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Introduction to the Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping
If you prefer shopping from the comfort of your couch over braving a packed mall, a credit card with enhanced benefits for online shopping can make the experience even more rewarding — in more ways than one.
What Makes a Credit Card Ideal for Online Shopping? Key Features and Benefits
The best credit card for online shopping depends on the type of rewards you like to earn, as well as any card-linked discounts or offers available to you. Some consumers prefer choosing from the best cash-back credit cards for no-fuss earnings, while others prefer focusing on the best travel rewards credit cards for free travel.
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 warranties and purchase protection.
What About Store Credit Cards?
Retail co-branded credit cards are almost always a bad idea because of limited rewards, sky-high interest rates, and several other factors. But there are a few exceptions for store credit card drawbacks, typically mega-retailers like Amazon, Target, and Costco that offer up to 5% cash back on purchases made from their stores or online websites.
Compare the Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping
Best credit card for rotating 5% cash back categories with no annual fee
Chase Freedom Flex®
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
Regular APR
20.49% – 29.24% Variable
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- No annual fee
- Generous bonus cash-back categories
- Great welcome bonus
- Booking through Chase Travel℠ can restrict outside earning potential
- Varying percentages and rotating calendar categories require extra attention
- 3% foreign transaction fees
Best credit card for groceries and streaming services
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Annual Fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers from the date of account opening
Regular APR
19.24% – 29.99% Variable
Earn a $250 statement credit
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- Generous bonus rewards, especially at U.S. supermarkets
- One of a small handful of credit cards that offer bonus rewards on select streaming services
- Intro APR offer
- Unlike many other cash-back cards, it charges an annual fee
- If you spend more than $6,000 at US supermarkets each year, you’ll want to use another card once you reach that cap
Product Details
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
- Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% – 29.99%.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations.
- 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- $84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
- Terms Apply.
Best credit card for flat-rate 2% cash back
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months from account opening
Regular APR
20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable
Earn $200 cash rewards bonus
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- Good welcome bonus for a $0 annual fee card
- Straightforward 2% cash rewards on purchases with no categories to track
- Strong benefits including cell phone protection, Visa Signature perks, and an intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
- If you’ve opened a Wells Fargo card in the past six months, you may not qualify for an additional Wells Fargo credit card
- Foreign transaction fees
Product Details
- Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Best credit card for 2% cash back on travel
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Regular APR
19.99% – 29.99% variable
Recommended Credit
Excellent
- Excellent welcome bonus and miles earning
- Premium perks including airport lounge access and credits for certain purchases
- Visa Infinite benefits including travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Annual travel credits only apply to Capital One Travel purchases
Product Details
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Best credit card for Amazon and Whole Foods purchases
Prime Visa
Regular APR
20.49% – 29.24% Variable
Earn a $200 Amazon gift card
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- 5% cash back at Amazon, Whole Foods, and travel booked through Chase is hard to beat
- Good travel benefits and purchase protections
- No annual fee
- Must be an Amazon Prime member to qualify
- Other cards offer higher cash-back rates on non-Amazon purchases
Product Details
- Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
- Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Prime Card Bonus: Earn 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
- Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
- No annual credit card fee
- No more waiting. Redeem daily rewards at Amazon.com as soon as the next day
- Member FDIC
Best credit card for flat-rate 2% cash back with a long 0% intro APR period
Citi® Double Cash Card
Intro APR
0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months
Regular APR
19.24% – 29.24% Variable
- No annual fee
- Simple earning structure without confusing bonus categories
- Some cards earn higher rates of cash back on rotating categories
- While it has an introductory APR offer, that’s only on balance transfers, not purchases, so you can’t use it to fund a major expense without interest
Best credit card for Costco purchases
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Regular APR
20.49% Variable
Recommended Credit
Excellent
- Generous cash-back categories, especially for gas purchases
- No foreign transaction fee
- You can only receive rewards once per year
- You need to visit a Costco location to redeem rewards for cash back instead of merchandise
Target Circle™️ Credit Card
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- 5% instant discount on most Target purchases
- Exclusive Target benefits including free two-day shipping
- No annual fee
- High APR
Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping in 2024
Best Credit Card for Online Shopping Reviews
Best for Rotating 5% Cash Back Categories: 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 earn 5% on up to $1,500 spent in combined purchases (then 1%) in rotating quarterly bonus categories. They also earn 3 points per dollar on restaurants, takeout, food delivery services, and drug store purchases, as well as 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through the Chase Travel℠ Portal.
