Physicians have interesting financial profiles. New doctors usually carry substantial student debt. Many doctors maintain their own practices, which makes them businessmen as well as healers. And doctors frequently travel to professional venues such as medical conventions and conferences.
Couple that with well-earned vacations that may include travel to distant locales, and it’s obvious why there is considerable interest in the best credit cards for doctors. Physicians, treat thyselves — to credit cards that support your busy lifestyles and reward you with benefits you can use.
Cash Back | Travel | Business | FAQs
Best Cash Back Cards for Doctors
These four credit cards offer cash back rewards that physicians can put to good use, such as paying down student debt and financing major purchases or general expenses. Furthermore, these credit cards help young doctors fill in thin credit histories while offering reasonable APRs.
But whether you are a first-year resident or a seasoned physician, these cash back cards may offer the perfect prescription for your needs.
4.9
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–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% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- Apply and you could get a decision in as little as 60 seconds. No annual fee.
- Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with our digital card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
|
$0
|
Excellent/Good
|
The Discover it® Cash Back card provides bonus cash back on quarterly rotating merchant categories like restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and more. You can earn the bonus cash back, up to the quarterly purchase limit, by activating the category each quarter.
4.8
- Limited Time Intro Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 15 months
|
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers 15 months
|
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
|
$0
|
Good/Excellent
|
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card has a simple reward scheme — a cash back rate on every purchase, every day. Busy doctors don’t have to concern themselves with quarterly activations or purchase limits. All this for no annual fee, plus you receive a wide variety of additional security and purchase benefits.
4.8
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 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
- 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
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% for 15 months
|
0% for 15 months
|
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Excellent, Good
|
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card provides three tiers of unlimited cash back rewards. All other purchases earn the base tier reward of 1%. New cardmembers can earn bonus cash back by spending a set amount on purchases during the first three months after account opening.
4.8
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- 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
- 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
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% for 15 months
|
0% for 15 months
|
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Excellent, Good
|
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is another flat-rate cash back card, paying you an unlimited cash back on every purchase. Your cash back rewards don’t expire while the account remains open. This no-annual-fee card gives new cardmembers a cash bonus for spending a set amount on purchases during the first three months. The card charges no foreign transaction fees.
Best Travel Cards for Doctors
Doctors are always attending medical conventions, conferences, symposia, and other professional meetings. And I personally know a few successful doctors who enjoy scuba holidays in the Caribbean and skiing junkets in Europe.
These four travel cards are highly rated because they allow cardmembers to redeem points or miles for travel and hotel stays.
4.9
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
20.24% - 28.74% Variable
|
$550
|
Good/Excellent
|
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is a premium credit card with a premium annual fee. In return for that fee, you get excellent travel and insurance perks, starting with a $300 annual credit to reimburse travel expenses.
You receive 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel via Chase. You also get comprehensive travel insurance and free access to airport lounges.
4.8
- Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)
|
$95
|
Excellent, Good
|
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card gives you unlimited 2X miles on all purchases with a manageable annual fee. There is a one-time mileage bonus when you spend the set amount on purchases during the first months of account opening. See above for details.
The card also reimburses up to $120 for TSA Preè or Global Entry fees. You can redeem your miles for no-blackout-date travel/hotel stays or transfer them to any of a dozen travel partners.
4.9
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- Member FDIC
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
19.99% - 28.24% Variable
|
$95
|
Good/Excellent
|
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card credit card lets you earn 25% more value for your rewards when you redeem them at Chase for travel arrangements.
There are no foreign transaction fees, but the card charges an annual fee. You also receive many other travel and purchase benefits, including a signup bonus.
4.9
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
- No annual fee
- Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% - 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
- Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide.
- Terms and conditions apply.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
|
$0
|
Excellent/Good
|
The Discover it® Miles card offers miles rewards for each dollar spent on purchases. This card lets you redeem miles as a statement credit for travel purchases. New cardholders enjoy friendly introductory terms and a unique year-end bonus after the first year.
Miles never expire (even when you close the account) and you can redeem any amount at any time. Redeemed miles are not subject to specific carriers for airline flights, car rentals, or hotel stays.
Best Business Cards for Doctors
Private practice doctors are also business people. For them, a business credit card makes a lot of sense. Think of all the equipment and supplies a practice must purchase.
The following four cards are well suited to business owners who also happen to be physicians.
4.6
- Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
20.24% - 26.24% Variable
|
$95
|
Good/Excellent
|
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 3X points on combined purchases, up to $150,000 per year, in select categories that include travel, shipping, internet, phone, cable, and social media advertising. All other purchases earn 1X points.
Your points go 25% farther when you redeem them at Chase Travel℠ for travel-related purchases. Your points don’t expire while the account is open, and you can redeem them for gifts cash back, and more.
4.6
- Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 12 months
|
N/A
|
17.49% - 25.49% Variable
|
$0
|
Good/Excellent
|
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card provides 5% cash back, up to the yearly purchase cap, for internet, cable, and phone services and purchases at office supply stores. You earn 2% cash back, up to the annual limit, for combined purchases at restaurants and gas stations.
All other purchases earn unlimited 1% cash back, and you can add employee cards at no extra cost.
11. Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit
This card is currently not available.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
The Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit card lets you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all your purchases and charges no annual fee. Benefits include free employee cards with customized spend limits, $0 fraud liability, transaction download, year-end summaries, no foreign transaction fees, automatic and recurring transactions, and a flexible monthly due date.
