In This Article
While some cards have permanent bonus categories, others change from time to time. This has been especially true this past year. We hope this guide will make choosing the best card to make a purchase just a little bit easier for you.
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Editors Note: All information about the Amex EveryDay Credit Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel. The Amex EveryDay Credit Card is no longer available through 10xTravel.
There could be many reasons why you might not be working on earning a credit card welcome bonus right now. Maybe you’re trying to get your recently opened card count below 5/24 or you’re letting your credit report cool off a little bit before opening new cards.
Whatever the reason, you still want to take advantage of travel credit card bonus categories. That’s why we’ve compiled the best bonus category options currently available in the market on a quarterly basis for cards you might have in your wallet.
While some cards have permanent bonus categories, others change every few months. We hope this guide will make choosing the best card for your everyday purchases just a little bit easier.
Editors Note: All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel.
Groceries
For the third quarter of 2023, there are quite a few options to earn points at elevated rates on supermarket purchases. You can earn tons of rewards to make the increasingly painful cost of groceries sting less.
The following cards offer bonus points or high cashback rates on grocery purchases:
- Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card: 5% cash back at Whole Foods
- Amex EveryDay Credit Card: 2X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on the first $6,000 spent per year, then 1X thereafter
- American Express® Gold Card (see rates and fees): 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on the first $25,000 spent per year, then 1X thereafter
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (see rates & fees): 3% cash back on groceries on the first $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per year, then 1% thereafter
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (see rates and fees): 6% cash back on groceries on the first $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per year, then 1% thereafter
- Citi Custom Cash® Card: 5% cash back on the first $500 in your top category spend each month, 1% cash back thereafter
- Citi Premier® Card: 3X ThankYou Points at supermarkets
A fan-favorite American Express® Gold Card is still one of the best cards to earn flexible rewards on grocery purchases in the United States. The Citi Premier Card earns bonus points on supermarkets all over the world, so consider this card when buying groceries overseas.
The Citi Custom Cash Card offers the opportunity to earn up to 5% cash back on your first $500 spent at grocery stores, so long as it’s your top category of the month. Given groceries are often one of the biggest line items in a family’s budget, it can be easy to maximize the grocery store category with this card every month.
Flights
Travel is back in full swing, which means you might be thinking of booking a flight in the near future. Whenever you’re not redeeming credit-card rewards for airfare, make sure to earn the most points possible on any cash tickets you’re purchasing.
The best cards offering bonus points for flights purchased in July through September 2023 include:
- American Express® Gold Card: 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines and with Amex Travel
- American Express® Green Card (see rates and fees): 3X Membership Rewards points on travel
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠: 5% cash back/5X Ultimate Rewards via the Ultimate Rewards travel portal
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 5X Ultimate Rewards points on airfare purchased through Ultimate Rewards Travel portal and 2X on all other travel purchases
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 5X Ultimate Rewards points on airfare purchased through Ultimate Rewards Travel portal and 3X on all other travel purchases (after the first $300 spent on travel per year)
- Citi Premier® Card: 3X ThankYou Points on airline purchases
- Citi Prestige Card (not available to new applicants): 5X ThankYou Points on airline purchases
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees): 5X Membership Rewards on flights booked directly with an airline or via Amex Travel (on the first $500,000 spent per year, 1X after)
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card: 4X points on travel
Nothing has changed in this spending category in a while. Although both the Amex Platinum and the Citi Prestige Card earn 5X points on flights, the Amex Platinum is a preferred option between the two because it provides trip delay insurance.
The Amex Gold and the Amex Green could be good choices here as well as they earn 4X and 3X Membership Rewards points on airfare, respectively.
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a bit of an underdog, but it still should be on your radar. Unlike its big brother, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card, it earns 4X points on all travel regardless if it’s booked through a travel portal or not. Keep in mind, the U.S. Bank doesn’t have any transfer partners, so you’ll be limited to redeeming points directly through their travel portal.
