5 Best Rewards Cards for Your Massive Daycare Bill

Holly Johnson

December 22, 2017  •  5 Minute Read

Credit Cards

If you’re looking for ways to rack up rewards through regular spending, why not take a look at your daycare bill? You’re probably paying a lot for care, so it makes sense to look for ways to benefit. Provided you can pay your daycare bill with a credit card every month (and pay it off), this strategy could help you rack up a ton of rewards with little effort on your part.

But, how much rewards can daycare help you earn? It depends on where you live and how much you spend. In Alabama, for example, The Boston Globe reported that full-time daycare for an infant worked out to $5,467 in 2016. In middle-of-the-road states like Colorado and Delaware, average daycare bills worked out to $12,736 and $8,928, respectively. In Massachusetts, on the other hand, full-time care for an infant worked out to $16,430. In the District of Columbia, prices are absurd at $21,948 annually for full-time care. That’s a big difference!

5 Rewards Cards to Use for Your Huge Daycare Bill

While the amount of rewards you’ll earn by paying your daycare bill with credit depends on how much you spend, several cards really set the bar for ideal rewards in this category. With any card on this list, you’ll earn valuable travel rewards or cash-back you can use.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is a smart option to use for your daycare bill. Not only do you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every bill you pay, but this card doesn’t charge an annual fee. You can redeem your points for cash-back, travel, gift cards, or merchandise. If you also have a premier Chase travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you will also have the option to pool your points in your Preferred account for upgraded travel redemption's.

With the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you can enjoy 15 months (from account opening) of 0% intro APR on all new purchases. This gives you over a year to pay down your balance before the regular APR kicks in. After that 15-month period, a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24% applies.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a smart option if you’re mostly looking for points you can redeem to cover travel expenses. This card offers a flat rate of return – unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. On the redemption side, you can redeem your points to “erase” any travel purchase you make with your card. This card does charge a $95 annual fee.

Here’s how much travel you could earn on your daycare bill in each of these states. Keep in mind, however, this is ON TOP of the first year signup bonus you’ll earn.

• Alabama: $109 in travel credit
• Delaware: $178 in travel credit
• Colorado: $254 in travel credit
• Massachusetts: $328 in travel credit
• District of Columbia: $438 in travel credit

Rate & Fees

*Information for this card is not reviewed by or provided by Capital One

Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard®

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® is another no-brainer you can use to rack up travel credit on your daycare bill. This card works similarly to the Capital One option mentioned above in the fact you earn unlimited 2x miles on every purchase.

Once you rack up points, you can redeem them to book any type of travel you want. Simply book your travel with your card then redeem your points to cover your charge. The big caveat here is that you can only redeem points in increments of 10,000 ($100) or more. The $89 annual fee on this card is also waived the first year.

Here’s how much travel you could earn on your daycare bill in each of these states. Keep in mind, however, this is ON TOP of the first year signup bonus you’ll earn.

• Alabama: $109 in travel credit
• Delaware: $178 in travel credit
• Colorado: $254 in travel credit
• Massachusetts: $328 in travel credit
• District of Columbia: $438 in travel credit
  
  

Discover it® Miles

If you’re angling for points that are good for travel, the Discover it® Miles is another good option to consider. This card offers unlimited 1.5x Miles for every dollar spent on all purchases all with no annual fee. The kicker is, Discover® has promised to match ALL the Miles you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically.

The fact the Discover it® Miles doesn’t charge an annual fee also helps it stand out among other comparable travel credit cards.

Once your rewards are doubled, how much travel you could earn on your daycare bill in each of these states

• Alabama: $164 in travel credit
• Delaware: $267 in travel credit
• Colorado: $382 in travel credit
• Massachusetts: $492 in travel credit
• District of Columbia: $658 in travel credit
  
  

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

A final card to consider for a big daycare bill is the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. This card offers a flat 1.5 percent cash-back on every purchase you make, every day, along with a one-time $200 signup bonus after you use your card for $500 in purchases within three months of account opening. Like a few others on this list, this card also comes with no annual fee.

Here’s how much you could earn the first year in addition to your signup bonus:

• Alabama: $82 in cash-back
• Delaware: $134 in cash-back
• Colorado: $191 in cash-back
• Massachusetts: $246 in cash-back
• District of Columbia: $329 in cash-back

Rate & Fees *Information for this card is not reviewed by or provided by Capital One

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a way to earn more rewards over time, don’t forget to use your favorite rewards credit card for regular bills. By charging things like utility bills, college tuition, and insurance payments to your credit card, you can earn more rewards over time.

Daycare bills offer another way to rack up huge rewards. But, like other bills on this list, it’s only smart to charge them to a credit card if you can pay your bill in full every month and avoid interest. Last but not least, make sure your daycare provider doesn’t levy a surcharge for using your credit card each month.