Best credit cards for holiday shopping

Editor’s Note: This is a regular post and will be updated regularly with new information.

The holiday shopping season may be full of gifts for family and friends. Since you’re reading The Points Guy, I hope you’ve carefully considered which credit card will get you the best rewards and protection for these purchases.

Today we want to take a look at a list of the top cards to use when buying gifts for the holidays.

It’s important to note that this list is not exhaustive and features a variety of cards that may appeal to many readers. Everyone has different criteria when it comes to deciding which card is best for holiday shopping, so base your numbers on your own.

That said, here are our top picks for gifts to buy during the holiday season.

Best credit cards for holiday shopping

Amazon Prime Visa Signature card information was independently collected by The Points Guy. Card details on this page are not verified or provided by the card issuer.

Capital One Venture Rewards credit card

of Capital One Venture Rewards A great option for those looking to earn flexible rewards without worrying about bonuses in different spending categories.Venture Rewards gives you 2 Miles for every dollar spent on all qualifying purchases. Whether you’re buying stocking stuffers or cyber-he perusing Monday’s sales, you’re sure to earn bonus his points.

You also have flexibility in how you redeem the miles you earn. Miles can be used to ‘pay for’ travel booked in the last 90 days. Or transfer your miles to over 15 airline and hotel loyalty programs to book new travel. While you can redeem your miles for gift cards or statement credits for eligible purchases, the best option is to transfer your miles to an airline or hotel partner.

Related: How to get the most out of your Capital One miles

chase freedom flex

Whether you’re a traditional brick-and-mortar shopper or prefer to shop online, get 5% back up to $1,500 on purchases at Walmart or PayPal. chase freedom flex In Q4 2022.

5% cashback sounds great, but experienced Points and Miles enthusiasts know Chase Freedom Flex is more than just a cashback card. Combined with a premium Chase card that earns full Ultimate Rewards points, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve — That cashback can be converted into far more valuable Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to partners like United Airlines and Hyatt.

TPG values ​​Ultimate Rewards points for travel in increments of 2 cents, so Freedom Flex (or chase freedom unlimited) with sapphire reserve and the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card Create a formidable points earning machine.

If you don’t already have this card, Chase Freedom Flex offers new cardholders a $200 cashback bonus when you spend $500 in the first three months with the card.

Related: 5 Ways To Maximize The New Chase Freedom Flex Promotion And Earn Up To 19,500 Bonus Points This Quarter

Amazon Prime Benefits Visa Signature

If you’re a regular Amazon shopper, Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature is a no annual fee card (but requires a $139 annual Amazon Prime membership).

With Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday rolling in, you need a card that will give you the most impact on your holiday shopping. Amazon Prime Visa offers 5% cash back on all purchases at Amazon and Whole Foods, 2% cash back on purchases at restaurants, gas stations and drug stores, and 1% cash back on everything else. Offers.

If you don’t already have a card, new applicants will receive a $150 Amazon gift card as soon as they’re approved.

RELATED: Best credit cards for Amazon purchases

american express gold card

without a doubt amex gold One of the best cards for foodies. Earn rate of 4 points per dollar in U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter) and restaurants worldwide, and 3 per dollar on flights booked directly or through Amex Travel Points, 1 point per dollar For all other qualifying purchases, this card can provide lucrative income on daily purchases.

Non-bonus purchases earn 1 point per dollar, but we encourage you to consider paying with Amex Gold this holiday season due to our strong purchase protection policy. Eligible items come with up to $10,000 in coverage against theft, damage or loss within the first 90 days of purchase.

Amex Gold also comes with an extended warranty that extends the US manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year for qualifying warranties of 3 years or less. *

We’re not sure when you’ll need to rely on these protections, but they are very valuable and may be worth sacrificing the bonus points you get from the other cards on this list.

RELATED: Use These Cards To Maximize Your Bulk Purchases

* Eligibility and privilege levels differ depending on the card. Terms and restrictions apply. For more information, visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide. Policy is underwritten by the AMEX Assurance Company.

Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card

If you have the ability to store large investments and savings with Bank of America or Merrill, Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card A great option for holiday shopping.

The card has a reasonable (but not surprising) earning rate of 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining, and 1.5 points per dollar spent on all purchases (redeemable at a rate of 1 cent per point). I can). The real value of this card comes when you reach Platinum or Platinum Honors award tiers in another of Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards banking programs. By doing so, this card’s daily earning rate jumps to 2.625 points for every dollar he spends, making it the perfect holiday gift.

The Bank of America Premium Rewards Card currently offers a 50,000 point sign-up bonus when you make at least $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. Additionally, the card comes with up to $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and up to $100 annual statement credit for airline incidentals. All for an annual fee of $95.

Related: 5 Reasons to Get a Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card

Citi® Double Cash Card

The last card on my list wins a spot for its simplicity.of city ​​double cash card offers a flat 1% back on all purchases and an additional 1% back when you pay your bill (up to 2% total return).

This return rate for daily purchases is not comparable to the potential returns highlighted above, but it is automatic and cash in your account. A card with no annual fee fits the criteria.

important considerations

Shopping for the holidays can also be a great way to meet new credit card minimum spend requirements, as long as you do it responsibly. We’ve compiled a list of the latest bonuses here, so check to see if there’s one you’d like to work on for this holiday season.

In addition, some current credit cards offer calendar year bonuses and additional benefits for spending certain amounts on the card. on them.

Besides making sure you’re using the right credit card, it’s also important to maximize your earnings with your online shopping portal. The best thing about online shopping portals is that you don’t have to use a specific card to make a purchase.

My favorite site for deciding which portal to use is CashBackMonitor. This is to compare a particular merchant’s profitability across different shopping portals. I also make sure to download browser extensions for my favorite shopping portals to enable additional earnings.

Conclusion

There are many ways to make the most of your purchases during the holiday season. However, every Points and Miles enthusiast has their own method of finding the perfect card to swipe at checkout so they can earn more desirable rewards or achieve a calendar year threshold bonus. You may have a card that is useful for

Remember that many online purchases are made even better through online shopping portals where you can earn extra points or miles (or cashback) just by clicking on the site.

Official application link: capital one venture.
Official application link: chase freedom flex.
Official application link: american express gold.
Official application link: Bank of America Premium Rewards Card.
Official application link: city ​​double cash card.

Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox, Stella Shon, and Benét J. Wilson.