Both of the Chase Sapphire cards, both Chase Freedom cards as well as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card offer travelers 5X points per dollar spent on airfare booked via their respective travel portals. However, keep in mind that booking directly with an airline might save you some headache down the road.
The Citi Premier Card awards 3X ThankYou Points per dollar spent on airfare but doesn’t provide any travel protections, such as trip cancellation or interruption insurance, trip delay, baggage delay or baggage loss.
Hotels
Although there are exceptions, we recommend focusing on earning transferable points when booking hotels. Here are your best options with Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi:
- American Express Green Card: 3X Membership Rewards points on travel
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: 10X miles on hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 5X miles on hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠: 5% cash back/5X Ultimate Rewards on hotels booked via the Ultimate Rewards travel portal
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 5X Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards or 2X points on all other travel
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 10X Ultimate Rewards points on hotels booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards portal (after the first $300 spent on travel per year) or 3X points on all other travel
- Citi Premier Card: 10X ThankYou Points on hotel bookings made through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal through June 30, 2024 and 3X ThankYou Points on other hotel purchases
- Citi Prestige Card: 10X ThankYou Points on hotel bookings made through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal and 3X ThankYou Points on other hotel purchases
- Ink Business Preferred® credit card: 3X Ultimate Rewards on travel
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5X Membership Rewards on prepaid hotels booked via Amex Travel
If you’re looking to pay cash for your hotel stay, consider using the Citi Prestige Card (not available to new applicants). You can get the fourth night free on a paid hotel stay booked through Citi Travel (up to two times per year).
The Citi Premier Card holders receive a $100 annual statement credit per calendar year after booking a single stay totaling at least $500 through the Citi Travel portal. Additionally, the Citi Premier and the Citi Prestige cardholders earn 10X points on hotel bookings made through its new portal partnered with Booking.com (through June 30, 2024).
Those who have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can save $50 per membership year when booking a hotel stay through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
The Platinum Card from American Express cardmembers receive a hotel credit of up to $200 toward a property participating in the Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection booked via Amex Travel (no enrollment required, but terms apply, 2 night minimum stay required).
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® might entice you with 10X points per dollar spent on hotels booked through their respective travel portals. However, it’s worth remembering that chain hotels don’t honor elite status benefits on portal bookings, and you likely won’t earn credit for the stay, either.
Same idea applies to portal bookings made with the Freedom Unlimited, the Freedom Flex card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. You’ll earn 5X points on these hotel bookings, but your elite status won’t be recognized.
You also can earn 5X points on hotel stays with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card. You’ll earn 5X points on hotels booked through the Altitude Reserve Center with your card, but there are no transfer partners with U.S. Bank. In general, you should prioritize the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card or one of either the Chase Freedom Unlimited or the Chase Freedom Flex over the Altitude Reserve.
Cruises
Setting sails? Use a card that earns bonus rewards in the travel category. Co-branded cruise cards aren’t typically the best options. Instead, use a credit card that earns a boatload of flexible points and offers trip insurance in case you miss the boat.
- American Express Green Card: 3X Membership Rewards points on travel
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠: 5% cash back/5X Ultimate Rewards on purchases made in the Ultimate Rewards travel portal
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 5X Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards or 2X points on travel
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3X Ultimate Rewards on travel
- Citi Prestige Card: 3X ThankYou Points on cruise lines
- Ink Business Preferred® credit card: 3X Ultimate Rewards on travel
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card: 4X points per dollar spent on travel
Rental Cars
When renting a car, you should consider more than just the total number of points you’d earn. Some cards offer rental car insurance when you book with them, but they may not offer the most points.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® provide primary insurance coverage while many of its peers offer either secondary coverage or no coverage at all.