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.
Finally, this no-annual-fee card offers a welcome bonus of $200 cash bonus (received as 20,000 bonus points) after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening .
Read More: Chase Freedom Flex® review
Best for Groceries and Streaming Services: 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 or at Amazon.com checkout.
Read More: Blue Cash Preferred Card review
Best for Flat-Rate 2% Cash Back: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
This credit card is as straightforward as it gets. The 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. New cardholders can also earn $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months from account opening.
This card also comes with some pretty generous benefits for a no-annual-fee product: Cellphone protection, roadside dispatch, travel and emergency assistance services, and Visa Signature benefits.
Read More: Wells Fargo Active Cash card review
Best for 2% Cash Back (or More) on Travel: 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.
These rewards are worth at least 1 cent each toward travel, but you can get significantly more value out of them with a little bit of effort. Business 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.
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:
Read More: Capital One Venture X Rewards card review
Best for 2% Cash Back with Long 0% Intro APR: 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.
Read More: Citi Double Cash Card review
Best for Amazon and Whole Foods: Prime Visa
The Prime Visa is a solid choice if you want a . This card offers a welcome bonus of a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members and doesn’t come with an annual fee.
Cardholders earn 5% cash back on Amazon, Whole Foods, and Chase Travel℠ 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.
Read More: Amazon Prime Visa Card Review
Best for Costco Shopping: 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.
Read More: Costco Anywhere Visa Card review
Best for Target Shoppers: Target Circle™️ Credit Card
The Target Circle™️ Credit Card offers an automatic 5% discount for cardholders who shop at Target.com, in Target retail stores, and at Starbucks locations within Target stores. Cardholders also enjoy exclusive benefits such as an additional 30 days for returns, free two-day shipping on many online purchases, and targeted sales and discounts for additional savings.
Read More: Target RedCard 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 listed in this guide offer solid rewards 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 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 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.
Best Credit Card for Online Shopping Frequently Asked Questions
The best credit cards for online shopping offer high rewards on online purchases. They may also offer exclusive discounts, free shipping, special financing options, or other similar benefits. Many cards also come with purchase protection, extended warranties, and other perks that enhance the online shopping experience.
The best cards for online shopping typically offer higher cash back or points on online purchases, making them ideal for frequent online shoppers. They may also offer additional online shopping benefits such as discounts at specific retailers, or no foreign transaction fees.
Potential downsides include annual fees for some cards and the need to use the card primarily for online shopping to maximize rewards. Additionally, some cards may have lower rewards rates for non-online purchases, making them less versatile for everyday spending.
To maximize benefits, use your credit card for all online shopping purchases to take full advantage of the higher rewards rates. Look for cards that offer additional perks like purchase protection and no foreign transaction fees. Pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges.
The best credit cards for online shopping reward you for every dollar you spend, offer no-interest periods so you can pay off big purchases, and protect your purchases if stolen, damaged, or defective. All of the credit cards we reviewed in this guide provide at least one or more of these benefits.
It’s better to use a credit card instead of a debit card when shopping online because credit cards aren’t linked directly to your bank account. This makes fraud prevention significantly easier for banks to track on your behalf. But you’ll need to watch out for overspending, since high credit limits can tempt you to purchase more than you can responsibly afford.
Credit card purchase protection will repair, replace, or reimburse your costs if an eligible product you buy is lost, stolen, broken, or defective within a certain period of time. Most cards and issuers have different criteria for qualification: You may be limited to a certain number of claims or dollar amount per year, or can only claim purchase protection on certain types of purchases.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping
In this day and age, it’s nearly impossible to buy something without using a digital form of payment. Business Insider’s credit cards team evaluated some of the best credit cards for online shopping to help you decide which one is the best fit for your wallet. Some of the criteria we considered include:
Financial protection — Does this credit card protect your money in the event of fraudulent purchases? Will you be reimbursed for damaged purchases and lost or stolen products?
Rewards — If you’re going to spend some money, you might as well be rewarded for it. Does this card offer you some return on your expenditures, whether in the form of cash back or travel rewards?
Read more about how we rate credit cards at Business Insider.