Military Spouse Credit Cards: MLA, DEERS, and Getting Your Own Premium Card

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Not advice: Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or financial advice. Annual fee waivers are issuer policy, not a legal guarantee, and they can change without notice. Confirm your own eligibility with each issuer in writing.

Last verified: October 5, 2026. Every fee, rule, and policy below links to the page we checked that day.

This guide is in PointFam's military families section, one of several sections on a site for families who use cards and points for travel.

If you are a military spouse, you may have spent years as an authorized user on your partner's card. That works. You may also want a card in your own name: your own account, your own credit line, your own benefits, and your own say over it. This page is for that decision.

Short version:

1. Under the Military Lending Act, certain dependents of covered service members can be covered borrowers in their own right.
2. Whether that turns into a waived annual fee is each issuer's choice, not a legal right.
3. The one issuer that publishes its process clearly is American Express.
4. Check your records before you apply, apply in your own name, confirm your status in writing, and watch your first statement.

Start with the one premium card that fits your family best. Add others only if you will use their benefits.

Where I am coming from. I am a service member, and our household holds the Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Hilton Aspire, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Delta SkyMiles Reserve, and Citi Double Cash. The credits we use most years are the Platinum airline fee credit, the Platinum hotel credit, Uber Cash, the Sapphire Reserve travel credit, and the Aspire resort credit. We do not use the CLEAR+ or Global Entry credits most years. Everything else about credits on this page is editorial judgment, not a claim about our own use.

Confirm before you count on it

These items are not settled on a public issuer page. Call or write before you plan around them.

• Hilton Aspire fee relief matching Platinum: Amex's FAQ covers consumer Amex accounts generally; there is no Aspire-only military page. Call 1-866-391-1460.
• Chase MLA annual fee waiver for members or spouses (including the reported Sept 20, 2017 cutoff): based on reports, not an official issuer page. Call Chase Military Services at 1-877-469-0110 (or 1-318-340-3308 internationally) and get it in writing.
• Authorized-user treatment under the MLA, and AU / Additional / Companion fee relief: not stated on the Amex FAQ or Chase SCRA page. Call the issuer.
• Capital One fees on accounts opened during active duty: official military page covers SCRA only. Call Capital One to confirm.
• Household / multi-account limit on stacking the same Platinum credits across two primary Card Accounts: not stated on Platinum terms we checked. Call Amex.
• Citi annual-fee waivers, MLA fee treatment, and post-separation benefit duration: not stated on Citi's SCRA page. Call the Military Response Unit at 877-804-1082.
• Citi MLA fee outcomes: reports conflict (denials and successful credits). Treat as possible, not reliable.
• Issuer re-check to fix a missed covered-borrower finding at opening: no official issuer policy found. Call the issuer. Historic lookback via the DoD database after opening is separately prohibited.
• Amex "send updated orders within two weeks" on an MLA spouse account: that quote is from the SCRA section of the FAQ. Ask Amex whether the same applies to an MLA spouse account.
• Spouse individual card opened before marriage under SCRA: not covered in our verified notes. Ask the issuer.

Law vs issuer policy (spouses need both)

Two separate things have to line up for a spouse's premium card to be fee-relieved: the law has to treat you as a covered borrower, and the issuer has to choose to waive or not charge the fee. The law alone does not get you there.

What the law says

• Who the MLA covers. The Military Lending Act covers consumer credit extended to covered members (active duty under orders not limited to 30 days or less, or Active Guard and Reserve) and their dependents (10 U.S.C. 987, (i)(1) to (i)(2); 32 CFR Part 232, 232.3(g)). The statute and rule define "dependent" by cross-reference to 10 U.S.C. 1072(2)(A), (D), (E), or (I); subparagraph (A) is "the spouse" (10 U.S.C. 987, (i)(2); 32 CFR 232.3(g)(3); 10 U.S.C. 1072, (2)(A)). That is why a spouse can be a covered borrower on an account in the spouse's own name.
• When coverage is set. Coverage is set at the time the account is opened, and the rule stops applying once the person is no longer a covered borrower (10 U.S.C. 987; 32 CFR 232, 232.2(a) and 232.3(g)). For a spouse, that means your status on the day you apply matters.
• What the MLA caps. The Military Annual Percentage Rate (MAPR) may not exceed 36% in any billing cycle for open-end credit (10 U.S.C. 987, (b); 32 CFR 232.4(b)). The credit card provisions took effect October 3, 2017 (32 CFR 232.13(c); FDIC FIL-37-2015).

