Best credit cards for online shopping

The Bonus: The intro 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months could certainly come in handy and you could think of it as a kind of bonus. After the intro, the APR becomes RegAPR). There's a balance transfer fee to consider: BalanceTransferFees

The Rewards: Earn 1% when you make your purchse and 1% cash back as you pay your balance, for an effective 2% cash back on every 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:

• This card incentivizes paying off your balance, which is a great reminder to pay your balance each month.
• Even cards that offer bonuses on online spending sometimes limit that to retail only or particular merchants; with this card, you'll earn top rewards whether you're paying a medical bill or buying a new pair of blue jeans.
• There's no annual fee and a lot of simplicity here to make this card valuable.

CONS:

• Remember that the intro 0% APR period doesn't apply to purchases.
• Two percent total cash back is perfectly respectable, but it's also not the best out there. If you're willing to employ multiple cards and some strategy, you can earn substantially more on your online purchases using cards tailored to particular purchases.
• If your online shopping includes purchases from foreign merchants in foreign currencies, you'll be disappointed to find this card charges foreign transaction fees.

Read our full CardName.

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

The Bonus: New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points once spending $4,000 on the card in the first three months from account opening. That's worth $750 in travel when you redeem through the Ultimate Rewards portal.

The Rewards: Earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards; 3X points on dining out, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); 2x points on all other travel; and 1x point per $1 spent on other purchases.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• Online grocery store purchases earn 3x points per $1 spent and that applies to any grocery store that allows for online shopping (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). That means you don't have to go through a third-party like Instacart to capitalize here. Just shop online with your regular store and avoid the upcharge of a grocery shopping service.
• Your points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Since you're a regular online shopper, that portal should be right up your alley.
• This card is known for offering pretty stellar trip interruption/cancellation insurance at no additional cost. It's an unusual – and potentially money-saving – feature for a card with this low an annual fee.

CONS:

• You have an annual fee to consider. It's reasonable for the value offered, but you still need to be sure you're getting enough value from the card to more than offset it.
• That signup bonus is lucrative, but it requires you to spend $4,000 in the first three months to earn it. Make sure you can meet that threshold or you'll miss out on that awesome opportunity.

Read our full CardName.

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

The Bonus: Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

The Rewards: Earn an unlimited two miles per $1 on every purchase, every day.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• Redeem your miles for statement credit to cover eligible travel purchases or transfer them to one of several hotel or airline loyalty programs.
• Since we're talking about the best cards for online shopping, it's worth noting that you can redeem your miles for purchases via Amazon.com.
• In addition to the Paribus price protection on your online purchases, Capital One also offers Wikibuy to help find the best prices when shopping online. (Note, neither Paribus or Wikibuy require you to have a Capital One card in order to utilize the services.)

CONS:

• This card does charge an annual fee, so you'll need to ensure it's a good fit and that you can more than offset that fee with the rewards you earn.

Read our full CardName

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

The Bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $4,000 on eligible purchases within six months of account opening.

The Rewards: Earn four Membership Rewards® points per $1 spent at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.; four points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then one point); three points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com; and one Membership Rewards point per $1 on other eligible purchases.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• A shopper's dream: AmEx will extend the original manufacturer's warranty up to one additional years on U.S. warranties of five years or less, provided, of course, that you've made the purchase with an eligible card.
• You'll also get purchase protection. If you anything you buy with your card is broken, stolen or damaged within the first 90 days, it'll be replaced, up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year.
• There are no foreign transaction fees, which makes traveling internationally – or shopping with overseas merchants in a foreign currency – cheaper.

CONS:

• The annual fee is a bit higher than average. Just make sure you'll more than offset the fee with the rewards you earn; it likely won't be difficult to do.
• Unlike typical credit cards, this card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all. That could be a good thing, though; if you use the card right, you won't pay interest. But it's helpful to know and possibly a bummer for anybody who wants to take a little more time than a month to pay the card back.

Read our full CardName

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

The Bonus: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.

The Rewards: Earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 spent in each category per year, then 1%), and 1% back on other eligible purchases. Your cash back accumulates as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credit.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• If you're an avid online shopper, the 3% cash back rewards specifically for U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 spent annually in this category, then 1%) could be lucrative.
• As introductions go, this one's memorable. You'll enjoy an intro 0% APR period lasting 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then,RegAPR).
• The bonus categories are everyday shopping categories that a lot of people will be able to earn rewards on.

CONS:

• The rewards for U.S. supermarket purchases, U.S. gas station purchases and U.S. online retail purchases are capped annually at $6,000 per category, and then the rewards rate drops to 1%. If you think you'll spend far more, and the way prices are, you well may, you might want to find a rewards card without the caps.
• Thinking of traveling abroad? Keep the foreign transaction fee in mind: foreign_fee

Read our full CardName.

