So there I was…

On a TDY to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We were doing an ice breaking exercise for a class. Every student had to share a “fun fact” about themselves.

The guy to my left says:

“My wife and I have millions of credit card points and miles. We fly first class for free and don’t pay for hotels.”

Whoa.

How did he do that? I had to know.

That fun fact started a 7 year journey deep into the world of military credit cards, points, miles, and $10,000s of free travel around the world.

Singapore Airlines First Class Suites, $2,000 per night resort rooms with private pools, never paying for food or drinks when traveling: it’s been a heck of a ride.

Hey, I’m Spencer

I started the militarymoneymanual.com, host The Military Money Manual Podcast, and wrote the book (The Military Money Manual) on achieving financial independence in the military.

What I learned over the last few years about military travel hacking could fill a book, but I want to distill it down for you as simply as possible on this page.

In general: American Express, Chase, and some other banks drop their card annual fees for:

• active duty US military
• Guard and Reserve on 30 day or greater active orders
• and dependent spouses of any of the above

These individuals are known as “covered borrowers” of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and Military Lending Act (MLA).

The simplest definition of a covered borrower is active duty military personnel, Guard and Reserves on 30 day or greater active duty orders, or dependent spouses of any of the above.

The simplest way to check if you will receive MLA or SCRA protections on your account is to check the MLA Database or SCRA Database.

The MLA and SCRA database are the same databases that the credit card companies check to determine if you qualify for MLA or SCRA benefits.

If you are not listed as eligible in these databases, you will not receive MLA and SCRA benefits applied to your account.

You must be listed as eligible in these databases for the credit card companies to apply your military benefits.

Usually about this time people start asking:

• What about my credit score?
• Aren’t credit cards evil? My Mom/Dad/Friend/Poor Uncle/Dave Ramsey says they are

Some of you might be thinking:

Woah…how far can I take this? Can I open up 100 Amex Platinum cards and collect millions of points?

We’ll get to all these questions in this article. Keep reading.

Are military spouses eligible to open their own card accounts?

Yes, military dependent spouses are eligible to open their own card accounts on Chase, American Express, Citi, U.S. Bank, and Bank of America and receive their own annual fee waivers.

Check the MLA database before applying MLA Database to ensure you will receive your fee waiver without any issue. If you are not listed in the MLA database, check DEERS to ensure your Social Security number and name are listed correctly.

You must be listed in the MLA database when the account is opened / established or you will not be eligible for fee waiver benefits. For example, if you opened an Amex or Chase card before you married the active duty servicemember, that account will never be eligible for MLA benefits. The account must be established while you are eligible for MLA benefits, as confirmed in the MLA database.

What Cards are Eligible for SCRA or MLA benefits?

American Express

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express Platinum Card® for Schwab
• American Express® Gold Card
• American Express® Green Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Chase

• Chase Sapphire Preferred®
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
• United Explorer Card
• United Quest Card
• United Club Infinite Card
• Aeroplan Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
• Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful
• Ritz-Carlton Credit Card
• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
• Disney Premier Visa Card
• World of Hyatt Credit Card
• British Airways Visa Signature® card
• Aer Lingus Visa Signature® card
• Iberia Visa Signature® card

Citi

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
• Citi® Premier® Card
• Citi® Prestige® Card

U.S. Bank

• U.S. BANK ALTITUDE® CONNECT VISA SIGNATURE® CARD
• U.S. BANK ALTITUDE® RESERVE VISA INFINITE® CARD
• U.S. BANK FLEXPERKS® GOLD AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD

Bank of America

• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card

Card Issuer	Fees Waived Under MLA	Fees Waived Under SCRA
American Express	All Personal Cards	All Personal Cards
Capital One	None	All Personal Cards
Chase	All Personal Cards	All Personal & Business Cards
Citi	All Personal Cards*	Unknown
U.S. Bank	All Personal Cards	All Personal Cards
Bank of America	All Personal Cards	Unknown

*For Citi, you must send a copy of your active orders and your MLA certificate from the MLA Database to [email protected] and request MLA benefits. You must also have a statement balance on your account in the month you are charged the annual fee or you will not receive the MLA annual fee credit.

Which Act Applies, SCRA or MLA?

The military benefits you receive on credit cards depend on when you establish or open the account.

Open account before active duty = SCRA

Open account while on active duty = MLA

If you apply for the account prior to active duty orders, you are eligible for Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) benefits while you are on active duty orders.

If you apply for the credit card account while you are on active duty orders, a Guard and Reservists on 30 day or greater active orders, or a dependent of an active duty servicemember, you are eligible for Military Lending Act (MLA) benefits while you are on active orders or a dependent of someone on active orders.

The banks and credit card companies may deny you SCRA benefits if you opened the account while on active duty. In that case, confirm they are applying MLA benefits and if they are not, check MLA database and then apply for MLA benefits.

SCRA & MLA Covered Borrowers Details

To qualify for SCRA benefits, the credit account must be established before active duty orders start.

Covered borrowers of SCRA defined as:

• Active duty US military on Title 10 orders in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marines, or Coast Guard
• National Guard or Reservists on 30 day or greater active duty orders (such as Title 32, Title 10)
• Public Health Service and NOAA Commissioned Officers

To qualify for MLA benefits, the credit account must be established while your or your active duty sponsor is on active duty orders of greater than 30 days.

Covered borrowers of MLA are defined as:

• Active duty member of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, or Coast Guard
• Guard or Reservists on 30 day or greater active orders
• A spouse or child dependent of an Active Duty member of the Armed Forces as defined in 38 USC 101(4)

Best Starter Credit Card

Check your credit score through your bank, Credit Karma, or Credit Sesame.

If you don’t have a credit score or your score is below 700, start with a no annual fee credit card from USAA or Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU).\

Or, apply for a secured credit card from another military friendly bank or credit union. That should be your best option to build a higher credit score.

What Fees Are Waived Under MLA and SCRA?

In general, the following fees are waived by Chase and American Express

• Annual Membership fees
• Authorized user fees
• Overlimit fees
• Late Payment fees
• Returned Payment fees
• Statement Copy Request fees

American Express and Chase are very cryptic in the benefits they actually provide under MLA or SCRA. Usually the customer service reps just read a script if you call and ask. This is not helpful and why we’ve collected this data here.