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As points and miles collectors, we devote a lot of time to finding the perfect card for every purchase. We frequently discuss the importance of holding credit cards focused on what you spend the most money on. That could be restaurants, traveling, office supply stores, groceries, or anything else you spend a lot of money on!
But most travelers don't have dozens of cards to handle lots of different spending categories. Also, not every purchase fits neatly into a specific bonus category. For these situations, having a solid card for everyday purchases is critical.
Like any other category, the “best” card for everyday purchases is different for each person. It depends on your travel goals and preferences. However, there are certainly a few clear-cut leaders in the credit card space, and we'll focus on those throughout this article.
Let's look at the cards that you'll want to reach for when you are not:
- Going for the minimum spend for a sign-up bonus on a new card.
- Working towards a spending threshold for elite status, free nights, etc.
- Collecting a specific rewards currency to reach a travel goal.
Page Contents
- Our Pick: The Best Credit Card for Everyday Use
- Best No-Annual-Fee Credit Card for Everyday Purchases
- Best Cash-Back Card for Leveraging Your Savings
- Best Card for Travel Statement Credits
- Best Everyday Purchase Card To Complement Another
- Best Business Credit Card for Everyday Purchases
- Best Credit Card for Everyday Purchases in the First Year
- The 17 Best Rewards Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases
- Cards That Almost Made the List
- Final Thoughts
Our Pick: The Best Credit Card for Everyday Use
For most points and miles collectors, either a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is going to be the best choice for everyday spend. Both of these cards earn 2X Capital One miles on every purchase.
Which Venture card you select comes down to which other benefits you want from the card — and how much you're willing to pay for the card's annual fee.
- Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchase
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $120)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
The Capital One Venture charges a modest $95 annual fee. And it provides a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement every four years. Plus, new cardholders can earn a 75,000-mile bonus once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
The Capital One Venture X charges a much steeper $395 annual fee. But you'll gain a $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Select lounge membership, Hertz President's Circle elite status, and unlimited access to Capital One Lounges. Plus, cardholders get a 10,000-mile bonus on each account anniversary, which is worth a minimum of $100.
For even occasional travelers, the Capital One Venture X is going to be the best option, provided you can front the annual fee and fully utilize the travel credit each year. If so, this card easily pays for itself.
New Capital One Venture X cardholders can earn a 75,000-mile bonus when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The real benefit of using the Capital One Venture X or Capital One Venture is the flexibility it provides for redemptions. You can redeem Capital One miles for 1¢ each against any travel purchases made in the past 90 days. You may find better value when you transfer miles to 19 different travel partners. Smart cardholders can use these partner programs to get outstanding value from their miles.
Related: How To Share Capital One Venture and Spark Miles with Anyone
Best No-Annual-Fee Credit Card for Everyday Purchases
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
- You've got the power to spend beyond your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
For points collectors looking to avoid an annual fee, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is the best card for everyday purchases. This is due to its ability to earn 2X Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year (then it drops to 1x).
Even if you value Membership Rewards at a conservative 1.7-1.8¢ per point, that represents a phenomenal 3.4-3.6% return on every dollar spent on this card. The lack of an annual fee makes it a powerhouse card (Rates & Fees)!
The one downside is that the Blue Business Plus is — as the name implies — a business card. Consequently, not everyone will qualify to get one. That said, you might be surprised at what qualifies as a business.
Related: Full Review of the Blue Business Plus
Best Cash-Back Card for Leveraging Your Savings
- 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases
- 1.5 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card is an underrated card in the world of points and miles. That's because it offers the ability to earn the highest ongoing cash-back rate on everyday purchases of almost any card available: 2.625% cash back on everyday purchases!
Although the Bank of America Premium Rewards Card has the word “Premium” in its name, it does not charge an expensive annual fee. In reality, it falls snugly into the mid-tier rewards card arena, charging a modest $95 annual fee.
At first glance, the benefits are what you'd expect for a card at that price range. It earns 2X points on travel and dining purchases, 1.5X on everything else, and comes with a 60,000-point sign-up bonus after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. Points are worth a fixed 1¢ apiece as cash back.
