Best credit cards for retail purchases

  Credit Card Reference

Make sure to read the tips and general advice in our Optimize Rewards by Using Different Cards for Different Purchases guide.

Not many credit cards offer bonus rewards on all the stuff that you buy from stores—clothing, electronics, household goods, etc., as compared to cards that earn bonus rewards on travel, restaurants, groceries, and gas.

Because each of these cards works with a somewhat different set of stores, ambitious readers can take advantage of multiple cards. A good place to start is the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve card for mobile wallet purchases, the Citi AT&T Access card for online shopping purchases, and/or the Blue Cash Preferred card for department store shopping (as well as groceries).

If you like to shop at Target, don’t forget about their DEBIT card. It will earn you 5% back, and because it is a debit card, it isn’t competing with other credit cards for a spot on your credit report.

Jump to

• Best options
• Rewards at Amazon.com
• purchase protectionss
• Adding rotating category cards to the mix
• Rewards at office supply stores with small business credit cards
• Additional options for sporting good stores
• Store-specific cards

Best options

Only a few credit cards earn bonus rewards on purchases from stores. Unfortunately, most of these cards don’t come with “price protection” (which reimburses the difference in price, if you find a cheaper price in the first few months after making a purchase) or “return protection” (which refunds your purchase if a store won’t accept a return). If you feel that these benefits are valuable, you’ll want to use a card that provides these benefits (like the AT&T Access Card, Freedom Unlimited Card, PayPal Cashback Credit Card, or Citi Double Cash Card), at least for purchases where you feel you are more likely to take advantage of these benefits. Automatic Protection for the Things You Buy with Your Credit Card

Altitude Reserve Guide	The Altitude Reserve card earns a high reward rate at any store where you can use a mobile wallet. It earns 3x Altitude Reserve points, worth 4.5 cents per dollar, with any business that takes mobile wallet payments—in store, in app, or online. You can use it with a variety of online and brick & mortar retailers. And if you have Samsung Pay, you can use it any store that has a swipe machine. The card also gives you 12 Gogo inflight internet passes per year, limited access to airport lounges, a good reward rate on travel purchases, and several other benefits. $400 annual fee, but an automatic $325 travel credit brings the effective cost down to $75/year.
BOA Cash Rewards Guide	The Bank of America Cash Rewards card can earn 3-5.25% back on online shopping. This card is a pick your own category card, where one of the best options is "Online Shopping". The regular rate is 3%, but if you are status in their BOA's Preferred Rewards program, you can boost the rate as high as 5.25%. Unfortunately it is capped at $2,500 in bonus category spending each quarter, and the online shopping category competes with the card's other available categories. No annual fee.
Morgan Stanley Credit Card Webpage	If you can get it, the Morgan Stanley Amex card earns good rewards at select department stores. It earns 2x Membership Rewards points, valued at 3 cents per dollar, for purchases made at about a dozen of the largest departments stores. It is also a decent card for airfare and restaurants rewards. Comes with return protection, but not price protection. No annual fee, but you need to have a Morgan Stanley account to get this card.
AT&T Access Card Guide	The Citi AT&T Access card can increase your reward rate for anything you buy online. It earns 2x ThankYou Points on purchase made at online retailers.. And if you have the Citi Prestige or Premier cards, you can transfer your points to airline partners, increasing the value to 3 cents per dollar. You don’t need to be an AT&T customer to get this card, but if you are, you’ll also get 2x points on your AT&T purchases and charges. No annual fee. You can no longer upgrade this card to the discontinued AT&T Access More card.
Amex Blue Webpage	Until August, everyone can use the Blue Cash Preferred for bonus category rewards at department stores. It earns 3% back at about a dozen of the largest department stores, but this benefits is being eliminated on July 31st, 2019. This is also one of the best cards for gas and grocery store purchases (earning 6% back for your first $6,000/year at US Supermarkets, and 3% back at US gas stations). Comes with return protection, but not price protection. $95 annual fee.
U.S. Bank Cash+ Guide	The U.S. Bank Cash+ card can provide bonus rewards for different categories of stores. It earns 5% back on up to $2,000 of purchases per quarter on two categories of your choice. Some of the good “shopping” options include: “select” clothing stores (about a dozen big chains), electronic stores, sporting goods stores, department stores (not including discount stores), and furniture stores. You can switch every quarter, so you could get back 5% on furniture purchases in a quarter that you are planning to buy a sofa, then 5% on electronics purchases in a quarter where you are buying an iPad. The maximum benefit from this card works out to $100/quarter. No annual fee.
VantageWest Connect Credit Card Guide	The Vantage West Connect card can expand your “select a category” bonus rewards. This card works like the U.S. Bank Cash+ card (above), except that you only choose one category, and the quarterly cap is $1,500. Shopping options include department stores, hardware and home improvement stores, pharmacies and drug stores, or wholesale stores. If you get both cards, you can choose a total of three categories every quarter. No annual fee.
Huntington Voice Credit Card Guide	The Huntington Voice card is another option that works like the Cash+ and Vantage Connect cards. With this card, you can choose a single category to get 3% (not 5%) back on up to $2,000 of purchases per quarter. Comes with price protection, but not return protection. No annual fee. The business version is even better, as it earns 4% back on up to $7,000 of purchases per quarter.
Synovus Travel Rewards Card Webpage	The Synovus Travel and Cashback cards are other cards that works like the Cash+ card. Each card lets you choose one category per quarter where you'll earn 3x points on up to $3,000 of purchases per quarter. The Cashback card has no annual fee. The Travel card has a $50 annual fee, but gives you a 20% rebate when you use your points for travel purchases, increasing the cash-back rate to 3.6%, and gives you a 6% reward rate on your first $5,000 of travel purchases each year. You need to have an account at one of Synovus’ Banks in the Southeast US to get these cards.

