American Express Military Benefits: SCRA & MLA Fee Waivers
No retail military discount — but active-duty members and spouses get $0 annual fees under the MLA and a 6% interest cap under the SCRA. Here’s how each works.
American Express does not offer a traditional "military discount" — there is no percent-off and no promo code. What it offers is arguably more valuable: under two federal laws, eligible active-duty servicemembers (and their spouses) pay $0 in annual fees on personal Amex cards, and get interest on older balances capped at 6%.
Which benefit you get depends on one thing — when you opened the card. Open it while you are an active-duty covered borrower and the Military Lending Act (MLA) zeroes your annual fee automatically. Held the card before you went on active duty? The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) caps your rate at 6% and waives fees — but you have to request it.
This is an independent guide. NavyWeek is not affiliated with American Express; Amex sets and can change these terms, and eligibility is defined by federal law and Department of Defense records.
Opens americanexpress.com · Eligibility set by federal law + Department of Defense records
American Express Military Discount — Key Facts
- Discount
- No retail discount. $0 annual fee (MLA) + 6% interest cap (SCRA)
- Verification
- Department of Defense records (automatic for MLA); document upload for SCRA — no ID.me/SheerID
- Who qualifies
- Active-duty members; Guard/Reserve on 30+ day orders; spouses/dependents (MLA). Pre-service accounts (SCRA)
- Where it applies
- Directly to the Amex account — no code, no store, no portal
- MLA vs SCRA
- One or the other per account, decided by the account-open date; MLA automatic, SCRA requested
- Cards
- Any personal card (incl. Platinum, Gold, Delta Reserve, Hilton Aspire). Business/corporate excluded from the fee benefit
- Region
- United States
Source: American Express — Service Members Civil Relief & MLA FAQs (official: $0 fee MLA, 6% SCRA cap, eligibility, request process) · Last verified: July 15, 2026
BEST SAVINGS PATH
The smartest route depends on your situation. Answer the question to find your best path, or scan the full decision table below.
Find your best path
1. Did you open the Amex card before you went on active duty?
It comes down to the account-open date. Opened the card BEFORE active duty → file an SCRA request (6% cap + fee waiver). Opened it DURING active duty (or you are a covered spouse/dependent) → the MLA zeroes the annual fee automatically. The two do not stack on one card.
Pre-service accounts get the 6% interest cap and fee waiver, but only if you file the request (with documentation) while on active duty or within 180 days after.
Cards opened while you are an active-duty covered borrower (or spouse/dependent) have the annual fee adjusted to $0 automatically at approval — no request needed.
| Path | Stack | Effective price | You save | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLA — $0 fee (automatic) | Applied automatically at approval; no request | $0 annual fee | The full annual fee (e.g. $895) every year you remain covered | You are currently active-duty or a military spouse and applying for a new card. |
| SCRA — 6% cap + fee waiver (request required) | Requested with documentation; not automatic | $0 annual fee during service + interest capped at 6% | Annual fee + interest above 6% on pre-service balances; historical fee refunds possible | You held the card before going on active duty (or are within 180 days after). |
| No relief (civilian / veteran not on active duty) | Not applicable | Full published fee (e.g. $895) | $0 | You are not on active duty and outside the 180-day SCRA window — standard terms apply. |
WHO QUALIFIES
American Express has no retail military discount or coupon code; instead it honors two federal laws — the Military Lending Act (MLA), which adjusts personal-card annual fees to $0 for active-duty covered borrowers and spouses automatically, and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), which caps interest at 6% and waives fees on pre-service accounts by request.
- Active-duty U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard) — eligible: MLA if the account is opened during active duty, SCRA if it was opened before.
- Guard and Reserve on active-duty orders of more than 30 days — eligible as MLA covered borrowers (and SCRA if activated with a pre-service account).
- Military spouses and dependents (with more than 50% financial support) — eligible for MLA $0-fee relief; identified via DEERS / Department of Defense records.
- Veterans not on active duty — not eligible for ongoing relief; SCRA can still be claimed for the active-duty period within 180 days of leaving active duty.
- Business and corporate cards — not eligible for the MLA $0-fee adjustment (consumer/personal cards only).
| Audience | Discount |
|---|---|
| Accounts opened DURING active duty (MLA covered borrowers, incl. spouses)On personal cards. Amex checks Department of Defense records at application — no request needed. | $0 annual fee (automatic) |
| Accounts opened BEFORE active duty (SCRA)Interest is capped at 6%; "interest" includes annual, late, and returned-payment fees. You must request it with documentation. | 6% interest cap + fee waiver (by request) |
HOW TO REDEEM
Online at www.americanexpress.com
- MLA — apply for any personal Amex card as normalAmex checks your SSN against Department of Defense (MLA) records at application. Confirm your own status at mla.dmdc.osd.mil if unsure.