With that said, the earning potential of this card jumps when you hold assets with Bank of America. The bank provides additional credit card rewards for its banking clients by offering higher benefits for more assets through the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program.
If you have $100,000 or more in assets with Bank of America or Merrill Lynch, the rewards earned on your Bank of America Premium Rewards Card get a 75% boost. That translates into earning 3.5% cash back on travel and dining, plus an unmatched 2.625% cash back on everything else.
Related: Bank of America Premium Rewards Card Review
Best Card for Travel Statement Credits
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
Cards that allow you to redeem rewards for a statement credit are a tiny but mighty sub-category of credit card rewards. They combine the best of both cash-back- and point-earning worlds, allowing cardmembers to cut out-of-pocket travel expenses even more than one or the other.
The obvious front runners in this category are — once again — the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cards. Both cards earn 2X miles on every purchase. And cardholders can redeem Capital One miles for 1¢ each against any travel purchases made with the card. Alternatively, you can redeem miles directly when booking through the Capital One Travel portal.
Related: Why You Should Never Redeem Capital One Miles Through Capital One Travel
Best Everyday Purchase Card To Complement Another
If you're looking to pay down debt or finance a larger purchase, this card also comes with one of the best available introductory APR offers on balance transfers.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- 2% cash back on every purchase - 1% when you buy + 1% when you pay
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the (Variable) APR will be 18.24% - 28.24% based on your creditworthiness
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5)
- No annual fee
- Earn 2% cash back on every purchase—1% when you buy and 1% when you pay. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. Citi cash rewards now also convert to ThankYou points at 1:1 ($10 = 100 ThankYou points).
The Citi Double Cash® Card provides a solid 2% return on every purchase — 1% cash back at purchase, and 1% at payment. This card earns Citi ThankYou® Points. These points can be cashed out at 1¢ apiece, so you can get 2% cash back as a base. But you can also transfer the points earned through the Citi Double Cash to three airline transfer partners.
The best option for this card is to pair it with a ThankYou® Point-earning card, such as the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. By linking the ThankYou® Points earned by these cards, the Citi Double Cash effectively earns unlimited fully transferrable 2X ThankYou® Points on every purchase. Those points can then be transferred to any one of 21 Citi ThankYou® transfer partners.
With $0 annual fee, this makes the Citi Double Cash the most effective sidekick in credit card rewards.
Related: Full Review of the Citi Double Cash
Best Business Credit Card for Everyday Purchases
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per $1 on flights booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on other eligible purchases
Earning extra miles in bonus categories is great; so is earning a quality amount of miles on everyday purchases. With the Capital One Venture X Business, you'll get both for your business.
The card has a $395 annual fee and earns 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on all other purchases. You can use your miles to offset recent travel purchases, redeem as cash back, book travel in the Capital One Travel portal, or transfer to 19 airline and hotel partners. Using these transfer partners is where you can get the most value, averaging 2.01¢ per mile in recent redemptions.
To offset the card's annual fee, you'll get extra perks like lounge access to Capital One Lounges, 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, as well as a $300 annual travel credit.
Related: Venture X Business Full Review
Best Credit Card for Everyday Purchases in the First Year
The Discover it® Miles card stands out as providing lots of value in its first year. This card offers 1.5X points (worth 1¢ apiece as cash back) on every purchase. However, at the end of your first year of card membership, Discover will match every point you've earned during the previous year. This effectively makes it a 3% cash-back card for the first year. That's an excellent return from a card charging no annual fee.
