Best Credit Cards For Wedding Planning 2023
Reviewed by Jazmin Castello - MBA
The article is checked by our editorial team, Which includes entrepreneurs who are painfully aware of how overwhelming and challenging it is to start a business for the first time.
All products recommended by Bizreport are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Couples spend on everything from invitation cards, flowers, videographers, Champagne to catering during their wedding. According to a study posted by CNN[1] in 2014, couples spent an average of $30,000 on their wedding. This expenditure has been on the increase as proven by the most recent study conducted by Bride Magazine[2] on American weddings. The study indicates that the average wedding expenditure increased to $44,000 in 2018.
Thankfully, several banks now offer credit cards through which you can use to sort out some of your wedding expenses than pay the debts later. These cards come with rewards that can offset the wedding cost in the long run.
We are going to walk you through the 10 best credit cards for wedding planning and whether they are worth it or not.
Top 10 Credit Cards For Wedding Expenses 2023
- Citi® Double Cash Card – Best Overall
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Best Value
- The Platinum Card® from American – Best Lounge Access
- U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card – Best 0% Intro APR
- Chase Freedom Unlimited – Best Bonus On Travels
- Discover it® Miles – Best Rewards On Miles
- American Express Cash Magnet® Card – Most Flexible Reward Earning
- Citi Simplicity® Card – Most Simple Rewards
- Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card – Best Welcome Bonus
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card – Best for Airline Miles
Top 10 Credit Cards For Wedding Expenses 2023
Citi® Double Cash Card
2% cashback on all purchases makes this credit card the best for general wedding expenses.
- Though it charges annual fee, you
- Offer 2% cashback on all purchases
- 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months
- No limit on the amount you can earn
- Does not offer a welcome bonus
- Foreign transaction fee
- Balance transfer fee
Citi® Double Cash Card’s biggest strength is the ability to double cash back[3]. You can earn 1% cash back on every purchase, then another 1% cashback when you pay the bill, totaling up to 2% cash back. This is the highest cash back rate you will find on this list.
This makes it a great credit card if your wedding expenditure is in categories that don’t earn elevated rewards. These categories may include buying flowers, paying the band or DJ among others.
The card also boasts 0% intro APR on balance transfer for 18 months and $0 annual fees.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Looking for a credit card that offers the best overall value, you can try Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
- Though it charges annual fee, you are guaranteed a great value
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs access
- Earn several rewards in many areas of spending
- The card comes with an annual fee
- It doesn’t have intro APR offer
With an annual fee of only $95, the card packs a ton of value. To begin with, the new cardholders earn 60,000 points after spending only $4,000 within 3 months. Each point is worth 1.25 cents for travel booked through Chase. You can also transfer points to 14 valuable airline and hotel partners.
The reward rates are also awesome, including 5x on travel purchases, 3x and 2x on dining, and all other travel purchases respectively. All these come at only a $95 annual fee.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Frequent travelers interested in a rich set of luxuries, travel benefits, and exclusive platinum offers should try this credit card.
- It offers multiple rewards that will justify the fee
- You get comprehensive airport lounge access
- High reward potential on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel
- High annual fees
- Maximizing the statement credits is complicated and maybe sometimes unworkable
If lounge access, hotel elite status, and annual statement credits are important to you, this card is well worth the high $695 annual fee. It also offers complimentary elite status with Marriott, Hilton, Centurion Lounges, and more.
In addition, a new cardholder will have a whole 6 months to spend only $600 and earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points.
A 10x rewards on eligible restaurant purchases and combined purchases when you shop small during your first 6 months, up to $25,000.
The 5x membership reward point on every purchase up to $500,000 is among the best rewards you will find in this review.
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
With a 0% intro APR of nearly 2 years, this is the best option if you want a credit that will offer you extra time to pay off your wedding expenses.