Rewards at Amazon.com

For many people, an ever-increasing amount of their spending occurs at Amazon.com. You can earn a lot of extra reward points with a card that earns good bonus rewards on your Amazon purchases.

Since Amazon gift cards are so widely available and can be immediately added to your Amazon account balance, they are another option for earning rewards from your Amazon purchases. Purchase Amazon gift cards at stores where you are earning good bonus reward rates from other cards, such as grocery stores or office supply stores. Then use them, instead of a credit card, for your Amazon purchases.

Amazon Credit Card Guide	The Amazon Prime Rewards card offers the highest reward rate on Amazon purchases. It earns 5% back, with no annual fee. You’ll get a $70 Amazon gift card as a signup bonus, with no initial spending requirement. And you'll also get 5% back at Whole Foods. Amazon also has a “Prime Store Card” that earns 5%, but it is a less attractive option for most people. The Prime card is a “merchant card” that can only be used at Amazon, instead of a Visa card that can be used elsewhere, and is missing some of the extra Visa benefits. It also only offers a $40 signup bonus, requires a Prime Membership, and charges an extra high APR if you run a balance.
AT&T Access Card Guide	The AT&T access card earns lower rewards at Amazon, but earn bonus rewards at every other online retailer as well. You’ll get 2x Thank You Points, valued at over 3 cents per dollar, for purchase made at any online retailer, including Amazon. You don’t need to be an AT&T customer to get this card. No annual fee.
VantageWest Connect Credit Card Guide	You can use the Vantage West Connect card to get 5% back at Amazon, but it is better to use it for one of its other categories. Amazon is one of this card's category choices for 5% cash back, However, if you want to optimize your rewards, you are better off choosing one of this card’s other categories, and getting a different card for Amazon spending. In addition, the amount you can earn on this card is capped every quarter.

Purchase protections

Most credit cards provide some protections for the things that you buy with the card. But you don’t get the same protection benefits from every card. When choosing which card to use for the stuff you buy in stores, you may want to be sure to select a card that offers particularly good protection benefits, especially one that offers price and return protection, which aren't typically available from many cards. It can even be worth earning a slightly lower reward rate, or paying a slightly higher annual fee, to use a card that has these benefits.