- American Express Green Card: 3X Membership Rewards points on travel
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Card: 10X miles on car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and on Turo
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 5X miles on car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and on Turo
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠: 5% cash back/5X Ultimate Rewards via the Chase travel portal
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 5X Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards or 2X points on travel
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 10X Ultimate Rewards points on car rentals reserved through Chase Ultimate Rewards or 3X points on travel
- Citi Premier Card: 10X ThankYou Points on car rentals booked through the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024
- Citi Prestige Card: 10X ThankYou Points on car rentals booked through the Citi Travel portal
- Ink Business Preferred® credit card: 3X points on travel
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card: 4X points on travel
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card: 5X points on car rentals booked via the Altitude Rewards Center
Restaurants
Dining, including delivery and takeout, is one of the most popular travel credit card bonus categories. The extra points add up quickly whether you grab a hot beverage at a neighborhood coffee shop in the morning, go out with coworkers for lunch or wine and dine in the evening.
- American Express Gold® Card: 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide
- American Express Green Card: 3X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide
- Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card: 4% cash back on dining
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠: 3% cash back/3X Ultimate Rewards at restaurants
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 3X Ultimate Rewards points on dining
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 10X Ultimate Rewards points on prepaid reservations with Chase Dining and 3X points on all other dining purchases
- Citi Custom Cash Card: 5% back on the first $500 in your top category spend each month, 1% cash back thereafter
- Citi Premier Card: 3X ThankYou Points at restaurants
- Citi Prestige Card: 5X ThankYou Points at restaurants
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: 3% cash back at restaurants
Ride-Hailing Services
Ride-booking can be tricky. Some banks code these services as travel while others don’t. For extra rewards, look for cards that have partnerships with specific ride-hailing companies.
- American Express Green Card: 3X Membership Rewards on travel
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 3% cash back on transit
- Chase Freedom, Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠: 5% cash back/5X Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides, 1% on others ride-hailing services
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 5X Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides and 2X on others ride-hailing services
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 10X Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides and 3X on others ride-hailing services
- Ink Business Preferred® or Ink Business® Plus: 5X Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides and 1X on other ride-hailing services
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: 5% cash back on Lyft rides and 1% on other ride-hailing services
- Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card: 3X points on transit
Although The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card don’t earn bonus points with ride-hailing services, they offer a monthly Uber Cash credit of $15 and $10, respectively (enrollment required), so don’t forget to link these cards with your Uber account.
Food Delivery
For food delivery, some cards offer unique credits in addition to bonus points. Balancing your earnings and credits to offset the costs is the best way to save and earn.
- American Express® Gold Card: 4X Membership Rewards
- Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card: 4% cash back on dining
- Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card: 3% cash back on dining
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠: 3% cash back/3X Ultimate Rewards points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 3X Ultimate Rewards points on dining
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3X Ultimate Rewards points on dining
- Citi Premier Card: 3X ThankYou Points on DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats
- Citi Prestige Card: 5X ThankYou Points on DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats
- Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card: 3X points on ordering in and eating out
The Amex Gold Card offers a $10 monthly credit that you can use with Grubhub and a $10 monthly Uber Cash credit (enrollment required), which can be used toward Uber Eats orders as well.
The Amex Platinum Card members receive a $15 monthly Uber Cash credit and $25 in December (enrollment required). The credits with either card don’t roll over to the next month, so be sure to place an order before they expire.
Gas Stations
Gas prices are starting to come down a little, and road trips are taking the front seat for many travelers. Gas stations will be a big category for road trippers hitting the road this summer. Try to get as many points or as much cash back as possible when filling up the tank to offset the high cost of fuel. Interestingly, the Chase Freedom Flex went the “green” route and included electric vehicle charging stations in its quarterly bonus categories.
