The Best Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping December 2023

Our experts answer readers’ credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Chase Freedom Flex℠, Citi® Double Cash Card, U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be over, but the holiday shopping season is still in full swing. Now’s the time to maximize earning opportunities for cash back or travel rewards on gifts and groceries. 

The best credit card for shopping will depend on the type of rewards you like to earn, as well as any card-linked discounts or offers available to you. If you’re buying something large or expensive such as a kitchen appliance or a new TV, make sure your credit card also offers valuable benefits such as extended warranty and purchase protection.

Best Credit Card for Shopping Comparison

Chase Freedom Flex℠

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is an excellent pick if you want to earn bonus cash back (in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points) across a wide variety of categories. Cardholders can earn 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards points) on up to $1,500 spent in combined purchases (then 1%) in certain bonus categories each quarter of the year after activation.

For Q4 2023 from October 1 through December 31, the Chase Freedom Flex℠  bonus categories are PayPal, select charities and wholesale clubs such as Sam’s Club or Costco. All of these categories are excellent for Black Friday and Cyber Monday spend, especially since many popular online retailers accept PayPal. The card also earns 5% back on travel booked through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstores, and 1% back on all other purchases.

New cardholders also get 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then 20.49% – 29.24% Variable APR. So if you need time to pay off your holiday purchases, this card can save you on interest.

Review: Chase Freedom Flex℠ review

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express 

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a solid choice if you prefer cash back over travel rewards. Whether you’re stocking up on holiday groceries or picking up gifts for your foodie friends at U.S. supermarkets, you’ll earn 6% back on up to $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each year, then 1% after that.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express cardholders also earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services; 3% back on U.S. gas stations and transit; and 1% back on all other eligible purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of Rewards Dollars which can be redeemed as a statement credit. 

Review: Blue Cash Preferred Card review

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card 

The no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases and offers 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months from account opening, followed by a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR.

Some perks you’ll get with this card include cell phone protection, roadside dispatch, travel and emergency assistance services, and Visa Signature benefits. 

Review: Wells Fargo Active Cash card review

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card 

The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card can get you a consistent 5% return on rewards if you frequently shop at office supply stores. This card earns 5% cash back at office supply stores and on Internet, cable, and phone services, on the first $25,000 you spend each year. You’ll also earn 1% cash back on everything else.

This card also offers a high welcome bonus right now of $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, worth $1,620. Coupled with a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months followed by a 18.49% – 24.49% Variable, this card packs a lot of buying power into your wallet, all for a $0 annual fee. 

Review: Ink Business Cash Card review

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium travel credit card that earns 2 Capital One miles per dollar on most purchases. Those points are worth at least 1 cent each toward travel — but you can get more out of them if you try.  

This card offers 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and comes with benefits that blow all other cards on this list out of the water, including: 

Personal Finance Insider estimates Capital One miles are worth an average of 1.7 cents each when you transfer them to airline and hotel partners like Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, Wyndham, and more. If you agree with our valuations, earning 2 miles per dollar is equivalent to a 3.4% return per dollar spent on pretty much anything — a generous amount by any standard. 

Review: Capital One Venture X Rewards card review

Prime Visa

The Prime Visa is a solid choice if you want a credit card that offers a bonus on Amazon purchases. This card offers a welcome bonus of a $100 Amazon gift card (or more) instantly upon approval as a Prime member and doesn’t come with an annual fee.

Cardholders earn 5% cash back on Amazon, Whole Foods, and Chase Travel Portal purchases with a Prime Membership when your card is loaded to your eligible Amazon account. (If you don’t link your card to an Amazon account with a Prime membership, you’ll only earn 3% back on these purchases.) The Prime Visa also earns 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and on local transit and commuting including rideshares such as Uber and Lyft. Finally, you’ll earn 1% back on all other purchases.

The Prime Visa is a Visa Signature card, so it also comes with substantial benefits including extended warranty, purchase protection, and car rental insurance.

Review: Amazon Prime Visa Card Review

Citi® Double Cash Card

If you’d rather not keep track of different bonus categories and prefer simplicity, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a great choice. You’ll earn 2% cash back (1% when you buy, and 1% when you pay) on all purchases, so it’s ideal for purchases that don’t fall into typical bonus categories.

That said, a very similar card you might also want to consider is the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. Like the Citi® Double Cash Card, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases, for no annual fee. If you’re having a hard time deciding which card to choose, go with the card issuer you already have a relationship with.

