10 Easiest Military Credit Card Benefits: Add $6,000 a Year With Almost Zero Effort #253
You don't need to be a points expert to win with military credit cards. Spencer and Jamie count down the 10 simplest, no-effort benefits you can pull from popular premium rewards cards, without paying an annual fee thanks to the Military Lending Act. Add them up and it's roughly $3,380 per person (over $6,700 for a couple) in easy annual value. Just swipe the card and collect.
The 10 Benefits Covered:
- $300 annual travel credit (resets each card anniversary)
- $25/month digital entertainment credit (streaming, newspapers, etc.)
- $25/month dining credit (coffee, fast food, any restaurant)
- Restaurant reservation credit ($100/quarter at participating spots)
- Annual free night certificates from various hotel co-brand cards
- Quarterly apparel credit ($75/quarter, e.g. Lululemon)
- $150 semiannual live-events ticket credit (e.g. StubHub)
- Monthly rideshare and food delivery credit (up to around $200/year)
- Included Walmart+ membership (free grocery delivery, bonus streaming)
- Hotel booking credit ($300 toward higher-end hotel stays)
Key Takeaways:
- You don't have to optimize every credit; skipping some is fine since you pay no annual fee
- Both the service member and spouse (a DEERS dependent) can hold their own cards and double the credits
- Many benefits work OCONUS with simple workarounds (gift the delivery/dining credits, use ticket credits for overseas events)
- Opening a couple of cards is an easy way for a non-working military spouse to add to the bottom line
Resources Mentioned:
- MaxFHR.com (find low-cost higher-end hotel stays that trigger the hotel credit)
- UseYourCredits.com (where dining credits work, gift cards, delivery)
- Military Money Manual free 5-day Ultimate Military Credit Cards email course
Spencer and Jamie offer one-on-one Military Money Mentor sessions. Get your personal military money and personal finance questions answered in a confidential coaching call. militarymoneymanual.com/mentor
Over 24,000 military servicemembers and military spouses have graduated from the 100% free, Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course available at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3
In the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course, you can learn how to apply for the most premium credit cards and get special military protections, such as waived annual fees, on elite cards.
Learn how active duty military, military spouses, and Guard and Reserves on 30+ day active orders can get your annual fees waived on premium credit cards in the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3
If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5 star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com.
If you have a question you would like us to answer on the podcast, please reach out on instagram.com/militarymoneymanual.