Related: Discover it Miles Card Review
The 17 Best Rewards Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases
We've covered a lot of cards already. But here's a table plotting 17 of the best cards for everyday spending next to each other. We drew the line for qualification at potential returns of 2% returns or above:
| Credit Card | Points Earned on Everyday Purchases | Other Bonus Categories | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card | Earn up to 2.5% cash back on your first $10,000 of qualifying eligible purchases (1.5% for purchases over $10,000) | N/A | $0 |
| The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card | Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. | N/A | No annual fee (Rates & Fees) |
| Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants) | 1 point on all non-bonused purchases. Use your card 30 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 50% extra points on purchases less returns and credits. | 3X points at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year 2X points at US gas stations | $95 |
| Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card | 1.5X points on non-bonus purchases. Earn up to 2.625X points if you have $100k+ in qualifying savings with Bank of America. | 2X points on travel and dining. Earn up to 3.5X points if you have $100k+ in qualifying savings with Bank of America. | $95 |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply. | N/A | No annual fee (Rates & Fees) |
| Capital One Spark Cash Plus | 2% cash back on every purchase and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | N/A | $150 |
| Capital One Spark Miles for Business | 2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site. | 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel℠ | $0 introductory fee for the first year; $95 after that |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. | $95 |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. | 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on other eligible purchases | $395 |
| Capital One Venture X Business | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase | 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on all other purchases | $395 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | 1.5% on all other purchases cash back on all purchases | 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% on other eligible purchases | $0 |
| Citi Double Cash® Card | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel. | N/A | $0 |
| Discover it® Miles | 1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases. Discover will match all the Miles you've earned at the end of your first year | N/A | $0 |
| Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card | Earn 2% cash back on card purchases. | N/A | $0 |
| The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card | Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter. | Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases. | $195 |
| U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card (no longer open to new applicants) | 3X points on eligible mobile wallet purchases using Apple Pay®, Google Pay™ and Samsung Pay | 5X points prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 3X on eligible travel purchases and mobile wallet spending, and 1X on all other purchases | $400 |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. | N/A | $0 |
To make a long story short, the best card for everyday purchases is tied directly to your current travel goals. If you plan on transferring flexible points to airlines for premium cabin award travel, American Express Membership Rewards points, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, or Citi ThankYou® Points are likely to get you there a lot faster than earning cash back.
On the other hand, if you’re banking fixed-value points or cash back for miscellaneous travel expenses, cards like the Capital One Venture or Bank of America Premium Rewards Card can provide a higher rate of return. You can then use these rewards to pay for travel where redeeming points upfront isn't an option — such as that nice bed & breakfast that's not part of a rewards program.
Card choice also depends on your level of experience in the points and miles world. Experienced award travelers who are familiar with flexible award currencies can regularly leverage points for higher values. However, those just starting may achieve better returns on everyday purchases with a flat 2% cash-back card than a card earning flexible points.
Related: Point and Mile Values
Cards That Almost Made the List
Several cards typically feature on “best card for non-bonus spend” and “best credit card for everyday spending” lists, though we’ve deliberately not included them here. Here are the cards and our reasoning:
- Rotating bonus category cards like the Discover it® Cash Back and Chase Freedom Flex℠: While the return on bonus categories can be as high as 5%–10%, these cards earn 1% on everyday, non-bonused purchases.
- Co-branded airline cards like the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card: Experienced award travelers can achieve huge returns on Alaska miles when redeemed for first- or business-class flights. However, not all travelers are going to have the knowledge required to consistently earn more than 2% back on daily spending.
- Co-branded personal hotel cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: This card earns 3X points on non-bonus purchases, giving the appearance of a high net return on your spend. But most folks know that all points don't have equal value. AwardWallet users redeem Hilton Honors points at 0.59¢ each, on average, returning less than the 2% threshold we’d consider a good return on everyday purchases.
- 5% cash back at different places each quarter like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com, or wholesale clubs up to the quarterly maximum each time you activate.
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
- Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
- Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
- Earn unlimited 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
(Terms Apply)
- 12X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 4X bonus points on U.S online retail purchases
- 3X bonus points for all other eligible purchases on your card
Final Thoughts
We consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ideal credit cards for everyday purchases for most consumers, along with the Venture X Business for small businesses. All three of these cards earn an unlimited 2X Capital One miles and offer other travel benefits to help offset the annual fee.
However, if you qualify for Bank of America's Platinum Honors tier, you cannot beat the Bank of America Premium Rewards Card‘s cash back.
For those seeking a perfect card to complement their current card portfolio, consider the Citi Double Cash or Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees).
The most important point here may be that there is no “one best card” for everyday spending. The best card is tied directly to your current travel goals — where you want to go, how you’re going to get there, and where you're going to stay. Our advice is to not spend too much time wringing every last cent out of your everyday spending. Instead, set up a strategy that provides the best return for the time you’re willing to invest.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees)
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