10 Best Credit Cards for Pet Owners

Cathy Desmet headshot Cathy Desmet
Sep 20, 2020

Like people, pets require everyday care such as proper nutrition, regular check-ups, and exercise, as well as occasional emergency care. While it’s always a good idea to plan and save for pet care, even basic veterinary care can be costly. If you’d prefer to pay for your pet’s care over time, there are several credit card options to choose from, including pet health credit cards and traditional open-loop credit cards with favorable terms. Below, we detail the best credit and financing options for pet owners.

What We Recommend

The credit card that’s best for you will depend on your circumstances. Are you looking for credit to finance routine care and supplies, or do you want credit available for emergencies?

For routine office visits, pet food, medication, and toys, consider major credit card issuers like Wells Fargo, Citi, and Chase. These typically start with credit lines of around $500 or more, with the exact opening limit determined by your creditworthiness. Your limit might not be high enough to cover emergency vet care but will cover smaller daily expenses. These cards also allow you to shop at any pet store or use any vet that you prefer. In particular, we recommend Citi Double Cash, Citi Simplicity, and Wells Fargo Platinum, which offer 0% APR 18 months after opening the card.

If you have an older pet, a pet with medical conditions, or want to be prepared for emergencies, CareCredit is your best option; it allows you to finance more expensive pet procedures. You might also consider choosing a traditional credit card with a higher opening limit. Our list includes the Citi Rewards+ Mastercard and the Capital One Quicksilver, which both offer opening credit lines of $1,000 or more, depending on your credit history.

Comparison Table

Use the table below for a quick comparison of the best credit cards for pet owners. Note that you can sort the table using the arrows at the top of any column. Click each card name or scroll below the list for more information.

Card Approval Time Minimum Opening Credit Line Perks Promotional APR
CareCredit Instant $500 Promotional financing 0% for up to 18 months
Wells Fargo Platinum Up to 7 days $500 Cell phone protection 0% for 18 months
Citi Double Cash Card Up to 7 days $500 Up to 2% cash back 0% for 18 months
Citi Simplicity Up to 7 days $500 No late fees or penalites 0% for 18 months
AKC Visa Instant $500 Your pet's picture on your card and rewards points Interest based on creditworthiness
Chase Freedom Unlimited Up to 7 days $300 Up to 5% cash back 0% for 15 months
Citi Rewards+ Mastercard Up to 7 days Up to $1,000 Rewards points 0% for 15 months
Capital One Quicksilver Up to 7 days $1,000 1.5% cash back 0% for 15 months
Discover it Cash Back Up to 7 days $500 5% cash back 0% for 14 months
Bank of America Cash Rewards Up to 7 days $500 3% cash back 0% for 12 months

The List

1. CareCredit

  • Application requirements:
    • Must provide estimated procedure amount, current address and phone number, and monthly income[1]
    • Can apply with a co-signer if necessary[1]
    • Must be 18 to apply online or 21 to apply by phone[1]
  • Approval time: Instant — you can even apply the day of your pet’s procedure[1]
  • Restrictions:
    • Only covers health care for you and/or your pet(s)[1]
    • Must use a participating veterinarian[1]
  • Minimum opening credit limit: $500 or more[1]
  • Perks: Promotional financing options[1]
  • Interest/fees:
    • Zero interest for six, 12, or 18 months[1]
    • 24-, 36-, 48-, or 60-month extended payment plans available for vet bills over $1,000[1]
    • Keep in mind that only the promotional interest rate is low — standard interest is around 27%.[1]
  • Apply

2. Wells Fargo Platinum

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be 18 years old[2]
    • Must provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, driver’s license and/or Social Security number, and income information[2]
  • Approval time: Up to seven days[2]
  • Restrictions: If you opened a Wells Fargo credit card up to 15 months prior and received other offers, you may not be eligible for the promotional APR offer.[2]
  • Minimum opening credit limit: About $500 or more[2]
  • Perks: Cell phone protection when you pay your bill with this credit card[2]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[2]
    • 0% APR for 18 months (then variable up to about 25%)[2]
  • Apply

3. Citi Double Cash Card

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be 18 years old[3]
    • Must provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, rent/mortgage payment, and income information[3]
  • Approval time: Up to seven days[3]
  • Restrictions: None[3]
  • Minimum opening credit line: About $500 or more[3]
  • Perks: Up to 2% cash back[3]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[3]
    • 0% APR for 18 months (then variable, up to about 24%)[3]
  • Apply

