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One of the easiest ways of increasing your monthly haul of points and miles is picking the right credit card for each purchase. Not only will you earn more points in the short-term, knowing which rewards card nets the best returns in each spending category can direct your long-term card application strategy, allowing you to fill your wallet with top-earning cards and maximize the rewards earned on every purchase.
That said, the key takeaway with any best-of list of rewards cards is the best card to swipe for any given purchase is subjective and determined by your travel goals and the cards you keep in your wallet.
The Top-Earning Credit Cards for Each Bonus Category
We’ve included a summary of our top picks for each bonus category, with links to deep-dive posts that cover the topic in full.
- Best Credit Cards for Supermarkets & Groceries – Whether you’re chasing transferrable points or cash back, Amex has the groceries category all wrapped up. At the top of the table, the American Express® Gold Card offers 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X).
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
Annual Fee$325
Welcome Offer
As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
The American Express® Gold Card stands out for its robust rewards, especially for food enthusiasts. It offers 4X points on dining worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, then 1X) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1X), and 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®. Cardholders can take advantage of multiple annual dining credits at select locations and up to $120 in Uber Cash credits for U.S. rides and Uber Eats (received as $10 monthly credits), just add your American Express® Gold Card to your account in the Uber app and select it as the payment method. Enrollment required for select American Express benefits.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
- Best Rewards Cards for Travel Purchases – While Citi has made a strong case for itself with the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, we still give the revamped Chase Sapphire Reserve® an edge in this category thanks to the higher earning rate on airfare purchases — both through the portal and direct with airlines. Plus, Chase includes the broadest definition of which purchases code as travel.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Annual Fee$795
Welcome Bonus
Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase's flagship Ultimate Rewards card. You get a $300 travel credit, airport lounge access courtesy of a Priority Pass membership and industry-leading travel insurance benefits. New cardholders earn 125,000 bonus points bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
- Best Rewards Cards for Dining & Restaurants – Once again, the Amex Gold shines with 4X points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per year, then 1X). Plus, cardmembers get up to $100 in Resy credits and up to $120 in dining credits — plus up to $120 in Uber Cash that can be used through Uber Eats. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Amex Disclosure: To receive $10 monthly credits (up to $120 per year) in Uber Cash, you must add the American Express® Gold Card to your Uber account and select it as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction.
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
Annual Fee$325
Welcome Offer
As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
The American Express® Gold Card stands out for its robust rewards, especially for food enthusiasts. It offers 4X points on dining worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, then 1X) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1X), and 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®. Cardholders can take advantage of multiple annual dining credits at select locations and up to $120 in Uber Cash credits for U.S. rides and Uber Eats (received as $10 monthly credits), just add your American Express® Gold Card to your account in the Uber app and select it as the payment method. Enrollment required for select American Express benefits.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
- Best Credit Cards for Gas & Fuel – Find yourself paying a premium for fuel at the pump? Make sure you’re getting the best return on Gas with the Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees) which earns a solid Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations.
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
The Citi Strata Premier® Card offers some of the best earning rates of any rewards card with an annual fee under $100. This card offers excellent rewards on an unusually generous list of earning categories, including air travel, hotels, car rentals, groceries, and dining—and it tops our list of the best cards for gas & fuel purchases.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases.
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Best Credit Cards for Office Supplies & Mobile Phone Services – An easy category to decide, Chase small business cards are runaway winners for office supplies and phone services. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees) earns 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards) on the first $25K on combined office supply stores; internet, cable, and phone expenses.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Annual Fee$0
Welcome Bonus
Earn $750 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.
Features a $750 cash back signup bonus, and you earn 5% cash back on a select range of business expenses on the first $25,000 spent each year.
- Earn $750 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening
- Earn 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
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Earn 5% total cash back on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 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
- 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn
- Best Credit Cards to Pay for Advertising and Shipping – A 3x bonus category on the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, if you max the $150K spending limit on combined purchases each year, you can earn up to 450,000 Ultimate Rewards!
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Offer
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The most valuable Ultimate Rewards signup bonus on offer and our top pick for small business rewards cards. Business owners earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn up to 450,000 points per year on a wide range of 3X bonus categories.
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
- Best Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases – Making gravy on bonus categories is all very well and good, but if you’re earning just 1 point per dollar or 1% on non-bonus spend, you’re missing out on pockets full of points! A 2% cash back card like the Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees) should be the benchmark for everyday spend.
Citi Double Cash® Card
Citi Double Cash® Card
Annual Fee$0
Welcome Offer
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.
The Citi Double Cash is a dynamic, no-annual-fee cash-back rewards card that allows you to earn 2% traditional cash back, or convert your rewards to ThankYou Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio (2x ThankYou points per $1). When paired with a premium ThankYou Rewards earning card, the Citi Double Cash is now the best card available for everyday, non-bonus purchases.
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.
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 17.74% - 27.74%, 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.
Unsure how many points or miles your card earns for each purchase? Be sure to check our handy guide covering credit card earning rates.
Final Thoughts
Extract the maximum return (points, cash or miles) from every purchase, and you’ll quickly build a substantial balance of travel rewards to splurge on your next award booking. When you’re not working on a welcome bonus or spending threshold bonus, you should have a shortlist of cards you use for each bonus category, to ensure you get the maximum return from every dollar you spend.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees)
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The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Oops, should have said Hilton *Ascend* for 6x on groceries… And for everyday spend, my go-to’s are the Freedom Unlimted along
with the Hitlon Ascend (up to $15k, which earns a free weekend night cert).
