Credit cards can be a beneficial tool for pet owners if they’re used appropriately. They can be a great way to earn extra perks as well as serve as a stopgap in times of emergency. Pet owners who are aware how expensive dog care can get, always look for ways to budget better, and some of these best credit cards for pet owners we're looking at today can be helpful in saving money on pet care.
Just remember that for credit cards to be beneficial, it’s important not to allow a balance to accrue. If you do have an emergency, such as an expensive surgery, arise and allow a balance to accrue, be sure to pay more than the minimum payment due and pay off your balance as soon as you can.
ALSO READ: The Best Savings Accounts for Pet Owners
1. American Kennel Club℠ Visa®
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate As Low As: 12.98%
Tailor-made for pet parents, the American Kennel Club Visa is a rewards card that allows you to earn rewards and support the American Kennel Club every time you spend (those funds are used to improve canine welfare nationwide). You can even customize your card with a photo of your pup or an AKC image of your favorite breed.
Key rewards include triple reward points for every dollar spent at pet stores or with the AKC. We recommend this card if you are a charitable giver and you are looking for a credit card option rather than a health card.
2. Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate As Low As: 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months and 15.24%-25.24% variable APR subsequently.
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card isn’t specifically designed for dog owners; however, they are one of the best credit card options for cash back!
The Quicksilver card offers a one-time $150 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from opening your account. Cash back rewards don’t require you to choose categories for reward bonuses, and rewards that you earn with purchases never expire! That means that your points are your points for the life of your account! In addition, there is also no limit on how much cashback you can earn during the life of your account.
One of the better cash back rewards credit cards, we recommend the Capital One Quicksilver card for everyday pet expenses as well as for any major or unexpected pet expenses.
3. H3 WellnessPlus Card
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate: Can be deferred on purchases of $300 or more for 6 to 12 months.
The H3 WellnessPlus Card is a healthcare card designed to spread out the cost of larger veterinary expenses. As a healthcare card, this isn’t a card that can be used for other pet-related expenses and it can only be used at select veterinarians who accept H3 WellnessPlus, so be sure to ask your veterinarian if they accept H3 WellnessPlus Card before applying.
This is a fair health lending option if you are facing larger veterinary bills that you won’t be able to pay off immediately, but it does pose problems since it is not accepted at all vet clinics.
4. Discover it® Cash Back
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate As Low As: 0% intro APR for 14 months from date of account opening and 14.24%-25.24% variable APR subsequently.
The Discover it® Cash Back card is another credit card that doesn’t focus on rewarding pet parents specifically, but it offers a great cash back incentive. All purchases will earn you 1% cash back and each quarter select locations will earn you a 5% cashback reward. There is a quarterly cap on how much cashback you can earn and you do have to ensure that your vet or chosen clinic accepts Discover card.
As an added bonus, new card owners will have their first year’s cash back matched with no limit on the matching amount. We recommend this card as a last resort for credit card lending simply because it is not accepted at as many locations, but if your regular vet does accept Discover, this can be a good cash back card to consider.
5. CareCredit ® Healthcare Card
Repayment Periods: 18, 24, 36, 48, and 60-month payment plans
Interest Rate: Can be deferred on purchases of $200 or more
A healthcare specific card, the CareCredit Healthcare Card can be used for people and their dogs. Veterinary financing through the CareCredit Healthcare Card is only accepted at select veterinarians, however, so be sure to ask your veterinarian if they accept CareCredit before applying.
This card can be used for veterinary emergencies and regular vet visits as well as vet-recommended pet foods. We don’t recommend this card for smaller expenses, but if you are facing a larger veterinary expense and your vet accepts CareCredit it’s a good last resort option.
6. Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate As Low As: 0% Introductory APR for 12 billing cycles for purchases AND for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days, then, 16.24% – 26.24% Variable APR. 3% fee (min $10) applies to balance transfers.
