Compare top-rated cards offering festive rewards, spending flexibility, and financing options.
January 1, 2026
Christmas will be here before you know it. Now is a great time to get your holiday shopping done, so you have your gifts ready to put under the tree and can enjoy a relaxing holiday season. When booking travel or paying for your holiday haul, don’t miss out on the opportunity to earn rewards. The right credit card makes it easy to earn rewards while you prepare for Christmas. Ready to earn valuable rewards? Here are a few of the best holiday shopping credit cards and the best holiday travel credit cards.
You don't need to apply early to earn. the key to turning everyday spending into cash back rewards is simply putting
your holiday purchases on the card that gives you the biggest return.
Example:
Booking travel? Use Chase Freedom Unlimited® for 5% back via Chase Travel. Buying gifts online? Use
American Express Blue Cash Everyday® or set your Bank of America® category to online shopping before
checkout.
If your card lets you pick or activate bonus categories
(like online shopping, gas, or dining), double check it’s set before you start
spending.
Example: If your Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards is still set
to “gas” and you’re about to drop $500 on gifts, that’s lost cash back. Set it to “online shopping”
first, it takes 30 seconds.
|
Card |
Category / Focus |
Max Earning |
Activation or Setup Note |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
Travel through Chase, dining, drugstores, everything else |
5% on travel, 3% on dining and drugstores, 1.5% flat on everything else |
No activation needed |
|
Online shopping, groceries, gas |
3% on up to $6,000/year per category |
Automatically applies, no setup required |
|
|
Choose your 3% category: online shopping, dining, gas, and more |
3% cash back + 3% first-year bonus, 2% on groceries and wholesale clubs |
Set your category before Q4 shopping starts |
|
|
Everything you buy |
2% total — 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay it off |
No activation or categories to track |
Here's how to squeeze more value out of your cards this season:
Traveling? Use Chase Freedom Unlimited® to earn 5% through Chase Travel. Then move those points to your Chase Sapphire Preferred® and redeem them for 25% more value on travel.
Gift shopping online? Use the Blue Cash Everyday® Card. Spend $1,000 and get $30 back in rewards, no hoops.
Big-ticket purchases? Set your Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards category to “online shopping” before you buy. Spend $2,000 on gifts and earn $60 back for doing nothing extra.
Understanding the types of credit card rewards is key, some cards earn cash back, others earn miles or points. Here are our top picks for the best holiday travel credit cards and holiday shopping credit cards:
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a great card to pull out of your wallet when doing your Christmas shopping. It has no annual fee and earns a flat-rate 2% cash back on all purchases. There are no rotating reward categories or different reward rates to track.
A standout benefit that makes the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card a great holiday credit card is its introductory APR offer - 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5. This card perk makes the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card one of the best 0% APR credit cards.
This promotional offer can save you money on interest and give you more time to pay off your purchases. But be sure to pay off your debt before the promotional period ends.
Related: Check out our list of the best cash back rewards cards
If you plan to shop and travel this Christmas, you may be looking for one of the best holiday travel credit cards. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid pick. It has a reasonable $95 annual fee and earns 2X miles on every purchase, no matter where you shop.
If you'll be traveling for the holidays, there's an opportunity to earn bonus miles on eligible travel purchases. Here's how to earn Capital One Miles: earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, plus 2X miles on all other purchases.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card also provides a statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees, available once every four years. This card perk can help make airport travel less stressful.
The Citi Double Cash® Card is another one of the best credit cards for holiday shopping. It has no annual fee, and you can earn up to 2% unlimited cash back rewards: 1% cash back when you make a purchase, and 1% cash back when you pay off a purchase.
You can also earn up to 5% total cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal. With no purchase or shopping categories to track, this is a solid cash back card for all your holiday shopping needs.
If you’re a regular traveler, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an excellent travel rewards card to have in your wallet this holiday season. It has a reasonable $95 annual fee and a generous 75,000 bonus points sign-up bonus offer.
Here’s how you’ll earn rewards with this card:
5X points on travel booked made through Chase Travel
3X points on dining, online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), and select streaming services
2X points on other travel
1X point on other purchases
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers many travel-focused perks, including credit card travel insurance benefits and a statement credit of up to $50 for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel, available at each account anniversary. This card also provides these shopping perks:
Purchase protection: For 120 days from the purchase date, eligible new purchases made with your card are covered against damage or theft, up to $500 per item.
Extended warranty coverage: This protection extends the manufacturer’s U.S. warranty by an additional year for eligible warranties of three years or less, up to four years from the date of purchase.
Related: Check out our list of the top travel rewards credit cards
Another top pick on our best shopping and best holiday travel credit cards list is the Citi Strata Premier® Card. It earns elevated rewards in several spending categories, making it a great card choice for everyday spending this busy Christmas season. You can even customize your rewards experience by choosing one eligible 3X rewards category.
Here’s how you’ll earn rewards with this card:
5X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel
3X points at supermarkets
3X points on select transit, gas, and EV charging stations
3X points on an eligible purchase category of your choice
2X points at restaurants
1X points on other purchases
You’ll likely spend more on groceries, dining, and gas during the holidays, and this rewards card covers a variety of purchase categories, helping you maximize your rewards.
Related: Check out our best credit cards list
Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you do your holiday spending:
Before you shop for the holidays, it's wise to set spending limits to avoid going over budget. And when using credit cards, only charge what you can afford. The best strategy is to pay your entire statement balance in full to avoid expensive interest charges.
You should also be careful to pay your credit card bills on time. Responsible financial choices like this could help you improve your payment history on your credit report and improve your credit score.
There are many best holiday travel credit cards and best credit cards for holiday shopping to choose from. Unsure which card is right for you? The best strategy is to select a Christmas credit card that rewards you for your typical spending categories and offers perks that you’ll use.
Whether you’re stocking up on essentials for Christmas dinner, making your way through your lengthy holiday shopping list, or booking flights and hotels for Christmas travel, don’t miss out on the chance to earn credit card rewards. With the best credit card for holiday shopping and travel, you can get rewarded as you prepare for the holidays.
Holly
Johnson: Credit card and rewards expert
John Garner: Credit card rewards expert
and founder and CEO of Odynn
Mike
Kern: CPA and founder of FreeBudget
Editorial disclosure:
This content is not provided by the issuers. Any opinions expressed are those of BestMoney alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuers.
The credit card offers and information presented on this page are current as of the published date. However, credit card terms, including APRs, fees, and promotional offers, are subject to change without notice. Some offers listed may no longer be available or may have expired. Please refer to the issuer's website for the most up-to-date terms and conditions.
Natasha is a financial writer specializing in credit cards and credit card rewards. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including NerdWallet, The Motley Fool, and Fast Company.
