Credit Card Reviews: Best Credit Cards for Families

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If you have a family, the costs can add up fast. While you’re busy paying for school supplies, clothes, doctor visits, sports, activities, insurance, and feeding everyone, you might as well earn cash back or travel rewards along the way. Choosing any of these top five cards should put you in the best position to maximize your rewards. 

American Express Gold (*)

The benefits and rewards make it perfect for a busy family that regularly dines out, or likes to eat in general. This card gives you 4x points per dollar at restaurants, including takeout and delivery and earn 4x points per dollar at US grocery stores as well, though the 4x on groceries is limited to $25,000 in annual purchases. Unlike typical credit cards, the Card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all.

In addition to reward points on food, the Gold card gives you 3x points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or at Amex Travel. You can get $10 back per month from Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations.

The card does charge a $250 annual fee, but when you add up the statement credits and reward points, you can easily get that back and more from this excellent credit card. It is loaded with useful benefits and protections when shopping or traveling. It also supports contactless checkout, which is really convenient at participating retailers. Terms apply.

Upromise Mastercard 

If your kids are college-bound, it’s never too early to start saving and planning. The cost of a college education has skyrocketed over the last decade, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. The Upromise Mastercard from Barclays gives you cash back in a Upromise college savings account. 

You’ll earn 1.25% cash back on standard purchases with this card. The Round Up feature lets you round up purchases to the nearest dollar for even faster savings, and the Round Up also gets a 1.25% cash back boost. If you link your Upromise account to an eligible 529 College Savings Plan, you’ll get a 15% bonus on all cash back, including Upromse Round Up. 

This card charges no annual fee, includes a complimentary ShopRunner membership for free 2-day shipping at a wide number of online stores, and gives you free access to a true FICO credit score. While it doesn’t offer the best standard rewards rate, the Round Up and 15% bonus make it a serious contender for families looking to save for college with every purchase. 

Capital One Savor 

The Savor Cash Rewards credit card from Capital One fills your wallet with 4% cash back on dining and entertainment purchases. Get 2% back at grocery stores and 1% everywhere else. If you want the best cash back rewards for an active family, this card may be the best option for your needs. 

The card charges a $95 annual fee, though it is waived the first year. A lower tier SavorOne card is available with no annual fee, though the rewards are not as good as you get with the top tier Savor card.

Feeding your family is important, and bills for groceries and restaurants always seem to stack up faster than you’d like. With this card, you get a top reward rate on those popular categories. The 4% back on entertainment includes things like movie, concert, or sporting event tickets, theme parks and attractions, zoos, aquariums, and bowling allies, among others. If your kids like to be entertained, you might as well get 4% back at the same time! 

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