Do Lawyers Accept Credit Cards? What Credit Cards You Should Use for Legal Fees
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INSIDER SECRET: If you have a big legal bill coming up, consider applying for one of the best travel credit cards and using the legal expense to unlock a hefty welcome bonus.
At some point in your life you’ll probably need a lawyer. Whether it’s for a happy occasion, like a new home or adoption, or something less pleasant, like a divorce or a court case, the costs can really put a dent in the pocketbook.
When you can’t avoid paying an attorney, you can at least earn substantial miles, points, or cash back by using one of the best credit cards to pay for legal services. There aren’t any cards that have law firms as a bonus category, but you can use a card that rewards you for everyday spending or use the big expense to unlock a huge welcome bonus.venture
Best Credit Cards to Pay Lawyers and Legal Fees
You might be surprised at how many lawyers accept credit cards. Just be sure before you pay that they don’t tack on an extra processing fee for using a credit card because that could negate the value of any rewards you earn.
You’ve got a couple of options for maximizing your rewards when you pay your lawyer:
- Use a card that has a high earning rate for all purchases
- Pay with a new travel credit card to help meet minimum spending requirements for a big welcome bonus
I’ve used the latter strategy to unlock welcome bonuses on multiple cards, most recently the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card. In fact, a few years back when I got divorced (unfortunately, it was a long process), my lawyer would joke with me every time I had to top up my retainer: “So, which new card are you using today and what are you earning for it?”
The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Here are a few options you might consider if you’re facing a big legal expense.
Cards With a High Earning Rate in Non-Bonus Categories
Personal Cards
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Apply Here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Read our review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited
Although there’s no traditional welcome bonus, with the Chase Freedom Unlimited, earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. There’s no annual fee, so you can keep the card for the long term and improve the average age of your account.
On their own, points linked to the Freedom Unlimited are worth 1 cent apiece, but if you have any of the credit cards listed below, you can get significantly more value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points:
When you combine your Chase Ultimate Rewards points into one of these card accounts, you’ll have the ability to transfer your points to Chase transfer partners like United Airlines, Hyatt and Marriott. Alternately, you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book airfare, hotels and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, where your points are worth 25%-50% more, depending on the card you have. I redeem points linked to my Chase Sapphire Reserve to book travel at a rate of 1.5 cents per point.
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
Apply Here: Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
Read our review of the Capital One Venture
The Capital One Venture is an easy win for those who want a big intro offer and the simplicity of having no bonus categories to track. You’ll earn 50,000 Capital One miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Because Capital One miles value at 1 cent each, this bonus is worth $500 in travel (and potentially more when you transfer to one Capital One’s transfer partners like JetBlue, Singapore Airlines and Air Canada Aeroplan and several others).
You’ll earn 2 Capital One miles per dollar you spend on all purchases, with no caps, so effectively you’re earning 2% back for travel (2 miles per dollar x 1 cent per mile).
The Capital One Venture has a $95 annual fee.
Discover it® Miles
Apply Here: Discover it® Miles
The Discover it® Miles doesn’t offer a welcome bonus. Instead, Discover will match the miles you’ve earned at the end of your first card membership year. Because this card earns 1.5 miles per dollar (worth 1.5% back) on all purchases, this is effectively like earning 3 miles per dollar (3% back) on everything in your first 12 billing cycles.
You can redeem miles for 1 cent each toward travel expenses or cash back.
The information for the Discover it Miles card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Citi® Double Cash Card
Read our review of the Citi Double Cash
The Citi Double Cash card earns unlimited 2% cash back — 1% cash back on all purchases and an additional 1% on payments on those purchases. If you prefer the flexibility of cold, hard cash, this could be a good option.
Keep in mind, there’s no welcome bonus, but there’s no annual fee, either.
Small-Business Cards
Read our post on how to qualify for a small-business credit card
Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
Apply Here: Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
Read our review of the Chase Ink Business Unlimited
For a no-annual-fee card, the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card comes with a whopper of a welcome bonus. You’ll earn a $500 cash bonus (50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
The Ink Business Unlimited has a straightforward earning structure. On all purchases, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back (1.5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) with no limits.