- U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card offer long 0% APR
- No annual fees
- It offers a handy phone protection coverage
- No rewards
- No welcome bonus
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card boasts a long 0% intro APR period of nearly two years. This is enough time to help you pay off those big expenses such as a perfect reception venue. You won’t find a card with a lengthy 0% APR offer on both purchases and balance transfers like this one.
Its other biggest strength is protection on your cell phone. You get up to $600 protection on your cell phone against covered damages or theft when you pay your monthly cellular phone bills with the card.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase Freedom Unlimited is a no-annual-fee credit card with one of the best welcome bonuses and rates on travel purchases.
- No annual fee
- Offer a lengthy Intro APR period
- Flexible rewards redemption
- No luxury perks
- Lower acceptance abroad
This is another travel rewards credit card that offers very simple rewards programs. Its biggest strength is the ability to match all the cashback that you and your partner have earned at the end of the year.
You also offer more than 1 year to start paying back your wedding expenses without interest. Their 0% intro APR on purchase and balance transfer runs for the first 15 months. This card also earns you 5% on up to $1,500 in quarterly purchases in various rotating categories throughout the year (then 1% on all purchases thereafter). The categories are US gas station, Supermarket, Restaurant, Amazon, or Wholesale club. This and then 1% other purchases thereafter.
Discover it® Miles
Despite being a travel card, Discover It Miles enables you to redeem points for travel or cash that you can use in other categories.
- No annual fee
- Offer a lengthy Intro APR period
- Flexible rewards redemption
- No luxury perks
- Lower acceptance abroad
1.5% cash back on every purchase every day is a modest reward for a frequent traveler. This is backed with a solid welcome bonus. If you can manage to spend $3,000 within the first 3 months as a cardholder, you earn 60,000 bonus points which are worth $300 when redeemed. For that reason, if your wedding involves a lot of travel and expenses within 3 months, you are sure to reap big from this card[4].
American Express Cash Magnet® Card
This is a great option if you prioritize flexibility in reward earning. In addition to 1.5% unlimited earning, it offers several other rewards in different categories.
- 1.5% Cash back without the worry of categories
- Several earning rewards
- Intro APR period on Purchases
- Foreign transaction fee
- Penalty APR
American Express Cash Magnet® Card offers a simple flat rate of 1.5% cashback on all eligible purchases. The rewards you earn can be redeemed as a statement credit card after you earned $25 or more.
In addition, there are several other good rewards in various categories, for instance, you earn 6% on supermarkets and streaming options and 3% on gas stations and transit among others.
The card comes with one of the best welcome bonuses you will find in the market. You only need to spend at least $2,000 within the 6 months as a cardholder to earn a $200 statement credit. This cap is easy to meet within the set timeline as you plan for your wedding.
0% intro APR on Purchases for 15 months is also a good duration to pay back your debt without interest.
Citi Simplicity® Card
Citi Simplicity® Card is a very easy-to-use simple card with a very long 0% Intro APR.
- Outstanding 0% APR offer on balance transfers
- 0% introductory APR offer on new purchases
- No late fees, penalty rates, or annual fees
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- No rewards program
Citi Simplicity® Card’s biggest strength is its simplicity and ease of use. But its 0% Intro APR on balance transfer that runs for 21 months is also worth it. On the downside, their 0% Intro APR duration comes at a cost. You will have to pay a fee equal to 5% of the amount transferred, with a minimum of $5. Meaning, transferring a $5,000 balance will cost you $250.
Citi Simplicity® Card also offers a year 0% intro APR on purchase for 12 months and then the ongoing APR of 14.74%-24.74% Variable APR.
Other benefits include no late fees, no penalty rate, no annual fee ever[5].
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
For a credit card that will earn you a welcome bonus even when your wedding budget is small, this is a great option.
- Simple rewards program with a decent return
- Decent welcome bonus
- Doesn’t charge both annual and foreign transaction fees
- It doesn’t offer bonus rewards
- Not the best APR in the market
This credit card earns you unlimited 1.5% cashback on every purchase you make. Compared to credit cards that offer bonus reward rates on certain spending categories, then 1% on all purchases, this card can be more lucrative in the long run.
