The best credit cards for online shopping let you buy whatever you need from the comfort of your home, allowing you to avoid crowds and save time. These cards can offer substantial bonuses for shopping online or through portals, providing maximum returns on your spending. To find the best card for your needs, consider where and how you shop to see which card will give you the most in return.
Comparing the best credit cards for online shopping
The best credit cards for shopping online let you earn rewards on your spending while providing additional perks. Here are some of our top choices for your online shopping needs.
Card Name | Best for | Highlights | Bankrate Score |
Prime Visa | Amazon.com purchases |
|
4.1 |
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card | Flexibility |
|
4.1 |
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | Everyday spending |
|
4.6 |
Discover it® Cash Back | Rotating categories |
|
4.4 |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Online travel purchases |
|
5.0 |
Instacart Mastercard®* | Online grocery purchases |
|
4.1 |
How to choose the best credit cards for online shopping
Shopping online can cover many categories and rewards, meaning many rewards credit cards can provide different benefits. When searching for the ideal credit card for your online shopping needs, consider these points to help you choose.
- Examine your shopping habits. Figure out which stores or websites you spend the most when shopping online. You can narrow your search to cards offering the most rewards to the merchants and categories you shop most.
- Choose a card with the type of rewards you want to earn. You’ll need to decide whether you want cash back, travel rewards points or benefits and discounts related to specific stores.
- Compare perks and features. See what other benefits the cards you’re considering offer. The welcome offer is a good place to start. Then, examine whether there are any recurring benefits like statement credits, additional perks like trip insurance or high-value transfer partners.
- Decide if paying an annual fee is worth the cost. Evaluate how much the benefits and reward rates of a card with an annual fee are worth and determine whether you can justify the cost. If you use the benefits offered or shop frequently in the elevated bonus categories, you can come out ahead. But you’ll want to revisit this formula regularly to determine whether the ongoing value remains.
Maximizing rewards when shopping online
In addition to choosing the right credit card for online shopping, there are many other ways to maximize your rewards. Consider these options to stack additional points or savings onto your online purchases.
- Shopping portals: Before you shop online, consider going through a shopping portal. You’ll find portals that will earn cash back, airline miles or other rewards that will stack onto your purchase based on your spending. You can earn these rewards in addition to any rewards earned on your credit card. Every website offers different bonuses for shopping through a portal. For example, you might find a site that offers 3 points per dollar spent at a specific site. Sites like Cashback Monitor can help you search and compare which sites offer the highest rewards.
- Card-linked offers: Many credit card issuers have card-linked offers you can activate before shopping at a site or in-store. They usually come with terms like “spend $50, get $10 back” or “earn an extra 3X points per dollar up to $100 spent.” You can utilize these savings or extra points on top of any rewards earned or shopping portals you shop through.
- Loyalty programs: If you frequently shop with a retailer that offers a loyalty program, you should join it. You’ll often get an email coupon for a decent discount when signing up. It’s almost always free to join, and you can get extra incentives like bonus rewards and discounts, milestone rewards or birthday gifts.
Frequently asked questions
What’s next?
Check out these Bankrate tools to match your next card.
The bottom line
The best credit cards for online shopping provide elevated rewards for your online purchases. Some also offer generous welcome bonuses, intro APR offers and other valuable perks and benefits. You can often find additional ways to stack extra rewards on top of these bonus earnings. Plus, you’ll get maximum protection against fraudulent purchases when you shop online with a credit card instead of a debit card. However, it’s essential to remember your spending habits as you look for the card that works best for you.
*The information about the Instacart Mastercard® and Prime Visa have been collected independently by Bankrate. These cards’ details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.