See more details about protection benefits in our Automatic Protection for the Things You Buy with Your Credit Card guide.

• Extended warranty coverage. Almost every credit card provides extended warranty coverage, but they don’t always mention it on their marketing pages.

Citibank offers the best warranty coverage, adding two years to the end of your existing warranty term. Most Chase and Visa Signature cards will add a single year of coverage. American Express cards, will double the initial warranty, for up to two additional years. And most Mastercards will double the initial warranty, for up to one additional year.

• Protection for stolen or damaged items (purchase protection). Most credit cards also provide coverage for items that are stolen or broken, within the first three to four months. However, credit card coverage is normally “secondary” to your homeowner’s, renter’s, or auto policies. You’ll need to file a claim with your own insurance first, and the credit card company will only step-in to cover any leftover expenses. If you are worried about your insurance rates going up, as a result of filing small claims for damaged items, you won’t be able to take advantage of this credit card benefit. Coverage is roughly similar across all cards.
• Price protection. Some cards will reimburse the price difference, if something you buy drops in price, or is available elsewhere more cheaply, during the first two to three months after you buy it. You could even take advantage of this benefit to purchase a product at a more convenient location, while essentially locking-in a lower price available elsewhere.

Price protection is available for nearly all Citibank and some cards from other banks. American Express, Chase, Discover, and U.S. Bank don’t provide this benefit, and it isn’t available on most Bank of America cards.

• Return Protection. Some credit cards will provide a refund if the merchant won’t take a recent purchase back. You can return the item to the credit card company instead, for a refund of up to $250-300. Using this benefit is especially useful if you are thinking you might have to return an item you want to buy, and the store doesn’t have a good return policy.

Return protection is available on all American Express and Citibank cards, and some cards from other banks. Chase, Bank of America, Discover, and U.S. Bank credit cards don’t provide this benefit.

Adding rotating category cards to the mix

You can increase your reward earning even further by taking advantage of “rotating category” cards. Every quarter, these cards offer a different set of bonus categories. Unlike the US Bank Cash+, Vantage West Connect, Huntington Voice, and Synovus cards described above, you don’t get to pick the category that matches your plans. Instead, the credit card company announces the bonus categories for each quarter, and you need to plan around their schedule.

Given the caps on earnings for each of these cards; the good reward earning rates you may already have for some of the categories, the likelihood that you won’t be able to take full advantage of the available categories every quarter, and the added hassle of tracking all of this, we generally don’t recommend that many people bother with these cards.

However, you can’t beat the 5% cash back rate. So, if you are willing to spend the extra effort, and you love the feeling of earning a fantastic reward rate, you should get one or more of these cards. Most of us have at least one.  For more information about how to maximize these cards, see Earn 5-10% in Rewards with Rotating Category Cards

Freedom Flex Card Guide	The Chase Freedom card earns 5x Ultimate Rewards points on up to $1,500 per quarter on a set of changing categories. Assuming you have a Chase Sapphire (or Ink Preferred) card, you can transfer the points to airline and hotel partners, to get a value of 8.5 cents per dollar. Comes with price and return protection. No annual fee.
Discover it Card Guide	The Discover It card earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 per quarter. New card holders get double the rewards for the first year, giving you a 10% reward rate. Doesn't offer price and return protection, or even an extended warranty. No annual fee.
Citi Dividend Guide	Citibank Dividend card. Earns 5% cashback on a rotating set of categories. Bonus rewards are capped at $300 per year—it doesn't have separate caps for each quarter. You can no longer sign up for this card, but you can convert to it from another Citibank card. Converting to a Citi Dividend card is a great option for any Citibank card you no longer want. No annual fee.
Nusenda Reward Card Guide	The Nusenda Credit Union Platinum Rewards card earns 5 points on up to $1,500 per quarter, just like the Discover It card, but doesn’t have a first-year bonus. Offers price protection, but not return protection. No annual fee.
ABOC Platinum Rewards Card Webpage	The ABOC Platinum Rewards card earn 5x points on up to $1,500 per quarter. $150 signup bonus ($1,200 initial spend). No annual fee.

