Rewards Credit Cards to Score Before the Holidays Hit

Holly Johnson

September 13, 2017  •  6 Minute Read

Credit Cards

With summer behind us and fall on its way, it’s just a matter of time until the festive season hits. Once Halloween comes and goes, an explosion of twinkling lights and non-stop sales will last for months. Holiday shopping season will kick in, culminating on Black Friday followed by weeks of last-minute rushing to find the perfect gifts. It will be here before we know it, which is why you should really start planning now.

If you haven’t started your holiday shopping list already, you’re likely not the only one. But, you can still hatch a plan to score all the gifts you’ll need and earn some rewards along the way. With the right rewards credit card, you can earn tons of cash back or travel rewards that can make saving on holiday shopping a breeze. But, which card should you get?

Here are five rewards cards ideal for holiday shopping and saving:

Discover it® Cash Back

If you’re looking for a rewards card that will serve you before, during, and after the holidays, the Discover it® Cash Back is a smart option to consider. This card comes with no annual fee, zero fraud liability, no foreign transaction fees, a free FICO score on your monthly statement, and plenty of other perks.

Where it really shines, however, is in how it doles out rewards – especially for the holidays. The Discover it® hands out 1 percent cash-back on every purchase you make plus 5 percent cash-back on your first $1,500 spent in categories that rotate every quarter. For the upcoming holiday shopping season (October – December 2017), the quarterly bonus category includes both Amazon.com and Target, making this card an absolute no-brainer whether you prefer to shop in-person or online.

• Holiday Perks: Earn 5 percent back this holiday season on your first $1,500 spent at Amazon.com or Target.
• Signup Bonus: None

For January through March 2019, earn 5% Cashback Bonus at Grocery Stores, on up to $1,500 in purchases when you activate. Excludes purchases made at Walmart and Target.

The information related to The Chase Freedom® credit card (Expired Offer)has been collected by CreditSoup.com and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.

Chase Freedom® (Expired Offer)

If you’re gearing up to shop for the holidays and want another way to earn rewards, the Chase Freedom® is another solid bet. This card offers a generous rewards program plus valuable perks that can make keeping it for the long-term a smart idea.

Despite the fact that Chase Freedom® comes without an annual fee, it offers a slew of perks and benefits that are completely free to cardholders. Benefits that can make holiday shopping safer include Zero Liability Protection, Purchase Protection, and Extended Warranty Protection.

On the earning front, the Chase Freedom® offers 1 percent cash back on every dollar you spend along with 5 percent cash back on your first $1,500 spent in categories that rotate every quarter. Fortunately, the Chase Freedom® has already listed their October – December 2019 category. You will need to activate this offer by December 14th, 2019 to take advantage.

• Holiday Perks: Earn 5 percent back (up to $1,500 in combined purchases) from purchases made at eligible department stores and purchases made using PayPal or Chase Pay®
• Spending Bonus: Earn a $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
  
  

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

If you do a lot of your shopping at grocery stores or department stores, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is another tool to add to your arsenal of rewards cards. This card offers a valuable combination of tiered rewards along with the opportunity to pay down holiday shopping bills with zero interest.

On the rewards side of the equation, you’ll earn 6 percent cash-back on your first $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per year (then 1 percent), 3 percent cash-back at U.S. gas stations and select department stores, and 1 percent cash-back on all other purchases. Your Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Obviously, these rewards can go far if you pick up gift cards or presents at grocery stores or shop at included department stores year-round. A $95 annual fee applies after the first year, and you can redeem your cash-back as statement credits on your account.

• Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months after account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
• Plus, earn Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. $95 annual fee.
  
  

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

If you’re looking for a no-fee cash-back credit card with similar rewards to the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a smart alternative. This card comes with a $0 introductory annual fee. However, it offers a slightly lower earning structure in terms of rewards.

Currently, you’ll earn 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%), 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1% and 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%! Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

With this card you can earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months! Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Everyday® Card. Enrollment required.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card

If you’re an Amazon Prime addict who does most of their shopping online, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card could be the best deal of them all. Currently, this card doles out 5 percent cash-back on all Amazon.com purchases for Prime members, 2 percent cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores, and 1 percent cash-back on all other purchases. The fact it doesn’t charge an annual fee makes it an especially good deal as well.

Non-prime members can even sign up for the card, albeit at a lower rate of rewards. If you don’t belong to Amazon Prime, you’ll still earn 3 percent cash-back on Amazon.com, 2 percent cash-back at restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores, and 1 percent back on all other purchases – all without an annual fee.

Lastly, Amazon also offers an Amazon Prime store credit card that can only be used on Amazon.com. This card extends consumers a flat 5 percent cash back on all Amazon.com purchases without charging an annual fee. It also offers access to 6, 12 and 24-month special financing or 0 percent APR for 12 months with equal payments.

• Holiday Perks: Earn up to 5 percent back on Amazon.com, 2 percent back at restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores, and 1 percent back on all other purchases.
• Signup Bonus: None