Best Credit Cards for Everyday Spending

Why not earn some rewards on the things you buy every day? Use one or more of these credit cards for your daily purchases.

Jae Bratton
Kenley Young
Updated
SOME CARD INFO MAY BE OUTDATED

This page includes information about these cards, currently unavailable on NerdWallet. The information has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.

Using a credit card to pay for almost everything can help you track spending, build credit and earn rewards — so long as it doesn't tempt you to overspend. That advice is especially relevant when it comes to everyday expenses.
By picking the right credit card, you’ll earn anywhere from 2%-6% back on purchases that you make on a regular basis. What counts as everyday expenses varies across households, but in general, it includes essentials such as food, gas and utilities.
Here are some of the best credit cards for everyday spending.

Top cards for everyday spending

Nerdy Perspective

What's your go-to card for everyday spending?

Our pick for dining: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One® SavorSM Cash Rewards Credit Card
NerdWallet rating
Annual fee: $0.
Welcome bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards:
  • 3% cash back on dining, at grocery stores (not including Walmart and Target), on entertainment and on popular streaming services.
  • 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
  • 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Why we like it for dining:
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid, cost-effective option for restaurant lovers. Takeout and delivery qualify as "dining," too, so it doesn't matter whether you're at a sit-down restaurant or parked on your couch. And sign that check with confidence: Rewards earned on dining have no cap and never expire.
As an alternative, consider the American Express® Gold Card, which offers more premium dining benefits — for a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees). It earns 4 Membership Rewards® points per $1 spent at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., on up to $50,000 in purchases per year. It also offers a $120 annual dining credit, available in monthly credits on select purchases, and up to a $100 Resy credit ($50 semi-annually). (Enrollment required, terms apply.)

Our pick for groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
NerdWallet rating
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
Welcome bonus: You may be eligible for as high as $300 cash back after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
Rewards:
  • 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 in spending per year.
  • 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
  • 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations.
  • 3% cash back on transit.
  • 1% cash back on other purchases.*
  • Terms apply.
Why we like it for groceries:
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a perennial favorite of households that rack up high grocery bills, and for good reason. It charges a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 — but the card's eye-popping rewards rate at U.S. supermarkets is virtually unbeatable and can more than make up for that cost. (Terms apply; see rates and fees.) However, American Express does not classify superstores like Target or Walmart as supermarkets, and warehouse clubs like Costco also don't count If you do most of your grocery shopping at those merchants, you'll find more value in another card like the Target Circle™ Credit Card.
Just keep in mind that with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, the 6% cash-back rate at U.S. supermarkets is capped at $6,000 per year; after that, the rate drops precipitously to 1%. Many families will blow through that $6,000 before the year is up, and earning 1% can be a hard pill to swallow for those who were used to getting 6%.

Our pick for gas: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Credit Card
NerdWallet rating
Annual fee: $0.
Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
Rewards:
  • Unlimited 3 points per dollar spent at gas stations (and electric vehicle charging stations), restaurants, travel and transit, popular streaming services and select phone plans.
  • 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases.
Why we like it for gas:
If you spend heavily on gas, the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card can reward you well each time you fill up. Its 3X rate at gas stations is uncapped, meaning there's no limit to the amount of rewards you can earn, as similar gas cards have. It also earns points in a variety of everyday spending categories, not solely gas — so it can be useful beyond the pump.
The card also stands out for its redemptions options. Points are worth a penny each when redeemed for things like statement credit, gift cards or for booking travel through Wells Fargo's portal. But you might get even more value from your points if you transfer them to any of the card's transfer partners, which is a notable feature for a $0-annual-fee card.
Full list of Wells Fargo transfer partners
Airlines
Hotels

Our pick for transit: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
NerdWallet rating
Annual fee: $0.
Welcome bonus: $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Rewards:
  • 3% cash back in the category of your choice from a list of six that includes transit.
  • 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases).
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Why we like it for transit:
Other credit cards offer higher rewards rates for transit, but it's unlikely that their definition of transit is as generous as the one you'll find with the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card. Cardholders get 3% cash back in one category out of six. To make it your go-to card for commuting costs, select the "travel" category to start earning big rewards on parking garages, ferries, taxis, subways, EZPass, tolls and bridge fees, ridesharing services like Uber, and plenty more.
Unlike with some other credit cards, holders of the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card only have to opt in to the 3% category once to activate it.
🤓Nerdy Tip
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card for Students currently earn elevated rewards during the first year you have either card. Rather than earning 3% on the category you choose, you'll earn 6% back. After the first year, this reverts back to 3%. (You'll earn these elevated rewards, plus 2% back on groceries and wholesale clubs up to $2,500 in combined spending per quarter.)

