There are plenty of discounts and benefits available to military members while on active duty. Some are highly advertised, while others are hidden in plain sight. In addition to all the travel perks and discounts offered to those in the military, my favorite perk is the ability to hold some of the best credit cards on the market without paying annual fees.

After several years in the military, neither I nor my colleagues had any idea what the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Military Lending Act were. I wish I had the knowledge then during all my years of service that I have now. Had I known about these programs sooner, I could have leveraged them and other benefits, such as not having to pay annual fees. These were available to me from the day that I entered active duty.

Whether you’re just starting out on active duty, are getting called up on active orders in the National Guard or reserves, or have been on active duty for years, you can benefit from this information. This guide will review the best military credit cards and why they’re great choices with the SCRA and MLA benefits for yourself and your family.

Best credit cards for military

Some credit card companies, such as American Express and Chase, have chosen to go above and beyond the requirements of the SCRA and the MLA by not requiring active-duty military members to pay annual fees for cards.

You need to request the right relief — either the MLA or SCRA — based on the account opening date and your entry date into service.

With this knowledge, let’s examine the five best cards for active-duty military members.

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Of course, there are more credit cards that are beneficial to U.S. service members than just those I have highlighted in this article. These are just a sample of the premium credit cards you should consider looking into if you’re eligible for these perks.

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Below, we’ll break down the benefits and built-in perks these cards offer, along with the relevant details for active-duty service members.

The Platinum Card from American Express

A top rewards card, the Amex Platinum is a great option for travel benefits and extensive lounge access.

Here are the relevant perks:

• No annual fee: Those covered under the SCRA or MLA will not be charged the $695 annual fee and authorized user fee.
• Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.
• Lounge access: Enjoy access to Amex’s Global Lounge Collection of more than 1,400 lounges, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass Select* lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (limited to 10 annual visits per year) when you’re flying on a Delta Air Lines-operated flight and have the Amex Platinum in your wallet.
• Airline credit: Receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when you pay for incidental fees with one qualifying airline.*
• Digital entertainment credit: Receive up to $240 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $20 per month) for Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, the Disney Bundle, The New York Times, Peacock and The Wall Street Journal purchases.
• Hotel credit: Receive up to $200 back in statement credits each calendar year for prepaid American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings made through American Express Travel (bookings through the Hotel Collection require a minimum two night stay).
• Uber Cash: Receive up to $200 annually in Uber Cash for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. (split into monthly up to $15 credits, plus an up to $20 bonus in December).*^
• Walmart+ credit: Receive up to $155 in statement credit per calendar year (up to $12.95 monthly, plus applicable taxes) that covers the cost of a monthly Walmart+ membership when paying with the Amex Platinum (on one membership, subject to auto-renewal); Plus Up is excluded.

*Enrollment is required. Terms apply.

^Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Platinum as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Sapphire Reserve is a solid choice if you’re looking to collect Chase Ultimate Rewards points and would leverage the card’s annual $300 travel credit.

Here are the relevant perks:

• No annual fee: Those covered under the SCRA or MLA will not be charged the $550 annual fee as long as the account was opened after Sept. 20, 2017.**
• Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Annual travel credit: Receive $300 in statement credits on travel purchases made with the card each account anniversary year.
• Lounge access: Enjoy access to Chase Sapphire airport lounges and more than 1,700 Priority Pass lounges.

**If you opened the account before Sept. 20, 2017, you will have to close the account before reapplying for the MLA benefits. Additional help can be provided by calling Chase’s military specialist line at 1-877-469-0110.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

If you and your family frequent Marriott properties and would benefit from the loyalty program’s top-tier card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex could be the best choice.

Here are the relevant perks:

• No annual fee: Those covered under the SCRA or MLA will not be charged the $650 annual fee.
• Welcome bonus: Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. This offer ends May 14.
• Elite status: Enjoy complimentary Platinum Elite status.
• Elite night credits: Receive 25 elite nights toward status granted each calendar year.
• Dining statement credit: Receive up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide.
• Free night award: Receive one free night award, worth up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, every year after your card renewal month. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Lounge access: Enjoy access to Priority Pass lounges after enrollment in Priority Pass Select.*

*Enrollment is required. Terms apply.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex is the best choice for a Delta enthusiast looking for the top suite of benefits.