- MLA — the annual fee is adjusted to $0 automaticallyIf you are a covered borrower, there is no request and no code — relief is applied to your account as soon as it is opened.
- SCRA — request relief on a pre-service accountLog in to your Amex account, go to Account Services → Card Management → "Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) Benefits," or call 1-866-391-1460. Upload active-duty orders, change-of-station orders, a DD-214, or a commanding-officer letter.
- SCRA — file within the deadlineRequests must be made while on active duty or within 180 days of completing active duty. Amex applies the 6% cap and fee waiver within about two billing cycles.
HOW IT WORKS
The MLA benefit is the one that lets an eligible servicemember or spouse hold the flagship $895 Platinum Card (or the Gold, Delta SkyMiles Reserve, Hilton Aspire, and other premium cards) for $0 a year while keeping the full card benefits. It applies to any personal Amex card for covered borrowers — active duty, Guard/Reserve on orders of more than 30 days, and their spouses and dependents. It is automatic: Amex checks the application against Department of Defense records and applies the $0 fee as soon as the account is opened. No provider like ID.me or SheerID is involved.
SCRA is the mirror image for accounts you already held before going on active duty. It caps the interest rate on eligible pre-service accounts at 6%, and Amex’s definition of "interest" includes annual membership fees, late fees, and returned-payment fees — so those are effectively waived during the active-duty period. Unlike MLA, SCRA is not automatic: you must request it, provide documentation (active-duty orders, change-of-station orders, a DD-214, or a commanding-officer letter), and file while on active duty or within 180 days of leaving it. Servicemembers have reported meaningful historical fee refunds on long-held accounts, though amounts depend entirely on account history.
The make-or-break variable is the account-open date, and the two reliefs do not stack on one card. If you are active-duty or a military spouse applying for a new card now, MLA zeroes the fee automatically — do nothing extra. If you already had the card before serving, file an SCRA request with your orders. And if you are a veteran no longer on active duty and more than 180 days out, there is no ongoing benefit — the card is standard-priced. Other issuers (Chase, USAA, Navy Federal, Citi) also waive fees under SCRA/MLA, but Amex is notable for applying the $0 fee to its most premium cards.
Exclusions & fine print
- No retail discount, coupon, or percent-off exists — anything claiming a "military discount code" for Amex is wrong.
- SCRA covers pre-service accounts only; MLA covers accounts opened during active duty. Only one applies per account, decided by the account-open date.
- Business and corporate cards do not receive the MLA $0-fee benefit (though SCRA’s rate cap can reach a pre-service small-business/corporate account).
- SCRA requests must be made while on active duty or within the 180-day post-service window.
- Card welcome bonuses, points, and benefits are unaffected — the fee waiver does not reduce or change them.
SOURCES
- American Express — Service Members Civil Relief & MLA FAQs (official: $0 fee MLA, 6% SCRA cap, eligibility, request process) — American Express
- American Express — SCRA eligibility FAQ — American Express
- MLA covered-borrower status check (Department of Defense) — U.S. Department of Defense
- American Express Military Fee Explained 2026 (context: annual-fee amounts, business-card exclusion) — Military Money Manual
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does American Express offer a military discount?
How much is the American Express military "discount"?
Do veterans, spouses, or dependents qualify?
How do I verify my military status?
Does American Express use ID.me, GovX, SheerID, or WeSalute?
What is the difference between the SCRA and MLA benefit?
Which cards qualify?
Can I combine it with a promo code or sale?
What is actually the best move for a servicemember?
MORE MILITARY DISCOUNTS
All military & veteran discountsEditorial policy
- Source priority. We cite American Express’s official SCRA & MLA FAQ first, and report plainly that there is no retail military discount or coupon code. The $0-fee MLA adjustment, the 6% SCRA cap, the account-open-date rule, the request process, and the business-card exclusion are quoted from that source and confirmed on the “Last verified” date above. Eligibility is defined by federal law and Department of Defense records, not by a marketing offer.
- Independence. NavyWeek.org is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, NAVCO, or any federal agency. We do not accept payment to recommend specific recruiters, schools, vendors, or services.
- Review cadence. Because American Express can change these terms at any time, the offer is re-verified against the official page on a recurring basis and whenever a reader reports a change.
- Reviewer. The page is reviewed for accuracy by the reviewer named in the byline. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent review pass.
- Corrections. Factual errors are corrected as soon as we can verify the issue against an official source. See the "Report an outdated fact" link below.
- Not advice. This page is informational only. For decisions about service, benefits, pay, or assignment, rely on official .mil sources and your chain of command, detailer, recruiter, or accredited representative.
