Best Credit Cards For Weddings Of November 2024

With so many rewards cards available, which one should you open to pay for your celebration? Let’s take a look at ways to determine the best credit card to cover your wedding expenses.

Open Credit Cards That Offer Elevated Earning Rates in Relevant Categories

If your venue accepts credit cards for payment, find out how your credit card categorizes the purchase. For example, some venues may code as restaurants, while others may be event centers. Hotels with a ballroom or destination weddings may be considered travel expenses. Once you know how the purchase is tracked, you can select a credit card that earns bonus points on that purchase category. If an expense doesn’t qualify for the bonus, use a card that offers a strong flat reward rate on every purchase, like a 2% cash-back card.

Consider Cards With Referral Bonuses

Welcome to two-player mode! Assuming you and your fiancé both qualify, you could potentially each get a new credit card for double the options. If you both get the same credit card—or potentially two cards from the same issuer—it may even be possible to refer your better half as a new applicant, in order to gain both a referral bonus and a welcome offer.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a referral bonus that’s often as high as 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. Once your plus one receives the card and completes the referral requirements, you will receive the bonus points. To qualify, you’ll need to send a special invitation link to the person you’re referring so they can apply and be tracked as your invitee.

This strategy also allows you to spread out your applications in case you need more time to meet the minimum spend requirements.

For example, one of you gets a card and puts down a venue deposit, then refers the other to the same card to receive a referral bonus. The other person then pays for the open bar and flowers with the second card to earn their own bonus.

With this strategy, each of you earns a welcome bonus after meeting the spending requirements, which means double the points and double the fun on your honeymoon.

Take Advantage of Loyalty Programs That Allow Points Pooling

Many rewards programs allow points pooling between member accounts, and you and your partner should definitely be taking advantage of the opportunity to combine points into one account.

For example, Citi ThankYou cardholders can share points with another ThankYou Rewards member for free. Make sure to redeem the points within 90 days or they will expire.

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program allows point transfers in three cases:

• If you share the same household
• If you’re an authorized user on your significant other’s account
• If you hold a business card, you can transfer points to a co-owner of the company

If you meet one of the requirements, you and your plus one can link Ultimate Rewards accounts and send points to each other. By doing so, you can keep flights on one reservation number or book more nights at hotels.

Speaking of hotels, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt allow free point transfers to another loyalty program member. Hilton Honors takes it a step further and allows points pooling among up to 11 program members.

Marriott and Hilton elite members can book five nights for the price of four when redeeming points, so combining points might help you gain the points balance needed for a longer trip. Even easier, consider the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card which offers the fourth night free on award bookings to cardholders.

Consider a Card With 0% Intro APR

We don’t recommend beginning married life with consumer debt, but if you can’t cover all of the wedding cost upfront, you can apply for a credit card with an extended 0% intro APR period to pay for the remaining costs over time.

The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card* offers an extra-lengthy 0% period on purchases and balance transfers: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 21 billing cycles, followed by a variable APR of 17.99% – 28.99%. Balance transfers made within 60 days qualify for the intro APR and a balance transfer fee of 5% or $5, whichever is greater, applies. To avoid paying interest, pay off the balance within the allotted time frame.