3 Credit Cards That Just Wanna Have Fun

Published May 30, 2012

[UPDATE: Some offers mentioned below have expired and/or are no longer available on our site. You can view the current offers from our partners in our credit card marketplace. DISCLOSURE: Cards from our partners are mentioned below.]

[UPDATE: Some offers mentioned below have expired and/or are no longer available on our site. You can view the current offers from our partners in our credit card marketplace. DISCLOSURE: Cards from our partners are mentioned below.]

If your kids aren't already out of school, they will be soon. And now the fun begins, right? At first, it's easy keeping everyone busy. But summer lasts a long time and trying to keep families entertained can be a tall order. And even if you don't have kids, the long, hot days can get tiring and make even the best of us cranky.

Thank goodness a few credit cards have come to your rescue. One of these cards can help you keep your summer humming along, with great rewards to make your summer fun a little bit cheaper.

Best Card for Local Fun

Discover More Card

This card really knows how to give you a hand in the entertainment department. Through June, you earn 5 percent cash back on restaurants, movies and grocery stores on up to $1,500 in purchases. After that, you earn 1 percent on these categories.

The downside of this card is you only get .25 percent on everything else until your annual purchases exceed $3,000. After that, though, your cash back kicks up to 1 percent on everything.

If your kids are old enough to ride a rollercoaster, head out to Six Flags. You can earn 5 percent purchasing your tickets online and also on purchases around the park. This includes the FLASHPass, which can be expensive. If you've ever been standing in line for a ride when it's 95 and humid, you'll appreciate the beauty of the FLASHPass. You can get more details about this promotion here.

Variable APR: 10.99 to 20.99 percent, based on your creditworthiness

Annual Fee: None

Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Best Card for a Road Trip

Blue Cash Preferred Card From American Express

If you're driving to a vacation destination (or just taking a day trip), you can save a bunch with this card. It all starts with a sign-up bonus of $200 statement credit when you spend $1,000 within the first three months. It only gets better from there.

You get 3% cash back on gas purchases. You also earn an amazing 6% on groceries, so if you have access to a kitchen during your vacation, you won't have to spend a bundle eating out. In addition, you get 3% on department stores and 1% on everything else. Oh, and your rewards are unlimited.

Variable APR: [carddata api_url="https://static.ccom-cdn.com/credit/api/creditcard/v2/offer/amex_blue_cash_preferred-americanexpresscreditcardoffers?af=32806" option="onGoingApr"]

Annual Fee: [carddata api_url="https://static.ccom-cdn.com/credit/api/creditcard/v2/offer/amex_blue_cash_preferred-americanexpresscreditcardoffers?af=32806" option="onGoingFee"]

Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7 percent

Best Card for a Fabulous Vacation

PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express Card

You get 20,000 bonus points if you spend $650 within the first three months, which is worth $250 toward a round-trip airline ticket. You earn five points per dollar spent on airfare purchases and one point on everything else. With this card, you get an elite rewards card with no annual fee and a low APR. That's an unusual combination of riches.

Special perks include 24/7 concierge service, world-class travel insurance and free airport lounge membership if you spend $15,000 annually.

You do have to join the Pentagon Federal Credit Union to have access to this credit card. All it takes is a one-time $15 fee to join Voices for America's Troops. Or you can make a one-time donation of $20 to the National Military Family Association.

Variable APR: 9.99 percent intro rate through June 30, 2014. After that, the cap is removed and you'll get a rate that moves with the prime rate.

Annual Fee: None

Foreign Transaction Fees: None

At publishing time, the Blue Cash Preferred Card From American Express and the Discover More Card are offered through Credit.com product pages and Credit.com is compensated if our users apply for and ultimately sign up for these cards. However, this relationship does not result in any preferential editorial treatment.

Image: Weed Whacker, via Flickr

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