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

The Hilton Honors American Express Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card are two of the best credit cards to use for a Universal Studios vacation. That’s because they offer great rewards rates and give you opportunities to earn welcome offers as a new cardholder.

You may also opt for an American Express card such as the The Platinum Card^® from American Express. Since American Express is an official partner of Universal Orlando Resort, you’d get special in-park privileges such as dining and merchandise discounts, American Express Lounge access, and more. These benefits also come with the Hilton Honors American Express Card. Select benefits require enrollment.

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

Key takeaways

• Credit card transactions at Universal Studios typically come in various categories, such as entertainment, travel, or dining spending. Depending on the credit card you use, you may earn elevated rewards rates on some of these categories.
• The Hilton Honors American Express Card provides in-resort benefits and helps you earn 7X points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton Portfolio, making it ideal for hotel stays near Universal. Its annual fee is $0 (terms apply).
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card helps you earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and eligible online grocery purchases. These rewards rates could be useful at Universal Studios. Its annual fee is $95.
• The Citi Premier^® Card helps you earn 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels, making it suitable for covering various vacation expenses. Its annual fee is $95.
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers substantial benefits, such as helping you earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and prepaid hotels booked on Amextravel.com, making it a great choice for frequent Universal visitors. Its annual fee is $695 (terms apply).

The best credit cards for Universal Studios

Some of the best credit cards for Universal Studios include:

• Hilton Honors American Express Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
• Citi Premier^® Card
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express

Comparison of the best credit cards for Universal Studios vacations

Card name	Welcome bonus	Reward details	Annual fee
Hilton Honors American Express Card	Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points 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)
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
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
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases on your new card 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

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 within 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 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points 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.

Learn how to apply or find out more in our Hilton Honors American Express Card review.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® 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.

Apply now or learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred 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.

Apply now or learn more in our Citi Premier^® Card(Rates and fees) review.

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 $8,000 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 how to apply or find out more in our Amex Platinum Card review. 

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.

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.

FAQ about credit cards for Universal Studios

Best credit cards for Universal Studios: 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.

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.