AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners when you visit our site, click on a link, when you are approved for a credit card, or when an account is opened. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers. Offers for Bank of America cards mentioned in this post have been updated as of 08/04/2026
Offers for the Chase Freedom Flex® are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
If your goal is to earn as many points and miles as possible, it makes sense to hold multiple cards that earn bonus points in a variety of different categories. You might have one card for restaurants, another for groceries, and a third for booking flights or hotel stays.
However, it's equally important to have a card that you can pull out for all other purchases. Not every transaction will fall into a bonus earning category, so having a catch-all card in your wallet can help you ensure you're earning as many
You'd be surprised by how quickly your earnings can add up. If you spend $2,000 each month in non-bonus categories and earn 1 point per $1, you'll earn 24,000 points per year. At 2 points per $1, that skyrockets to 48,000 points each year. And 3 points? 72,000 points each year. When you're ready to redeem your earnings, you'll appreciate having more to work with.
Here are our selections for the best credit cards for everyday purchases.
Our Pick: Capital One
For most points and miles collectors, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the best choice for everyday spending. You'll earn a flat 2X Capital One miles on every purchase, every day. Considering that AwardWallet users typically redeem Capital One miles for 2.08¢ apiece, that's an impressive 4% (or more) return on your day-to-day spending.
Why we like it:
- 2X miles on everything: There's no need to keep track of bonus categories for everyday purchases.
- Valuable travel perks: Cardholders receive a $300 annual Capital One Travel credit, Priority Pass™ Select lounge membership, Hertz President's Circle elite status, and unlimited access to Capital One Lounges and Capital One Landings.
- 10,000 anniversary miles: You'll get 10,000
bonus miles
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 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
How to maximize the Venture X:
Capital One offers several redemption methods, including the option to redeem miles for 1¢ each against any travel purchases made in the past 90 days. However, you'll likely get better value by transferring miles to Capital One's 22 travel partners.
Getting the most from the Capital One Venture X also means making sure its benefits justify the $395 annual fee. You can also earn 2X miles on day-to-day purchases with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which charges a modest $95 annual fee. It provides a couple of benefits, like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement every four years and Hertz Five Star status.
- Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus a limited-time $300 Capital One Travel stays credit
- 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
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
However, even for occasional travelers, the Capital One Venture X is the better option, provided you can fully utilize the travel credit and bonus miles each year. If so, this card easily pays for itself.
Related: Capital One Venture X full review
Best No-Annual-Fee Card for Everyday Purchases: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
For those who would rather earn cash rewards, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (Rates & Fees) is an excellent choice.
Why we like it:
- Unlimited 2% cash rewards: You'll earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on all your purchases.
- No annual fee: You won't pay any yearly fee to keep this card.
- Cell phone protection: The Active Cash Card also offers a few ancillary benefits, including up to $600 of cell phone protection, subject to a $25 deductible.
Other benefits are light, as expected from a no-annual-fee credit card.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $100 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7
Visa - Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
How to maximize the Active Cash:
This card works best when you pair it with a points-earning credit card like the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card or Wells Fargo Autograph Journey® Card. That way, you can convert your cash rewards into Wells Fargo Rewards points, which unlocks access to Wells Fargo's 10 airline and hotel transfer partners. If not, your earnings are limited to 1¢ apiece.
Pairing the Active Cash Card and the Wells Fargo Autograph could be quite lucrative — you'd earn 3X on travel, restaurants, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans, then 2X on all other eligible purchases, and you won't pay any annual fees.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
- Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
- $0 annual fee.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR thereafter.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- 3x on travel – including airfare, hotels, car rentals, timeshares, cruises, and more
- 3x on transit – including parking, tolls, subways, ride shares, railways, ferries, and more
- 3x on dining – including dining in, take-out, catering, delivery and more
- 3x at gas stations – including gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations
- 3x on phone plans – including landline providers and cell phones
- 3x on streaming services
- 1x on other purchases
Related: Active Cash Card full review
Best Card for Everyday Spending and Bonus Categories: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card was built for those who want the best of both worlds. Typically, cards that are lucrative for everyday earnings don't offer additional bonus earning categories.
Why we like it:
- Solid everyday earning: You'll earn 1.5X ThankYou® Points on all purchases.
