From vet bills to dog food: Earn points, miles and cash-back rewards on pet expenses
Editor's Note
When maximizing points and miles for your family, there's no reason to leave the furriest family members out of the fun.
Whether you have a points pup or a first-class feline, there are plenty of ways to turn those monthly orders for food, toys, pet supplies and more into your next vacation (we're just not responsible for what your pets may do when they see your suitcase come out — again).
Maximize points and miles on pet food purchases
One of the best shopping revolutions of the 21st century is having 40-pound bags of pet food delivered right to our doors thanks to online shopping (and strong delivery people). Luckily, when you order pet food and other supplies online, you can easily rack up the rewards just as you do with most other online purchases.
Shop through an online portal
The quickest way to spot how many points or miles per dollar you can earn for your online pet food order is to head to cashbackmonitor.com and look for the online shopping portal awarding the most points, miles or cash back per dollar where you want to shop. These rates can and do vary, so check each time, but a few current examples include:
- Petco: 1 mile per dollar spent via American Airlines AAdvantage and United Airlines MileagePlus
- Walmart: Up to 3.5 miles per dollar spent with American AAdvantage
- Chewy: 1 mile per dollar spent through United MileagePlus, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, American AAdvantage and Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
Related: Guide to maximizing online shopping portals
Maximize cash back and 0% APR on pet purchases
Daisy Hernandez, TPG's credit cards editor, makes monthly purchases for her two pups, Sonny, a Shiba-cattle dog mix, and Heidi, a Chihuahua mix. She also has a Chewy subscription that delivers food, flea and tick meds, and treats to her door every six or so weeks. Since she has two fur babies, she often buys doubles of certain items, which can add up quickly.
To maximize her pet-related purchases, she's made it a habit to check current offers on her Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) to earn cash back and points every time she buys something.
On top of this, she also buys through Rakuten, a cash-back shopping portal that offers solid reward rates. Over Christmas 2023, Rakuten featured a whopping 20% cash back on all purchases made with PetSmart. Therefore, she bought $80 worth of goodies for her pups and earned $16 in cash back.
Unfortunately, emergencies can happen with your pets, and if you don't have pet insurance, these can create massive vet bills. However, credit cards can play an important role here, as many offer an introductory 0% annual percentage rate on purchases for a period of time after opening.
Nick Ewen, TPG's director of content, utilized this exact strategy with his dog, Winston, who underwent emergency surgery to remove a mass on his spleen:
Winston is a part of our family, so there was no question that we would do everything we could to help him. However, rather than dipping into our savings to cover the expense of the procedure and his recovery (which is expected to be close to $5,000), I utilized my new Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which offers 0% APR on purchases for the first 15 months (then a variable APR of 18.24%-27.74% applies). This allows me to fit a manageable monthly payment into my budget, and I'll still earn valuable rewards in the process.
Check the United MileagePlus X app
You can earn United miles by purchasing immediate electronic gift cards within the United MileagePlus X app. For example, if you are shopping at Petco and your total is $85.84, you can open up your app and immediately purchase a Petco gift card for that exact amount and earn bonus miles by paying at the register with your new gift card. This also works when paying for an order online.
In addition to Petco, you will often find opportunities to earn bonus miles at pet-friendly shopping destinations such as Walmart, Sam's Club and more within the app. Those with a United Airlines credit card, such as the United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees), get a 25% bonus on miles earned via the app.
Stack and save on Amazon
If you order your pet supplies via Amazon, there are lots of ways to stack earnings and save money. First, set up an Amazon subscription for discounts on items like dog or cat food, treats, and more.
Next, you'll want to stock up on Amazon gift cards to truly maximize your earnings. You can buy Amazon gift cards at a U.S. supermarket with an American Express® Gold Card to earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on those purchases (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter).
Alternatively, you could use the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees) to purchase Amazon gift cards at an office supply store to earn 5% cash back (on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year). The Prime Visa (see rates and fees) card is also an option that offers 5% back on Amazon purchases.
Related: The best credit cards to use for Amazon purchases
Save money on pet supplies
In addition to earning points or miles, your rewards credit cards can help you save money on pet costs. Two main ways to save money thanks to your cards are via Amex Offers and Chase Offers. To check what offers are available on your cards, log in to your account and search the offers sections. Some offers are targeted.
Once you have added an offer to your card, you can then use your cards to automatically save money or earn bonus points. The exact pet-related offers come and go; previous offers TPG staffers have seen include:
- BarkBox: 10% cash back (through Chase Offers)
- Kriser's Natural Pet: 10% cash back (through Chase Offers)
Best credit cards for pet costs
Owning a pet can easily cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each year, for everything from vet visits and boarding to supplies and medication. It pays to use the right credit cards for pet costs. For charges like vet checkups and grooming appointments that fall outside routine credit card bonus categories, a solid everyday credit card is probably your best choice for pet expenses. A few of our suggestions include:
- Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees): Earn 5% back at pet shops and on veterinarian services through Dec. 31 after activating this bonus category.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited (see rates and fees): Earn 1.5% back on nonbonus spending.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent.
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year (then 1 point per dollar thereafter).
- Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 2% cash back on everything (broken down as 1% back when you make a purchase and 1% back when you pay it off).
For online purchases, a great choice might be the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, which awards 6% back (for the first year, then 3%) on your choice of rotating categories, one of which is online shopping (on up to $2,500 per quarter in combined spending, then 1%).
Bottom line
The TPG Points Pups (or, at least, their "pawrents") stack many of these opportunities to turn dog treats into beach retreats. Once your pups help earn all these points and miles, it's only fair to explore how to take them along on your next vacation.
Updated 5/28/25
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees