Know your card will be accepted before you pay.
Independent comparisons of BLS, ACLS and PALS courses, ranked first by who actually accepts them: hospitals, schools and licensing boards.
Start with where you work
Requirements depend more on your employer than your state. Choose your workplace for the typical rule.
Three kinds of card, three different answers
Most hospitals and many nursing programs require an American Heart Association card with a hands-on skills check. Buy the wrong one and you pay twice.
AHA blended or classroom
Online module plus a hands-on skills test with an AHA instructor. The card hospitals ask for by name.
Red Cross blended
Online modules plus a required in-person skills session. Some hospitals specify AHA only.
Fully online
Course and test online, card the same day. Accepted by some clinics, med spas and home health agencies.
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Not sure? Ask your employer three questions first.
It takes 60 seconds and saves you from paying twice. We wrote the email for you.
Who's behind our guidance
Written by an online-education specialist who knows how regulators and employers decide which credentials count.
Certified Distance Education Instructor with 15+ years in adult education. Builds state-approved online courses.
- Every claim links to its source: employer, school or board policy
- Each page shows the date it was last reviewed
- Prices and provider terms rechecked at least every six months
- Corrections fixed and noted: corrections@acceptedcpr.org
Never miss a renewal
Cards expire every two years. We'll email you 60 days before yours does, with the acceptance rules for your role.