What the law does not say

The MLA does not, by itself, require any issuer to charge you a zero annual fee. For credit card accounts, a bona fide fee that is reasonable for that type of fee can be left out of the MAPR. The rule's own example says "a $400 fee nevertheless may be reasonable" depending on the credit line and benefits (32 CFR 232.4(d), (d)(1) and (d)(3)(iv); FDIC FIL-37-2015).

So the waived fees military families talk about are issuer policy layered on top of the law. An issuer can change that policy without any change in the law. That is why every step below ends with "confirm with the issuer."

The five-step checklist is on this page. Print this page if you want a paper copy. A printable PDF version and email updates are not available yet.

Step-by-step: five checks before and after you apply

This is the order we would follow. It takes an evening, not a weekend. The goal is to avoid the most common spouse problem: applying before your records say you are a dependent, so the issuer's check comes back "not covered."

The five steps at a glance:

1. Check DEERS. Make sure your record is current before you apply.
2. Know the MLA database. You do not have to run a check, but know where it is.
3. Apply in your own name. As the primary cardholder, with details that match DEERS.
4. Check your agreement. Look for your covered-borrower status or MLA notice.
5. Watch the first statement. If a fee posts with nothing to offset it, call the issuer right away.

Step 1: Confirm your DEERS record is current

Before anything else, make sure you are listed as a dependent in DEERS, the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, and that your name and personal details match what you will put on the card application. DEERS is the DoD database of sponsors and their family members; sponsors must register eligible family members, and a new spouse must be registered by the sponsor (TRICARE DEERS; TRICARE New Spouses). You can check or update contact information in milConnect (milConnect overview; Military OneSource milConnect). If you recently married, changed your name, or had your record updated, give it time to settle before you apply.

Why it matters: the DoD MLA database draws its data from DEERS (MLA User Guide). Issuers check MLA status against Department of Defense data. Amex says eligibility is checked against DoD data at application and asks you to keep DoD information up to date (Amex FAQ). If your record is not right on that day, the check may not find you, and coverage is set when the account is opened (32 CFR 232).

Step 2: Know the MLA database and its Single Record Request

The DoD runs the MLA website at mla.dmdc.osd.mil. It offers a Single Record Request. The site says "An account is required to use the Single Record Request" (MLA website). Official guidance says the site helps servicemembers and their dependents verify status, and a certificate reports whether the person is on active duty for more than 30 days or is a family member of such a servicemember (MLA User Guide). A dependent lookup is supported: result Status Y means the person is on active duty or is a dependent of a servicemember on active duty as of the search date (MLA User Guide).

What this means for you:

• You do not have to run a check to apply. Issuers run their own check. Amex says "No action is required from you for MLA relief" (Amex FAQ).
• It is useful to know it exists. If a fee shows up later and you need to show status, this is the official database issuers reference.
• Expect an account step. Older guides that say "just enter your details and check" are out of date on that point.
• Gaps exist. Amex notes the DoD MLA database does not currently include service academy cadets, NOAA, or Public Health Service members (Amex FAQ). If your spouse is in one of those groups, call the issuer before you apply.

Step 3: Apply in your own name

Apply as the primary cardholder, with your own name, your own income information as the application asks for it, and the same personal details that are on your DEERS record. Do not apply as an authorized user on your partner's account if your goal is your own covered account.

