Credit Cards That Give Instant Rewards
Not all cards make you wait until the end of a billing cycle.
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Updated · 3 min read
Written by
Senior Writer/Spokesperson 
Edited by
Managing Editor Thanks to free two-day shipping, delivery apps and curbside pickup at stores, it’s never been easier to attain instant gratification. Credit card rewards have been a notable exception, though, often requiring you to wait until the end of a billing cycle to finally get what you’re owed.
Some credit cards are reducing that wait time to as little as the day after you make a purchase. If you want your rewards ASAP, here are some card options that won’t take their time.
Top credit cards that give instant rewards
Apple Card
Our pick for: Fans of the brand
Why we like it
The Apple Card earns 3% cash back on Apple purchases, and at select retailers when you use Apple Pay. Earn 2% back on other purchases when you use Apple Pay, and 1% back when you use the physical card. Managing the card and tracking your spending and cash-back earnings through Apple Wallet is a user-friendly experience, and you can see if you’d qualify for the card without affecting your credit score. However, you need to be a frequent Apple Pay user to get the greatest benefit out of the Apple Card.
How to use instant rewards
Cash back is earned in the form of Daily Cash, which becomes available to you once a transaction posts in your account. If you add a co-owner or participant to your account through Apple Card Family, everyone earns Daily Cash on their purchases. This is different from some other authorized user arrangements, where only the primary cardholder can use earned rewards.
Capital One Cards
Our pick for: Speedy rewards
Why we like them
Officially, your earned rewards will appear online within 10 days and may take up to two billing cycles to post to your account, but anecdotally, cardholders’ points become available more quickly.
How to use instant rewards
For cash-back cards, it simply means you could redeem points faster — it’s more money back in your pocket, so to speak. Plus, unlike some cards, there's no minimum redemption threshold. For travel cards, this can help you reach a miles goal — and book award travel — sooner.
U.S. Bank cards
Our pick for: Opt-in text redemptions
Why we like them
Select U.S. Bank credit cards — including the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card , U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card, and U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card — give you the option to redeem points earned on eligible purchases instantly via text, or save them up for a bigger redemption later on. Instant redemptions are in the form of credits to your monthly statement, which is helpful if you want cash-back rewards. However, if you plan to use points for travel, you may prefer to hold onto them so you save up enough to cover the cost of a pricey booking.
How to use instant rewards
Enroll in U.S. Bank’s real-time rewards program online or on the bank’s mobile app. When you make an eligible purchase, you’ll receive a text asking if you’d like to redeem earned cash rewards from that purchase immediately (you can’t redeem combined rewards earned from multiple purchases via text). You can reply ‘REDEEM’ to get a statement credit.
American Express cards
Our pick for: A quicker welcome bonus
Why we like them
Technically, cards earning American Express Membership Rewards will post your welcome bonus eight to 12 weeks after you hit the required spending minimum, even if you still have a month or two left to reach that point. But many cardholders report that points post to their accounts within a day or two of reaching that spending requirement.
How to use instant rewards
You may have up to six months to hit a spending minimum with eligible American Express cards, but if you applied for a card knowing a major purchase was coming, you can potentially earn that welcome bonus more quickly. You can redeem Membership Rewards points for travel, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise and more (point values can vary based on how you choose to use them).
Bilt Palladium Card
Our pick for: Rewards on housing payments
Why we like it
The Bilt Palladium Card is known in part for its ability to earn rewards on rent and mortgage payments. It actually earns two different rewards currencies, Bilt Points and Bilt Cash. Both will post to your account within two to five business days after a card transaction goes through. You also earn Bilt Cash as part of the card’s welcome bonus — that usually appears in your account immediately.
It’s worth noting that Bilt’s rewards program is more complex than most, which is a downside to the Bilt Palladium Card. But if you don’t mind juggling two different kinds of rewards, and your spending lines up with the card’s benefits, it could be worth consideration.
How to use instant rewards
Bilt Points can be redeemed for travel (either through the Bilt portal, or by transferring points to airline and hotel partners), fitness classes, Amazon purchases, home decor from the Bilt Collection, rent payments, a future downpayment on a home, or a statement credit. Point values vary depending on how you choose to redeem them.
