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The right card will pay you back handsomely on your day-to-day purchases.
An everyday credit card rewards you for purchases you make regularly like on gas and groceries. But your savings will differ depending on your card’s annual fee, reward rate and your spending habits.
Our pick for the best everyday credit card
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
$200 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 3 months.
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) - that means spending $60 a week at U.S. supermarkets could earn over $180 back per year.
3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. 1% cash back on other purchases.
Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017.
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.
This is an excellent card to use for all of your day-to-day purchases. If you pay your balance in full every month, the Citi® Double Cash Card is the top no-annual-fee cashback product on the market.
Rewards: 1% cash back on all purchases and another 1% as you pay for them. If you consistently pay your balance in full, the Citi® Double Cash Card offers solid cash back.
Intro APR: 0% on balance transfers for 18 months following your account opening, and 15.74% to 25.74% variable after that. Citi offers a balance transfer intro APR from time to time, and an excellent one at that. This intro APR is one of the best you’ll find.
Annual fee: None.
Balance transfers only within the first four months of card membership. Any transfers after that time will come with a 15.74% to 25.74% variable APR.
Penalty APR. Citi may apply a 29.99% variable penalty APR to all of your balances if you make a late or returned payment.
Best for groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
$200 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 3 months.
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) - that means spending $60 a week at U.S. supermarkets could earn over $180 back per year.
3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. 1% cash back on other purchases.
Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017.
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.
Rewards: Up to 6% cash back. Earn 6% cash back at US supermarkets. For this rewards rate, there’s a $6,000-per-calendar-year spending cap. After you reach it, you’ll earn 1% cash back in this category. Earn 3% cash back at US gas stations and 1% cash back on other purchases.
Welcome offer: $200 back after you spend $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of card membership. If you qualify, you’ll receive this welcome offer in the form of statement credit.
Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months following your account opening, and 15.24% to 26.24% variable after that. This is a solid intro APR, and you’ll like that you get it for both purchases and balance transfers.
Annual fee: $95. Calculate the rewards you might earn over your card year to see if they offset the card’s annual fee.
Penalty APR. Amex may apply a 29.99% variable penalty APR to all of your balances if you make a late or returned payment.
Best for gas: PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
0% APR promo balance transfer rate for 12 months now through March 31, 2019. After that, the APR for the unpaid balance and any new balance transfers will be 11.74% to 17.99%
$100 bonus after spending $1,500 in purchase transactions within the first 90 days of account opening
Among general-rewards cards, the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers the highest rewards rate on gas when you buy at the pump.
Rewards: Up to 5x points. Earn 5x points when you buy gas at the pump. Earn 3x points on groceries and 1x points on all other purchases.
Signup bonus: $100 statement credit. To earn this bonus, spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 90 days of card membership.
Promotional APR: 0% on balance transfers for 12 months following your account opening. After the promotional period is up, your APR will revert to 11.74% to 17.99% variable.
Annual fee: None.
Below-average signup bonus. You need to spend more than average to get this bonus. Also, many other no-annual-fee cards offer bonuses worth $150.
This is the card for foodies and socialites, offering a market-leading cashback rate on dining. Unlike its main competitor, the Uber Visa Card also doesn’t charge an annual fee.
Rewards: Up to 4% cash back. On dining — including restaurants, takeout, bars and UberEATS — you’ll earn 4% back. On hotel and airfare purchases, you’ll earn 3% back. Earn 2% back for online purchases and 1% back on all other purchases.
Signup bonus: $100 after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 90 days of card membership.
Annual fee: None.
$50 subscription credit. After you spend $5,000 or more on your card per card year, you’ll earn up to $50 in statement credit for online subscription services.
Below-average signup bonus. Many other no-annual-fee cards offer bonuses worth $150. Still, the Uber Visa Card’s bonus has a relatively low spending requirement.
Best for flat-rate travel rewards: Venture® from Capital One®
The Venture® from Capital One® offers a strong and consistent rewards rate on all purchases. And you’ll get tremendous value from the card when you travel, with 10x miles for eligible stays you book through Hotels.com.
Rewards: 2x miles on every purchase. This strong base rate rewards you on all purchases.
Hotel rewards: 10x miles when you book eligible stays through Hotels.com. The best rewards rate on hotels you’ll find with any credit card.
Signup bonus: 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of card membership. This is an excellent signup bonus, worth $750 in travel statement credit.
Annual fee: Waived for your first card year, then $95. The annual fee is waived for your first card year, but costs $95 after that.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. Every four years, you’re eligible for a statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
Annual fee: $95 starting your second card year. This is a standard annual fee for a mid-tier travel card.
High spending requirement for the signup bonus. You’ll need to spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of your account opening to qualify for the signup bonus.
How to compare everyday credit cards
Think about your spending. The beauty of rewards cards is each one offers a different rewards structure. One card might offer elevated rewards for your favorite categories, while another might not fit your spending at all. Take stock of how you spend and find a card that rewards you for your budget. Without changing your spending, you can get paid back daily in the form of cash back, points or miles.
Annual fee. This is a great starting point to compare cards. Most cards come with either no annual fee or an ongoing annual fee of around $95. Premium cards typically go for $450 a year. Decide if an annual fee will be worth using the card.
Signup bonus. A signup bonus can give you a quick burst of rewards and cover your card’s annual fee several times over. Consider whether you can meet the spending requirement before the signup-bonus window closes.
Intro APR. An intro APR can be useful if you want to make a big purchase now and pay it off over time without accruing interest. Make a plan to pay off your purchases before it expires. With rewards cards, it’s wise to pay off your balance in full each month. That’s because interest might offset the value of your rewards.
Bottom line
An effective everyday credit card is one that rewards you for your day-to-day spending. Consider your budget and find a product that offers elevated rewards for your top categories.
This depends on your spending. If you spend relatively evenly throughout many categories, a flat-rate-rewards card might be a good choice. If your spending is concentrated in a few categories, you might earn great rewards from a tiered-rewards card. Consider the annual fee you’ll pay and see how it’ll affect your rewards.
If you want simpler rewards, lean toward a cashback card. Typically, your redemption options are statement credit or a deposit to your bank account.
Travel cards tend to be more complicated, but they can offer more valuable and versatile rewards. Redemption options often include hotel stays, flights, statement credit, cash back, gift cards and merchandise.
If you want a card with rewards, you’ll typically need a good to excellent score to qualify.
Kevin Chen is a world-travelin', copy-writin', Game of Thrones-watchin' credit cards writer for finder.com. When he's not crunching the numbers on bonus points and comparing APRs, you can find him flying around the world in search of the perfect beer.
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