Issuer notes before you click submit:

• Amex. "MLA relief is applied to eligible Card accounts at the date of account opening. Enrollment is not required" (Amex FAQ). You do not need to call first. A 2024 article from a large points site says you must call or chat to request MLA benefits, which conflicts with the current Amex FAQ, so we follow the FAQ.
• Chase. No official Chase page states an MLA annual fee waiver, for members or spouses (see the Chase section). If you are considering a Chase card mainly because of a reported waiver, see the confirm box before you apply (Chase SCRA page).
• Capital One. Official military page covers SCRA only; treatment for accounts opened during active duty is not confirmed by the issuer (Capital One military page). See the confirm box.
• Citi. SCRA page is readable in a full browser (a plain fetch may return only a shell). Citi says you can request SCRA benefits during the service member's active-duty period or within one year of release from active duty; contact the Military Response Unit at 877-804-1082 (also mail or fax). Eligibility language includes spouses and dependents under Citi's definitions (Citi SCRA page). The page does not state annual-fee waivers, MLA fee treatment, or how long benefits last after separation. Citi MLA outcome reports are based on reports, not an official issuer page (Military Money Manual). See the confirm box for the fee-timeline ask.

Step 4: Check your Card Member Agreement or MLA notice

When the card and its agreement arrive, look for your covered-borrower status before you do anything else.

• Amex: "You can determine if you are a 'covered borrower' at the bottom of Part 1 of your Card Member Agreement" (Amex FAQ). Save a copy with the date you checked.
• Chase: a Chase cardmember agreement we reviewed includes the standard MLA notice (no arbitration for covered borrowers, legal recourse preserved, and the phone number 1-800-235-9978), but no fee-waiver language (Chase cardmember agreement, COL00040). The notice tells you about MLA protections. It does not, by itself, tell you how Chase will treat the annual fee.
• Any issuer: if the issuer sends a separate letter or secure message about MLA status, save it with your card records.

Step 5: Watch the first statement

The first statement is where you find out whether the fee treatment matches what you expected. Look for an annual fee line, and for any credit that offsets it.

• No fee, or a fee with a matching credit. Good. Save the statement. Set a reminder to check again near your account anniversary.
• A fee posted and nothing offsets it. Go to the branch below. Do not wait for the next statement.

Branch: a fee posted. Stop and call the issuer.

1. Call now, not next month. Amex: 1-866-391-1460, Monday to Sunday, 7 am to 11:30 pm ET; collect from outside the U.S., 1-336-393-1111 (Amex FAQ). Chase Military Services: 1-877-469-0110, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 9 PM ET; international 1-318-340-3308 (Chase SCRA page).
2. Mind the Amex clock. Amex says "The annual membership fee is nonrefundable 30 days after being billed as referenced in your Card Member Agreement" (with a Massachusetts exception) (Amex FAQ).
3. Have your facts ready. Your Card Member Agreement covered-borrower line (Amex), the date you applied, and confirmation that your DEERS record was current then.
4. Ask for the answer in writing. Secure message is fine.
5. Keep paying on time. Pay at least the minimum while you sort it out so a fee dispute does not turn into a late payment.
6. Then decide. If the issuer confirms you were not a covered borrower at opening, decide whether the card is worth its full fee to your family. See the troubleshooting section below.

Amex: what the official FAQ says about dependents and MLA

Amex publishes more of its military process than any other issuer we checked. From the Amex SCRA and MLA FAQ, checked October 5, 2026:

• MLA relief starts at opening, with no enrollment. "MLA relief is applied to eligible Card accounts at the date of account opening. Enrollment is not required." Also: "No action is required from you for MLA relief."
• Eligibility comes from DoD data. Amex checks eligibility against DoD data at application, and "periodically reviews accounts with the Department of Defense to determine if the account is no longer eligible for relief."
• Your agreement tells you your status. Covered-borrower status is shown "at the bottom of Part 1 of your Card Member Agreement."
• Notice before fees resume. When relief is ending, "you will receive a notification letter at least 45 days prior to the date relief ends on your account," and then Amex "will resume charging any applicable fees." This wording appears in the MLA section of the FAQ as well as the SCRA section.
• No "$0" wording. The FAQ never says "$0 annual fee." It describes fees "not charged while your account was eligible for relief," and its MLA description says the 36% must include "any participation fee (other than certain participation fees for a credit card account)." The "$0 out of pocket" phrasing you see online comes from third-party sites (The Points Guy), not an official issuer page.