The Bank of America Cash Rewards Credit Card is a cash reward credit card that allows you to select your cash back category every month. Your chosen cashback category will earn you 3% cash back, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% on everything else. There is no expiration on your cashback rewards and if you are a Bank of America Preferred Reward client you will also earn 25%-75% rewards bonus on each purchase.
New cardholders will earn a $150 online cash rewards bonus once you spend $500 on purchases in the first 90 days after opening the account. We recommend this credit card for regular pet expenses as well as for larger expected veterinary expenses such as planned surgeries.
7. Citi ® Health Card
Repayment Periods: Set by your veterinary office
Interest Rate: Variable
Another healthcare card that covers veterinary expenses, the Citi Health Card can be used for human family members as well as pets. Unlike other pet health cards, the Citi Health Card allows your veterinarian to set the payment period for your repayment plan so that you have a plan that is customized to your needs.
There is no down payment required to use the Citi Health Card for your pet’s veterinary bills, but you do have to find a veterinarian that will accept the Citi Health Card. We recommend this card if you are facing a large unexpected veterinary bill and if your clinic accepts the Citi Health Card.
8. Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate: 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers (fees apply), then a 16.74%-27.74% variable APR; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee.
The Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Card doesn’t offer a huge cash back rewards percentage, but there is no limit on cash rewards on purchases so if you spend a lot on your dog’s supplies, then this card is worth considering. Regular purchases will earn you 1.5% cash back and as long as your card remains open, your cashback rewards will never expire.
New account owners will also receive a $200 cash back rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of opening your account. We recommend this card for regular pet expenses as well as for veterinary expenses but only if your interest rate is reasonable.
9. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate: 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.99-25.74%. The balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a cash back credit card option with a lower cash back reward percentage, but there is no minimum to redeem for cash back which is a plus. Everyday purchases will earn you 1.5% cash back and you don’t have to worry about signing up for categories etc. plus for as long as your account is open, your cash back rewards won’t expire.
New account holders can also earn a $150 bonus once they spend $500 on purchases within the first three months of opening the account. We recommend this card for day to day pet expenses as well as for vet expenses and while the cashback percentage isn’t huge, you will benefit from free weekly credit score updates which is a great plus if you are working on building your credit or have a less than perfect credit score and are trying to build your score back up.
10. Citi Simplicity® Card
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate: 0% for 12 months on purchases then 16.24% – 26.24% (variable) after that period, 0% for 21 months on balance transfers.
The Citi Simplicity Card’s selling point is that they have no late fees ever, no penalty rate, and no annual fee. This isn’t a rewards card and it isn’t a pet-centric card, but if you are looking for a credit card to cover emergency expenses and have had no luck with rewards credit cards, this is a fair go-to option although not the best.
There are some perks with the Citi Simplicity Card, though, like roadside assistance, auto rental insurance, $0 fraud liability, and purchase protection.
11. Bank of America® Travel Rewards
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate: 0% Introductory APR for 12 billing cycles for purchases, then 17.24% – 25.24% Variable APR.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards card offers travel rewards instead of cash back rewards. For every dollar you spend with this card you will receive 1.5 travel rewards points no matter what you purchase. Points can be redeemed with any airline, any hotel, and there are no blackout dates.
While the “Rewards” on this card aren’t cash back, if you are a pet parent who travels a lot or just wants to travel more, this is a great credit card choice for your everyday expenses, your regular monthly expenses like pet insurance premiums, and for those major expenses that crop up out of nowhere. Plus, if you are a preferred rewards client, Bank of America will increase your bonus to 25% to 75%.
12. HSBC Gold Mastercard®
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Interest Rate: 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 18 months from account opening. Then a variable APR of 13.24%, 17.24% or 21.24% will apply.
The HSBC Gold Mastercard is a good credit card option if you have already paid for that major veterinary bill with another credit card and you’re getting nowhere trying to pay off the bill. The introductory balance transfer APR on this card is not just 0% but it remains at 0% for 18 months which gives you time enough to get a nice chunk of that big bill (or even all of it) paid off.
READ NEXT: How Dog Owners Should Prepare for Financial Emergencies
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