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

The Bonus: Earn a $200 online cash bonus after spending at least $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of card membership.

The Rewards: Earn 3% cash back in a category of your choice from the following six categories: online shopping, gas (the default category), travel, dining, drug stores or home improvement/furnishings. Earn 2% cash back on grocery store and wholesale club purchases (3% and 2% cash back is on the first combined $2,500 spending in your choice category/grocery/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then 1%). Earn 1% back on your other purchases. Bank of America Preferred Rewards clients can earn 25%-75% more cash back on purchases depending on your tier, which is based based on average three-month balances across eligible accounts).

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• Appealing rewards bonus for online shop-a-holics: You'll receive $200 online cash rewards bonus after spending at least $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of opening the account.
• This card is a top card for online shopping because it gives you the option to select "online shopping" as your highest earning category, but there are other options too. And, as an online shopper, we know you appreciate options.
• We're always happy when there is no annual fee.
• The rewards categories are already lucrative, but Preferred Rewards clients stand to earn even more: If you're just a Gold tier member (that's the lowest tier), you could be earning 3.75% back on your online purchases (up to the cap).

CONS:

• Sure you can earn 3% on your online shopping purchases, but the $2,500 quarterly combined spending caps in your choice category/grocery/wholesale club purchases are a bit of a downer. We'd rather see no spending caps or a higher spending cap.
• The Preferred Rewards client tiers are certainly nice, but the bar to become a Preferred Rewards client is fairly high – it starts with an average three months balance of $20,000 across all your eligible accounts.

Read our full CardName.

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

The Bonus: Earn a $750 cash back bonus after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account year at office supply stores (including purchases via the store's website, and things like computers, printers and more) and on phone, internet and cable services. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases yearly at gas stations and restaurants; and earn an unlimited 1% cash back on your other purchases.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees; add additional employee cards at no cost.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• It's a great card for buying office supplies online (or offline, or anything you buy for your business) and your cash back accumulates as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, a highly valued travel rewards currency.
• There's no annual fee to worry about offsetting.
• Buy something you need to take your business to the next level and enjoy an intro 0% APR for the first 12 months on purchases (then, RegAPR)).

CONS:

• Foreign transaction fees make this card not a great choice if your business travel takes you abroad or if you frequently buy items online from merchants in a foreign currency.
• That $25,000 cap on combined spending to earn the top rewards is a bit low. If your business, for instance, needs to replace a number of computers or other electronics, you'll quickly eat through that cap.

Read our full CardName.

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

PROS:

• The possibility of a VERY lucrative welcome bonus opportunity really can't be stated enough. Discover will MATCH the cash back you earn during your first year as a cardholder.
• There's no annual fee to offset, so all the rewards you earn when you shop online, or offline, are yours to keep.
• Straight cash back is nice, but, keeping with the online shopping theme, know that you can redeem your rewards directly for purchases at Amazon.com.

CONS:

• If you're not a fan of keeping track of categories and quarters, you may want another card. Remember, too, that you'll need to activate each quarter to earn the 5% on rotating categories up to the quarterly maximum. It's easy to do via your account online, but is another thing to remember.
• Discover, while regularly expanding its network, is not as widely accepted as Visa, Mastercard or even American Express. It's worth keeping in mind, particularly if you live or travel off the beaten path.

Read our full CardName.

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

The Bonus: Cardholders receive a $150 Amazon gift card immediately upon approval, so there's no minimum spend to worry about.

The Rewards: Earn 5% back on purchases with Amazon.com or through Whole Foods Market; 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; and 1% back on all your other purchases. Rewards can be redeemed for Amazon purchases, for statement credit or for a direct deposit to an eligible checking or savings account.

The Annual Fee: There isn't an annual fee for the card, but you do need to be an Amazon Prime Rewards member, which comes with a $119 per year membership fee.

Credit Needed: Good/Excellent

PROS:

• There's no better card out there to always, every time earn 5% back on your Amazon and Whole Foods Market purchases. There are other cards that offer that amount during certain quarterly bonuses, but if this is your primary online shopping destination, this card is tough to beat.
• You could even use this card when traveling internationally. There's no foreign transaction fee.
• Amazon often runs additional promotions and discounts for cardholders, such as extra percentages off your purchases on Prime Day.

CONS:

• Technically, there's no annual fee, but you have to be an Amazon Prime member to apply for the card, and so that's essentially an annual fee ($119 annually; $59 for students). But if you're an Amazon devotee, you probably don't care.
• There's no introductory low or 0% APR period.

Read our full Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card review.

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