Best credit cards for paying your medical bills

Sudden expenses are never a good thing, especially for those who map out their finances. But sometimes they’re unavoidable, such as large medical expenses. Even if you have health insurance, expenses can arise from emergency room visits, medical copays, and dental and veterinary bills, which can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

The burden could be enough to wipe out any emergency funds and savings accounts. One way to tackle these expenses is through financing with a medical account. However, the interest rates of some of those financial products can be quite high, even more so than credit cards.

Even if there’s a short introductory interest-free period, balances not paid in full are subject to high interest rates starting from the initial date of the charge.

To offset sudden medical bills, consider credit cards as a lifeline that can help you finance large charges and even earn rewards at the same time. Let’s take a look at some options.

Pay medical bills to earn a welcome bonus

When applying for a new credit card, the biggest motivator can be earning a sizable welcome offer. Whether it’s points, miles or cash back, the rewards you could earn are tied to a minimum spending requirement within a set period from account opening.

Minimum spending requirements can range from $1,000 to $30,000. If you’re able to pay off the debt immediately, consider putting a large medical bill on a new credit card to help you fully or partially meet the minimum spending requirement.

Related: Best credit card welcome offers this month

Consider a 0% introductory APR card

If you’re looking to pay your medical bills with a credit card and earn some rewards, it’s possible, but don’t expect medical bills to be a bonus category on the majority of cards.

Instead, you want to focus on credit cards that offer a 0% introductory annual percentage rate with the possibility to earn cash back, points or miles for your purchases. This way, borrowers feel confident they can pay off their balance within the promotional period and even come out on top with some credit card rewards.

The ideal card would be an everyday spending card that offers higher earning rates on all other purchases outside of the card’s bonus categories.

In November 2024, I had to pay for an emergency room visit at an out-of-network hospital and received a hefty bill. Luckily, I had a 0% interest offer on my Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), which allowed me to pay off the balance over nine months. I earned 1 AAdvantage mile per dollar spent on the transaction.

Let’s check out a few great options for 0% introductory APR cards.

Citi Diamond Preferred Card

Annual fee: No annual fee

Welcome offer: No welcome offer

Rewards on medical bills: No rewards

Why it’s a good choice: The main perk of the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is the introductory APR.

New cardholders receive a 0% APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, then a variable APR of 17.24%-27.99%. New cardholders also receive a 0% APR for 21 months from account opening on balance transfers; after the promotional period, they are subject to a variable interest rate between 17.24% and 27.99%.

If you’re looking to pay a huge medical bill or save on interest if you need to transfer an existing balance, this card can provide you with financial relief. Be sure to plan out your payments so your balance is paid off before the introductory rate ends.

To learn more, read our full review of the Citi Diamond Preferred.

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Apply here: Citi Diamond Preferred Card

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Chase Freedom Unlimited

Annual fee: $0

Welcome offer: New cardholders can earn $200 cash back after spending $500 within three months from account opening.

Rewards on medical bills: Earn 1.5% back on all nonbonus category purchases.

Why it’s a good choice: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) will let you earn 1.5% cash back on your medical bills, easing the sting a little bit.

If you also hold a premium Chase card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), you can combine your rewards and transfer them to Chase’s 11 airline and three hotel partners for great redemption options.

As a new cardholder, you’ll also receive a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After the introductory period, a variable APR of 18.99%-28.49% applies.

Keep in mind that applicants for Chase cards are subject to the 5/24 rule, meaning you won’t be approved if you have opened five or more personal credit cards across all banks in the last 24 months.

To learn more, read our full review of the Freedom Unlimited.

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Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited

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Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee: No annual fee

Welcome offer: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $200 after spending $500 within the first three months from account opening.

Rewards on medical bills: Earn 1.5% back on all nonbonus category purchases.

Why it’s a good choice: You’ll earn 1.5% cash back on medical bills, which can later be redeemed as a statement credit or through PayPal and amazon.com. As a new cardholder, you also receive a 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. A 19.24%-29.24% variable APR applies after the promotional period.

To learn more, read our full review of the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.

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Learn more: Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards

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Citi Double Cash Card

Annual fee: No annual fee

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.

Rewards on medical bills: 2% cash back (1% back when you buy and 1% when you pay for the purchases)

Why it’s a good choice: In addition to earning 2% cash back on all purchases, Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) cardholders receive a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 18 months, and then a variable APR of 18.24%-28.24% applies after the promotional period ends.

If you’re a cardholder of a Citi travel credit card, such as the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) you can combine the rewards earned on the Citi Double Cash with those on the Citi Strata Premier and then transfer those points to Citi’s airline and hotel partners.

To learn more, read our full review of the Citi Double Cash.

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Apply here: Citi Double Cash Card

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Health-related cards

There are some credit cards specifically catered to health-related purchases. You may earn rewards; however, these cards’ best perk is the ability to finance large medical expenses.

Related: Use these cards to maximize large purchases

AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard from Barclays

Annual fee: $0

Welcome offer: Earn a $100 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within 90 days from account opening.

Rewards on medical bills: 2% cash back on eligible medical expenses

Why it’s a good choice: This is one of the few credit cards that earn bonus cash back on medical expenses. Eligible purchases include:

• Dentists
• Orthodontists
• Osteopathic physicians
• Chiropractors
• Optometrists
• Ophthalmologists
• Opticians
• Optical goods and eyeglasses
• Chiropodists
• Podiatrists
• Hospitals
• Medical and dental laboratories
• Hearing aids
• Ambulance services
• Orthopedic goods
• Prosthetic devices
• Nursing and personal care facilities
• Medical services and health practitioners

The card also comes with a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days after account opening. Afterward, a variable APR of 20.99%-29.99% applies.

The information for the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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CareCredit Rewards Mastercard

Annual fee: $0

Welcome offer: No welcome offer

Rewards on medical bills: Earn 2 points per dollar spent on in-network purchases through July 31.

Why it’s a good choice: The CareCredit Mastercard can be used to pay for out-of-pocket expenses at more than 270,000 medical, dental and veterinary providers across the U.S. You can use the card at any provider who accepts CareCredit.

The card offers several finance options. Cardholders won’t pay any interest if they select the option to pay their account in full between six months and 24 months. For those looking to finance for longer terms of up to 60 months, expect to pay up to 20.90% APR on purchases for the duration of the financing term. For financing less than $1,000, you can pay over 24 months and not accrue interest if paid in full at the end of the term. Financing $1,000 or more opens up the ability to finance for more than 24 months with a reduced APR.

Note that the CareCredit Mastercard’s regular purchase APR is 32.99%. Like medical lines of credit, CareCredit uses deferred interest financing, meaning interest is charged on full loan amounts from initial transaction dates on balances that aren’t paid in full when a financing promotion expires.

The information for the CareCredit Rewards Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

Medical expenses may be necessary at times, but they don’t have to be a burden and drain your savings account. Take advantage of 0% APR credit card offers to finance unexpected bills, while also having the possibility of earning credit card rewards.

Before applying for a new card, be sure to check if any existing card in your wallet has a 0% APR offer on purchases or balance transfers. Alternatively, consider other products such as CareCredit or other loan products and see which repayment plans and interest rates fit your budget and finances.

Related: How to choose a credit card with 0% APR