Best credit cards for holiday spending

The Bonus: When it comes to holiday spending, the intro 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months could be just what you need. After the intro, the APR becomes RegAPR). Remember to account for the balance transfer fee: BalanceTransferFees

The Rewards: One percent cash back on purchases and 1% cash back as you pay for those purchases (just be sure you're paying at least the minimum amount due each month, on time, to earn your rewards).

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• By offering 1% cash back on purchases and 1% cash back on purchase payments, the this card offers an incentive to pay off holiday bills more quickly.
• If you need to transfer a balance, as a new cardholder, you won't pay any interest for 18 months so long as you make timely payments (after 18 months, the APR goes to RegAPR).
• This card is a good option to get unlimited cash back (and at a healthy rate) without any annual fee.

CONS:

• Although there is an 18-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers, that offer doesn't apply to purchases.
• While the 2% total cash back offered by this card is good, you could get more by selecting a card such as CardNamediscontinued, which, among other rewards, offers 5% cash back on quarterly categories (up to $1,500 spent in the categories) when you activate. Of course, that also requires you to be more strategic with when and where you use which credit card. Information related to Chase Freedom Flex^SM has been collected independently by CardRatings and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer
• You may want to use another card if you are traveling abroad over the holiday season. This card charges a foreign transaction fee and doesn't come with travel perks such as trip interruption insurance.

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*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: New cardholders earn an extra 1.5% cash back on purchases during the first year (up to $20,000 spent), for a bonus worth up to $300 cash back..

The Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Ultimate Rewards® portal, 3% cash back at restaurants and drugstores and 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Cash back accumulates as Chase Ultimate Rewards®, so the rewards can technically be redeemed for cash back, travel and more.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• No matter where you shop this holiday season, you'll earn at least 1.5% cash back. That's not bad for everything from gag gifts to New Year's Eve dresses.
• Dining out more this holiday season than cooking at home? You're sure to appreciate 3% cash back at restaurants (including takeout!).
• You also get 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers for 15 months after account opening (then, RegAPR), which can help you to save money on interest payments.

CONS:

• There are a lot of categories to keep up with here. Sure, you'll earn at least 1.5% cash back on all your purchases, but if you're someone who really likes to think about the card they're using, this one will certainly add a lot of thinking to the mix..
• There are foreign transaction fees to consider, so it's best to have another card option for your trips abroad.

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*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: Earn a bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

The Rewards: Earn five points per $1 on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; three points per $1 on dining (including eligible delivery and takeout), select streaming services and on online grocery store purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); two points per $1 on travel; and one point per $1 on all of your other purchases. That's three points in addition to the two points you already earn on travel.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• If you plan to travel during the holiday season, the 60,000 bonus points offered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can be redeemed for up to $750 worth of travel through the Chase portal (or more if you want to look for the best deals and transfer your points to one of a number of travel loyalty partners).
• The card also has extensive travel perks, including bonus rewards on travel and dining, baggage delay insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and the option to transfer points to other travel loyalty programs.
• Gifts purchased with this card may be protected by its extended warranty and purchase protection benefits.

CONS:

• There is a AnnualFees annual fee which is reasonable for a travel rewards credit card but may be off-putting to some.
• The extra rewards earning categories are nice, but the base earning is just one point per $1 spent on most things. If you really want to maximize points earning, you'll want to combine this card with one or two others in the Ultimate Rewards family – here's what we're talking about
• If you want to earn the 60,000 bonus points, you'll need to spend $4,000 within three months of opening your account, which is a not insignificant amount to spend in three months time.

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*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: Earn a $200 online cash bonus after you use your card to make at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of card membership.

The Rewards: Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice - now with expanded categories, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. Newly expanded 3% categories for gas (to now include electric vehicle charging (EVC) stations) and online shopping (to now include cable, streaming, internet and phone services). Bank of America Preferred Rewards clients can earn 25%-75% more cash back on each purchase depending on your tier (Preferred Rewards tiers are based on average three-month balances across eligible accounts).