Here are the relevant perks:

• No annual fee: Those covered under the SCRA or MLA will not be charged the $650 annual fee.
• Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership.
• Lounge access: Enjoy 15 visits per Medallion year to Delta Sky Clubs when flying with Delta. Unlock an unlimited number of visits after spending $75,000 on purchases in a calendar year. Plus, receive four one-time guest passes each Medallion year. You’ll also receive complimentary access to Centurion Lounges when you book your Delta flight with your card.
• Annual companion pass: Receive an annual companion certificate for a first class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America each year after card renewal.^^
• First checked bag free: Check your first bag free on Delta flights.
• Inflight discount: Receive 20% savings in the form of a statement credit when you use your card on eligible inflight food-and-beverage purchases.
• MQD boost: Earn 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar toward status for every $10 you spend on the card.
• MQD Headstart: Receive 2,500 MQDs each qualification year to apply toward earning status.
• Resy credit: Receive up to $20 in statement credits each month (up to $240 annually) after paying with your card at eligible U.S. Resy restaurants or making other eligible Resy purchases.
• Ride-hailing credit: Receive up to $10 back in monthly statement credits (up to $120 annually) each month after using your card for U.S. ride-hailing purchases with select providers.*

*Enrollment required. Terms apply.

^^Must pay government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250. Baggage charges and restrictions apply.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express

Hilton’s premium Aspire Amex card is the best option for anyone who frequently stays with the chain and would benefit from the card’s perks.

Here are the relevant perks:

• No annual fee: Those covered under the SCRA or MLA will not be charged the $550 annual fee.
• Welcome bonus: Earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. The offer ends April 29.
• Elite status: Enjoy complimentary top-tier Hilton Honors Diamond status.
• Airline fee credit: Receive up to $200 in quarterly statement credits applied to flight purchases made directly with an airline.
• Free night reward: Receive an annual free night reward in your first year of card membership and every year you renew your card.
• Hilton resort credit: Receive up to $400 in semiannual statement credits for eligible purchases made with Hilton resorts.

Benefits for military members and dependents through SCRA and MLA

In addition to determining which credit card is right for you, you’ll need to know some SCRA and MLA basics to better understand the financial coverage and benefits for yourself and your family.

The SCRA was designed to provide service members relief from financial burdens while serving on active duty in the U.S. military. Of note, the SCRA caps interest rates charged to service members on debts incurred prior to entering active duty at 6%.

The MLA protects service members as well as their dependents from certain lending practices. The highlight of the MLA is the Military Annual Percentage Rate regulation. This prevents creditors from exceeding 36% annually in total credit-related charges to covered borrowers under the MLA.

The MLA has been amended multiple times since it was enacted in 2006. The 2006 amendment expanded the list of credit services covered in an attempt to prevent credit agencies from shifting and hiding fees. This expansion of covered services prompted many credit card companies to grant a $0 annual fee on cards to active-duty military members to avoid complications.

So, who is covered by the SCRA and the MLA?

• All persons on active duty with uniformed services, including regular and active reserve
• Reserve and National Guard personnel who have been activated and are on federal active duty (whether as volunteers or as a result of involuntary activation) and inductees serving with the armed forces
• Reserve components who have received orders to report from the date of receipt of orders through the date of reporting for military service and beyond while on active military status

Additionally, any dependent of the above, including:

• Spouse
• Children under the age of 21
• Children under the age of 23 who are enrolled full time at an approved institution of higher learning and dependent (or dependent at the time of the member’s or former member’s death) on a covered member for over half of their support
• Children of any age incapable of self-support due to mental or physical incapacity that occurred while a dependent of the covered member and dependent on a covered member (or dependent at the time of the member’s or former member’s death) for over half of their support

Lastly, for these regulations to apply, you must meet the above conditions when you become obligated on a credit transaction or open an account. Once you no longer meet the above conditions, your accounts will no longer be covered and annual fees will resume.

It can be confusing to make sure you are eligible for and requesting the right benefits under the right law. Note that dependents only fall under the MLA and will not appear under SCRA searches.

Bottom line

There are generous benefits available to the military community. However, you must be a responsible borrower and have the credit score to support opening new accounts.

Military life can be stressful, and tracking finances while changing addresses every two to three years can be difficult. If you can manage it and keep your credit journey organized, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of these rewards while on active duty.

Updated by Augusta Stone.