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Best Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping: Earn Rewards on Every Purchase

Best Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping: Earn Rewards on Every Purchase

Compare top-rated cards offering festive rewards, spending flexibility, and financing options.

Written by

January 1, 2026

Holiday shopping can be expensive, but the right credit card helps you earn rewards, save on interest, and stretch your budget while you prep for the season.

Christmas will be here before you know it. Now is a great time to get your holiday shopping done, so you have your gifts ready to put under the tree and can enjoy a relaxing holiday season. When booking travel or paying for your holiday haul, don’t miss out on the opportunity to earn rewards. The right credit card makes it easy to earn rewards while you prepare for Christmas. Ready to earn valuable rewards? Here are a few of the best holiday shopping credit cards and the best holiday travel credit cards.

Key Insights

Use multiple cards strategically for different holiday spending categories to maximize rewards on travel, dining, groceries, and gifts.
Activate or confirm Q4 bonus categories before shopping begins—many cards require manual setup for online shopping or seasonal rewards.
Combine sign-up bonuses with holiday spending to earn $200-300+ in rewards without increasing your budget.
Pay statement balances in full every month to avoid interest charges that negate rewards value.

The Holiday Rewards Playbook: 3-Step Strategy

1. Use the right card for the right purchases

You don't need to apply early to earn. the key to turning everyday spending into cash back rewards is simply putting your holiday purchases on the card that gives you the biggest return.
Example: Booking travel? Use Chase Freedom Unlimited® for 5% back via Chase Travel. Buying gifts online? Use American Express Blue Cash Everyday® or set your Bank of America® category to online shopping before checkout.

2. Activate or confirm your Q4 bonus categories

If your card lets you pick or activate bonus categories (like online shopping, gas, or dining), double check it’s set before you start spending.
Example: If your Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards is still set to “gas” and you’re about to drop $500 on gifts, that’s lost cash back. Set it to “online shopping” first, it takes 30 seconds.

Card	Category / Focus	Max Earning	Activation or Setup Note
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	Travel through Chase, dining, drugstores, everything else	5% on travel, 3% on dining and drugstores, 1.5% flat on everything else	No activation needed
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	Online shopping, groceries, gas	3% on up to $6,000/year per category	Automatically applies, no setup required
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card	Choose your 3% category: online shopping, dining, gas, and more	3% cash back + 3% first-year bonus, 2% on groceries and wholesale clubs	Set your category before Q4 shopping starts
Citi Double Cash® Card	Everything you buy	2% total — 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay it off	No activation or categories to track

3. Redeem Smart: Make your rewards go further

Here's how to squeeze more value out of your cards this season:

Traveling? Use Chase Freedom Unlimited® to earn 5% through Chase Travel. Then move those points to your Chase Sapphire Preferred® and redeem them for 25% more value on travel.
Gift shopping online? Use the Blue Cash Everyday® Card. Spend $1,000 and get $30 back in rewards, no hoops.
Big-ticket purchases? Set your Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards category to “online shopping” before you buy. Spend $2,000 on gifts and earn $60 back for doing nothing extra.

Best Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping 2026

Understanding the types of credit card rewards is key, some cards earn cash back, others earn miles or points. Here are our top picks for the best holiday travel credit cards and holiday shopping credit cards:

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Annual Fee: $0
Welcome Bonus: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Rewards: Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
Caps: None
Intro APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% 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.
Key Protections: Cell phone protection
Drawbacks: No bonus categories

Read full review

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a great card to pull out of your wallet when doing your Christmas shopping. It has no annual fee and earns a flat-rate 2% cash back on all purchases. There are no rotating reward categories or different reward rates to track.

A standout benefit that makes the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card a great holiday credit card is its introductory APR offer - 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% 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. This card perk makes the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card one of the best 0% APR credit cards.

This promotional offer can save you money on interest and give you more time to pay off your purchases. But be sure to pay off your debt before the promotional period ends.

Expert Intel: Credit card and rewards expert, Holly Johnson, shared some features that make this rewards credit card a great pick: “The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a no-brainer for anyone who wants to earn rewards on spending without having to deal with a bunch of program rules or fine print. Not only does it offer 2% cash back on every purchase and a generous sign-up bonus, but it has an intro 0% APR offer as well.”

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee: $95
Welcome Bonus: LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.
Rewards: Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Caps: None
Intro APR: None
Key Protections: Travel accident insurance, lost luggage protection and Airport lounge access (through Priority Pass)
Drawbacks: Best value requires transfer partners

If you plan to shop and travel this Christmas, you may be looking for one of the best holiday travel credit cards. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid pick. It has a reasonable $95 annual fee and earns 2X miles on every purchase, no matter where you shop.

If you'll be traveling for the holidays, there's an opportunity to earn bonus miles on eligible travel purchases. Here's how to earn Capital One Miles: earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, plus 2X miles on all other purchases.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card also provides a statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees, available once every four years. This card perk can help make airport travel less stressful.

