The best credit card to use in each category is examined in our guide to credit card bonus categories. Credit card bonus categories can change frequently, so here is a look at the best earning rates in the year 2022. The best cards to use for that type of transaction will be highlighted. This helps you earn the most points and miles possible by taking what you earn and dividing it by the number of transactions.
Quarterly bonus categories are rotating.
There are some credit cards that have rotating bonus categories. There are bonus categories for July-September 2022.
Chase Freedom Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited, and Chase Freedom Flex are 5% off purchases at grocery stores and on eBay.
5% off purchases online at fitness clubs, grocery stores, and gym memberships with the Discover It Cash Back Credit Card.
5% back on up to $1500 in purchases on Amazon and select streaming services with the Citi Dividend.
US Bank Cash+ is a program where you can earn 5% on up to $2000 in spend, then 2% after.
TV, internet and streaming services, Home utilities, clothing stores, Cell phone providers, Electronics stores, Gyms/fitness, Fast food, Ground transportation, sporting goods, Department stores, Furniture stores, Movie theaters
Online shopping on Amazon.
Amex offers can help you earn points or get statement credits. The following cards can earn the most points.
5% cash back on all Amazon purchases is available with the Amazon Prime rewards Visa card.
5% cash back on the first $2,000 of spend in your 2 preferred categories is available through the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa.
2% cash back on all purchases is offered by Citi.
American Express Blue Business Plus has 2X Membership Reward on all purchases.
Buying gift cards from office supply stores is a great way to earn extra points when shopping online. The same idea works for grocery store cards.
Airfare and flights.
Travel-related items earn elevated rewards for many cards. These are the best options for flights.
The Platinum Card from American Express has 5X Membership Reward on flights booked directly with the airline.
The card has 5X ThankYou Points.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category.
3X Ultimate rewards is associated with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Cell phone bills.
Some credit cards earn extra points when you pay your phone bill.
5% cash back on phone services is included with the Chase Ink Business Cash card.
5% cash back on the first $2,000 of spend in your 2 preferred categories is offered by the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa.
The business card from the Wyndham rewards group has 5X points.
3X Ultimate rewards on phone services are included on the Chase Ink Business Preferred card.
3% cash back on phone expenses is available from the U.S. Bank Triple Cash.
Cruises.
Multiple cruise line companies have their own credit cards. These tend to give a low return on your spending. Consider these cards instead.
The Platinum Card from American Express has 5X Membership Reward on cruises booked through AmexTravel.com.
5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category each month, up to $500 of spend.
The American Express Green Card has 3X Membership rewards.
3X ThankYou Points is what the Citi Prestige Card has.
3X Ultimate rewards are offered by Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Business preferred.
It is entertainment.
Credit card bonus categories can include entertainment. Extra points and cash back are offered by these cards.
5% cash back on the first $2,000 of spend in your 2 preferred categories, movie theaters, is offered by the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa.
5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category each month, up to $500 of spend.
Capital One Savor rewards card gives 4% cash back on purchases.
The Capital One SavorOne rewards card has 3% cash back.
The U.S. Bank Business Edge Select rewards card has a 3X bonus on travel and entertainment.
Food can be delivered.
There are multiple cards that offer perks. You can use your American Express Platinum Card to get monthly credits for the ride-sharing service. The American Express Gold Card has a $10 monthly credit for Seamless. DashPass membership from the Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you free delivery on DoorDash orders. $5 in credits is provided for all Postmates orders greater than $25.
The best cards for earning maximum points on food delivery purchases are listed here.
The card has 5X ThankYou Points.
If it codes as a restaurant, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category each month.
The American Express Gold Card has 4X Membership rewards.
The Capital One Savor rewards card has 4% cash back.
3X Ultimate rewards is associated with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
3X Ultimate rewards is a Chase reward.
There are gas stations.
The best credit cards to use at gas stations are listed here.
The business card from the Wyndham rewards group has 8X points.
The PenFed Platinum rewards Visa signature card has 5X points.
5% cash back on the first $2,000 of monthly spend at gas stations is available on the business credit card.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category.
4% cash back on gas worldwide, including at Costco, is included in the personal version of the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card.
The American Express Business Gold Card has a cap of $150,000 of gas per year.
The Citi premier card has 3X ThankYou points.
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card has 3X points.
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred has 3% cash back.
A grocery store.
Multiple banks and credit card issuers have temporary bonus categories on grocery. These cards earn the highest points for shopping at supermarkets.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category.
The American Express Gold Card has 4X Membership Reward at U.S. supermarkets.
3X ThankYou Points are on the Citi premier card.
Gym memberships.
You can earn extra points when you pay for your gym membership with the following cards.
5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category each month, up to $500 of spenda
5% cash back on the first $2,000 of spend in your 2 preferred categories is included in the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa.
2x on fitness club memberships with the Chase World of Hyatt Card.
Home improvement
These cards can be used to earn extra points at home improvement stores.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category.
5% cash back at Lowe's is offered by the Lowe's Business rewards card.
The Bank of America Cash rewards credit card gives 3% cash back on your purchases, which can be used at home improvement stores and contractors doing work on your home.
There are hotels.
The most points will be earned by using the credit card of the hotel chain. If you don't have a card for that brand, the following are good options.
The Platinum Card from American Express gives you 5X Membership Reward on hotels booked through AmexTravel.com.
Capital One Venture earns 5X on hotels booked through CapitalOneTravel.com.
You can earn 5X on hotels booked through the Altitude Reserve Center in your member portal.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category.