Bilt Cash can be redeemed for monthly credits and experiences. You can also redeem Bilt Cash to gain the ability to earn Bilt Points on housing payments, or to earn additional Bilt Points on non-housing purchases for the next $5,000 in spending.
Select store cards
Our pick for: Discounts at checkout
Why we like them
Some store credit cards, like the Target Circle™ Credit Card and the MyLowe’s Rewards Credit Card, provide rewards in the form of a 5% discount at checkout on eligible purchases. Unlike other cash-back cards, where you accumulate rewards and eventually request a redemption, the savings are effortless. It’s like using a coupon, without actually having to.
How to use instant rewards
The discount is applied automatically, right at the point of sale. Note that there can be restrictions. The Target Circle™ Credit Card, for example, doesn’t offer 5% off on some purchases including Target Optical eye exams or the purchase of Target gift cards.
Barclays Arrival cards
Our pick for: Existing cardholders
Why we like them
The Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® and Barclaycard Arrival™ World Mastercard® are no longer available for new applicants. Current Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® card holders earn 2 miles per $1 on all purchases. The Barclaycard Arrival™ World Mastercard® is less impressive, earning 2 miles per $1 on travel and dining, and 1 mile per $1 on other purchases.
How to use instant rewards
With both cards, you’ll earn miles as transactions post to your account. Miles are worth 1 cent each when you redeem them as a statement credit against eligible travel expenses. With the Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard®, you’ll get 5% of your redeemed miles back to use on a later redemption.
Secured Chime Visa® Credit Card
Our pick for: Building credit
Why we like it
The Secured Chime Visa® Credit Card has one of the highest potential rewards rates among secured and credit builder cards, as long as you meet direct-deposit requirements. And even though the card is a secured product, there’s no minimum security deposit required to open an account. The Secured Chime Visa® Credit Card also offers features that are friendly to credit newbies, such as automatic bill payment and no APR.
How to use instant rewards
Redemption couldn’t be easier with the Secured Chime Visa® Credit Card. Earned cash back is automatically redeemed as a deposit into your Chime Checking Account within nine days after making an eligible purchase. A Chime representative also said that cash back from Chime Deals — card-linked offers available within the Chime app — are paid out immediately.
See more from Chime®
Chime says the following:
- The secured Chime Visa® Credit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your card for its issuing bank.
- Based on a representative study conducted by Experian® in Sept 2025, the top 10% of members who made their first purchase with Credit Builder, an earlier version of Secured Chime Visa® Credit Card, between April and August 2024, observed a FICO® Score 8 increase of 71 points after approximately 8 months. Average increase of 28 points across all participants in the study. Credit score improvement not guaranteed. Paying on time may increase your score, while late payment may decrease your score. Other credit activity can impact your score. Credit score is one of many factors creditors may consider in evaluating credit applications.
- On-time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Late payment may negatively impact your credit score. Results may vary. Chime will report your activities to Transunion®, Experian®, and Equifax®. Impact on your credit may vary, as Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors including the financial decisions you make with other financial services organizations.
- Money added to the Secured Chime Visa® Credit Card will be held in a secured deposit account as collateral for your Secured Chime Visa® Credit Card, and you can spend up to this amount. You can use money deposited in your Secured Deposit Account to pay off your charges at the end of every month.
- Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply.
- SpotMe® on Credit is an optional, no interest / no fee overdraft line of credit tied to the Secured Deposit Account available to qualifying members with an active Chime Card Account. To qualify for the SpotMe on Chime Card service, you must receive $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime® Checking Account each month and have activated your physical secured Chime Visa® Credit Card or Chime Visa® Debit Card. Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Secured Deposit Account up to $20, but may later be eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on Chime account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. The SpotMe on Chime Card Limit will be displayed within the Chime mobile app and is subject to change at any time, at Chime’s or its banking partners’ discretion. Although Chime does not charge any overdraft fees for SpotMe on Chime Card, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions and fees associated with OTC cash withdrawals. SpotMe on Chime Card won’t cover non-card transactions. SpotMe on Chime Card Terms and Conditions.
- With a qualifying direct deposit, earn 2% cash back on eligible secured Chime Visa® Credit Card Purchases.
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