Are there Credit Cards Specifically for Doctors?
In general, no credit cards are specifically designed for doctors. However, some cards are marketed to physicians because they offer a package of benefits that suit the general needs of doctors.
NIH Federal Credit Union offers credit cards that are only available to medical professionals.
For example, the terms of several credit cards from the NIH Federal Credit Union compare very favorably to common credit card terms from banks. The terms of its Signature cards include no annual fee, low APRs, no penalty APR, low fees, cash back or travel rewards, and free travel/baggage insurance.
The 12 cards in this review offer many features desirable to doctors. For frugal new physicians with oppressive student loans, our top cash back card, the Discover it® Cash Back, is a smart choice for everyday spending if you can keep track of rotating bonus categories.
Doctors with their own practices may prefer one of the reviewed business cards, such as the top-rated Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. It offers features that any business person may find handy, such as rewards on selected business purchases with 25% more value for points redeemed though Chase, and no foreign transaction fees.
Peripatetic physicians benefit from travel cards that reward them for frequent professional and personal trips. Our top travel card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, provides 50% more value when you use Chase Ultimate Rewards to redeem your points for travel.
Can I Get a Credit Card with Student Loan Debt?
Student loan debt is not an insurmountable impediment to doctors seeking a credit card. The reasons include:
- Student loans represent installment debt, not the revolving debt associated with credit cards. While large amounts of revolving debt can make it harder to obtain a credit card because of your high credit utilization ratio (CUR), installment loans are not included when computing CUR. Therefore, student loan debt should not impact your credit score.
- Generally, doctors are regarded as trustworthy individuals unless proven otherwise. They also earn or, hopefully, will someday earn, substantial income. These characteristics may increase the likelihood that a credit card issuer will approve a physician’s credit card application.
- The fact that an applicant has student loan debt may even count as a small plus. The reason is that 10% of your FICO credit score stems from your credit mix. The three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) like to see you successfully manage more than one type of credit when they compute your credit score.
- As time goes by, physicians are increasingly better able to afford the top (i.e., most expensive) credit cards from an issuer. Credit card issuers know this and may want to groom you for their premium cards by getting you started on one of their less extravagant cards.
Thus, even with significant amounts of student loan debt, many issuers will approve a doctor’s credit card application.
Should I Get a Business Card if I Have My Own Practice?
Business credit cards are optimized for business owners, including doctors who own their practice. A doctor’s practice shares many characteristics with other types of businesses, including:
- A desire for accounting support. A business card like the Discover it® Business Card allows you to download your transactions so that you can incorporate them into your own accounting software. In addition, the card will provide helpful annual reports specifying all card activity.
- The requirement for free employee credit cards, which allow you to accumulate rewards based on the authorized spending of your employees. Many cards also allow the ability to set a spending limit for each employee.
- Seeking higher rewards for business-related purchases. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card lets you earn a limited cash back rate for payments for phone, internet, and cable services, as well as purchases at office supply stores.
Three of our business card picks either charge no annual fee or waive it for the first year. Some provide automatic payments and recurring transactions. All are solid choices for doctors with their own practices.
The Best Medicine for Your Spending Needs
Our review of the 12 best credit cards for doctors encompasses card types that suit the lifestyles of many physicians. The cash back cards are handy for new doctors who can use some extra cash as they repay their student loans. Of course, any doctor who likes the universal flexibility of cash back may also want one of these cards.
Similarly, we reviewed cards that generously reward travelers and businesses, of note to doctors who travel often and/or run their own practices. For many doctors, owning one or more of these cards can be the best medicine for their spending needs.
Advertiser Disclosure
CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
About the Author
![7 Best First Credit Cards, No Credit Needed ([updated_month_year])](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2017/07/firstcard.png?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "7 Best First Credit Cards, No Credit Needed ([updated_month_year])")
![9 Best Credit Cards For Rebuilding Credit ([updated_month_year])](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2017/07/rebuildcredit.png?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "9 Best Credit Cards For Rebuilding Credit ([updated_month_year])")
![10 Credit Cards that Use Equifax Credit Reports ([current_year])](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2017/11/equifax2.png?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "10 Credit Cards that Use Equifax Credit Reports ([current_year])")
![9 Best Loans & Credit Cards: 400-450 Credit Score ([updated_month_year])](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2018/05/bestloans.png?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "9 Best Loans & Credit Cards: 400-450 Credit Score ([updated_month_year])")
![13+ Best Credit Cards for No Credit ([updated_month_year])](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2018/10/nocredit.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "13+ Best Credit Cards for No Credit ([updated_month_year])")
![7 Best Secured Credit Cards: No Credit Check ([updated_month_year])](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2018/11/Best-Secured-Credit-Cards-with-No-Credit-Check.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "7 Best Secured Credit Cards: No Credit Check ([updated_month_year])")
![11 Best Credit Cards for 600 to 650 Credit Scores ([updated_month_year])](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2019/09/Best-Credit-Cards-for-600-to-650-Credit-Scores-Feat.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "11 Best Credit Cards for 600 to 650 Credit Scores ([updated_month_year])")
![5 Best Credit Cards for New Credit Users ([updated_month_year])](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2019/09/Best-Credit-Cards-for-New-Credit-Users-Feat.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "5 Best Credit Cards for New Credit Users ([updated_month_year])")