Our pick for utilities: U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
  • 5% cash back on the first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter in two categories you choose, from a list of 12. (See list below).
  • 2% cash back in one "everyday" category that you choose.
  • 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in U.S. Bank's Rewards Center.
  • 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
Full list of 5% categories on the U.S. Bank Cash+
  • Fast food.
  • Home utilities.
  • TV, internet and streaming.
  • Department stores.
  • Cell phone providers.
  • Electronics stores.
  • Sporting goods stores.
  • Movie theaters.
  • Gyms/fitness centers.
  • Furniture stores.
  • Ground transportation.
  • Select clothing stores.
Why we like it for utilities:
The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card is one of the few cards on the market that can earn bonus rewards on utility bills, and that potential 5% rate is impressive. To lock in that rate, you'll have to remember to select "utilities" as a bonus category every quarter. Cardholders can choose up to two bonus categories that will earn 5% cash back, but rewards are capped at $2,000 in combined spending across the two bonus categories.
The "utilities" category is fairly broad and includes water, gas and electric companies, but not internet, cable or cell phone providers.

Our pick for simplicity: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
NerdWallet rating
Annual fee: $0.
Welcome bonus: Earn a $100 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Rewards:
  • Unlimited 2% cash rewards on eligible purchases.
Why we like it for simplicity:
For many, the best “everyday” card is one that isn’t complicated to use and doesn’t require keeping track of bonus categories. Enter the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It earns an unlimited 2% back on all eligible purchases, which is generous and about as low-maintenance as it gets.
Redemption options are pretty straightforward, too: You can redeem cash back for statement credit or direct deposit into a Wells Fargo checking or savings account.

Merchant-specific cards

A number of people prefer the convenience of big-box stores like Walmart and Costco where it's possible to buy many items in one stop. For those who consolidate their everyday shopping into one or two stores, a store card may be the best option.

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Annual fee: $0, but you have to be a Costco member. A baseline Gold Star membership costs $65 per year, while the higher-tier Executive membership is $130 per year.
Welcome bonus: N/A.
Rewards:
  • 5% back on gas at Costco gas stations and 4% back on gas and EV charging at other gas stations, on up to $7,000 in combined spending a year, then 1% back.
  • 3% cash back on restaurants and most travel purchases.
  • 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com.
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Alternative option: Notably, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi doesn't earn a super-high rewards rate on in-store Costco purchases. Its highest rates are on Costco gas and certain other eligible everyday spending. The Venmo Credit Card, on the other hand, earns 3% cash back in your top spending category for the month out of eight possible categories, one of which is “grocery” including wholesale clubs like Costco. The Venmo Credit Card has an annual fee of $0.

Target Circle™ Credit Card

Annual fee: $0.
Welcome bonus: Earn $50 in Target Circle Rewards when you spend $50 or more on qualifying purchases..
Rewards:
  • 5% discount on all eligible Target purchases.

Prime Visa

Annual fee: $0, but you must have a Prime membership to get the card,.
Rewards:
  • 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market.
  • 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations.
  • 2% cash back on local transit and commuting (including rideshare).
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases.

OnePay CashRewards Card

Annual fee: $0.
Welcome bonus: Earn $35 cash back when you open a OnePay Card & spend $75+ within 30 days.
Rewards:
  • 5% cash back on purchases at Walmart and Walmart.com for Walmart+ members. 
  • 3% back on purchases at Walmart and Walmart.com for non-Walmart+ members. 
  • 1.5% back on all other purchases. 

Sam's Club® Mastercard®

Annual fee: $0, but you must be a Sam's Club member. It's $60 per year for a Club membership and $120 per year for a Plus membership.
Welcome bonus: N/A.
Rewards:
  • 5% cash back (on up to $6,000 spent per year, then 1%) at EV charging stations and eligible gas stations worldwide, including stations at Sam's Club.
  • 3% cash back on dining.
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases.
  • For Sam's Club Plus members only: Up to 5% back on eligible Sam's Club purchases (3% back with the card, plus up to 2% back from the membership tier.)

*Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page.