On dependents specifically. The FAQ lists who is eligible for MLA relief, including: a covered active-duty or Active Guard and Reserve member; "Spouse or child of an Active Duty member of Armed Forces defined in 38 USC 101(4)"; and an individual for whom the member provides more than one-half of the individual's support for 180 days preceding the credit (Amex FAQ). It also says relief is given to "members of the Armed Forces and/or their dependents," and that "Only an account that you or your dependent(s) obtain with American Express while you are on active duty is eligible for MLA relief." That matches the statute: a spouse is a dependent under 10 U.S.C. 1072(2)(A) (10 U.S.C. 987; 32 CFR 232). For your own account, the covered-borrower line in Part 1 of your agreement is the answer that counts.

What the fee is without relief. The Platinum Card's Basic Card fee is $895 (Amex Platinum page). The Hilton Honors Aspire card's annual fee is $550, and Additional Cards are $0 (Amex Aspire page).

Amex's SCRA/MLA FAQ describes relief on consumer American Express accounts. There is no Aspire-only military page. See the confirm box before assuming the same outcome as Platinum.

Chase: what is official vs reported for spouses

Official. Chase's SCRA page lists "Reduction of Interest Rate," foreclosure and repossession protection, and early auto lease termination, plus the Chase Military Services numbers above. Chase's military hub page does not mention MLA fee waivers, and a Chase cardmember agreement we reviewed has the standard MLA notice but no fee-waiver language.

Reported. Several sites report that Chase waives annual fees under the MLA on cards opened after September 20, 2017 (Military Money Manual; Military.com; WalletHub; based on reports, not an official issuer page). None of them link to a Chase page that says so. We found nothing official about how Chase treats a spouse's own account. Treat a Chase spouse waiver as based on reports, not an official issuer page. See the confirm box.

What the fee is without relief. Chase Sapphire Reserve is $795, plus $195 per authorized user (Chase Sapphire Reserve page). Chase Sapphire Preferred is $95 (Chase Sapphire Preferred page).

Primary cardholder vs authorized user

Both are reasonable. They solve different problems.

Whether authorized-user fees are relieved while the primary account is covered is not stated on the pages we checked. See the confirm box; check the statement after you add someone.

When primary makes sense: you want benefits in your own name, you want your own account if your household's situation ever changes, or the two of you travel separately often. Under Chase's Guide to Benefits, trip cancellation and interruption coverage on the Reserve already treats a spouse as a Covered Traveler, even when not traveling with the cardholder (CSR Guide to Benefits), so do not open a second Reserve just for that.

When authorized user is enough: the household already has one premium card it uses well, and a second premium account would mostly duplicate credits you will not use.

How we set this up. The Chase Sapphire Reserve was the first spouse card in our household. My spouse holds a mix of authorized-user cards and primary cards in their own name. That mix is why this page covers both paths, and why our first pick for a spouse who wants their own premium card is still the Reserve.

Two primary Platinum accounts vs one account with add-on cards

If the household is weighing a second Platinum, the official terms treat a Basic Card Account differently from an Additional or Companion card on the same account.

Per-account statement credits. Official Amex Platinum materials (checked October 5, 2026) put the lululemon benefit at up to $75 in statement credits each quarter, up to $300 per calendar year, with enrollment required (Amex Platinum page; Platinum benefit terms). Official benefit terms cap that credit per Card Account. The same per-Card-Account pattern covers several other Platinum statement credits, including Resy, Hotel, CLEAR+, Digital Entertainment, Airline Fee, Uber One, and Oura. Additional Card purchases can count toward the same account caps, but they do not create a second full set of credits.

What that means for two primaries. If two adults each hold their own primary Platinum Card Account, each account has its own per-account caps. For example, lululemon can be up to $75 a quarter on each account, so up to $150 a quarter across two primaries (and up to $300 a year on each account). That is ordinary use of published per-account terms, not a hack or loophole. We are using lululemon here as the clearest published example of a per-account credit. It is not one of the credits we say we use most years.

What Additional and Companion cards do not do. Additional Platinum Cards are $195 each and Companion Platinum Cards are $0 (Amex Platinum page). Spend on those cards shares the Basic Card Member's account caps. It does not double the credits.

MLA on a spouse's own primary. An MLA-eligible spouse who opens their own primary Platinum while the member is on active duty may fall within Amex's MLA eligibility wording for that account. Amex's FAQ lists spouses and certain dependents as MLA-eligible, says only an account that you or your dependent(s) obtain while on active duty is eligible, and says enrollment is not required (Amex FAQ). The FAQ does not say the fee is $0, and federal law does not by itself require a zero annual fee. The Basic Card fee without relief is $895 (Amex Platinum page).

