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Choosing the Best Cards for Families
Posted on Jun 2, 2021
Updated on Mar 28, 2022
When you have a family, you need a bunch of everyday stuff as well as major purchases, from groceries and goods for children to trip planning and travel activities. You also need to teach your kids financial lessons and give them access to the card so that they would use it. Family cards not only allow you to make daily purchases, but also earn rewards or have additional perks, depending on the product.
Choosing the right first card for kids
There are two ways to start familiarizing children with the credit cards: to open a prepaid card or to apply for a student credit card if he or she reaches the age of 18. A prepaid or debit card is a pay-as-you-go card that only lets you spend money you've loaded onto it in advance. Most prepaid debit and credit cards are associated with major card networks - Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover and can be used anywhere they are accepted. Some examples include grocery stores, department stores, gas stations, restaurants, clothing retailers, for online shopping and more. Below is a list of cards for kids, which are more reasonable to begin with:
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- Money earned or given can be designated for saving, donating, investing or spending.
- Parents approve all money transactions and monitor all activity inside the app.
- The BusyKid Visa® Prepaid Spend Card empowers teens and kids to spend anywhere Visa® is accepted. Transfer funds to card immediately.
- With BusyPay, exclusive to BusyKid, users have an easy way for a grandparent, friend or neighbor to add money to a child BusyKid account.
- Each family subscription comes with up to 5 Spend Cards, access to BusyPay and all other features of the BusyKid app. No add-on costs.
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- Raise financially smart kids.
- Send money instantly to your kids' accounts anytime, anywhere.
- Real-time transaction notifications.
- Store-specific spend controls and ATM parental controls.
- Track all historic activity in your kids’ Spend, Save and Give accounts.
- Switch the card on/off from the app.
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Intro APR on Purchases
0% Intro APR (6 months)
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
10.99% Intro APR (6 months)
Regular APR
13.74% - 22.74% Variable APR
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
Annual Fee
$0
- No credit score required to apply.
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- NEW! Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. Activate by mobile app for free.
- No annual fee and build your credit with responsible use.
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 13.74% - 22.74% applies.
- Click "Apply Now" to see terms and conditions.
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Intro APR on Purchases
0% Intro APR (6 months)
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
10.99% Intro APR (6 months)
Regular APR
13.74% - 22.74% Variable APR
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
Annual Fee
$0
- No credit score required to apply.
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- NEW! Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. Activate by mobile app for free.
- No annual fee and build your credit with responsible use.
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 13.74% - 22.74% applies.
- Click "Apply Now" to see terms and conditions.
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Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
N/A
Regular APR
15.24% - 25.24% (Variable)
Balance Transfer Fee
$0 at this Transfer APR
Annual Fee
$0
- Click "APPLY ONLINE" to apply now
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), with 1% on all other purchases. Plus, earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and tickets at Vivid Seats
- Limited Time Offer: Earn $100 when you spend $100 in the first three months
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- You can help build your credit with responsible use of a card like this
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
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Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
N/A
Regular APR
15.24% - 25.24% (Variable)
Balance Transfer Fee
$0 at this Transfer APR
Annual Fee
$0
- Click "APPLY ONLINE" to apply now
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- Limited Time Offer: Earn $100 when you spend $100 in the first three months
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- You can help build your credit with responsible use of a card like this
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
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Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
N/A
Regular APR
26.99% (Variable)
Balance Transfer Fee
$0 at this Transfer APR
Annual Fee
$0
- Click "APPLY ONLINE" to apply now
- Earn 1% cash back on all your purchases. Pay on time to boost your cash back to a total of 1.25% for that month
- Earn $5 per month for 12 months on Select Streaming Subscriptions when you pay on time. *Exclusions Apply
- Enjoy no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- You can help build your credit with responsible use of a card like this
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- $0 fraud liability if your card is ever lost or stolen
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- Pick the monthly due date that works best for you
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Cash back credit cards that are good for families
When it comes to the whole family, it is very pleasant to receive rewards, but if you have no desire to get into the points earning and redeeming process, it is difficult to argue with the benefit of getting cashback. Cash back is the most flexible of all rewards, as you get real dollars and cents that you can redeem for anything you want. Additionally, cash back credit cards may come with 0% intro APRs on purchases and allow adding authorized users. An authorized user is an additional cardholder, such as a child or a family member, on a credit card account. They are usually issued a card with their name on it, while the account will be owned by the primary cardholder and the responsibility for all expenses will lie with them. The advantage is that you can set a monthly limit for an authorized account and track all transactions.
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Intro APR on Purchases
0% Intro APR (15 months)
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
0% Intro APR (15 months)
Regular APR
12.74% - 23.74% Variable APR
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
Annual Fee
$0
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
- NEW! Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. Activate by mobile app for free.
- Redeem cash back in any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.
- NEW Intro APR: Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 12.74% to 23.74% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- No annual fee.
- Click "Apply Now" to see terms and conditions.
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Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
N/A
Regular APR
26.99% (Variable)
Balance Transfer Fee
$0 at this Transfer APR
Annual Fee
$39
- Click "APPLY ONLINE" to apply now
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
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Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
0% (18 months)
Regular APR
15.49% - 25.49% (Variable)
Balance Transfer Fee
Intro fee 3% of each transfer ($5 min) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, 5% of each transfer ($5 min).
Annual Fee
$0
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
- To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 15.49% - 25.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 15.49% - 25.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
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Intro APR on Purchases
0% Intro APR (15 months)
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
0% Intro APR (15 months)
Regular APR
12.74% - 23.74% Variable APR
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
Annual Fee
$0
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- Earn cash back on your next road trip with 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- NEW! Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. Activate by mobile app for free.
- Redeem your cash back for any amount, any time. Cash rewards never expire.
- NEW Intro APR: Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 12.74% to 23.74% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- No annual fee.
- Click "Apply Now" to see terms and conditions.
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Family credit cards for grocery shopping
Sometimes, due to the workload and responsibility for your family, children, pets and more, there is absolutely no time and desire to dig into credit card details, you just need to take care of your family members and earn rewards for that. The monthly grocery shopping bill is likely to be one of the biggest spending categories for families. Therefore, it will be reasonable to have a credit card for everyday purchases. Earning rewards with grocery credit cards couldn't be easier: you can earn points on grocery, gas, streaming services, or in other categories. Moreover, if the whole family uses one card and there are authorized users added, then all the spending they do earns more rewards.
Credit cards for family travel
Several times a year, especially when the holidays are approaching, the question of how to spend the break to make it memorable always arises. And of course, all of us would like not only spend money on our current trip, but also earn rewards and make plans for future travel.
Travel credit cards earn travel points or miles that can be put towards flights, hotel stays, or other travel-related expenses. They also may come with generous sign-up bonuses and additional premium travel perks.
Bottom line
The best credit card for your family is the one that offers a high rewards rate in your biggest spending categories, teaches the proper way to handle cash, or has some additional benefits. By choosing the right card, you will not only be able to pay for everyday purchases, but also save your money.
