Just Got Engaged? Credit Card Offers You Should Consider

If planning a wedding is suddenly on your to-do list for 2015, you’re probably looking for every possible way to trim expenses. You may not have considered shopping for a credit card offer, but you should – the right credit card deal can go far in offsetting the cost of exchanging vows.

For recently engaged folks, these are the best credit cards to apply for:

Best if you’re planning a big honeymoon: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

on Chase’s
secure website

For a lot of brides and grooms, planning the honeymoon is just as exciting as planning the wedding. If this sounds about right, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great card to consider. With it, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar spent on dining out and travel and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Usually, points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are worth $.01 apiece, but if you redeem them for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, their value goes up by 25%.

Another option is to transfer your points to a participating frequent traveler program at a 1:1 ratio. If you’re savvy at travel hacking, you could score a couple of award tickets to your honeymoon destination for free. This, of course, would really help bring down the overall cost of your trip.

If you’re thinking of an overseas honeymoon, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has you covered. It comes chip-enabled and charges no foreign transaction fees.

To get you started, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with a signup bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. It charges an Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95. All in all, it’s a great card for newly engaged travelers to keep on hand.

Best if you’re setting up house right away: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

on American Express’s
secure website

For lots of folks, getting engaged means moving in together. If you’re planning to set up house with your sweetie right away, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is an excellent card to apply for. With it, you’ll earn 6% cash back on groceries (up to $6,000 spent per year), 3% cash back at gas stations and select department stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Aside from filling your fridge, the high cash-back rate you’re getting at the grocery store with this card can be leveraged into buying gift cards to other stores that sell items you need (hello, Bed Bath and Beyond!). And don’t forget: Earning 3% cash back at department stores could go far as you stock up on kitchen appliances for your new home.

To sweeten the deal a little, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express comes with a signup bonus: Get 100 Reward Dollars, redeemable for a $100 statement credit, after you make $1,000 in purchases with your new Card in the first three months. Plus, get one year of Amazon Prime after you sign up for a new membership with your Card and meet the spending requirement in the same time period.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express charges an annual fee of $75, but as long as you’re spending more than $27 per week on groceries, you’re still coming out ahead because of the card’s high rewards rate.

Best for rolling rewards into wedding expenses: Citi® Double Cash Card

on Citibank’s
secure website

Let’s face it: Wedding expenses can mount pretty quickly. If you’re looking for credit card rewards you can reinvest into paying for you big day, the Citi® Double Cash Card is the card for you. With it, you’ll earn 1% cash back on all your purchases, then an additional 1% cash back when you pay them off. And since there’s no limit to the rewards you can earn, you can keep cashing in with every vendor you book.

If you’d prefer to swipe now and then pay off some of your wedding purchases over time, the Citi® Double Cash Card has your back. It offers a solid introductory APR deal: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 12.99% – 22.99% (Variable).

Cost-conscious folks will also appreciate that the Citi® Double Cash Card charges an annual fee of $0*. This means you won’t have to worry about yet another expense as you plan for your big day. Congratulations!

Image via iStock.