Practical caution. Two primary accounts mean two sets of enrollments to track, two statements to watch, and two relief timelines when active duty ends. Official pages do not spell out whether Amex limits benefits across two household primaries, or how MLA treats Additional or Companion fees alone. Do not invent a household cap. See the confirm box if those questions matter to your household.

First-card recommendations for spouses (one premium, not five)

If you are getting your own premium card, pick one. Use it for a year. Then decide whether anything else earns a place.

Our first pick for a spouse card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. That matches how we lean when a family will keep only one premium travel card: fewer moving parts than the Platinum's many enrollments, primary rental car coverage, and trip cancellation and interruption set per covered traveler (Chase Sapphire Reserve page). We use the Reserve in our household. The published fee without relief is $795, plus $195 per authorized user (Chase). Chase's MLA fee waiver remains based on reports only, not an official issuer page. See the confirm box before you count on it.

Here is how the Reserve compares with the two other cards we would consider, on fees and military treatment:

How we would think about it:

• If the service member already holds one of these, consider whether the spouse's card should be the other one, so the household gets different benefits instead of duplicate credits. For a full side-by-side, see Amex Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve for Families: Lounges, Trip Insurance, and Credits Worth the Hassle.
• If you want the least uncertainty on fees, Amex is the only issuer here that spells out its MLA process on an official page. Even so, its FAQ does not promise "$0." That clarity is real. It is not enough, for us, to override the Reserve-first lean when the household wants one premium card.
• If you want the household to stop at two cards total, see our planned two-card guide (

What we are not suggesting: stacking an Aspire, a Venture X, and a Strata Elite on top "because the fees are waived." Aspire's annual fee is $550 (Amex Aspire page). Amex's FAQ covers consumer accounts generally with no Aspire-only military page. Capital One's during-duty treatment is not confirmed by the issuer. Citi's treatment is reported as inconsistent (Military Money Manual; based on reports, not an official issuer page). See the confirm box for Aspire, Capital One, and Citi. We use the Aspire and Citi Double Cash in our household, but that does not mean a spouse should open both on day one. Every extra card is another set of credits to track, and every one becomes a full-fee decision after separation.

Troubleshooting if a fee posts

Most fee problems for spouses come down to one of three things. Work through them in order, and use the phone numbers in the Step 5 branch above.

1. Your status was not found when you applied. Coverage is set when the account is opened (32 CFR 232). If your DEERS record or DoD data was not current that day, the issuer's check may have come back "not covered." Check the covered-borrower line on your Amex agreement (Amex FAQ). Ask the issuer what, if anything, can be done for an account already opened. We have not found an official issuer policy that re-runs a covered-borrower check to fix a missed finding at opening. See the confirm box.

Separately, federal MLA rules prohibit historic lookback after an account is open: a creditor may not use the DoD database after opening to check whether the consumer had been a covered borrower as of the opening date (32 CFR 232.5(b)). Amex periodically reviews accounts for continued eligibility (Amex FAQ), which is not the same as fixing a missed opening check. That is why Step 1 (DEERS current before you apply) matters. One secondary report describes a Citi denial letter for an account opened while the cardholder was not listed as a covered borrower (Military Money Manual; an individual report online, not an official issuer page).

2. Your status was found, but the issuer charges the fee anyway. That can be legal. The MLA allows a bona fide, reasonable fee outside the 36% MAPR (32 CFR 232.4(d)). A waiver is something the issuer chooses to do. Ask them what their policy is for your account and save the answer.

3. The fee posted because relief ended. If your partner has separated or your status changed, the issuer may have ended relief. Amex sends a letter at least 45 days before relief ends (Amex FAQ). If you got that letter while your partner is still on active duty, Amex asks for updated orders or other relevant documents "within two weeks" (Amex FAQ, SCRA section). That quote is from the SCRA section; see the confirm box for whether it applies to an MLA spouse account.

For any Amex fee: remember the fee becomes nonrefundable 30 days after it is billed (Massachusetts exception) (Amex FAQ).