- Lucrative bonus categories: You'll also earn 3X points at restaurants (6X points at restaurants during Citi Nights), 12X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel, and 6X points on airfare booked through Citi Travel.
- Valuable annual credits: You'll get up to $300 off hotel stays of two nights or more booked through Citi Travel each year, up to $200 in annual Splurge Credits, and up to $200 in annual Blacklane credits.
- Admirals Club access: You'll also receive four Admirals Club® Lounge Access Passes, which is perfect if you regularly fly with
American Airlines
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
How to maximize the Citi Strata Elite:
While 1.5X on day-to-day purchases isn't quite as good as cards that offer 2X, the opportunity to earn up to 6X on dining could make up for it for some people. Plus,
The $595 annual fee might seem a bit daunting, but maximizing the card's available credits can help offset that cost.
Related: Citi Strata Elite full review
Best Card for Everyday Spending for Renters: Bilt Palladium Card
The Bilt Palladium Card (Rates & Fees) is remarkably similar to the Capital One Venture X.
Why we like it:
- 2X points on everyday purchases: You'll earn a flat 2X Bilt Points on your everyday purchases.
- Bonus earning opportunities: You can also earn more points by engaging with the Bilt ecosystem — earn up to 5X when dining at Bilt partner restaurants, up to 4X on flights and hotels booked on the Bilt Travel Portal, and 4X after linking your Bilt and Lyft accounts.
- Double points on Rent Day: On Rent Day (the 1st of the month), you'll earn double points. That means you can earn 4X points on all your purchases every 1st, up to 1,000 bonus points.
- Annual credits: Cardholders can also take advantage of a $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit, applied twice a year in $200 statement credits, and $200 of Bilt Cash each year. These two benefits help justify the $495 annual fee.
- Earn points on housing payments with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
Note: Bilt Cash expires at the end of each calendar year. Up to $100 of Bilt Cash earned rolls over to the next year.
How to maximize the Bilt Palladium:
The real reason to consider the Palladium Card over other 2X cards is Bilt's transfer partners. If you want access to as many transfer partners as possible, including some unique options like Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, you'll need a Bilt card. And obviously, the opportunity to earn transferable rewards on rent and mortgage payments doesn't hurt, either.
Related: Palladium Card full review
Best Everyday Spending Card for Leveraging Your Savings: Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card is an underrated card in the world of points and miles. That's because it offers one of the highest ongoing cash-back rates on everyday purchases of almost any card available: 2.625% cash back on everyday purchases.
Why we like it:
- Strong everyday earning: It earns unlimited 1.5% on all purchases.
- Even higher earning potential: Eligible BofA Rewards members can boost their rewards by up to 75%.
- No annual fee: The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Card doesn't charge an annual fee, making it an affordable card to keep in your wallet.
How to maximize the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards:
So how do we jump from 1.5% to 2.625%? Holding assets with Bank of America.
The bank provides additional
That might be out of reach for many travelers, but you can still get a 50% earnings boost by qualifying for Preferred Honors — which requires a much more reasonable $100,000 three-month combined average. That boosts your everyday cashback earnings to 2.25%.
If you already bank with Bank of America, you should consider the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Card as a lucrative option.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
Related: Bank of America Unlimited Cash Card full review
Best Everyday Purchase Card To Complement Another: Citi Double Cash® Card
The Citi Double Cash® Card provides a solid return on every purchase with no annual fee.
Why we like it:
- 2% back on every purchase: You'll earn 1% cash back at purchase and another 1% at payment.
- Flexible ThankYou Points: The cash back is earned as Citi ThankYou Points, which you can cash out at 1¢ apiece or transfer to Citi's 21 transfer partners.
- No annual fee: You won't pay an annual fee to keep the Citi Double Cash in your wallet.
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.
- 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. - Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.24% - 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- 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).
- 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.
How to maximize the Citi Double Cash:
Citi takes a tiered approach to transfer partners, so no-annual-fee cards like the Citi Double Cash transfer at reduced ratios. However, if you pair it with a premium ThankYou Point-earning card like the Citi Strata Premier® Card, you can transfer at the highest ratios.
This makes the Citi Double Cash the most effective sidekick in credit card rewards.
Related: Citi Double Cash full review
Best Airline Card: Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card
How would you like to earn 3X points or miles on all your everyday spending? With the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card, that's possible — you just need to spend time outside the U.S.