Besides, this card offers the easiest to attain welcome bonus. You only need to spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening to earn a $200 cash bonus. This is achievable even when you have a small wedding budget.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
If your wedding involves a lot of travel, you can capitalize on Capital One Venture Credit Card’s awesome earning miles.
- Offers an awesome welcome bonus
- High flat rewards rate
- 2 unlimited without spending cap
- It doesn’t have intro APR offer
- Charge an annual fee
If you can spend $3,000 within 3 months, you will earn 6,000 miles as a welcome bonus which is the equivalent of $600 in travel.
The main reward rate is the 2x miles on every purchase unlimited, every day. The miles don’t expire as long as the account is still functional. You can redeem this on vacation rentals, flights, car rentals, and more. You can also transfer the rewards to more than 15 travel loyalty programs.
Lastly, this is one of the few travel credit cards that will not charge you foreign transactions.
Is it a Good Idea to Use a Credit Card to Pay for Your Wedding?
The benefits of using a credit card to pay for your wedding expenses include taking advantage of credit rewards, travel insurance, and protection as well as peace of mind. The rewards and flight protection may also help you towards your honeymoon or prepare your new home as a married couple.
However, financial planners suggest that you should only take this approach if you are sure your long-term spending will not have long-term implications. That is to say, using a credit card to purchase your wedding items or carter for any other expenses will leave you with a debt to settle after your wedding.
Different credit cards come with different terms of payment and the penalties involved if you delay. For that reason, only use a credit card for your wedding purchases if you are sure you are going to pay for the debts as required.
How To Pick The Right Credit Card For Wedding Spending
Picking the best credit card for your wedding will require some forethought. The main reason for using wedding credit card cards is to take advantage of credit reward cards and travel protection.
That said, it is obvious everyone will have to look for a credit card that yields a reward based on your expected wedding expenses.
Another important aspect to consider is the 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfer. The longer the duration, the more time you have to pay for the debt without interest.
Credit cards that don’t offer earning categories will offer you an opportunity to redeem your points wherever you want.
Final Thoughts
If you have to use a credit card for your wedding planning, consider these 10 best credit cards for wedding planning. Your pick will depend on what suits your needs best. However, be sure to settle your debts as per the terms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you can afford to pay for your wedding purchases immediately you can charge wedding-related purchases to your credit card. Credit cards offer rewards that will help offset the cost of your purchases.
If you are making a deposit to reserve your wedding venue, it will be prudent to use a credit card. As long as you are using it correctly, it will help reduce the cost through rewards.
Starting a marriage with debt is something couples never like because it always results in quarrels as to who is responsible for the debts according to the couple & money study[6] by Fidelity investment. For that reason, only use a credit card to cover wedding expenses if you are sure you will pay it off immediately.
A credit card should always come with a summary of a summary box with standard key information about the card so that you can compare different cards. Some of the most important information include interest rates, interest-free periods, and other charges.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
+ sources
Bizreport Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Bizreport, you can read more about the editorial process here.
1. Hicken, Melanie. “Average Wedding Bill Hits $30,000.” CNNMoney, 28 Mar. 2014, money.cnn.com/2014/03/28/pf/average-wedding-cost/.
2. This Is What American Weddings Look Like Today. “This Is What American Weddings Look like Today.” Brides, 2019, www.brides.com/gallery/american-wedding-study.
3. “Citi Double Cash | Cash Back Credit Card.” Citicards.citi.com, citicards.citi.com/usc/LPACA/Citi/Cards/DoubleCash/ps/index.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2022.
4. “Citi Simplicity® Card.” Citicards.citi.com, citicards.citi.com/usc/LPACA/Citi/Cards/Simplicity/ps/index.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2022.
5. “Explore Credit Cards & Apply Online | Capital One.” Capitalone.com, 2014, www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/.