Rewards at office supply stores with small business credit cards

Several small business credit cards earn bonus rewards at office supply stores, and on telecommunication services. If you have even the smallest business, you can get one of these cards, but you’ll have to make your own decision about whether you want to use it for personal shopping. Unlock Extra Reward Points with Business Credit Cards.

Ink Cash Guide	The Chase Ink Cash card earns 5x Ultimate Reward points, valued at 7.5 cents per dollar, on your first $25,000 in office supply store or telecom service spending. It is the current king of office supply store cards. You’ll also earn 2x Ultimate Reward points on gas and restaurants, making it the only card (personal or business) that earns bonus Ultimate Reward points on gas. No annual fee.
Amex SimplyCash Business Card Guide	The Amex SimplyCash Plus Business card earns 5% cash back, on your first $50,000 in office supply and wireless telephone service spending. It also earns 3% cash back on your choice of one of eight additional business-oriented spending categories. No annual fee.
Altitude Reserve Guide	The Altitude Reserve card is a personal card that earn 4.5%, whenever you can pay with a mobile wallet, like Apple Pay (and on any travel purchase). Office Depot, Office Max, and Staples all accept mobile wallet payments; and if you have Samsung Pay, you should be able to use it at any credit card swipe machine. The card also comes with 12 Gogo inflight Wi-Fi passes, 4 free visits to an airport lounge, and some other benefits. $400 annual fee, but comes with an automatic $325 travel credit that reduces the effective cost to $75.
First National Bank Business Edition Guide	The First National Bank Business Category card earns 5% cash-back on your first $25,000 of business expenses, including office supply stores, telecom services, computer equipment, utilities, advertising services, and even a variety of professional services. No annual fee.

An additional option for sporting good stores

The Ducks Unlimited credit card earns 5% cash back at sporting good stores (and gas stations). No annual fee.

Ducks Unlimited Credit Card Webpage

Store-specific cards

Some of the largest stores have their own “merchant cards”.  These aren’t Visa, Mastercard, or American Express cards that you can use at any of millions of businesses, but rather a credit card that you can only use at the affiliated store(s).

In general, we don’t recommend getting any of these cards. They require a credit pull, just like any other credit card. If you are going to apply for a new card, you are usually better off getting a card that has a great signup bonus, a valuable perk, or a great rewards rate for an entire category of spending, rather than a card that just has benefits at a single merchant. 

However, if you spend a lot with a particular merchant, it might be worthwhile. This is just a sampling of the many merchant cards that are available, but it includes many of the more attractive candidates.

• Target Cards. 5% off, plus better free shipping benefits, and extended return privileges. The interesting thing with Target, is that you can get the same benefits from either their debit or credit card. So, if you get the debit card version, there is no impact to your credit report, and you’ll still get all the same benefits. Card website.
• Lowe’s card. 5% off. Can be a good option for gift cards, or if you have a major renovation project. Card website.
• Macy’s card. Assuming you are spending $1,200 per year or more, you’ll get 12 “Star Pass Mailings” per year, which usually include four coupons, such as $10 off a $30 purchase, or 20%-off clothes and regularly-priced items.  Plus, if you pay a one-time fee of $25, you’ll get 10% cash-back on some, but not all purchases. Card website.
• Gap card. 5% back at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta., and 10% back at Gap on Tuesdays. This one really is a Visa, not a merchant card.  If you earn 5,000 points in a year ($1,000 in purchases or less), you’ll get a 20% points bonus, free online shipping with no minimum, free basic alterations at Banana Republic, and a “choose your own sale day” during the following year. Card website.
• TJX Mastercard. 5% back at T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Home Goods, and Sierra Trading Post, plus 10% off your first online purchase. This is a Mastercard, not a merchant card, but you would still only use it at the associated stores. Card website.
• Walmart Credit card.  3% back. Plus 10% off your order when you first sign-up for the card.  Card website.

Credit Cards 101

Optimize Rewards by Using Different Cards for Different Purchases

Credit Cards that Offer Bonus Rewards on Less Common Categories

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