The Best Medical Credit Cards

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Last updated on August 23rd, 2023

Emergency medical costs are one of the biggest financial worries facing Americans. A good savings plan is a great way to ensure you have the finances for regular medical expenses including medical procedures, screenings, and check-ups. But what happens if unforeseen, emergency medical costs pop up? Credit cards can provide a vital lifeline when emergency healthcare costs arise – buying the cardholder time to pay down the debt at lower interest rates. Here are our top medical credit cards for 2023 to help you save of medical procedures and healthcare costs:

At a Glance

Why Use a Credit Card to Pay for Medcial and Health Expenses?

Using a credit card to pay for your medical expenses might sound strange, but it can help save you considerable money in some instances. 

First and foremost, paying for your medical procedures with a credit card is convenient because it allows you to pay for the services without having to carry large amounts of cash or write a check. Not only that, but you can offset those payments, meaning you can pay down the bill over time, at reduced interest. This is especially true if your credit card offers 0% intro APR on procedures or purchases.

Many credit cards offer rewards programs that can help you earn cash back, points, or miles for your eligible purchases. These rewards can, in turn, be used to offset the cost of the medical procedure or to fund future procedures.

Finally, using a credit card to pay for medical costs provides purchase protection against fraud or other disputes. If you encounter any issues with the care provider, you can dispute the charge with your credit card issuer, who can help you resolve the issue.

The Best Credit Cards for Medical and Healthcare Expenses

Here are our top medical credit cards

SmartHealth PayCard

SmartHealth PayCard
Good-Fair-Poor
BestCards refers to a variation of FICO Score 9, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card. Please note that the range shown here is our own estimation and not a guarantee of credit needed to be approved for any given card. Recommended Credit: Good / Fair / Poor
Mastercard Processing Network
$120 Annual Fee

SmartHealth PayCard

  • 18% Regular Purchase APR
  • See Terms Cash Advance APR

At a Glance

The SmartHealth PayCard™ Mastercard® is a medical credit card that offers coverage for unexpected medical costs, prescriptions, and more. The card, which features credit limits of up to $30,000, also offers accidental death insurance, accidental medical expense insurance, and prescription savings – for a $120 annual fee.

  • Best Benefits
  • Rates & Fees
  • Why Should You Apply?
  • 90 seconds to apply, and get a virtual card for use immediately
  • Individual and family benefits of $5,000 accident and injury medical indemnity benefit coverage
  • SmartHealth Rx provides pharmacy discounts of up to 85% on most generic drugs
  • May also be used for veterinarian services
  • Regular Purchase APR: 18%
  • Cash Advance APR: See Terms
  • Cash Advance Transaction Fee: See Terms
  • Annual Fee: $120
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars
  • Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $35
  • Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $35
  • You anticipate having additional medical expenses in the coming year
  • You have children or pets and want the assurance of additional medical coverage
  • You want to finance elective surgeries over-time
  • You have insurance but want extra coverage and prescription savings

SmartHealth PayCard

The SmartHealth PayCard™ is a medical credit card that offers coverage for unexpected medical costs, prescriptions, and more. The card, which features credit limits of up to $30,000, also offers accidental death insurance, accidental medical expense insurance, and prescription savings – for a $120 annual fee.

What makes the SmartHealth PayCard different from other medical credit cards is that it only works on medical purchases – despite carrying Mastercard branding and purchasing power. Fortunately, this somewhat restrictive purchase category is relatively broad, including the following medical expenses and procedures:

Ambulance services Chiropractors Cosmetic surgery Mental health and counseling: couples/individual/debit
Dental and medical laboratories Dental/lab/medical/ophthalmic hospital equipment and supplies Dentists, orthodontists Dermatologists
Drugs, druggists, sundries Drug stores, pharmacies Health practitioners Hearing aids-sales, service, supply stores
Hospitals and physicians Insurance premiums Nursing and personal care facilities Opticians, optical goods, and eyeglasses
Optometrists, ophthalmologists Orthopedic goods-artificial limb stores Osteopathic physicians Podiatrists
Radiology Veterinary services

Another unique feature of the card is up to $5,000 per year for costs associated with covering hospital admissions, outpatient ER visits, and ambulance use through this indemnity reimbursement coverage. This benefit, known as “Accident Medical Expense Insurance,” is not ACA compliant but does offer some protection for unforeseen medical costs.

