Consumers who do a lot of online shopping should take advantage of a credit card that provides significant offers and rewards for online purchases, just as frequent travelers should benefit from a travel rewards card.
To help online shoppers find the best credit card for their shopping habits, GOBankingRates examined introductory offers, rates, rewards and fees across multiple cards and compiled a list of top options.
Which Type of Card Is Best for Online Shopping?
Those dedicated to a particular online store can often benefit from getting the store’s branded Visa or Mastercard. Rewards for purchases from these retailers can be much higher when using their branded cards. Those who shop from a wide variety of online stores might want to consider a card that earns good rewards no matter where it is used online.
This list includes both branded cards and general cards.
The Best Credit Card Offers for Online Shopping
None of these cards have an annual fee, and most offer 0% liability fraud protection.
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card
Amazon Prime members with a linked Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card earn 5% cash-back rewards on Amazon purchases and 10% or more on a rotating selection of Prime Card Bonus products. Cardholders can apply cash back points to Amazon purchases.
Other features of the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card include:
- 10% cash back rewards on purchases at Whole Foods Market and 1% to 2% on all other purchases
- A 15.74% to 23.74% variable annual percentage rate
Capital One Walmart Rewards Card
Walmart shoppers using the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card earn 5% cash back rewards on Walmart.com purchases, whether delivered or picked up at the store. In-store purchases earn 2%.
Other features of the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card:
- 2% cash-back rewards on restaurant and travel purchases and 1% on all other purchases
- A 17.99% to 26.99% variable APR
Target RedCard
Target RedCard cardholders get 5% off qualifying purchases at Target.com and Target rather than earning rewards points. The 2% earned on dining and gas purchases and 1% everywhere outside of Target can be used for Target gift cards.
Cardholders also receive free two-day shipping on qualifying items, an additional 30 days for returns and exchanges and exclusive offers.
This card has a 24.40% variable APR.
by Citi®
Costco shoppers can earn 2% cash back on Costco.com and in-store Costco purchases. Cardholders receive an annual reward certificate for all cash-back rewards earned for the year redeemable for Costco merchandise or cash. It has a APR.
Costco Anywhere Visa Cardholders can also earn the following rewards:
- 4% on eligible gas purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% after that
- 3% on restaurant and eligible travel purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
PayPal Cashback Mastercard
Frequent PayPal users can earn 3% cash back whenever they check out with PayPal and bill to this card, making it easy to earn rewards on most online purchases. Rewards can be used to make purchases, payments or send money to other PayPal users. It can also be transferred to a bank account or debit card.
Cardholders also earn 2% on all other purchases. The card has a 16.49% to 28.49% variable APR.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card allows cardholders to earn 3% cash back on a category of choice. While there is a quarterly purchase limit for earning 3%, online shopping is one of the categories that will earn you cash back.
Other card features include:
- 2% cash back on grocery store and wholesale club purchases up to $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter and for choice category purchases, and then purchases earn 1% for the remainder of the quarter
- A APR
Discover it® Cash Back
The Discover it Cash Back Card allows cardholders to earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases for different categories each quarter up to the quarterly maximum. Categories may include Amazon.com purchases or purchases made using PayPal or digital wallets.
The card earns 1% cash back on all other purchases and has a APR.
American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card Members earn 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases, up to $6,000 per year. Subsequent purchases then earn 1%. The Blue Cash Everyday Card also provides purchase protection.
Other Blue Cash Everyday rewards include:
- 3% on grocery purchases, up to $6,000 per year, and then 1% for subsequent purchases
- 3% on gas purchases, up to $6,000 per year, and then 1% for subsequent purchases
- 1% on other purchases
Terms Apply
Quicksilver from Capital One
The Capital One Quicksilver Card has a straightforward rewards program that allows cardholders to earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, including all online purchases. Rewards can be used for eligible purchases at millions of online stores.
Capital One allows cardholders to pay for online purchases with virtual card numbers that help protect card information.
The card has a APR.
Choosing the Best Credit Card for Online Shopping
The best credit card for online shopping is the one that provides the most significant rewards for the types of purchases made most often by the cardholder. Cardholders should also consider a card’s APR, annual fee, benefits and fraud protection policy before applying for any card.
All cardholders should remember that while it’s tempting to rack up purchases online with so much incentive, they should not charge more than they can afford to pay off in full each month. Hefty interest charges can cost more than any rewards earned.
FAQ
Here are quick answers to popular questions about using credit cards for online shopping.- What credit card should I use for shopping?
- A rewards credit card with fraud protection and possibly purchase protection is best for online and in-store shopping.
- Which card is safest for online shopping?
- Credit cards are safer for online shopping than debit cards since fraudulent charges on a credit card can't trigger overdrafts as they can with a debit card. The safest credit cards provide fraud liability protection to cardholders.
- Can you use credit cards for online purchases?
- Yes, credit cards can be used as a convenient, secure payment method for online purchases, with many companies providing fraud liability protection and some providing purchase protection.
Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Aug. 17, 2022.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
All information about the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express, Member FDIC, has been collected independently by GOBankingRates. The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express is not available through GOBankingRates.