What is the best emergency pet care credit card?

The best emergency pet care credit card is the Citi Double Cash Card. You get 2% cash back – 1% when you swipe the card for your pet’s emergency expenses and another 1% when you pay them off – and there’s a $0 annual fee. It’s good for pet medical expenses because it has a credit limit of at least $500 and can help you immediately recoup some of the cost with cash back rewards.

Another good option is the Citi Simplicity® Card. It’s not the best emergency pet care credit card because its best feature – 0% for 12 months intro APR for purchases and 0% for 21 months for balance transfers – doesn’t last forever and thus requires a bit of advance notice. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a contender, too, allowing you to earn 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Vet bills could certainly help you meet that spending requirement, and you and your pet may both need a vacation when you’re feeling better.

If you’re looking for an emergency pet care credit card designed specifically for that task, the CareCredit Credit Card comes with a range of payment plans, offering 0% - 20.9% for 6 - 60 months. And it’s accepted by more than 250,000 veterinarians nationwide. That said, any vet who takes credit cards will accept any Visa or Mastercard. And you can get a better deal if you don’t limit yourself to cards specifically for pet owners.

Here are the best emergency pet care credit cards:

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

$95 annual fee. You get an initial bonus of 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, redeemable for $750 in travel purchases. That’s easy to earn with how expensive veterinarian bills are. Earn 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases. Miles never expire as long as the account is open. Good credit required.

• Citi Simplicity® Card

$0 annual fee. Great for pet owners looking to finance emergency medical expenses. 0% for 12 months intro APR for purchases and 0% for 21 months for balance transfers - 3% intro fee ($5 min) for each transfer in first 4 months, and 5% ($5 min) for each transfer after that. 18.99% - 29.74% (V) regular APR. No late fees or penalty rates. No rewards. $500minimum starting credit limit. Good credit required.

• Citi Double Cash Card

$0 annual fee. Earn 2% cash back on all purchases. Can help you recoup some of the costs of pet care. 0% intro interest for 18 months on balance transfers - balance transfer fee of 3% intro fee ($5 min) for each transfer in first 4 months, after that 5% ($5 min) for each transfer and regular APR of 18.99% - 28.99% (V). $500 minimum starting credit limit. Fair credit required.

• CareCredit Credit Card

Annual fee: $0. It offers payment plans from 0% - 20.9% for 6 - 60 months, depending on credit worthiness. Ideal for pet owners who prefer a credit card for healthcare purchases only. But watch out! Card has deferred interest, meaning if you don’t pay in full by the end of the intro period, you’ll owe interest at the card’s regular rate (29.99%) for each month since you charged your pet’s care. Credit limit based on creditworthiness. No rewards. Faircredit required.

When using a credit card for major purchases such as emergency veterinary services, set a deadline to pay off the debt and stick to it. If using a 0% interest credit card, keep an eye on when the introductory interest rate expires. If you don’t pay off the balance by then, you will be charged interest on the unpaid balance. And be careful of “deferred interest” cards like the CareCredit Credit Card. If you don’t pay off the entire balance by the end of the intro term, the regular interest rate will be applied retroactively to your entire original balance.

The CareCredit Credit Card is the best for pet owners. You can use it to pay for routine checks, surgery and emergencies for your pet.

The Citi Simplicity® Card is pretty good, I used it a couple of times for my iguana.