Things not to do: do not close the card in frustration the same day; do not skip a payment; and do not post your letter, account details, or your partner's details in a public forum to ask for help. If you share your situation online, leave out names, unit, base, kids' names, and real dates.

When the service member separates

Your own covered account is tied to your status as a dependent of a covered member. When your partner leaves active duty, that status changes too. The MLA rule stops applying once a person is no longer a covered borrower (10 U.S.C. 987; 32 CFR 232).

What that means for your card:

• Fees do not resume the next morning at Amex. Amex sends a notification letter at least 45 days before relief ends, then resumes charging any applicable fees. That wording appears in the MLA section of the FAQ (Amex FAQ). Amex also periodically reviews accounts with the DoD for continued MLA eligibility.
• Expect your own letter. Your account is reviewed on its own. Do not assume your partner's letter covers your card, or that both letters arrive at the same time.
• Chase has no published timeline. Get a written date from Chase Military Services (1-877-469-0110) (Chase SCRA page).
• The full fee comes back. $895 for Platinum, $795 for Sapphire Reserve, $550 for Aspire (Amex; Chase; Amex). At that point the question becomes "is this card worth the fee to our family?"

For our household, I would plan to downgrade or cancel the Platinum first when relief ends. What happens to the other cards is a decision framework, not a fixed list: Reserve or Guard versus full civilian life, plus how often we actually travel. For many families the honest answer after those filters is one premium card, or none, plus a lower-fee card to hold points.

For the month-by-month checklist and a keep, downgrade, or cancel decision tree for each card in the household, see Leaving Active Duty? What Happens to Your Amex, Chase, and Citi Cards (2026 Checklist).

FAQ

Can a military spouse get the Amex Platinum annual fee waived? Possibly, if the spouse is a covered borrower when the account is opened and Amex applies MLA relief. Amex says MLA relief is applied to eligible accounts at opening with no enrollment, and your status shows at the bottom of Part 1 of your Card Member Agreement (Amex FAQ). The FAQ does not use the words "$0 annual fee."

Does the law require a $0 annual fee for spouses? No. The MLA lets issuers exclude bona fide, reasonable card fees from the 36% MAPR (32 CFR 232.4(d)). Fee waivers are issuer policy.

Do I need to call Amex to turn on MLA benefits? No, according to the current FAQ: "No action is required from you for MLA relief" (Amex FAQ). Some older articles say otherwise.

Can I check my own MLA status before I apply? The DoD MLA website offers a Single Record Request, and the site says an account is required to use it (MLA website). Official guidance says dependents can use the site, and Status Y covers a dependent of a servicemember on active duty (MLA User Guide). After you are approved, the Amex agreement's covered-borrower line is a direct answer for that account.

Does Chase waive the Sapphire Reserve fee for spouses? It is reported, not official. No Chase page we checked states an MLA fee waiver for anyone (Chase SCRA page). Ask Chase in writing.

What about Capital One or Citi? Capital One's official military page describes its SCRA program (no more than 4% interest and no fees except bona fide insurance) for SCRA-eligible accounts (Capital One military page). Treatment of accounts opened during active duty is not confirmed by the issuer. See the confirm box.

Citi's SCRA page is readable in a full browser (a plain fetch may return only a shell). Citi says you can request SCRA benefits during the service member's active-duty period or within one year of release from active duty; contact the Military Response Unit at 877-804-1082. Eligibility language includes spouses and dependents under Citi's definitions (Citi SCRA page). The page does not state annual-fee waivers, MLA fee treatment, or how long benefits last after separation. Reports of Citi MLA treatment conflict, and they are based on reports, not an official issuer page. See the confirm box.

I opened my own card before we married. Does SCRA help? SCRA interest relief in our sources is described for obligations a servicemember incurred before entering service (50 U.S.C. 3937). Whether a spouse's individual pre-marriage card qualifies is not covered in our verified notes. See the confirm box.

Does the Hilton Aspire get the same treatment as Platinum? Aspire's annual fee is $550, and Additional Cards are $0 (Amex Aspire page). Amex's SCRA/MLA FAQ describes relief on consumer American Express accounts and does not publish an Aspire-only military page (Amex FAQ). See the confirm box before assuming the same outcome as Platinum.