Review: Citi Double Cash Card review

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is well-optimized for Costco customers and earns cash back at the following rates:

• 4% cash back on eligible gas and electric vehicle charging worldwide on up to $7,000 in spending each year (then 1%)
• 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases worldwide
• 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
• 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases

Earning 4% back at gas stations and on electric vehicle charges is just about as good as it gets. You don’t have to fill up at Costco to get this return rate; you can earn 4% anywhere as long as you pay with this card. A 3% return is also respectable for restaurants and travel purchases, but you can do better (as we’ll see in a bit).

Aside from the card’s return rates, its only real benefits are purchase protection and that it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi comes with a $0 annual fee, so it’s free to keep forever. The card does not come with a sign-up bonus at this time, though Costco customers have found themselves occasionally being targeted for an intro offer by inquiring at a Costco warehouse.

Review: Costco Anywhere Visa Card review

Picking up a new credit card can help you earn a big bonus and more rewards on all your holiday shopping this year, but there are more ways to maximize your spending. Here’s everything you should look for if you’re searching for the best credit card for online shopping:

Purchase protection and extended warranty

All the credit cards we’ve listed are great for big purchases. But the best ones offer the right type of rewards and a selection of perks you can use. Make sure to check whether your credit card comes with consumer benefits like purchase protection and extended warranties.

Purchase protection can replace or repair an item that is damaged or stolen within a specific length of time, usually up to 90 days. Meanwhile, a credit card that offers extended warranties can add an additional year of warranty protection or longer on TVs, computers and similar big-ticket items that come with a manufacturer’s warranty.

Cards at every price point offer purchase protection and extended warranty, from the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex℠ to the premium The Platinum Card® from American Express with a $695 annual fee. Some credit cards come with an annual or lifetime cap on reimbursement, so make sure you haven’t maxed out your claim allowance before making a big purchase.

High rewards earning rate

Make sure to consider credit cards that offer the most rewards in categories you can use this year. Cards that offer bonus points for department store purchases and grocery store purchases often work best for the holiday season.

Not all purchases will be eligible for bonus rewards, and in those cases you’ll want a card that earns more than 1% back on non-bonus spending. The Citi Double Cash Card (up to 2% back — 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay) and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (1.5% back on non-bonus purchases) are good options in this situation.

Welcome bonus

Cards that offer a sign-up bonus will leave you with a more generous rewards haul after the holiday season is over — making this period before the holidays an ideal time to apply and maximize your spending. Just make sure you can comfortably meet the minimum spending requirement in time. Check out our roundup of the best credit card welcome offers available now to see if anything catches your eye.

0% intro APR offers

We always recommend consumers avoid carrying a credit card balance if possible. But if you need to float a balance for a set amount of time, check the best 0% APR credit card offers to do so without incurring interest. Of course, you should make a plan to pay off your balance before the introductory period ends to avoid steep interest charges. The Chase Freedom Flex, for example, boasts 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, followed by a 20.49% – 29.24% Variable APR.

Use an online shopping portal

Whenever you shop online, it’s worth taking a few extra seconds to go through an online shopping portal before making a purchase to see if there are opportunities to earn additional rewards. These bonuses will stack on top of the earnings from your rewards credit card.

Airlines and credit card issuers, along with a handful of hotel brands, operate shopping portals that award you bonus loyalty points in their respective programs when you click through from the portal to a retailer’s website.

Once you’ve decided which shopping portal you want to use, make sure you’re logged into your associated loyalty program account, then find the retailer in the portal and click through. This is an easy way to maximize credit card purchases that might otherwise only earn you 1 point per dollar or 1% cash back.

Take advantage of bonus categories and special offers

Make sure you’re maximizing any bonus categories your card offers, including ones that offer 5% back in rotating categories. These bonus points can add up in a hurry and leave you with a lot more rewards after the holidays have passed.

If you have an American Express card or a Chase card, you could save extra money on your online purchases. Many offers are targeted specifically to your account, and you need to make your purchase with the credit card tied to a given deal to earn the special bonus.

Amex Offers** are limited-time deals available to cardholders that allow you to earn Amex Membership Rewards points when you make purchases with popular retailers. You can frequently get $10 to $50 back through Amex Offers when you spend money at specific online stores or stay in a participating brand of hotels within a limited timeframe.

Chase Offers work similarly. If you have a Chase card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, log into your account and see what offers are available. Click on any offers you want to use to add them to your account, then use the corresponding Chase card to complete your purchase. Currently, Chase Offers are limited to cash back — for instance, 5% back at McDonald’s or Dell.