The Best Credit Cards for Your Universal Studios Vacation [2023]

With theme parks around the globe, Universal Studios offers something for everyone, whether you're an aspiring magician and want to immerse yourself in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter or an adventure-seeker who wants to get wet on the Jurassic Park River Adventure.

One thing all Universal Studios visitors should be sure to do, though, is to figure out which credit card is the best to use for the park. While American Express cards are the official credit cards of the Universal Orlando Resort, there are actually several great cards that can help you score discounted tickets or earn bonus rewards for your Universal visit.

Read on to learn how you can maximize your rewards by choosing the right card for Universal Studios.

How to choose the best credit card for Universal Studios

There are a few key considerations when choosing which credit card is best to use whether you're headed for Universal Studios Hollywood or a Universal Orlando vacation.

First things first, you need to figure out how your Universal transactions will be categorized by your credit card provider. This matters because different cards offer bonus rewards for different kinds of spending. In general:

• Theme park tickets are usually classified as entertainment spending
• A stay at a Universal hotel or resort would likely be considered travel spending
• Airline tickets to travel to Universal would typically be considered travel spending
• Purchases at Universal Studios restaurants would generally be classified as spending on dining

Consider the most expensive aspects of your trip to Universal so you can find a credit card that gives you the most rewards for that spending type.

And in some cases, your focus may not be just on earning the most rewards for spending you do on your Universal trip but also on redeeming rewards to reduce your travel costs. Because of this, the right card for you will depend on whether your priorities are to earn the maximum rewards on things you buy at Universal, whether your goal is to redeem your card points for Universal tickets, or whether you want to score cool discounts and special perks once you're actually at the park.

The best credit cards for Universal Studios

Some of the best credit cards for Universal Studios include the following.

Card	Welcome bonus	Reward details	Annual fee
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months	5X points per dollar spent on eligible airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and eligible hotel purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases	$695 (Terms apply)
Hilton Honors American Express Card	Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points (plus a free night reward) after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months	7X points at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio; 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases	$0 (Terms apply)
Citi Premier® Card	Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening; Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024	3X points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels; and 1X points on all other purchases	$95
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and eligible online grocery purchases; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points per $1 on all other eligible purchases	$95

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

This card is a costly one, with a $695 annual fee. But it's a great card for frequent Universal Studios visitors and it may provide more than enough value to justify the fee — especially considering that new card members can earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months of account opening, plus 5X points per dollar spent on eligible airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and eligible hotel purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Since the The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers 5X on flights booked with Amex Travel or directly with airlines, you'll get ample points for plane fare if you need to fly to Universal. You're also able to relax before you board thanks to the complimentary airline lounge access that comes with the card. Select benefits require enrollment.

In addition, you'll earn 5X the points on prepaid hotels booked with Amex travel and complimentary benefits valued at around $550 if you stay at Fine Hotels and Resorts, including the luxurious Loews Portofino Resort at Universal Orlando.

And because Amex is the official card of Universal Orlando Resorts, you'll get special in-park privileges including 10% savings on Universal Dining Plans; 10% savings on merchandise purchases of $75 or more; a complimentary photo with the purchase of any photo package; and access to the American Express Lounge in Universal Studios if you buy either a multi-park ticket or annual pass.

Learn more about this card at our Amex Platinum Card review. 

Hilton Honors American Express Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is another Amex card that provides you with unique in-resort benefits at Universal including savings on dining plans and merchandise, a complimentary picture with your photo package, and lounge access at Universal Studios. This card, however, has a $0 annual fee, so it's a cheaper way to gain access to all these perks.

The card provides 7X points at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio; 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases. Earning bonus Hilton Honors points could include the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando.

You can also redeem your Hilton Honors points for free nights at this affordable family-friendly hotel walking distance from Universal's resort. Using your points would make your Universal trip much more affordable. With that savings, you and your family could splurge on fun treats at the park such as a Flaming Moe or Krusty Burger at Moe's Tavern, or a Blueman Group show at Universal's CityWalk.

With this card, you can also earn a generous welcome offer: Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points (plus a free night reward) after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. This could be used to cover the cost of multiple nights at a Universal resort.

Get more details at our Hilton Honors American Express Card review.

Citi Premier^® Card

Amex isn't the only credit card issuer with cards that might be a good fit for a Universal adventure. This card comes with a $95 annual fee, but it may be the right one for your Universal trip because you'll get rewards on most of your vacation purchases.

The Citi Premier^® Card offers 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels, which could include plane ticket costs to get to Universal as well as hotel expenses and fuel for your rental car. You also earn 1X points on all other purchases, so you’ll reap these bonus rewards for park tickets and on-resort dining.

You can redeem your Citi points for airfare so you can make your trip cheaper by using points to cover plane costs. And new cardmembers will earn 60,000 bonus thankyou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening; plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 thankyou® points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the citi travel℠ portal through june 30, 2024 — enough for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards when redeemed at thankyou.com.

For more information, check out our Citi Premier Card review.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

With this card, you earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and eligible online grocery purchases; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.  

Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned with your Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card can be redeemed directly for Universal park tickets. Earn enough points to cover your park admission, and you’ll make your trip much cheaper! Thanks to the welcome bonus, you’ll be well on your way. New cardholders earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening of opening an account. Those points could cover the cost of three one-day Universal Park-to-Park tickets for most travel dates.

The card's $95 annual fee is more than justified by the ample perks you get, including trip cancellation or interruption insurance if something goes wrong with your Universal trip or baggage delay insurance if your luggage is late arriving in Orlando. You also earn a 25% bonus on redemptions when redeeming points for travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards — so your points could go even further if you use them to book airfare to Universal or to pay for a hotel room at or near the park.

Get all the details at our Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review.

Earn the most rewards with multiple credit cards

There are several different credit cards that you could use to earn the most rewards at Universal Studios. But, because some cards offer bonus points for travel and dining and others for entertainment, it can actually make a lot of sense to use different cards strategically.

You could, for example, book your hotel with the Hilton Honors card, use your Citi Premier Card for theme park tickets, and use your American Express card to pay for WiFi and baggage fees on your flight. Or you could redeem your Chase points for Universal tickets, redeem Amex points for plane tickets to Orlando, and redeem Hilton Honors points for hotel stays.

The key is to know what cards offer the best rewards on different kinds of spending and which programs provide the most value for points redemptions. That way, you can match the right card to the right purchases to maximize the value each card provides.

Methodology

When choosing the best rewards credit cards for Universal Studios, we reviewed rewards programs to options offering the most points on airfare, hotels, theme park tickets, and dining.

We also looked for cards that provide special perks to make your trip more enjoyable, including cards offering lounge access and other in-park perks at Universal, or cards that offered statement credits for fees incurred on the plane.

Finally, we looked for cards that provide points you can redeem to make your Universal trip cheaper, allowing you to defray the cost of your vacation and earn more rewards on that vacation to redeem in the future.

FAQs

The bottom line

Ultimately, you should consider your own unique situation — including how often you'll use these cards after your Universal trip — to decide which credit card is best for you.

The most important thing is to pick a card that helps make your trip as affordable as possible or that allows you to earn the maximum rewards for your Universal visit so you'll have a little extra cash to splurge on some fun treats while you're enjoying all that Universal's Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, or The World Famous Studio Tour have to offer.