What if our household situation changes? The MLA stops applying once a person is no longer a covered borrower (10 U.S.C. 987; 32 CFR 232). An account in your own name stays yours, but its fee treatment may change. Watch for issuer letters and call if you are unsure.

If we each open our own Platinum, do we each get our own statement credits? Official Platinum benefit terms cap several statement credits, including lululemon, per Card Account. Additional Card spend on the same account shares those caps and does not create a second full set (Platinum benefit terms). Two separate primary Card Accounts each have their own caps under that wording. Whether Amex applies any household limit across two primaries is not stated on the pages we checked. See the confirm box.

Related reading

• Leaving Active Duty? What Happens to Your Amex, Chase, and Citi Cards (2026 Checklist)
• Amex Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve for Families: Lounges, Trip Insurance, and Credits Worth the Hassle
• Use It or Lose It: Every Credit Expiring Dec 31 on Platinum, Reserve, and Aspire

Sources

All checked October 5, 2026. Official sources first, then secondary sources we flag in the text.

Official (law and government)

• 10 U.S.C. 987 (Military Lending Act): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/987
• 10 U.S.C. 1072 (dependent includes the spouse): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/1072
• 32 CFR Part 232 (MLA rule): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/subtitle-A/chapter-I/subchapter-M/part-232
• FDIC FIL-37-2015 (MLA rule summary): https://www.fdic.gov/news/financial-institution-letters/2015/fil15037.pdf
• FDIC MLA examination procedures (spouse as dependent): https://www.fdic.gov/consumer-compliance-examination-manual/v-13-military-lending-act
• DoD MLA website: https://mla.dmdc.osd.mil/
• DMDC MLA Website User Guide (v5.28): https://mla.dmdc.osd.mil/mla/services/content/documents/userGuide
• TRICARE DEERS: https://tricare.mil/DEERS
• TRICARE New Spouses (DEERS registration): https://www.tricare.mil/Plans/New/NewSpouses
• TRICARE Getting Married (DEERS documents): https://www.tricare.mil/marriage
• milConnect overview: https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/help/topics/milconnect_overview.htm
• Military OneSource milConnect: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/benefits/milconnect/
• 50 U.S.C. 3937 (SCRA interest cap): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/3937
• CFPB SCRA overview: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/military-financial-lifecycle/the-servicemembers-civil-relief-act-scra/

Official (issuers)

• Amex SCRA and MLA FAQ: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/help-support/service-members-civil-relief/
• Amex Platinum Card: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/platinum/
• Amex Platinum benefit terms (36182-9-0): https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card-application/apply/supplementary/terms/platinum-card/36182-9-0
• Amex Hilton Honors Aspire: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/hilton-honors-aspire/
• Centurion Lounge / Global Lounge Collection terms: https://www.thecenturionlounge.com/info/terms/
• Chase SCRA page: https://www.chase.com/digital/military/scra
• Chase cardmember agreement (COL00040): https://www.chase.com/content/feed/public/creditcards/cma/Chase/COL00040.pdf
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/reserve
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Guide to Benefits: https://static.chasecdn.com/content/services/structured-document/document.en.pdf/card/benefits-center/product-benefits-guide-pdf/BGC11388_v2.pdf
• Chase Sapphire Preferred: https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/preferred
• Capital One military page: https://www.capitalone.com/military/
• Citi SCRA page (readable in a full browser; plain fetch may return a shell): https://online.citi.com/US/nga/military-servicemembers-civil-relief-act

Secondary (flagged in text)

• Military Money Manual, Chase Sapphire Reserve military (based on reports, not an official issuer page): https://militarymoneymanual.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-military/
• Military Money Manual, Citi MLA (based on individual reports online, not an official issuer page): https://militarymoneymanual.com/citi-military-credit-cards-mla/
• Military.com, 2026 travel cards (based on reports, not an official issuer page): https://www.military.com/money/best-travel-credit-cards-for-active-duty-military-in-2026
• WalletHub, Chase military fees (based on reports, not an official issuer page): https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/does-chase-waive-fees-for-military-2140760215/
• The Points Guy, Amex Platinum active duty (a 2024 report, not an official issuer page): https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/amex-platinum-active-duty-military/