Update: Some offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer available. View current credit card offerings from our partners at CardCritics here on the issuer’s website.
By Gabrielle Olya
If you’re going to be spending money, you may as well be getting rewarded for it — and for many consumers, these rewards are a major motivator to swipe. A recent GOBankingRate survey found that the No. 1 reason people use credit cards is for the rewards and perks. And with the right credit cards, these rewards can really add up.
Find out which credit cards will give you the best rewards — without crazy fees or super-high interest rates.
Our Top Rewards Card
Best Rewards Credit Cards 2021
Keep reading to see the rest of the Best Rewards Credit Cards of 2021.
American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card
Why we like it: The American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card is free of an annual fee for the first year. It offers one of the highest rewards rates available for groceries at 6%. While there is a cap of $6,000 (earning 1% cash back thereafter) in this category, you can still rake in $360 annually by meeting the maximum threshold each year.
Benefits
- Earn 6% cash back on groceries, up to $6,000 a year, and 3% cash back on gas
Drawbacks
- Annual Fee:
Key features
- 6% cash back on groceries, up to $6,000 a year
- 6% cash back on streaming services
- 3% cash back on transit
- 3% cash back on gas
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Redeeming Rewards:
Cash back is received in the form of reward dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit
APR
Promotional APR
0% for 12 months
Annual Fee
Top Rewards Categories
Groceries and streaming
READ OUR FULL REVIEW
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card
Key Benefits
- Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase
- 3% on dining, including takeout, and at drugstores
- 1.5% on all other purchases
Sign-Up Bonus
0% for 15 months
$0
Travel
Chase Freedom FlexSM Credit Card
- Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase
- Earn 3% cash back on dining including takeout and drugstores
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
Redeeming Rewards
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Credit Card
5x points on gas paid at the pump and EV charging stations
3x points at the supermarket
3x points at restaurants
1x points on all other purchases
15,000 Bonus Points when you spend $1,500 in first 90 days
Redeem for gift cards for shopping, dining and entertainment, and more; check out our reward catalog for more options; travel; shopping – with reward points
16.49% – 17.99% variable
0% promotional rate for 12 months on balance transfers made between now and September 30, 2022. Then, a non-variable rate of 17.99%.
Gas
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Credit Card
4x points on dining, food delivery, and takeout
2x points at grocery stores
2x points at gas stations
1x points on all other purchases
Earn 20,000 bonus points, just spend $1,000 in the first 90 days
Redeemable towards merchandise, gift cards, cash back, travel and more
14.99% to 23.99%
Dining
Capital One SavorOne Rewards Credit Card
3% cash back on dining
3% cash back on entertainment and streaming services
3% cash back at grocery stores
1% cash back on all other purchases
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months
You can get your cash back upon request in the form of a statement credit or a check
15.49% to 25.49%
Dining, groceries, entertainment and streaming
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Credit Card
5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in Altitude Rewards Center
4x points on travel
4x points on gas
2x points on grocery
2x points on dining
1x points on all other eligible purchases
Earn 50,000 bonus points, just spend $3,000 in the first 120 days
15.99% to 23.99%
N/A
$95
Prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in Altitude Rewards Center
American Express® Gold Credit Card
4x points on dining
4x points on groceries
3x points on flights
1x points on all other purchases
Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership
Pay with points at checkout; get a statement credit when you use points for recent card charges; gift cards; use Membership Rewards points to place an offer on a seat upgrade with over 20 participating airlines; go shopping; charitable donation
15.99% to 22.99%
$250
Dining and groceries
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Credit Card
5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories you choose
2% cash back on one everyday category, like gas stations, grocery stores or restaurants
1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Earn a $200 rewards bonus after you apply online and spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening
Cash back is redeemed in the form of a statement credit or a deposit made to your U.S. Bank savings, checking or money market account based on your designation, or as a U.S. Bank Rewards Card
13.99% to 23.99%
2 categories of your choice
American Express® Green Credit Card
3x points at restaurants
3x points on transit
3x points on travel
1x points on all other purchases
Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership
Book travel; pay with points at checkout; get a statement credit when you use points for recent card charges; gift cards; use Membership Rewards points to place an offer on a seat upgrade with over 20 participating airlines; go shopping; charitable donations
$150
Restaurants, transit and travel
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Karen Doyle contributed to the reporting for this article.
Last updated: Oct. 19, 2021