Anyone knows if it is possible to get the american airlines credit card (and earn miles) with an italian bank? thanks
Since I prefer travel points to cash back, I like the 6x that the Hilton Aspire Card for grocery spend, and the CSR for its 3x travel and dining, although the Hilton Aspire card does come out sometimes to pay for meals and travel arrangements with its 7x earning in those categories.
Is it true I cannot get bonus points for Chase Sapphire Reserve if I already have another chase Sapphire Preferred? In which case, which premium card would be best for me? I heard maybe American Express.
If you currently hold a Sapphire Preferred you will not be approved for the Sapphire Reserve. You may be eligible to convert your card, but you wouldn’t receive any bonus with that conversion. https://awardwallet.com/blog/updated-terms-approvals-signup-bonuses-sapphire-credit-cards/
Which premium card would be best depends solely on how you plan on earning (what your spend looks like) and what your intended redemptions (goals) are. Simply stating an American Express card would be best (or any card for that matter) without understanding your circumstances better would do you an injustice.
I’ve got to look into the everyday amex card. it just might help me on a trip. They do have some nice transfer partners.
Bank of America Premium Rewards gives 2 points on travel and dining and 1.5 points on all other purchases.
Best of all, BOA Platinum Rewards customers get 75% more points, which works out to 3.5x on travel and dining,
and 2.625x on all other purchases. You also get $100 yearly travel credit for airline incidental fees, and a $100 Global
Entry or TSA Pre-check credit every 4 years.
You should add credit card balance tracking to the app 😀
as in how much you owe?
Bank of America Cash Rewards card pays 3.5% on groceries and 5.25% on gas if you qualify for Platinum Honors. Penfed’s Platinum Rewards Visa Signature provides 5 points per dollar for gas purchases. While the redemption value has been devalued from the previous 5000 points=a $50 gift card, it is still the highest reward value I know without the BOA Platinum Honors, having a Sams Club membership, or some other special requirement or rotating catagory.
I still use my old AMEX Blue card and get 5% on gas and groceries. That card, however, is no longer offered by AMEX.
My next standby is my Citi Costco which gets me 3% at restaurants and 2% at Costco. All cash back… no points.
+1 for the Costco card. Combined with Business Executive membership, the Costco Business Visa card earns 4% on most items purchased at Costco (which for many members includes groceries) as well as 4% on gas at Costco and at many other gas stations. At other gas stations, the AARP Visa earns 3% cash back.
For dining/drinking/travel, my go-to card is CSR.
I use the Sam’s Club Master Card for Gas. It pays 5% cash back on Gas purchases from any gas retailer, not just Sam’s Club (although not at other warehouse clubs like Costco). It also pays 3% cash back on dining and travel. The down side is that the rewards are only paid out once a year and you can only cash the check at Sam’s club (You can use the check for merchandise or go the service desk and get cash).
I prefer the Ink Business Cash for the 2x back on gas station and fuel purchases.
What about online website spending like GoDaddy? Does that count as the advertising category?
No. Not even close!
City National Bank Crystal Visa provides 3 points per $1 for groceries, restaurants and travel. Also gives priority pass for holder plus others. When redeeming, 1.2 analog for flights.
Here’s my list of cards in categories where I differ. They result mostly because I like the certainty of actual cash-back percentages rather than “so-and-so points are valued at x cents”. Give me cash, any day, and preferably without annual fees.
1. Air travel: Penfed Amex Travel (now unfortunately no longer offered, being subsumed by the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards) – 5 points for air travel, with each point valued at 0.85 cents (I don’t go for the extra valuation by buying airline tickets, I just get the Amazon gift cards of different denominations, which is cash enough for me). Effective cashback: 4.25%
2. Travel (other than airfare): the above PenFed Pathfinder Rewards, 4 points. Effective cashback: 3.4%
3. Dining: Uber card, 4%
4. Gas: PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa, 5 points, effective 4.25%. Its effective 2.55% on groceries is OK, but not category-beating. I would rather go with…
5. All else: Alliant Credit Union Signature Visa, 3% first year with no annual fee, 2.5% thereafter with $59 fee. The only card with a fee that I can condone.
(All the above have no international transaction fees).
6. Revolving 5% with Discover and Chase Freedom.
^^^ AWESOME STRATEGY. The thoughtfulness and approach you put in to maximize your cash back is fantastic. The best part is that it works for you. Cash is king — keep building those bank account balances 🙂
I would think that the Chase Freedom Unlimited and/or the United MileagePlus Club card should also be in the “Best for Everyday Spend” category since they both earn 1.5 point per dollar (and that can be valued at above 2 % depending on how you value UR and/or MileagePlus miles.
Thank you for this write up. I tend to forget all these cards bonus categories even though I have a note in my wallet of each card’s categories.
Wondering are the Ink Business cards subject to the 4/24 month rule?
All Chase Ink cards are subject to the 5/24 rule.
Ah – OK – thanks Howie!
The link to the Amex everyday card says that the card is no longer available. Is that right?
The card is indeed still available – just not through the AwardWallet Blog. You’ll need to visit Amex’s site directly.
Thank you for the explanations and strategy options.