Read full review

Citi Double Cash® Card

Annual Fee: $0
Welcome Bonus: Varies
Rewards: Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
Caps: None
Intro APR: Often available on balance transfers
Key Protections: Basic Citi benefits
Drawbacks: No major bonus categories

The Citi Double Cash® Card is another one of the best credit cards for holiday shopping. It has no annual fee, and you can earn up to 2% unlimited cash back rewards: 1% cash back when you make a purchase, and 1% cash back when you pay off a purchase.

You can also earn up to 5% total cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal. With no purchase or shopping categories to track, this is a solid cash back card for all your holiday shopping needs.

Expert Intel: Mike Kern, CPA and founder of budgeting app, FreeBudget, shared why he’s a fan of this credit card: “The Double Cash card is incredibly simple. Most other cards have rotating categories or pay you in confusing miles or points, not so with the Citi Double Cash Card. You know exactly how much value you'll receive on every swipe of the card.”

Read full review

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Annual Fee: $95
Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards: Enjoy beneﬁts such as 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
Caps: Standard travel program limits
Intro APR: None
Key Protections: Trip delay, purchase protection, extended warranty
Drawbacks: Best value requires point transfers

If you’re a regular traveler, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an excellent travel rewards card to have in your wallet this holiday season. It has a reasonable $95 annual fee and a generous 75,000 bonus points sign-up bonus offer.

Here’s how you’ll earn rewards with this card:

5X points on travel booked made through Chase Travel
3X points on dining, online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), and select streaming services
2X points on other travel
1X point on other purchases

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers many travel-focused perks, including credit card travel insurance benefits and a statement credit of up to $50 for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel, available at each account anniversary. This card also provides these shopping perks:

Purchase protection: For 120 days from the purchase date, eligible new purchases made with your card are covered against damage or theft, up to $500 per item.
Extended warranty coverage: This protection extends the manufacturer’s U.S. warranty by an additional year for eligible warranties of three years or less, up to four years from the date of purchase.

Read full review

Citi Strata Premier® Card

Annual Fee: $95
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
Rewards: Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Caps: Standard reward structures
Intro APR: None
Key Protections: Travel protections + purchase benefits
Drawbacks: Annual fee applies

Another top pick on our best shopping and best holiday travel credit cards list is the Citi Strata Premier® Card. It earns elevated rewards in several spending categories, making it a great card choice for everyday spending this busy Christmas season. You can even customize your rewards experience by choosing one eligible 3X rewards category.

Here’s how you’ll earn rewards with this card:

5X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel
3X points at supermarkets
3X points on select transit, gas, and EV charging stations
3X points on an eligible purchase category of your choice
2X points at restaurants
1X points on other purchases

You’ll likely spend more on groceries, dining, and gas during the holidays, and this rewards card covers a variety of purchase categories, helping you maximize your rewards.

Read full review

Strategic Context & Tips section

Welcome Bonus Strategy: Use holiday spending to meet bonuses efficiently - take advantage of sign-up bonuses
Stacking Rewards: Combine card rewards + shopping portals + loyalty apps for triple-dip earning.
Redeem Smart: How to maximize your travel credit card rewards. Here's how to squeeze more value out of your cards this season:.
Credit Readiness: Keep utilization low, know that hard pulls may temporarily drop scores, and consider secured cards if building credit for next year.

Best Practices to Earn Holiday Shopping and Travel Rewards

Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you do your holiday spending:

Stick to your shopping budget and don’t carry a balance on your cards

Before you shop for the holidays, it's wise to set spending limits to avoid going over budget. And when using credit cards, only charge what you can afford. The best strategy is to pay your entire statement balance in full to avoid expensive interest charges.

You should also be careful to pay your credit card bills on time. Responsible financial choices like this could help you improve your payment history on your credit report and improve your credit score.

Choose a rewards card that aligns with your spending habits and needs

There are many best holiday travel credit cards and best credit cards for holiday shopping to choose from. Unsure which card is right for you? The best strategy is to select a Christmas credit card that rewards you for your typical spending categories and offers perks that you’ll use.

Expert Intel: Credit card rewards expert and CEO of Odynn, John Garner, notes, “People should be looking at credit card rewards as a way to offset rising costs. They can benefit from owning and using rewards cards that earn large perks on their main spending categories, such as cash back, points, or miles on spending they are already doing.”

Earn Credit Card Rewards As You Shop for the Holidays

Whether you’re stocking up on essentials for Christmas dinner, making your way through your lengthy holiday shopping list, or booking flights and hotels for Christmas travel, don’t miss out on the chance to earn credit card rewards. With the best credit card for holiday shopping and travel, you can get rewarded as you prepare for the holidays.

Expert Sources

Holly Johnson: Credit card and rewards expert
John Garner: Credit card rewards expert and founder and CEO of Odynn
Mike Kern: CPA and founder of FreeBudget

Editorial disclosure:

This content is not provided by the issuers. Any opinions expressed are those of BestMoney alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuers.

The credit card offers and information presented on this page are current as of the published date. However, credit card terms, including APRs, fees, and promotional offers, are subject to change without notice. Some offers listed may no longer be available or may have expired. Please refer to the issuer's website for the most up-to-date terms and conditions.

Written byNatasha Etzel

Natasha is a financial writer specializing in credit cards and credit card rewards. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including NerdWallet, The Motley Fool, and Fast Company.