Best Credit Cards for Couples of September 2023

FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST CREDIT CARDS FOR COUPLES

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Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Our pick for: Everyday spending

Among flat-rate cash-back cards, you'll be hard-pressed to beat the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It earns an unlimited 2% back on all purchases, which is excellent. But in addition, the card offers a rich sign-up bonus and a generous 0% intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers. That's an impressive, hard-to-find combination of features on a card with a $0 annual fee. Read our review.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Our pick for: Homebodies

If your household spends a lot on groceries, gas, transit and streaming services, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is for you. The rewards it pays in those categories — particularly at U.S. supermarkets and on select streaming services — are among the richest of any card. There's a nice welcome offer for new cardholders and an introductory 0% APR period, too. The generous benefits come at a cost, though: Unlike most cash-back cards, this one charges an annual fee. Read our review.

• Honorable mention: The Prime Visa is great for couples who share an Amazon Prime account. It offers 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market with an eligible Prime membership, 2% back at restaurants and gas stations, plus local transit and commuting costs, including rideshare. All other purchases earn 1% back. It carries an annual fee of $0, but requires a paid Amazon Prime membership. Set it and forget it as your payment method on Amazon.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Our pick for: Socializers

• Honorable mention: If your idea of socializing often involves double-dating at a dinner out, also consider the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card. It offers 4X points on restaurant purchases. It also earns 2X points at grocery stores, gas stations, EV charging stations and on purchases with streaming services. It has a $0 annual fee.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Our pick for: Parents

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers bonus cash back in quarterly categories that you activate, as well as on travel booked through Chase, at restaurants and at drugstores. Category activation can be a hassle, but if your spending matches the categories — and for a lot of people, it will — you can rack up hundreds of dollars a year. There's a fantastic bonus offer for new cardholders and a 0% intro APR period, too. Read our review.

• Honorable mention: If you really want to optimize, one partner can also get the Discover it® Cash Back. It also earns 5% back on up to $1,500 in spending on rotating quarterly categories (activation required; 1% back on all other purchases). Bonus categories historically have included restaurants, grocery stores, home improvement stores and Amazon.com. With the two cards together, you’ll have more 5% categories each quarter.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Our pick for: Traveling couples

For a reasonable annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus rewards (up to 5X) on travel, dining, select streaming services, and select online grocery purchases. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. The sign-up bonus is stellar, too. Read our review. 

U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: Big shoppers

The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card is tailor-made for consumers who spend a lot of money at retailers that don't fit into (or are specifically excluded from) the bonus categories offered by other credit cards. The card also offers a higher-than-usual rate on spending outside its bonus categories. The downside: There's an annual fee. Read our review.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Our pick for: Travel companion benefits

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Our pick for: Home improvement

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card gives you a little more control over your credit card rewards by letting you choose which category earns the highest cash-back rate, from a list that includes gas stations, restaurants, travel, home improvement and more. You also get bonus rewards at grocery stores and supermarkets, plus a great new-cardholder bonus offer. Read our review.

• Honorable mention: The Citi Custom Cash® Card can earn 5% cash back on up to $500 spent in your highest spending category for the billing cycle — and "home-improvement stores" is an eligible category. The $500 monthly cap makes this card better for lower-cost, and perhaps more frequent, home-improvement projects.

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Our pick for: Tackling debt

The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card has one of the longest 0% intro APR periods on the market — approaching almost two years. You'll be hard-pressed to find a longer interest-free promotion, and it applies to both purchases and balance transfers. Read our review.

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What about joint credit card accounts?

By Gregory Karp, NerdWallet

Joint credit card accounts aren’t offered widely anymore. Issuers prefer to approve credit cards for individuals, largely based on their personal credit history (although, sometimes partially based on joint income.)

So now, the common strategy to optimize credit cards is for each partner to get complementary cards as primary users, then add the other as an authorized user. That way, each person can use the best card for earning points or taking advantage of perks. It works best when both partners have excellent credit. And to optimize, it works best when both partners agree to use the right card for certain purchases. Learn more about the two-player strategy.

A notable exception is the Apple Card, which allows "co-owners" who equally share the responsibility of paying bills.

» MORE: Sharing a credit card with a spouse? Avoid these pitfalls

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