Similar to the Chase Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited becomes more valuable if you move your points to an annual-fee Chase card account:
This unlocks the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Chase transfer partners or to redeem points for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal at an improved rate.
The Blue Business®️ Plus Credit Card from American Express
Apply Here:The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Read our review of the Amex Blue Business Plus
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express comes with a welcome bonus of up to $300 when you make eligible purchases with Dell Technologies, DocuSign and FedEx within the first three months of Card Membership (up to $100 per merchant, in the form of statement credits). This offer will run through November 4, 2020. It also comes with an excellent earning rate for everyday spending. You’ll earn 2 Amex Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1 Amex Membership Rewards point per dollar on all purchases).
Amex Membership Rewards points are valuable because you can move them to Amex transfer partners like Delta, Singapore Airlines and British Airways. Plus, this is one of the only Amex Membership Rewards earning cards that has no annual fee (see rates & fees). Check out our post on the best ways to use Amex points to see where your points can take you.
If you prefer cash, you might also consider this card’s sibling — the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card. Instead of Membership Rewards points, it earns 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1% cash back) and also has no annual fee (see rates & fees).
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Apply Here: Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
Read our review of the Capital One Spark Miles for Business
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is a good choice for small business owners who prefer simple rewards to redeem for travel. You’ll earn a bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
All purchases earn 2 Spark miles per dollar with no spending caps, and Spark miles are worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed for travel. Like the Capital One Venture, you’ve also got the option of transferring your miles to Capital One transfer partners.
This card comes with a $95 annual fee, which is waived the first year.
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
Apply Here: Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business
Read our review of the Capital One Spark Cash for Business
Do you like the idea of a Capital One business card but prefer earning cash instead?
Earn a $500 cash bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months of your account opening. You’ll earn unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases, and there are no foreign transaction fees. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year.
Cards With Big Minimum Spending Requirements
Here are a few cards with substantial minimum spending requirements you might consider if you come up against personal or business legal expenses. While you’ll only earn 1 point or mile per dollar for non-bonus spending (including lawyers) on these cards, using your legal bill to unlock the welcome bonus can boost your miles and points balances quickly.
- Ink Business Preferred Credit Card — Earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Read our Chase Ink Business Preferred review.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — Earn 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred for more.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve — Earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Here’s our review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express –Earn 60,000 Amex Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Here’s our review of the Amex Platinum.
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express — Earn 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Check out our Amex Business Platinum review here.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card — Earn up to 100,000 bonus points; earn 70,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, an additional 30,000 points after you spend $25,000 on purchases in the first six months.
- Citi Premier® Card — Earn 60,000 Citi ThankYou points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Here’s our Citi Premier review for all the details.
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express — Earn 150,000 Hilton points and a free-weekend-night certificate after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Read our Hilton Aspire review for more.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card — Earn 130,000 Hilton points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Check out the details in our Hilton Surpass review.
Bottom Line
Handing over a ton of cash to a lawyer is never pleasant, but there’s a silver lining when you’re earning travel rewards with the best credit cards for legal fees.
None of the best travel credit cards offer a bonus for the category of legal services, but you can still earn lots of miles, points and cash back by choosing a card with a high earning rate for everyday expenses. Even better, if you can time a card application with a big attorney’s bill, you could use the expense to unlock a big welcome bonus.
Then be sure to take a vacation with your hard-earned miles and points when your legal woes are behind you.
Did I miss your favorite card for lawyers and legal fees? Please share in the comments.
To learn more about the best credit cards for your needs, check our our guides:
- The best credit cards for travel
- The best business credit cards
- best airline credit cards
- The best hotel credit cards
- How to pay taxes with a credit card
- The best credit cards with no annual fee
For the latest tips and tricks on traveling big without spending a fortune, please subscribe to the Million Mile Secrets daily email newsletter.
For the rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus, please click here.
For the rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Cash, please click here.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide, eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on orders over $12 for a minimum of one year on qualifying food purchases with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
Earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022. That’s 3X points in addition to the 2X points you already earn on travel.
Intro APR on purchases
N/A
Regular APR
15.99%-22.99% Variable
Annual Fee
$95
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Rates & Fees
Other
MORE INFO
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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