Other notable features of the SmartHealth PayCard™ Mastercard include:

  • Access to the SmartHealth Rx mobile app – offering prescription savings
  • Ability to add authorized users with no extra credit checks
  • Virtual cards and instant access upon approval
  • Mastercard Zero Fraud Liability

CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™

CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™
Excellent-Good
BestCards refers to a variation of FICO Score 9, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card. Please note that the range shown here is our own estimation and not a guarantee of credit needed to be approved for any given card. Recommended Credit: Excellent / Good
Mastercard Processing Network
None Annual Fee

CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™

  • 29.99% Regular Purchase APR
  • 29.99% Cash Advance APR

At a Glance

The CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™ is an infinitely useful credit card specifically designed to make medical and healthcare costs more affordable with up to payment plans ranging from 6 to 60 months. There is no annual fee and cardholders can also earn 2X points on many types of wellness and health-related expenditures.

  • Best Benefits
  • Rates & Fees
  • Why Should You Apply?
  • 2X points on CareCredit Network purchases
  • 2X points on Health & Wellness
  • 2X points at grocery stores
  • 2X points at pet stores
  • 1X points on all other purchases
  • Redeem points for statement credit, gift cards, merchandise and more
  • Regular Purchase APR: 29.99%
  • Cash Advance APR: 29.99%
  • Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 4% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars
  • Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
  • You have health complications or upcoming (and costly) medical procedures in the near future
  • You're responsible for healthcare expenses of children and/or the whole family
  • You have a large family and need assistance paying for routine treatments such as braces or eye exams
  • You have an illness-prone or injured pet
  • You do not have a 2% cash back rewards card
  • You have limited access to health insurance
  • You enjoy very active, outdoor-based hobbies
  • You own multiple one or more gym memberships
CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™

CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™

Terms & Conditions

CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard

The CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™ is another medical credit card. The card offers special financing of up to 48 months on select medical procedures of $1,000 or more. Cardholders can select from medical providers in the CareCredit network and then choose a repayment plan that works for them: deferred repayment without interest or reduced APR and fixed monthly payments for 24, 36, or 48 months.

The card also earns double points on a variety of health-centric categories, including:

  • CareCredit network purchases
  • Health & wellness stores and service providers
  • Grocery stores
  • Pet stores

The CareCredit network is the primary concern for those seeking a quality medical credit card – and here, the CareCredit Mastercard shines. The card provides special financing or 2X points on a selection of non-emergency care and services, including:

Chiropractors Cosmetic procedures Dentistry Dermatology
Fitness Hearing Laboratory and diagnostics Medical equipment and supplies
Sleep specialists Vision care Weight loss

Other notable features of the CareCredit® Rewards™ Card include:

  • No annual fee
  • Redeem points for statement credit, gift cards, merchandise, and more
  • Fixed-rate APR of 26.99% on purchases and cash advances
  • Mastercard Zero Fraud Liability

Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®

Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®
Excellent-Good-Fair
BestCards refers to a variation of FICO Score 9, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card. Please note that the range shown here is our own estimation and not a guarantee of credit needed to be approved for any given card. Recommended Credit: Excellent / Good / Fair
Visa Processing Network
None Annual Fee

Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®

  • 14.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
  • 14.99% to 29.99% Balance Transfer APR

At a Glance

The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® offers no fees, low rates, cash back, and credit lines up to $25,000 in one unique package. The card provides the flexibility and predictability consumers need to pay down balances and get debt-free quickly.

  • Best Benefits
  • Rates & Fees
  • Why Should You Apply?
  • $200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Plus account and making 3 debit card transactions*
  • Unlimited cash back on payments: 3% on Home, Auto, and Health categories and 1% on everything else after you make payments on your purchases
  • No annual fee
  • Combine the flexibility of a credit card with the predictability of a personal loan
  • No touch payments with contactless technology built in
  • See if you qualify in minutes without hurting your credit score
  • Great for large purchases with predictable payments you can budget for
  • Mobile app to access your account anytime, anywhere
  • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud liability
  • *To qualify for the welcome bonus, you must open and fund a new Rewards Checking account and make 3 qualifying debit card transactions from your Rewards Checking account within 60 days of the date the Upgrade Card account is opened. To qualify, debit card transactions must have settled and exclude ATM transactions. Please refer to the applicable Upgrade VISA® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information. Your Upgrade Card and Rewards Checking account must be open and in good standing to receive a bonus. If you have previously opened a Rewards Checking account or do not open one as part of this application process, you are not eligible for this welcome bonus offer. Welcome bonus offers cannot be combined, substituted, or applied retroactively. The bonus will be applied to your Rewards Checking account as a one-time payout credit within 60 days after the 3rd qualifying card purchase.
  • Regular Purchase APR: 14.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
  • Balance Transfer APR: 14.99% to 29.99%
  • Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Up to 5%
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: Up to 3%
  • You struggle to pay off your credit card balances
  • You want to earn up to 3% cash back on purchases
  • You can reliably pay off your statement balances to earn cash back for your purchases
  • You have a desire to get debt-free quickly
  • You don’t want to pay an annual fee
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®

Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®

Terms & Conditions

Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®

The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® is another great option for financing medical care with a credit card. The card earns unlimited cash back on payments – 3% on Home, Auto, and Health categories and 1% on everything else – with no annual fee or hidden fees.

The robust health category includes services like health and beauty spas, gym memberships, fitness equipment, and purchases at eligible merchants. Those merchants include the likes of Walgreens, CVS, Academy Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods, MidwayUSA.com, and more. The other bonus categories – Home and Auto – are equally robust, allowing cardholders to earn cash back for car parts, towing services, car washes, landscaping, hardware, home goods, and more.

Beyond lucrative cash back, all Upgrade credit cards feature is designed to help you pay off debt. These features include predictable, set payoffs that bring your balance down faster so you can pay less interest, credit limits up to $25,000, and exceptionally low APR for qualified borrowers.

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Excellent-Good
BestCards refers to a variation of FICO Score 9, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card. Please note that the range shown here is our own estimation and not a guarantee of credit needed to be approved for any given card. Recommended Credit: Excellent / Good
Mastercard Processing Network
$0 Annual Fee

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

  • 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable) Regular Purchase APR
  • 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable) Balance Transfer APR
  • 29.99% (Variable) Cash Advance APR
  • 0% for 15 months on Purchases Intro Purchase APR

At a Glance

The Citi Custom Cash? Card is a generous cash back credit card that offers up to 5% back on eligible purchases. The card, from Citi, does not charge an annual fee and rewards 5% back on the top spending category each month, with options including transit, travel, gas, groceries, dining, and more.

  • Best Benefits
  • Rates & Fees
  • Why Should You Apply?
  • Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
  • 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
  • Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
  • No rotating bonus categories to sign up for - as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
  • No Annual Fee
  • Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash℠ Card account per person.
  • Intro Purchase APR: 0% for 15 months on Purchases
  • Regular Purchase APR: 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
  • Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
  • Balance Transfer APR: 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
  • Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
  • Cash Advance APR: 29.99% (Variable)
  • Cash Advance Transaction Fee: 5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum
  • Penalty APR: Up to 29.99% (Variable)
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
  • Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
  • Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
  • You want to earn 5% back but do't want quarterly categories
  • You plan on spending $1,500 within the first 90 days
  • You have a large purchase in mind that you want to pay down over time
  • You plan on transferring an existing balance within the first four months
  • You don’t want to pay an annual fee

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

If your medical care consists of multiple prescriptions, a card like the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card might make sense. The card is a no annual fee rewards card that earns 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Those categories are robust and include “pharmacies,” with other categories including:

Dining Fitness clubs Grocery stores
Drugstores Gas stations Home improvement stores
Travel & transit (select) Live entertainment Streaming service (select)

The generosity of the Custom Cash continues with two lengthy 0% APR periods. New accounts enjoy 15 months of 0% intro APR – for both purchases and balance transfers – with a variable rate after that. Should you have a medical procedure or expensive prescriptions to cover, the Custom Cash can help you offset those payments and pay them down without interest for five quarters.

Other notable features of the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card include Mastercard protections, Citi Entertainment access, Citi Quick Lock, and more.

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Editorial Disclosure – The opinions expressed on BestCards.com's reviews, articles, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author(s). These opinions do not reflect those of any card issuer or financial institution, and editorial content on our site has not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless noted otherwise. Further, BestCards.com lists credit card offers that are frequently updated with information believed to be accurate to the best of our team's knowledge. However, please review the information provided directly by the credit card issuer or related financial institution for full details.

About: Cory Santos
Cory Santos

Cory is the senior credit card editor at BestCards, specializing in everything credit card-related. He’s worked extensively with credit cards and other personal finance topics, including nearly five years at BestCards. Cory’s extensive knowledge is an essential part of the BestCards experience, helping readers to live their best financial lives with up-to-date insights and comprehensive coverage of all facets of the credit card space, including market trends, rewards guides, credit advice, and comprehensive credit card reviews.

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