3X Ultimate rewards on hotels are available with Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Business Preferred.
4th night free on hotels with the Citi Prestige Card.
There are mobile payments.
It's more and more common to use tap-to-pay or mobile wallet. This is a credit card bonus category for certain cards.
The U.S. Bank has an Altitude Reserve.
2% back on all Apple Pay purchases is included with the Apple Card, but only if you use it for Apple Pay purchases.
Most credit cards recognize the merchant regardless of tap-to-pay or mobile wallet, even though these are credit card bonus categories. Paying at a restaurant is usually code for a restaurant. You could still use a restaurant bonus card to get bonus points.
Office supplies and school supplies.
Bonus points can be earned when you shop at places like Target or Office Max.
5% cash back at office supply stores is included with the Chase Ink Business Cash card.
5% cash back on purchases at Target with the Target RedCard Debit or Target RedCard Credit Card.
5% cash back on the first $2,000 of monthly spend on office supplies is available on the SunTrust Business Credit Card.
Drug stores.
This is for stand-alone pharmacies. Pharmacy codes are typically used for stores located inside other stores. Use these cards to increase your points.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category.
The Bank of America Cash rewards credit card gives 3% cash back on your purchases.
Chase Freedom Flex offers 3% cash back and Ultimate rewards on pharmacy and drug store purchases.
2% cash back on all drug stores and pharmacy purchases with the Amazon Prime rewards Visa card.
There are cars for rent.
Credit card bonus categories for earning the most points, as well as rental car perks, should be considered. Rental car insurance can be found with the rental agency. The cards rank highest in terms of points earning.
Capital One Venture earns 5X on cars reserved and paid for.
You can earn 5X on rental cars booked through the Altitude Reserve Center in your member portal.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category, up to $500 of spend.
3X Ultimate rewards are offered by Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Business preferred.
The American Express Green Card has 3X Membership rewards.
The Citi premier card has 3X ThankYou points.
There are restaurants.
Enroll in dining programs for extra points, and then use the credit card bonus categories to get more points.
Extra points and miles can be earned by using some food delivery apps as restaurants.
You can ride shares.
Before committing to set it and forget for the card in your profile, check how you get charged after the first use. Make sure it is coding correctly to get the most points.
Chase Reserve has 10X Ultimate rewards on various apps.
Chase Sapphire Preferred has 5X Ultimate rewards on Lyft and 2X on others.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category, up to $500 of spend.
The American Express Green Card has 3X Membership rewards.
The Citi premier card has 3X ThankYou points.
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card has 3X points.
There are streaming services.
We listed temporary/rotating credit card bonus categories. Several cards are giving away perks for streaming services. Credit cards that earn bonus points on a daily basis are in this category.
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred has a cash back.
5% cash back on the first $2,000 of spend in your 2 preferred categories is offered by the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category.
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card has 3X points.
The Chase United Quest Card has 2X points.
US Bank Altitude Connect gives a $30 annual credit for spend on streaming services.
Travel and transportation.
We are including points earned from items that are not considered travel in this category.
Each month, you can get 5X ThankYou Points in your top spend category.
3X points on purchases with the Expedia rewards card from Citi.
The U.S. Bank has a Altitude Reserve.
3X Ultimate rewards on all travel with Chase.
The American Express Green Card has 3X Membership Reward on tours, campgrounds, travel purchases on third party travel websites, and travel purchases on amextravel.com. 3X is earned on trains, taxis, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
3% cash back on transit is included in the American Express Blue Cash Preferred.
3X points on transit and home stays are included on the Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card.
Bills and utilities.
Paying your electricity bill can earn you points and miles.
5% cash back on the first $2,000 of spend in your 2 preferred categories is offered by the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa.
The business card from the Wyndham rewards group has 5X points.
5% cash back on internet services is included with the Chase Ink Business Cash card.
3X Ultimate rewards on internet and cable services are included on the Chase Ink Business Preferred card.
3X points on the Voice Credit Card from Huntington are available in your preferred category.
The Warehouse Clubs.
Sam's Club and other warehouse clubs are places where you can buy items in bulk and need a membership to do so. Not many cards have a bonus category here all year, even if they have a rotating category. These stores will not count asgrocery stores for bonus points. The best cards for warehouse clubs are here.
2% cash back is available on purchases made at the store or online with the personal version of the card.
2% cash back on all purchases is offered by Citi.
American Express Blue Business Plus has 2X Membership Reward on all purchases.
2% cash back at wholesale clubs on the Bank of America Cash rewards credit card, on up to $2,500 across all bonus categories.
Visa cards are only accepted in person at Costco. Mastercard can be accepted online.
Credit card bonus categories
Extra points can be earned for daily spending with the credit card bonus categories. If you use the right credit card, you can earn points for what you already spend. You can stack your purchases through shopping portals if the purchases are online.
Let us know if you discover any new categories. As perks and benefits on cards change or as new credit card bonus categories are announced later in the year, we will keep this updated.
Disclosure: CardRatings is a partner of Miles to Memories. Card issuers may give a commission to Miles to Memories and Card Ratings.
Capital One Venture X is 100K.
Capital One Venture X is a new premium card. Venture Miles are earned with1:1 transfer partners and 2X everywhere. You can get 100,000 miles after spending $10K in the first 6 months.
There are additional card benefits.
Priority Pass, access to Capital One lounges, premium protections, and President's Circle status.
Capital One Travel has a 10K bonus on account anniversary.
10X on hotels and rental cars and 5X on flights booked through Capital One Travel.
This card has features that you can learn more about.
The opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations are the author's alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