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• Earning 3% cash back in any category on a no-annual-fee card is a decent rate, but when you can choose the category in which you earn that, it's even better.
• The "online shopping" category is extremely broad. It means that everything from Amazon purchases to holiday party dresses could earn you 3% cash back (up to the $2,500 quarterly cap, obviously).
• Take advantage of IntroAPRRate as well as on balance transfers made in the first 60 days (After the intro offer ends, RegAPR will apply)

CONS:

• You can only change your 3% category once per calendar month, so this card does require some planning to truly maximize your cash-back earning.
• Since you earn 3% and 2% on the choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases only up to $2,500 spent quarterly, it makes sense to ONLY use this card for your 3% spending as that means you'll earn more. That's great, but again, requires some planning and strategy.

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*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus:Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.

The Rewards: Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1% after that) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit such as taxis, parking, tolls, train fares and more; and 1% on other purchases.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• The card offers an intro APR of 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable which can give you give time to pay off holiday purchases without accruing any interest charges. After the intro period, a RegAPR APR applies.
• Online shoppers may find they save on shipping thanks to the complimentary ShopRunner membership that comes with this card. It offers free 2-day shipping at more than 100 online stores. (Enrollment required.)

CONS:

• While this card offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, don't assume you can stock up on gifts from Target and Walmart and get this higher cash back amount. These retailers aren't considered supermarkets by American Express so you'll only get 1% cash back for purchases made there.
• This card charges a AnnualFees Maxing out your spending in the 6% supermarket category alone will net you $360, so more than enough to offset the fee. Still, just make sure the card isn't costing you money – you should ALWAYS be able to offset an annual fee with your rewards, perks and features.
• If you're traveling overseas for the holidays, be aware you'll pay foreign transaction fees on purchases made in foreign currency.

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*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.

The Rewards: Earn 5X the points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), as well as on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com. Earn one point per $1 spent on other purchases.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Other Perks: There are a number of credits and reimbursement opportunities with this card including up to $200 annually in Uber Cash for your rides or Uber Eats orders as well as up to $200 credit for airline incidental fees annually with a pre-selected airline. The bottom line is that there are numerous opportunities to more than offset the annual fee here, if you use your card wisely and take advantage of all it has to offer (Enrollment required for select benefits).

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• You won't find many cards that are more rewarding than this one. This luxury card offers a long list of benefits as well as the opportunity to earn travel rewards points.
• Travel benefits include airport lounge access and complimentary gold status in the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs.
• There's also a statement credit opportunity of up to $100 for your Global Entry or TSA Precheck membership fee (every four or 4.5 years, respectively) as well as up to $189 annually for your CLEAR membership application fee.
• Enrollment required for select benefits.

CONS:

• The card's AnnualFees annual fee will put it out of reach for some people. It also means that you need to do some serious budget and lifestyle searching to ensure it's the right card for your wallet.
• While cardholders receive five points per $1 spent on airfare and hotels, you'll need to book through Amex or directly with an airline to receive them.
• New cardholders can receive a bonus of 80,000 Membership Rewards points, but there is a relatively steep spending requirement to earn them. The welcome offer only goes to those who spend $8,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months.

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*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Intro APR Offer: You could also think about the money you're saving on interest as a kind of bonus. Save with an intro 21 months 0% APR on balance transfers from date of first transfer (and made within the first four months) and 12 months 0% APR on purchases from date of account opening.

Ongoing APR: RegAPR

Balance Transfer Fee: BalanceTransferFees

The Rewards: There aren't ongoing rewards to consider, but remember that awesome introductory APR is the prize.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• With no annual fee and a stellar intro 0% APR offer, this card is a winner for people looking to save on interest.
• New cardholders enjoy a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and 21 months on balance transfers, great benefits for those who need time to pay off their holiday spending. After the intro period, a RegAPR APR kicks in.
• Cardholders receive special access to tickets and other entertainment through Citi Entertainment

CONS:

• This card lacks the bells and whistles of other cards such as extended warranty protection and travel benefits.
• You won't earn any rewards or cash back with this card either.

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*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

PROS:

• It's rare that a secured card offers the opportunity to earn rewards, let alone the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus. This card checks both those boxes.
• Feel free to take this card along when you travel abroad as it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.
• Discover will review your account starting at seven months to see whether you're eligible to transition to an unsecured card and receive your security deposit back.

CONS:

• To establish your initial line of credit you need to provide at least a $200 security deposit. That could be a high bar to meet for some people.
• There aren't a lot of additional bells and whistles with this card, which isn't surprising for a secured card, but is something to keep in mind.
• The ongoing APR is quite high, so make sure you are able to pay off whatever you charge to the card every month.

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*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.