom Line: This card is an excellent basic travel card for families who travel once or twice a year. If you travel more frequently than that, a more premium card such as the The Platinum Card® from American Express or Chase Sapphire Reserve may be a better option.
- Sign-Up Bonus
80,000 points with $4,000 spend within first three months from opening account. Since 80,000 points is worth approximately $1,000 when they are redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R), this results in an 25% return on spend from the bonus alone.
- Annual Fee
$95
- Perks
• Doordash delivery fees with a DashPass subscription
• No foreign transaction fee
• Flexible points redemption
• No foreign transaction fees
• A generous sign-up bonus
• Low annual fee
• $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
To see the rates and fees for the American Express cards featured, please visit the following links: Blue Cash Preferred(R) Card from American Express: See Rates and Fees; American Express Platinum Card: See Rates and Fees
Author:
Logan is a practicing CPA and founder of Choice Tax Relief and Money Done Right. After spending nearly a decade in the corporate world helping big businesses save money, he launched his blog with the goal of helping everyday Americans earn, save, and invest more money. Learn more about Logan.