Why we like it:
- 3X points on foreign purchases: You'll earn 3X points on eligible foreign purchases, making this an especially lucrative everyday card when you're traveling abroad.
- 3X points on dining and eligible airline purchases: You'll earn 3X Atmos Rewards points on dining and on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases.
- Valuable travel perks: You'll receive a 25,000-point Global Companion Award on every account anniversary, eight Alaska Lounge passes every calendar year, a $50 Instant Travel Delay Credit for flight cancellations or departure delays of 2 hours, waived fees for same-day confirmed Alaska flight changes, and more.
- 3X points on eligible dining, foreign transactions, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
- 1X point on all other purchases
- 10% points bonus with an eligible Bank of America® account
How to maximize the Atmos Rewards Summit:
If you're a digital nomad or you frequently take international vacations, you'll get the most from this card by using it for your spending abroad, where you'll earn 3X points on eligible foreign purchases.
Of course, the drawback is that you're earning airline miles, so there are only so many ways you can use your points. However, Atmos Rewards is one of our favorite
Related: Atmos Summit Visa Card full review
Best Business Credit Card for Everyday Purchases: Capital One Venture Business
Capital One has an impressive lineup of business credit cards, but the new Capital One Venture Business is the perfect everyday card for small business owners.
Why we like it:
- 2X miles on everyday business spending: In exchange for a moderate $95, you'll be able to earn 2X Capital One miles on all of your business spending.
- Useful annual credits: You'll also enjoy a $50 annual travel credit for booking through Capital One Business Travel and a $50 annual credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: You'll get up to $120 in credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years.
- Earn a one-time welcome bonus of 100,000 miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app
- 5X miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked via Capital One Business Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on other eligible purchases
How to maximize the Venture Business:
Capital One does no-frills cards better than just about anyone, and the Venture Business Card is no exception. To get the most from the card, use it as a catch-all for business purchases that don't earn bonus rewards on another card while taking advantage of its annual credits.
Related: Venture Business Card full review
How To Choose the Best Card for Everyday Purchases
To make a long story short, the best card for everyday purchases depends on your current travel goals. Here are a few things to consider:
Decide what type of rewards you want to earn
- Flexible points: If you plan to transfer flexible points to airlines for premium cabin award travel, Capital One miles or Citi ThankYou Points will get you there much faster than earning cash back.
- Cash back or fixed-value rewards: On the other hand, if you’re banking fixed-value points or cash back for miscellaneous travel expenses, cards like the Bank of America Unlimited Cash 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.
Consider your experience with points and miles
Card choice also depends on your experience level in the points and miles world.
- Experienced award travelers familiar with flexible award currencies can regularly leverage points for higher value.
- Beginners may achieve better returns on everyday purchases with a flat 2% cash-back card than a card earning flexible points.
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 personal hotel cards like the
Hilton Honors American Express - Niche cards like the Apple Card. If you're an Apple user, the Apple Card gives you 2% cash back every time you use Apple Pay to make a purchase. That's great, but there are no ways to maximize your return, and if you don't use Apple products, you're out of luck.
Final Thoughts
The best card for everyday purchases depends on your current travel goals — where you want to go, how you’re going to get there, and where you're going to stay. There are plenty of cards that earn more than 1 point or mile per $1 spent (or more than 1% cash back) on everyday purchases, but only you can decide if you'd rather earn Bilt Points, Capital One miles, or a different currency.
However, we consider the Capital One Venture X an ideal option for most consumers, since it earns 2X miles on day-to-day purchases and offers plenty of benefits to help justify the annual fee.
$395
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 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
- 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.
$495Rates & Fees
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
Page Contents
- Our Pick: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Best No-Annual-Fee Card for Everyday Purchases: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- Best Card for Everyday Spending and Bonus Categories: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- Best Card for Everyday Spending for Renters: Bilt Palladium Card
- Best Everyday Spending Card for Leveraging Your Savings: Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
- Best Everyday Purchase Card To Complement Another: Citi Double Cash® Card
- Best Airline Card: Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card
- Best Business Credit Card for Everyday Purchases: Capital One Venture Business
- How To Choose the Best Card for Everyday Purchases
- Cards That Almost Made the List
- Final Thoughts
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Bilt Palladium Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees)