4. Citi Simplicity

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be 18 years old[3]
    • Must provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, rent/mortgage payment, and income information[3]
  • Approval time: Up to seven days[3]
  • Restrictions: None[3]
  • Minimum opening credit line: About $500 or more[3]
  • Perks: No late fees or penalties[3]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[3]
    • 0% APR for 18 months (then variable, up to about 25%)[3]
  • Apply

5. American Kennel Club (AKC) Visa

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be the age of majority[4]
    • Must provide a valid government-issued photo ID, valid government-issued tax identification number (SSN or SIN), physical mailing address (not a P.O. Box), annual income, and date of birth[4]
  • Approval time: Instant[4]
  • Restrictions: None — your dog does not have to be AKC-certified for you to qualify for the AKC Visa card.[4]
  • Minimum opening credit line: About $500 or more[4]
  • Perks: You can add your pet’s photo to your credit card,[4] and you can earn reward points:
    • Three points for every dollar at veterinary offices and akc.org[4]
    • Two points for every dollar on groceries and gas[4]
    • One point for every dollar spent everywhere that takes Visa[4]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[4]
    • Variable interest rate based on creditworthiness[4]
  • Apply

6. Citi Rewards+ Mastercard

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be 18 years old[3]
    • Must provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, rent/mortgage payment, and income information[3]
  • Approval time: Up to seven days[3]
  • Restrictions: If you had any other Citi accounts in the past two years you may not qualify for the rewards[3]
  • Minimum opening credit line: Up to $1,000 or more[3]
  • Perks: Rewards points redeemable for gift cards, shopping, and travel[3]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[3]
    • 0% APR for 15 months (then up to about 24%)[3]
  • Apply

7. Chase Freedom Unlimited

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be 18 years old[5]
    • Must provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, mother’s maiden name, and income information[5]
  • Approval time: Up to seven days[5]
  • Restrictions: None[5]
  • Minimum opening credit line: About $300 or more[5]
  • Perks: Up to 5% cash back[5]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[5]
    • 0% APR for 15 months (then up to about 24%)[5]
  • Apply

8. Capital One Quicksilver

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be 18 years old[6]
    • Must provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, rent/mortgage payment, employment, and income information[6]
  • Approval time: Up to seven days[6]
  • Restrictions: None[6]
  • Minimum opening credit line: About $1,000 or more[6]
  • Perks: 1.5% cash back[6]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[6]
    • 0% APR for 15 months (then up to about 24%)[6]
  • Apply

9. Discover it Cash Back

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be 18 years old[7]
    • Must provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, employment, and income information[7]
  • Approval time: Up to seven days[7]
  • Restrictions: None[7]
  • Minimum opening credit line: About $500 or more[7]
  • Perks: Up to 5% cash back[7]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[7]
    • 0% APR for 14 months (then up to about 23%)[7]
  • Apply

10. Bank of America Cash Rewards

  • Application requirements:
    • Must be 18 years old[8]
    • Must provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, rent/mortgage payment, employment, and income information[8]
  • Approval time: Up to seven days[8]
  • Restrictions: None[8]
  • Minimum opening credit line: About $500 or more[8]
  • Perks: Up to 3% cash back[8]
  • Interest/fees:
    • No annual fee[8]
    • 0% APR for 12 months (then up to about 24%)[8]
  • Apply

Additional Pet Financing Options

If none of the credit cards listed above are the right fit for you, there are two additional non-credit card pet financing options offered by veterinary offices to consider:

Scratchpay

Scratchpay is not a credit card, but a payment program for pet owners. You can apply to pay your total veterinarian bill over five payments, one year, or two years, depending on the cost of treatment.[9] Simply enter the name of your clinic and your phone number at Scratchpay’s website. You will then receive a text message regarding the various payment plans available to you. Scratchpay is only available at partner clinics; however, you can request your clinic be added to the partner list and Scratchpay will reach out to them.

Wells Fargo Health Advantage Veterinary Financing

Wells Fargo Health Advantage Veterinary Financing may be available through your veterinarian, or you may be able to find a participating provider. You can use Wells Fargo Health Advantage for preventative veterinary care and treatment, emergency and hospital care, or dental, allergy, and arthritis treatment.[10] Your participating veterinarian will have more information about how to apply.

  1. CareCredit customer service (800) 859-9975[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  2. Wells Fargo customer service (800) 869-3557[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  3. Citi customer service (800) 950-5114[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  4. AKC Visa customer service (855) 463-0225[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  5. Chase customer service (800) 935-9935[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  6. Capital One customer service (877) 383-4802[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  7. Discover customer service (800) 347-2683[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  8. Bank of America customer service (800) 432-1000[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
  9. https://scratchpay.com/faqs[↩]
  10. https://retailservices.wellsfargo.com/wfha_veterinarians.html[↩]
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