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If you want the most bang for your buck, use the credit cards that earn the most rewards for each spending category. When you know which ones net the best returns, you’ll fill your wallet with top-earning cards that will maximize the rewards you get with every swipe.
In this guide, we’ll cover just that: the best rewards card by spending category. For a more comprehensive list, see our best credit card bonuses here or check out our list of other guides for the best credit cards by spending category.
Best Rewards Cards By Spending Category
Different types of rewards cards target different types of spending. For example, business cards might offer bonus points on office supplies, but that’s not a feature you’d see in travel rewards cards. For this reason, we’ve split our list of the best cards for each spending category into three groups: Points and Miles, Cash Back and Business:
| CATEGORY | POINTS & MILES | CASH BACK | BUSINESS |
| Dining | Citi Prestige® Credit Card | Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card | American Express® Business Gold Card |
| Entertainment | Citi Premier® Card | Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card | N/A |
| Hotels | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card | N/A | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
| Airfare | Citi Prestige® Credit Card | N/A | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
| General Travel | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | N/A | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
| Groceries | American Express EveryDay Preferred | Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | N/A |
| Gas | Citi Premier® Card | Costco Anywhere Visa Card | American Express® Business Gold Card |
| Office Supplies | N/A | N/A | Ink Business Cash® Credit Card |
| Non-Bonus Spending | Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Citi® Double Cash Card | The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express |
| Rotating Categories | N/A | Chase Freedom Flex℠ | N/A |
Points & Miles Cards
Points and miles cards earn transferable currencies, hotel points and airline miles.
Click here for the best points and miles cards of 2021.
CITI PRESTIGE® CREDIT CARD
The Citi Prestige® Card has a 50,000 bonus points offer. Spend $4,000 within 3 months of account opening to qualify. These 50k bonus points are worth $500 in travel.
For the most value out of your points, redeem for flights through Citi, where your bonus will be worth 1.33 cents per point. This is another card that competes in the premium travel category, and the annual fee will signify that at $495.
In effect, this card is only a good option for frequent travelers who can take advantage of the premium benefits : 5X points on air travel & restaurants, 3X points on hotels & cruise lines, $250 Air Travel Credit annually, and free access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select. For those in this niche market, this card will provide high perceived value.
CITI PREMIER® CARD
The Citi Premier® Card offers a 80,000 ThankYou Points after you make at least $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. These points are worth $800 in gift cards through Citi.
This card offers 3 points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants and on entertainment, and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
The card has an annual fee of $95 that is waived for the first 12 months.
HILTON HONORS AMERICAN EXPRESS SURPASS® CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has an offer for up to 180,000 Hilton Honors bonus points. You earn 130k points when $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months and another 50k points when you spend $10,000 within the first 6 months. The total 180k bonus points are worth around $1,080 per our valuation.
Earn 12 points per $1 spent on a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio. This chain of hotels consists of over 5,000 locations. Earn 6 points per $1 on purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations. All other purchases will earn 3 points per $1.
Other benefits include complimentary Gold Status and a Weekend Night Reward after you spend $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year.
The card has an annual fee of $95 (See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply).
CITI PRESTIGE® CREDIT CARD
The Citi Prestige® Card has a 50,000 bonus points offer. Spend $4,000 within 3 months of account opening to qualify. These 50k bonus points are worth $500 in travel.
For the most value out of your points, redeem for flights through Citi, where your bonus will be worth 1.33 cents per point. This is another card that competes in the premium travel category, and the annual fee will signify that at $495.
In effect, this card is only a good option for frequent travelers who can take advantage of the premium benefits : 5X points on air travel & restaurants, 3X points on hotels & cruise lines, $250 Air Travel Credit annually, and free access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select. For those in this niche market, this card will provide high perceived value.
CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is offering 50,000 bonus points (worth up to $1,000 in travel per our valuations). You’ll need to spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening to qualify for the bonus. These 50k points are redeemable for $750 toward travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
This is a premium travel card with a premium annual fee of $550. But, you’ll receive premium benefits such as 5X points on air travel, 10x points spent on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after earning your $300 annual travel credit, access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select, 3X points on all other travel and dining, and 50% more in travel redemption through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For all other purchases, it’s 1 point per dollar spent.
Other nice features include an application fee credit (up to $100) for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®, and complimentary Lyft Pink and complimentary DashPass subscription from DoorDash. Also, with Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 50% more for existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
You’ll earn Ultimate Rewards points with this card, which can be pooled together with certain other Chase cards. Examples include the Chase Freedom®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and all the Chase Ink Business cards. Read more on this here.
AMERICAN EXPRESS EVERYDAY PREFERRED
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The American Express EveryDay Preferred offers a 15,000 Membership Rewards bonus points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months.
This card allows you to earn higher rewards at supermarkets and gas stations. You get 3x Amex Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 a year, then 1x points. Plus, a 50% points bonus each statement period that you make 30+ transactions. That’s a total of up to 4.5x points, with a points value of $0.02 each.
The annual fee for this card is $95. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
CITI PREMIER® CARD
The Citi Premier® Card offers a 80,000 ThankYou Points after you make at least $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. These points are worth $800 in gift cards through Citi.
This card offers 3 points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants and on entertainment, and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
The card has an annual fee of $95 that is waived for the first 12 months.
CHASE FREEDOM UNLIMITED®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card has an offer for $200 bonus cash after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
This card also earns 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns Ultimate Rewards points. Points can be pooled with those from other eligible Chase cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. More on this here.
Cash Back Cards
It’s well-known in the rewards world that cash back cards don’t offer nearly as big of sign-up bonuses as ones that earn points and miles. But we like cash back cards for their relatively low annual fees, and some offer significant returns in certain categories.
Click here for the best cash back cards.
CAPITAL ONE® SAVOR® CASH REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card is offering a $300 bonus when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.
This card earns unlimited 4% cash back rewards on dining and entertainment spending. You’ll get 2% cash back at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases.
There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is waived for the first year. The fee is $95 after the first year.
BLUE CASH PREFERRED® CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an offer for $300 after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. The offer is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as statement credits.
This card earns 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases and 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. You’ll also get 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and transit that includes taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more. All other purchases will still earn 1% back.
The introductory annual fee is $0 for the first year, then $95 thereafter. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
COSTCO ANYWHERE VISA® CARD BY CITI
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi earn 4% cash back on gas, for the first $7,000 in purchases every year. Then, 1% cash back. All gas stations worldwide qualifies, not just Costco gas stations. However, the bonus rate does not apply to gas purchased at superstores, supermarkets, convenience stores and warehouse clubs other than Costco. Fuel used for non-automobile purposes also does not qualify.
This card has no annual fee with your paid Costco membership.
CITI® DOUBLE CASH CARD
The Citi® Double Cash Card earns up to 2% cash back on all purchases. You’ll earn 1% cash back for all purchases charged to the card. You’ll then earn an additional 1% cash back when you pay off those purchases, as long as you pay at least the minimum due. There are no spending categories to keep up with and the card has no annual fee.
CHASE FREEDOM FLEX℠
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ credit card is going to earn you a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The welcome bonus comes in the form of 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points. This card has no annual fee.
This card earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (new categories each quarter). Travel purchased through Chase also earns 5%.
This card earns Ultimate Rewards (UR) points and is a popular option for a multi Chase card strategy. You can pool points together with consumer cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Or, with a business card like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. The 20,000 UR points could be worth around $400 with this strategy, rather than the standard $200. Read more on this here.
Business Cards
Business rewards cards actually offer even more bonus categories than their personal travel rewards card siblings. The trick is to find the card that aligns with your business spending.