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 3% cash back on gas at U.S. gas stations
- Chase Freedom, (not available to new applicants) or Chase Freedom Flex℠: 5% cash back/5X Ultimate Rewards points at gas stations and EV charging locations
- Citi Custom Cash Card: 5% back on the first $500 in your top category spend each month, 1% cash back thereafter
- Citi Premier Card: 3X ThankYou Points at gas stations
- Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi: 4% cash back on gas, including at Costco (on up to the first $7,000 per year, then 1%)
- Discover it® Cash Back Credit Card: 5% cash back at gas stations (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter)
- Ink Business Cash® credit card: 2% cash back/2X Ultimate Rewards at gas stations (on the first $25,000 per year)
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card: 4X points at gas stations
- Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card: 3X points at gas stations
Mobile Pay
Mobile pay is becoming increasingly attractive, especially now that consumers are trying to reduce physical contact at shops, restaurants and coffee shops. As the acceptance of mobile pay services increases, so does its popularity as a bonus category.
- Apple Card: 3% on Apple Pay transactions at Ace Hardware, Duane Reade, Exxon and Mobil gas stations, Nike, Panera Bread, T-Mobile, Uber, Uber Eats and Walgreens, and 2% back on all other Apple Pay transactions
- Discover it® Cash Back Credit Card: 5% cash back on purchases made with digital wallets, including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay and in store with Google Pay (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter)
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card: 3X points on Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, LG Pay
- Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card: 1.8% cashback on mobile payments for the first year with your card
Although the Apple Card and the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Card are technically two of the best options for mobile pay, we don’t generally recommend them. Many cards earn bonus points on their respective categories even if you pay with mobile pay. So if you’re dining out, look to use the best restaurant card instead of the Apple Card or the Cash Wise Visa.
Entertainment
Entertainment can be a broad category, but there are several cards available this quarter that list entertainment as a bonus category.
- Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card: 4% cash back on entertainment
- Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card: 3% cash back on entertainment
- Chase Freedom (not available to new applicants) and Chase Freedom Flex: 5% cash back/5X Ultimate Rewards points on select live entertainment, including major sporting events, zoos and aquariums as well as concerts and amusement parks (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter)
- Citi Custom Cash Card: 5% back on the first $500 in your top category spend each month, 1% cash back thereafter
Streaming Services
For many people, streaming services have replaced traditional cable and satellite TV. Although it may be a hassle to change all your billing information, using one of the following cards will get you the most back on streaming services this quarter.
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 6% cash back on streaming
- Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card: 4% cash back on popular streaming services
- Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card: 3% cash back on popular streaming services
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 3X Ultimate Rewards points on select streaming services
- Citi Custom Cash Card: 5% cash back on the first $500 in your top category spend each month, 1% cash back thereafter
- U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card: 5% cash back on streaming as long as it’s one of your top two category choices (on the first $2,000 each quarter)
- Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card: 3X points on streaming services
Quarterly Bonus Categories (July through September 2023)
Some of our favorite rewards cards include bonus categories that change every quarter. Below are two of our favorite rotating category credit cards and their quarterly bonuses for July through September 2023.
- Chase Freedom (not available to new applicants) and Chase Freedom Flex: 5% cash back/5X Ultimate Rewards points at gas stations, EV charging and on select live entertainment (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter)
- Discover it® Cash Back Credit Card: 5% cash back at gas stations and digital wallets (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter)
Offer activation is required for both cards, so don’t forget to click the magic “Activate” button to get the bonus rewards.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of great cards out there for every bonus category this quarter to help you maximize your spending and earn a rewards multiplier on everyday expenses. Banking double or triple points per dollar means you’ll get to your next vacation much sooner. And if you’re having a hard time tracking it all, we recommend referring to this article before making a purchase.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
New to the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
Cards in This Article
80,000
Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000
Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms apply.
60,000
Citi ThankYou Points
after making $4,000 in purchases with your card within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
130,000
Hilton Honors Bonus Points
after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
$200
Bonus
after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
An additional 1.5%
cash back
on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
100,000
Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening
40,000
Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel.
50,000
Bonus Points
after you spend $4,500 in the first 90 days
60,000
Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
$300
Cash Back
after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months
20,000
Go Far Rewards Points
after you spend $1,000 in 3 months
$250
Statement Credit
after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months.
75,000
Venture Miles
after you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.