Tuesday, November 5, 2024

These are the best credit cards for Walmart shopping – The Points Guy

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Frequent Walmart shoppers know how much value the retail giant offers. In addition to getting great prices on everything from groceries and household goods to clothing and electronics, you can earn cash back and other benefits when you shop at Walmart using various rewards credit cards.

In this post, we explore the best rewards credit cards for Walmart spending and show you how to combine those cards with online shopping portals to further boost your earnings.

The best credit cards for Walmart shopping

The following six rewards cards are currently the best options for Walmart purchases thanks to earning bonuses and statement credits:

The information for the Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard and the U.S Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Rewards at Walmart: The Amex Platinum offers up to $155 in statement credits annually (up to 12.95 plus taxes and fees on one membership fee) toward the monthly cost of Walmart+, a membership program that provides free grocery delivery (on orders of $35 or more), free shipping, discounts on gas, free access to Paramount+ and more. (Plus Ups are excluded; subject to auto-renewal.)

The membership normally costs $12.95 monthly, plus any local sales tax,, so the Amex Platinum statement credits equate to a complimentary membership. Enrollment is still required.

Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees)

THE POINTS GUY

Current welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Because TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, we estimate this welcome offer to be worth $1,600 in travel.

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Standout perks: This card is also loaded with the following annual statement credits:

Note that enrollment is required for select benefits.

Read our Amex Platinum review to learn more.


Apply: The Platinum Card from American Express


Related: The ultimate guide to saving money with Amex Offers

Chase Freedom Flex

Rewards at Walmart: The Chase Freedom Flex and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® offer rotating 5% bonus categories each calendar quarter you active (up to $1,500 in purchases). For the past four years during Q4, Walmart or wholesale clubs have been included in this rotating category.

Based on previous history, it is reasonable to suspect that we will see it in Q4 in future years.

Annual fee: $0

THE POINTS GUY

Current welcome offer: Receive $200 cash back (20,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Standout perks: This no-annual-fee card offers cellphone protection when you use it to pay your monthly bill. You’ll receive $800 in coverage per claim for theft or damage (up to two claims and up to $1,000 total in a 12-month period). You may have to pay a $50 deductible, which is significantly lower than other cards offering phone protection.

Read our review of the Chase Freedom Flex to learn more.


Apply: Chase Freedom Flex


Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Rewards at Walmart: The Capital One Venture Rewards card offers an unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, including at Walmart — a great option if you prefer a low-annual-fee card without many bells and whistles.

Annual fee: $95 (see rates and fees)

THE POINTS GUY

Current welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Standout perks: Aside from receiving an unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, you’ll earn an unlimited 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, plus no foreign transaction fees and up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Read our review of the Capital One Venture Rewards to learn more.


Apply: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card


Capital One Walmart Rewards Card

Rewards at Walmart: Perhaps the best option for Walmart loyalists, this card offers 5% cash back at Walmart.com, including pickup and delivery, and 2% cash back in Walmart stores and gas stations, at restaurants and on travel.

Annual fee: $0

THE POINTS GUY

Current welcome offer: Receive 5% cash back in Walmart stores for the first 12 months after approval when you use your card with Walmart Pay.

Standout perks: Aside from its bonus categories, this card offers limited perks, meaning you’ll have to spend a lot of time (and money) at Walmart to get a solid return.

Related: The best store credit cards

Citi Double Cash Card

Rewards at Walmart: Earn an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases: 1% cash back as you buy and 1% when you pay.

Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees)

THE POINTS GUY

Current welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 within the first six months of account opening. Plus, earn an extra 3% cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel (ends Dec. 31).

Standout perks: Again, you won’t find many additional perks here — although if you’re looking for a simple, no-annual-fee option to boost cash back, the Citi Double Cash is a solid choice.

Read our review of the Citi Double Cash to learn more.


Apply: Citi Double Cash Card


U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card

Rewards at Walmart: Earn 6% cash back at two retailers of your choice, up to $1,500 each quarter. Walmart is an included retailer.

Annual fee: $0 for the first year, then $95

THE POINTS GUY

Current welcome offer: Get a $250 bonus after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.

Standout perks: You can choose two retailers to earn 6% cash back on up to $1,500. Eligible retailers include Amazon, Walmart, Target and Apple. Additionally, earn 3% cash back up to $1,500 in an everyday category of your choosing and 1.5% on all other purchases.

How does a Walmart credit card work?

Except for the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card, none of the cards mentioned in this guide are cobranded Walmart credit cards. However, we consider a Walmart credit card to be any card that allows you to earn bonus rewards or other benefits when you shop in-store or online at Walmart.

For example, the Chase Freedom Flex has included Walmart in its rotating 5% quarterly bonus cash-back categories for several years. Additionally, the Amex Platinum provides cardholders up to $155 in annual statement credits toward a Walmart+ membership (enrollment required), effectively waiving the cost for users.

These are the types of benefits that reward you for being a Walmart shopper.

Related: A guide to the Amex Platinum Walmart+ benefit: The membership that pays for itself

How to choose a credit card for Walmart purchases

When choosing a credit card for Walmart purchases, you will want to consider the bonus earnings categories on the card and whether the card issuer codes Walmart as a discount/warehouse/wholesale store or a grocery store/supermarket/bakery.

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This can make a huge difference as cards with bonus earnings in the grocery category generally put Walmart in the discount stores category, which does not code as grocery. Because of this, you might be better off with a flat-rate cash-back card.

Related: Best grocery credit cards

How to apply for a Walmart credit card

You would follow the same process to apply for a credit card with bonus rewards at Walmart as any other credit card. Before applying, you want to ensure your credit score is within the necessary range and gather any income information needed for the application.

You can apply for popular Walmart credit cards by using the links throughout this article.

Maximizing Walmart credit cards

Shopping portals such as Rakuten can help you save even more money when you shop. Here’s how they work.

When you log in, you receive cash-back offers for specific merchants like Walmart. When you click on an offer that interests you, you are redirected to the merchant’s website. The portal will track your spending and reward you with cash back when it recognizes that you’ve made a purchase.

FG TRADE/GETTY IMAGES

Shopping portals are handy because they allow you to earn rewards from multiple sources. You’ll earn bonus points or cash back from the portal in addition to credit card rewards.

For example, Rakuten usually offers around 2% cash back for every dollar spent in certain categories with Walmart (this could increase or decrease without warning). You could combine this cash back with your credit card bonuses for significant savings.

You can also use a shopping portal aggregator like Cashback Monitor to find high returns.

Related: Quick Points: Supercharge your Rakuten earnings with Amex points

FAQs

What credit score is needed for a Walmart credit card?

You’ll need a good credit score or higher for most cards that earn bonus rewards at Walmart. This means a score of at least 670. It is important to note that you can be approved with lower or higher scores depending on your overall creditworthiness.

Where can I use my Walmart credit card?

Credit cards that earn bonus rewards at Walmart can be used anywhere the cards are accepted.

Can I get cash back on my Walmart credit card?

To earn cash back on your Walmart credit card, you would need a cash-back credit card. Note that some Walmart cards earn reward points instead of cash back.

Can I use my Sam’s Club credit card at Walmart?

If you have a Sam’s Club credit card, you can use it at Walmart and anywhere else Visa credit cards are accepted.

Bottom line

If you frequently shop at Walmart, using one of the above cards can help you save money and maximize bonus earnings. These cards offer a great return at Walmart (though some are restricted to online purchases), but you can earn even more by stacking these returns with an online shopping portal.

Related: Walmart+ launches new travel benefit, offering up to 5% Walmart Cash on your trip purchases

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.

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