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The best credit cards for holiday shopping of 2022
With the holidays in full swing and Black Friday just around the corner, now is the perfect time to maximize your spending and earn valuable rewards. Shopping around for the best holiday sales and deals always makes sense, but how you pay for your purchases can also make a huge difference.
With the right rewards credit card, you’ll earn cash back or travel points for each dollar you spend. Plus, certain cards come with valuable benefits like purchase protection against loss or damage.
Holiday shopping can even make earning a welcome bonus offer on a new credit card easy. And there are some great credit card welcome bonuses available now, letting you earn up to 100,000 points or miles or even more.
So before you hit the stores or start browsing the web, it pays to figure out if you have the right card for your needs.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Compare the best cards for holiday shopping
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
Folks who frequently shop on Amazon.com or Whole Foods should consider the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card this holiday season. Even better, it’s a no-annual-fee card if you’re already paying for a Prime membership ($139 per year).
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card earns:
5x points on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases (with a Prime Membership and your card is loaded to your eligible Amazon account; otherwise earn 3% back on these purchases)2x at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores 1x on everything else
For a limited time, you can earn up to 25% cash back (25x points per dollar spent) on select Amazon items, marked as “Prime Card Offers,” when you use your eligible Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card .
Points earned with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card can be redeemed for Amazon purchases at checkout (value of 1 cent per point). But you can also redeem for cash back, a direct deposit, gift cards, or travel.
This is a Visa Signature card, so it offers solid benefits including extended warranty, purchase protection, and car rental insurance, and there’s no annual fee for Prime members.
Review: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature credit card review
Be sure to read Insider’s guide to the best credit cards for Amazon shopping for more top picks.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Whether you plan to do a lot of entertaining or enjoy picking up food-themed gifts, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is an excellent card if you prefer cash back. Moreover, it earns rewards on US streaming subscriptions and purchases from US gas stations. So if you plan on streaming your favorite holiday classics, or traveling a long distance to visit extended family, this card has got you covered.
With the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express you’ll earn:
6% cash back at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending per year, then 1% cash back (not including superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and meal-jit delivery services)6% back on select US streaming subscriptions3% back at US gas stations (not including superstores, supermarkets and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline)3% back on transit (including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways)1% back on all other purchases
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express currently offers a welcome bonus of a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
Review: Amex Blue Cash Preferred card review
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
If you buy a majority of your gifts online, and are interested on saving on your Home Chef and Disney Bundle subscriptions, then the improved Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express could be a good fit for you. For no annual fee, you can earn rewards in everyday spending categories, including on US online retail purchases.
With the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express you’ll earn:
3% cash back on US online retail purchases on up to $6,000 spent per year (then 1% back)3% cash back at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent per year (then 1% back)3% cash back on US gas stations on up to $6,000 spent per year (then 1% back)1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
New cardholders earn Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
The card also gets you a Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (then a Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express APR). So if you’re worried about paying off your holiday purchases all at once, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express could save you from incurring interest.
Review: Amex Blue Cash Everyday review
Citi® Double Cash Card
If you’d rather not keep track of different bonus categories and prefer simplicity, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a great choice. You’ll earn 2% cash back (1% when you buy, and 1% when you pay) on all purchases, so it’s ideal for purchases that don’t fall into typical bonus categories.
Unfortunately, the card is not currently offering new cardholders any sort of welcome bonus.
The Citi® Double Cash Card is one-third of the Citi Trifecta — a trio of Citi cards that can supercharge your ThankYou Rewards balance by earning anywhere from 2x to 5x rewards on every single purchase.
That said, a very similar card you might also want to consider is the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. Like the Citi® Double Cash Card, the Active Cash Card earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on all purchases, for no annual fee.
However, unlike the Double Cash Card, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card does offer a welcome bonus: earn Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.
Review: Citi Double Cash credit card review
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
Being able to customize your own spending category this holiday season is a great way to earn the most rewards on all your purchases. With the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card, you pick the 3% cash back earning category of your choice (from a list) for no annual fee.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card earns:
3% cash back on spending category of your choosing (online shopping, drug stores, home improvement and furnishing, dining, travel, or gas)2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs1% back on all other purchases
But keep in mind that the 3% and 2% rates only apply to the first $2,500 in combined spending each quarter (then 1% back).
New cardholders can earn Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Review: Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card review
American Express® Gold Card
American Express cards are well known for their purchase protection and extended warranty benefits, and the American Express® Gold Card is one of the best. Before you buy any pricey gifts, it’s best to weigh the earning rate against the protections the card provides.
The American Express® Gold Card doesn’t earn bonus rewards in most popular holiday shopping categories, but it can still be worth it depending on how you spend. The card earns:
4x points at restaurants4x at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 spent each year, then 1x)3x on flights booked with the airlines on Amex Travel1x on all other purchases
However, getting extra protection on your purchase can be worth more than the additional rewards you might earn with a different card. The American Express® Gold Card comes with purchase protection in the event of damage, theft, or loss of an eligible new item for up to 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per covered purchase (up to $500 for natural disasters) and up to $50,000 per eligible card.
