The holidays are a time when many people spend money in a short amount of time. You have gifts to buy or donations to make before the end of the year. As you start your shopping you may be asking yourself, “what are the best credit cards for holiday shopping?”
If you fall into this group, the great news is that there are a ton of credit card options. 3 transferable point programs offer credit cards that will help you to earn points that can be redeemed for travel.
Best Chase Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping:
Chase has a solid combination of personal credit cards that make our best credit cards for holiday shopping list. The Chase Freedom Unlimited is the go-to card for most of your purchases. This card earns 3% cash back per transaction for cardmembers in their first year and 1.5% thereafter.
The Chase Freedom is a second personal credit card to consider. It earns 5% cash back in rotating bonus categories throughout the year. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Chase Freedom card earns 5% cash back at participating department stores and PayPal.
Cardmembers of 1 or both of these cards can make the cash back earned more valuable by also holding an Ultimate Rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Reserve and Preferred allow you to convert cash back earned into Chase points that can then be redeemed for an award flight or hotel stay.
Business owners have a similar option with the Chase Ink Business Preferred. The cash back earned from the Freedom and/or Freedom Unlimited can be converted into Chase points if you have the Ink Business Preferred.
Best American Express Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping:
American Express does not have a personal credit card that makes our best credit cards for holiday shopping list. That comes into play with its business credit cards, one of which offers one of the best returns for your non bonus category spend.
If you find yourself buying gift cards from restaurants for friends and family, the American Express Gold and American Express Green are 2 cards to check out. The Gold earns 4X at restaurants and the Green earns 3X at restaurants worldwide.
The American Express Blue Business Plus is the best American Express card to use for your non bonus category holiday spend. The card earns 2X points per transaction. This earn rate is the highest return for non bonus spend among business credit cards that earn transferable points.
Best Citi Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping:
You have 2 options to choose from for the best credit cards for holiday shopping with respect to Citi. The Citi AT&T Access is a nice option to use for online purchases this holiday season. This cards 2X points per transaction at eligible online retail stores. Online stores include department stores, specialty stores, warehouse stores and boutique websites.
With its recent update, the Citi Double Cash is the best card to use for your holiday spend on non bonus categories. It earns 1% cash back when you make a purchase and 1% cash back when you pay your bill. This means that you’ll earn 2% cash back per transaction. The way to make this card more valuable is to pair it with the Citi Premier or Citi Prestige to be able to convert cash back into Citi points.
The Premier earns 3X on gas and travel so this card works well if you spend in these categories. For those who spend on airfare and dining, the Citi Prestige is your card. It earns 5X on airfare and dining, and comes with a number of perks and benefits that can outweigh is high annual fee.
Conclusion on the Best Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping
The best credit cards for holiday shopping will depend on what type of transferable points that you want to earn. As you can see, American Express, Chase, and Citi offer a number of personal and business credit card options.
What about you? Which cards make your best credit cards for holiday shopping list? Do you have a credit card that you recommend for your holiday spend? Please let me know in the comments below or by sending me an email on my contact page.
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