Click here for the best business cards of 2021.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® BUSINESS GOLD CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
For a limited time, the American Express Business Gold Card has an offer for 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. The offer expires 11/10/2021.
This card earns 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. These 4X points are capped at the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.
Other card benefits include an Airline Bonus, where you’ll get 25% points back after you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel. This is capped at up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.
The annual fee is $295 for this card. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
THE BUSINESS PLATINUM CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a welcome offer for 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. We value 120k points to be worth around $2,400.
This card earns 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Also earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else. Cap applies.
Use Membership Rewards Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year. Also, get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year toward baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. You will also get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership when you use your Card.
This is a premium business card with a $595 annual fee ($695 if application is received on or after 1/13/2022). See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
INK BUSINESS PREFERRED® CREDIT CARD
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card from Chase has a new cardmember offer for 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after opening.
These bonus points are worth $1,250 towards travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Or, transfer points over to Ultimate Rewards travel partners to potentially get even more value – up to an average $2,000 for 100k points. Read more about this here.
This card earns 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, and on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. You’ll earn unlimited 1 Point Per $1 spent on all other purchases.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns Ultimate Rewards points. This makes it a great choice for pairing with the non-business Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®. You’ll be able to pool points together for faster rewards.
This card has a $95 annual fee.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® BUSINESS GOLD CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
For a limited time, the American Express Business Gold Card has an offer for 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. The offer expires 11/10/2021.
This card earns 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. These 4X points are capped at the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.
Other card benefits include an Airline Bonus, where you’ll get 25% points back after you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel. This is capped at up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.
The annual fee is $295 for this card. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
INK BUSINESS CASH® CREDIT CARD
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card from Chase has an offer for $750 bonus cash back (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. This card has no annual fee.
This card earns 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year. It also earns 2% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined spending at gas stations and restaurants each anniversary year. All other purchases earn an unlimited 1% cash back.
You can redeem your rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards. This allows for more redemption possibilities when paired with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards (e.g. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card). Pair it with one of these cards, use the available transfer partners, and 75k Ultimate Rewards points can be worth up to $1,500 in value.
THE BLUE BUSINESS® PLUS CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express offers 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases within 3 months of Card Membership. Membership Rewards are some of the most valuable points for credit cards. We value each point to be worth up to 2 cents.
The card earns 2 points per $1 on everyday business purchases like office supplies and client dinners, for up to the first $50,000 in purchases per year. After that, all purchases will earn 1 point per $1.
This card features Expanded Buying Power, allowing you the freedom to spend beyond your credit limit at no extra cost. Your credit limit is not set to a constant amount but rather, it adjusts with your card use.
The Amex card has no annual fee (See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply).
Additional Guides
Click here for our guide on the best credit cards in other categories or check out these other posts:
Bottom Line
Get the most return possible – in points, miles or cash – from every purchase you make, and you’ll quickly amass a balance big enough for your next dream award vacation. Keep a list handy of which cards to use for which spending category, so you’ll be sure to get the most return out of every dollar you spend.
| OFFER LINK | OFFER | OUR REVIEW |
| Chase Business Complete Banking℠ | $300 Cash | Review |
| Chase Total Checking® | $225 Cash | Review |
| Bank Of America Advantage Banking | $100 Bonus Offer | Review |
| TD Bank Beyond Checking | $300 Cash | Review |
| Huntington Bank | $500 Cash | Review |
| HSBC Premier Checking | $450 Cash | Review |
| Axos Business Checking | $100 Cash | Review |
| Aspiration Checking | $150/$200 Cash | Review |
| Ally Invest | Up To $3,000 | Review |
| Betterment | Up To 1 Year Free | Review |
| BlockFi | Up To $250 BTC | Review |
| Voyager (code BH5F1A) | $25 In BTC | Review |
| TradeStation | $100 Bonus | Review |
| Motley Fool | Stock Advisor Discount | Review |
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Disclaimer: These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. It is not the bank advertiser's or any other entity's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.