Best credit cards for holiday shopping

Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. When it comes to holiday spending, the intro 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months could be just what you need. After the intro, the APR becomes RegAPR. Remember to account for the balance transfer fee: BalanceTransferFees

The Rewards: Unlimited 1% percent cash back on purchases and 1% cash back as you pay for those purchases (just be sure you're paying at least the minimum amount due each month, on time, to earn your rewards). Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• By offering 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back on purchase payments, the this card offers an incentive to pay off holiday bills more quickly.
• If you need to transfer a balance, as a new cardholder, you won't pay any interest for 18 months so long as you make timely payments (after 18 months, the APR goes to RegAPR).
• This card is a good option to get unlimited cash back (and at a healthy rate) without any annual fee.

CONS:

• Although there is an 18-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers, that offer doesn't apply to purchases.
• While the 2% total cash back offered by this card is good, you could get more by selecting a card that offers bonus rewards in tiered or rotating categories.
• You may want to use another card if you are traveling abroad over the holiday season. This card charges a foreign transaction fee and doesn't come with travel perks such as trip interruption insurance.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

The Rewards: Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining; and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• No matter where you shop this holiday season, you'll earn at least 1.5% cash back. That's not bad for everything from gifts to New Year's Eve dresses.
• Dining out more this holiday season than cooking at home? You're sure to appreciate 4.5% cash back at restaurants (including takeout!).
• You also get 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers for 15 months after account opening (then, RegAPR), which can help you to save money on interest payments.

CONS:

• There are a lot of categories to keep up with here. Sure, you'll earn at least 1.5% cash back on all your purchases, but if you're someone who really likes to think about the card they're using, this one will certainly add a lot of thinking to the mix.
• There are foreign transaction fees to consider, so it's best to have another card option for your trips abroad.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Rewards: Earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• If you plan to travel during the holiday season, the welcome bonus can go a long way towards your travel plans.
• The card also has extensive travel perks, including bonus rewards on travel and dining, baggage delay insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and the option to transfer points to other travel loyalty programs.
• Gifts purchased with this card may be protected by its extended warranty and purchase protection benefits.

CONS:

• There is a AnnualFees annual fee which is reasonable for a travel rewards credit card but may be off-putting to some.
• The extra rewards earning categories are nice, but the base earning is just one point per $1 spent on most things. If you really want to maximize points earning, you'll want to combine this card with one or two others in the Ultimate Rewards family.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: Earn a $200 online cash bonus after you use your card to make at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of card membership.

The Rewards: Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice - now with expanded categories, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishings purchases. Bank of America Preferred Rewards clients can earn 25%-75% more cash back on each purchase depending on your tier (Preferred Rewards tiers are based on average three-month balances across eligible accounts).

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• Earning 3% cash back in any category on a no-annual-fee card is a decent rate, but when you can choose the category in which you earn that, it's even better.
• The "online shopping" category is extremely broad. It means that everything from Amazon purchases to holiday party dresses could earn you 3% cash back (up to the $2,500 quarterly cap, obviously).
• Take advantage of IntroAPRRate as well as on balance transfers made in the first 60 days (After the intro offer ends, RegAPR will apply). A 3% intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open; after that the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.

CONS:

• You can only change your 3% category once per calendar month, so this card does require some planning to truly maximize your cash-back earning.
• Since you earn 3% and 2% on the choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases only up to $2,500 spent quarterly, it makes sense to ONLY use this card for your 3% spending as that means you'll earn more. That's great, but again, requires some planning and strategy.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus:Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within the first six months.

The Rewards: Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1% after that) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit such as taxis, parking, tolls, train fares and more; and 1% on other purchases.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• The card offers an intro APR of 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. This can give you time to pay off holiday purchases without accruing any interest charges. After the intro period, a RegAPR APR applies.
• Online shoppers may find they save on shipping thanks to the complimentary ShopRunner membership that comes with this card. It offers free 2-day shipping at more than 100 online stores. (Enrollment required.)

CONS:

• While this card offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, don't assume you can stock up on gifts from Target and Walmart and get this higher cash back amount. These retailers aren't considered supermarkets by American Express so you'll only get 1% cash back for purchases made there.
• This card charges a AnnualFees Maxing out your spending in the 6% supermarket category alone will net you $360, so more than enough to offset the fee. Still, just make sure the card isn't costing you money – you should ALWAYS be able to offset an annual fee with your rewards, perks and features.
• If you're traveling overseas for the holidays, be aware you'll pay foreign transaction fees on purchases made in foreign currency.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.

The Rewards: Earn 5X the points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), as well as on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com. Earn one point per $1 spent on other purchases.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Other Perks: There are a number of credits and reimbursement opportunities with this card including up to $200 annually in Uber Cash for U.S. rides each month or Uber Eats orders as well as up to $200 credit for airline incidental fees annually with a pre-selected airline. The bottom line is that there are numerous opportunities to more than offset the annual fee here, if you use your card wisely and take advantage of all it has to offer Terms Apply. Enrollment required for select benefits.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• You won't find many cards that are more rewarding than this one. This luxury card offers a long list of benefits as well as the opportunity to earn travel reward points.
• Travel benefits include airport lounge access and complimentary gold status in the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs.
• There's also a statement credit opportunity of $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card. Additionally, receive up to $199 annually for your CLEAR® Plus membership application fee (subject to auto-renewal).
• Enrollment required for select benefits.

CONS:

• The card's AnnualFees annual fee will put it out of reach for some people. It also means that you need to do some serious budget and lifestyle searching to ensure it's the right card for your wallet before you apply.
• While cardholders receive five points per $1 spent on airfare and hotels, you'll need to book through Amex or directly with an airline to receive them.
• New cardholders can receive a bonus of 80,000 Membership Rewards points, but there is a relatively steep spending requirement to earn them. The welcome offer only goes to those who spend $8,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Intro APR Offer: You could also think about the money you're saving on interest as a kind of bonus. Save with an intro 21 months 0% APR on balance transfers from date of first transfer (and made within the first four months) and 12 months 0% APR on purchases from date of account opening.

Ongoing APR: RegAPR

Balance Transfer Fee: BalanceTransferFees

The Rewards: There aren't ongoing rewards to consider, but remember that awesome introductory APR is the prize.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• With no annual fee and a stellar intro 0% APR offer, this card is a winner for people looking to save on interest.
• New cardholders enjoy a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and 21 months on balance transfers, great benefits for those who need time to pay off their holiday spending. After the intro period, a RegAPR APR kicks in.
• Cardholders receive special access to tickets and other entertainment through Citi Entertainment®

CONS:

• This card lacks the bells and whistles of other cards such as extended warranty protection and travel benefits.
• You won't earn any rewards or cash back with this card either.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

PROS:

• It's rare that a secured card offers the opportunity to earn rewards, let alone the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus. This card checks both those boxes.
• Feel free to take this card along when you travel abroad as it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.
• Discover will review your account starting at seven months to see whether you're eligible to transition to an unsecured card and receive your security deposit back.

CONS:

• To establish your initial line of credit you need to provide at least a $200 security deposit. That could be a high bar to meet for some people.
• There aren't a lot of additional bells and whistles with this card, which isn't surprising for a secured card, but is something to keep in mind.
• The ongoing APR is quite high, so make sure you are able to pay off whatever you charge to the card every month.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.