The Amex Platinum carries an $895 annual fee. Most active duty service members qualify to have that fee waived, and most never ask for it. Nobody told them the waiver exists, or which of two different federal laws applies to their card.
That’s the active duty fee waiver most troops leave on the table. It isn’t a rewards program or a sign-up bonus. It’s a fee the issuer is already required to drop to zero, if you know how to claim it.
Two laws make this happen. They don’t work the same way. Mixing them up is why so many applications get denied on the first try.
MLA vs. SCRA: The Two Laws Behind the Active Duty Fee Waiver
The Military Lending Act (MLA) covers credit you open while you’re on active duty. It caps the cost of that credit at 36% MAPR (Military Annual Percentage Rate), including interest, fees, and other charges. For a premium travel card, that ceiling effectively forces the annual fee to zero for as long as you’re serving. That’s the active duty fee waiver in its simplest form: the law forces the fee down, not the issuer’s goodwill.
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) covers credit you opened before you went on active duty. It caps the rate at 6%. Issuers treat annual fees as part of that rate — same outcome, different door.
| Feature | MLA | SCRA |
|---|---|---|
| Covers cards opened | During active duty | Before active duty |
| Rate/fee cap | 36% MAPR | 6% |
| Application required? | Sometimes automatic via DoD records; confirm with the issuer | Yes — you request it |
| Covers spouses/dependents | Yes, on most issuers | Limited — varies by issuer and how the account was opened |
| Window to request | While covered credit is open | Start of active duty through 180 days after separation |
The distinction isn’t academic. Apply for the wrong one and you’ll get a form letter denial that tells you nothing except “not eligible.” That denial can make you gun-shy about trying again on the account that actually does qualify.
Which Premium Cards Actually Waive the Fee
Not every issuer plays straight with the active duty fee waiver, and not every card is worth chasing it for. These are the two worth your time.
Amex Platinum — $895 waived to $0
The Amex Platinum is the anchor example for a reason. Its fee is the highest of any mainstream travel card, which means the waiver is worth the most too. It’s the cleanest active duty fee waiver on the market: no application, no phone call, no ambiguity. Amex extends this to the primary cardholder. In most cases, it also covers a spouse who opens their own Platinum card while on active duty under MLA. Two active duty spouses with two waived Platinum cards save $7,160 over a four-year tour. That’s before either of you redeems a single point.
Check Amex Platinum Eligibility
Chase Sapphire Reserve — reportedly $795 waived to $0
Multiple independent sources report that Chase runs a Military Banking Program aligning with MLA and SCRA. It reportedly extends an annual fee waiver to active duty cardholders and, in some cases, spouses. Chase’s own SCRA page, however, doesn’t list a card fee waiver among its stated benefits. It covers interest rate reduction, foreclosure protection, repossession protection, and lease termination. Before you rely on this one, call Chase Military Services and get it confirmed for your account. The number is 877-469-0110. Don’t assume the waiver applies just because it’s widely reported.
Call Chase Military Services to Confirm
Chase Sapphire Preferred — reportedly $95 waived to $0
Same caveat as the Reserve above: widely reported, not listed on Chase’s own SCRA page. Worth a confirmation call before you count on it. The amount at stake is small enough that it’s not worth building a strategy on unconfirmed information.
[INTERNAL LINK: Best Travel Credit Cards for Veterans and Military Families]
Your first redemption walkthrough, three actions to take this week, and how to stop wasting the points you've already earned. Download free.
How to Actually Claim the Active Duty Fee Waiver
If your card was opened during active duty (MLA):
For Amex, this one really is automatic — no application, no phone call. Amex checks your status against Department of Defense records the moment the account opens. If you’re confirmed, the relief applies before your first statement. If it doesn’t show up, the fix isn’t “apply” — it’s calling to confirm your DoD records are current. A stale DEERS entry is the most common reason this fails silently. Chase’s process isn’t documented on Chase’s own site at all. The fee waiver itself is reported by third parties, not confirmed by Chase directly. If you’re banking on this one, call Chase Military Services and get it in writing before you count the savings.
If your card was opened before active duty (SCRA):
This one always requires you to ask, on either issuer. For Amex, submit the request online through their SCRA request form, linked from your account’s Servicemember Benefits page. Or call the number on the back of your card. Upload active duty orders, PCS orders, or a commanding officer’s letter — Amex confirms status within two billing cycles. For Chase, send a secure message through chase.com’s SCRA page. Select “Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)” from the dropdown and attach the same documentation.
Either way, do this while your orders are active. SCRA relief can be requested up to 180 days after you leave active duty. After that window closes, the fee is yours to pay.
Why Most People Never Claim It
Three reasons the active duty fee waiver goes unclaimed. None of them are good ones.
They assume it’s automatic and never check. Amex’s own marketing leans into “automatic.” Plenty of Platinum holders find out the hard way — after the fee posts — that their account wasn’t flagged.
They apply for the wrong benefit. Requesting SCRA on a card opened while already on active duty is an automatic denial. Requesting MLA on a card opened before service works the same way in reverse.
They give up after one denial. A denial usually means a documentation gap, not permanent ineligibility. Resubmit with your actual orders attached, not a screenshot of your ID card.
If you survived MEPS, you can survive an Amex documentation request. It’s shorter, and nobody yells at you for filling it out wrong the first time.
[INTERNAL LINK: How I Flew to New York in Business Class for the Cost of Taxes]
The Bottom Line
The active duty fee waiver on an $895 card isn’t a hack. It’s money the law already says is yours. The families who need that $895 most are the ones least likely to have heard this benefit exists. That’s the gap this post is here to close.
Check your MLA and SCRA status, and call the number for whichever card you’re holding. Stop paying for something Congress already told the issuer to give you for free.
JT Newman
JT Newman is the Traveling Veteran founder. He served 8 years on active duty in the US Air Force and currently considered a disabled veteran collecting VA benefits. JT started Traveling Veteran in 2024 after learning how to take advantage of credit card points to pay for trips with my wife to visit our adult children and grandchildren.
Your first redemption walkthrough, three actions to take this week, and how to stop wasting the points you've already earned. Download free.