The American Express® Gold Card also adds up to one additional year to eligible US manufacturers’ warranties of five years or less.
Review: American Express Gold card review
Chase Freedom Flex℠
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is an excellent no-annual-fee card for earning bonus cash back in a variety of different categories. If you’re looking to earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points on your purchases, then this could be the perfect card for all your holiday shopping needs.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns:
5x in certain bonus categories each quarter of the year of activation (up to $1,500 spent in combined purchases, then 1%)5x on travel booked through Chase 3x on dining and drugstore purchases1x on all other purchases
From October 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, the 5% bonus categories are PayPal and Walmart, which can be a big help for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping.
Another benefit of this card is that you’ll get a Chase Freedom Flex℠ (then a Chase Freedom Flex℠). That can be a big help in preventing interest on pricier gifts.
Review: Chase Freedom Flex review
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card
US Bank recently launched the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card, and its earning structure makes it a good choice for holiday shopping. It earns up to 6% cash back on two retail brands of your choosing (including Walmart and Amazon).
The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card earns:
6% cash back on two eligible retail brands of your choosing (from a list) on up to $1,500 per quarter (then 1.5%)5.5% cash back on hotel and car bookings through the US Bank Rewards Center3% cash back in one everyday category of your choosing (gas and UV charging purchases, bills and utilities, or wholesale clubs) on up to $1,500 per quarter (then 1.5%)1.5% cash back then after
It offers a U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card and charges a U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card.
Review: US Bank Shopper Cash Rewards card review
What to look for in a credit card for holiday purchases
All the credit cards we’ve listed for holiday shopping are good ones, but the best one offers the right type of rewards and a selection of perks you can use. Here’s everything you should look for if you’re searching for a new credit card:
Purchase protection and extended warranty
Make sure to check whether your credit card comes with consumer benefits like purchase protection and extended warranties. Where purchase protection can replace or repair an item that is damaged or stolen within a specific length of time (usually up to 90 days), extended warranties can add an additional year of warranty protection or more on big-ticket items that come with a manufacturer’s warranty.
Cards at every price point offer purchase protection and extended warranty — from The Platinum Card® from American Express with a $550 annual fee to the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex — though the more premium cards usually have higher caps for reimbursement.
A high rewards rate
Make sure to look at cards that offer the most rewards in categories you can use this year. Cards that offer bonus points for department store purchases and grocery store purchases often work best for the holiday season.
Not all purchases will be eligible for bonus rewards, and in those cases you’ll want a card that earns more than 1% back on non-bonus spending. The Citi® Double Cash Card (up to 2% back — 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay) and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (1.5% back on non-bonus purchases) are good options in this situation.
Welcome bonus: Cards that offer a sign-up bonus will leave you with a more generous rewards haul after the holiday season is over — making this period before the holidays an ideal time to apply and maximize your spending. Just make sure you can comfortably meet the minimum spending requirement in time. Check out our roundup of the best credit card welcome offers available now to see if anything catches your eye.
0% APR offers: Also check which cards give 0% intro APR on purchases for a limited time if you think you may need to carry a balance for a period — though we never recommend carrying a balance if you can at all avoid it, and you’ll want to pay off your balance before the introductory period ends to avoid steep interest charges. The Chase Freedom Flex, for example, boasts Chase Freedom Flex℠, followed by a variable APR of 14.99% – 23.74%.
How to maximize your holiday purchases this year
Picking up a new credit card can help you earn a big bonus and more rewards on all your holiday shopping this year, but there are more ways to maximize your spending. Consider these tips:
Maximize shopping portals: If you plan to do most of your holiday shopping online, take the time to figure out which online shopping portals you can use. If you have a Chase credit card, for example, you can click through the Chase portal to earn 1 to 10 additional points per dollar spent at stores like Macys.com, Walmart.com, and BestBuy.com. Most airlines also offer their own shopping portals as well, and all that’s required to double up on rewards is logging in to your account and clicking through a portal before you shop.
Check for bonus offers: Also see if you can utilize additional offers like Chase Offers or Amex Offers**. Both work similarly, letting you get cash back for some purchases or, with Amex, earn more rewards at select retailers when you take advantage. With Amex Offers, for example, you can frequently get $10 to $50 back when you spend money at specific online stores or stay in a participating brand of hotels within a limited timeframe.
Take advantage of bonus categories: Make sure you’re maximizing any bonus categories your card offers, including ones that offer 5% back in rotating categories. These bonus points can add up in a hurry and leave you with a lot more rewards after the holidays have passed.
Pick up a card that offers more than 1% on non-bonus purchases: Finally, make sure you have at least one card that gives you more than 1% for holiday purchases you can’t earn bonus points on. The Citi® Double Cash Card is always a good option since you earn 2% back for each dollar you spend — 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off. Best of all, this card comes with no annual fee.