The Best Credit Cards for Pet Expenses

The Best Credit Cards for Pet Expenses

According to Business Insider, Americans spend upwards of $126.19 per month on pet expenses, which adds up to a hefty $1,514.28 per year. The good news is you can use these purchases to your advantage by choosing credit cards that maximize your return on spending. With this in mind, here are the best credit cards to use for pet expenses to ensure at least a 2% return:

Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard

This card earns 2 miles per dollar on everything, and those miles can be redeemed for any travel-related purchases. The $89 annual fee on the card is now waived the first year. This 2x bonus, combined with the 5% rebate on redeemed miles, gives card holders an effective 2.1% return on all spending, including pet expenses. Furthermore, if you’re anticipating a hefty vet bill in your near future, you can take advantage of the 70,000-mile introductory bonus offer after $5,000 in spending in the first 90 days.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Card earns 2x on all non-bonus spending, and you can now transfer miles to more than a dozen airline partners. Based on TPG’s valuations, 2x miles are worth 2.8% — not a bad return on pet purchases you’d be making anyway. The card’s currently offering a 50,000-mile bonus after $3,000 in spend in the first three months, and the $95 annual fee is waived the first year.

The Citi Double Cash Card, with its 2% return on spending and introductory 18-month 0% APR makes an excellent addition to the wallet of any pet owner. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock. Citi Double Cash Card

The Citi Double Cash Card offers 1% cash back when you make a purchase and an additional 1% cash back when you pay. So this card provides a 2% return on pet expenses as long as you pay your balance on time. Further, with a 0% APR for the first 18 months of card ownership (then, a variable rate of 15.74% to 25.74%) this card can help you pay off high vet bills over time if necessary without accruing interest. Combine these perks with the no annual fee and this card is a solid option for pet care.

Chase Freedom

While the Chase Freedom Card will normally only offer a return of 1%, this no-fee card can be an excellent option if you can purchase pet items at one of the merchants that fall within a quarterly rotating bonus category, which offers 5% cash back on purchases up to $1,500 per quarter. While pet expenses are unlikely to be an actual rotating category, you can often find categories at stores offering pet supplies. For example, the current bonus categories include drugstores — and you may be able to find pet food and other supplies at these retailers. Plus, the Chase Freedom is another good option for large pet expenses as it offers 0% APR for the first 15 months from account opening (then, a variable rate of 16.99% to 25.74%).

If you want to truly maximize your spend and your earnings, you can pair your Freedom card with a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points and transfer your Freedom points to that card. Based off of TPG’s current valuation of Ultimate Rewards points, which is 2 cents per point, making this transfer could provide a return of at least 2% and up to 10% if pet purchases are made via a rotating category.

In addition, the Chase family of cards offer portal bonuses from certain stores specializing in pet-related purchases. For example, you can earn 3% in additional cash back (or 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) for portal purchases at Petco and 8% cash back (or 8 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) for portal purchases at 1-800-PetMeds.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

As one of the best everyday spending cards on the market, the Chase Freedom Unlimited provides 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases, including pet supplies. Further, like with . the Chase Freedom you can pair this no-fee card with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points to increase the value of your return.

Discover it Cash Back

Similar to the Chase Freedom, the Discover it provides 1% on all spending with 5% cash back on rotating categories up to $1,500 per quarter. The category for January 2019 to March 2019 is grocery stores, so you could have some luck making pet-related purchases and earning 5% back. Discover will match your cash back at the end of your first year of card membership, so this could definitely be a card to consider using in the coming months.

The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express

If you’re able to apply for a business card, the Blue Business Plus is a top contender for everyday spending. This no-fee card offers 2x Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 of eligible spending per year, which includes pet expenses. As TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece, this amounts to a return of 4%.

In addition, as an American Express member, you have access to a variety of Amex Offers, which can further increase your savings. For example, I was able to find the following pet-related Amex Offers associated with my Blue Business Plus card:

Spend $75 or more at Rover.com (pet sitting and pet walking) and get $20 back. Spend $100 or more at 1-800-PetMeds and get $30 back. Spend $20 or more at Barkbox.com (pet supplies and toys) and get $5 back.

 

Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express

While the EveryDay Preferred Card comes with an annual fee of $95, it packs quite a punch for pet supplies as it provides 3x Membership Rewards points for US supermarket purchases up to $6,000 per year, and you get 50% extra points after 30 purchases on the card per billing cycle.

If you prefer a no-fee option, the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express offers 2x points for US supermarket purchases up to $6,000 per year and 20% extra points after you make 20 purchases in a billing cycle.

American Kennel Club Visa Card

For those who want a card designed specifically for pet expenses, theAmerican Kennel Club Visa Card offers 3 points per dollar spent at pet stores, veterinary offices and on American Kennel Club purchases as well as 2x points spent on gas and grocery purchases. While it’s not a true cash-back card, these points can be spent on gift cards, travel and merchandise online. In addition, a portion of every purchase goes directly to the AKC to support its efforts. Finally, the AKC Visa allows you to personalize your card with a photo of your favorite pet.

Bottom Line

It’s no secret that owning a pet is an expensive endeavor. From toys and food to vet visits and medication, the costs can really add up. However, with a little ingenuity and by using the credit card options above, you can achieve a return of at least 2% on these purchases (and usually much more) and even obtain favorable payment options (via introductory 0% APR) to help alleviate these unavoidable costs.

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