The Best Rewards Cards of 2021 By Bonus Category: Points, Miles & Cash

I highly recommend opening a rewards credit card if you want to make the most out of your spending. Knowing which credit cards offer the best rewards will help you maximize your earnings.

Be sure to keep reading to learn about The Best Rewards Cards of 2020 By Bonus Category. Furthermore, you can check out our list of the best credit card bonuses here to earn even more.

Best Rewards Cards By Spending Category

Depending on the type of card, there will be different types of rewards when you spend in a certain category. For instance, you might see different bonus points for a travel card versus a business card. Because of this, you can find the best rewards cards split by spending category: points/miles, cashback, and business.

Points and Miles Cards

Check out the best rewards cards for points and miles below. Additionally, you can check out the best travel cards for points and miles here.

HOTELS - HILTON HONORS AMERICAN EXPRESS ASPIRE CARDTRAVEL - CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE®NON-BONUS SPENDING - CHASE FREEDOM UNLIMITED®DINING - CITI PRESTIGE® CREDIT CARDENTERTAINMENT - CITI PREMIER® CARDAIRFARE - CITI PRESTIGE® CREDIT CARDGROCERIES - AMERICAN EXPRESS EVERYDAY PREFERREDGAS - CITI PREMIER® CARD

The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase TravelSM. You'll earn • 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. • 3x points on other travel and dining • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel. This card does carry a $550 annual fee and there are no foreign transaction fees. However, you're able to earn a $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year & up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Member FDIC Learn More About This Card Here

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card offers a $250 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. In addition, you can earn: • 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more • 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service • 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. There is no minimum to redeem for cash back & your cash back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open. This card comes with no annual fee and you'll get a free credit score that is updated weekly with Credit JourneySM. Member FDIC Learn More About This Card

With the Citi Prestige® Card, you can get a great deal of value out of your points. In order to get the most value, you should redeem for flights through Citi, where your bonus will be worth 1.33 cents per point. This card competes in the premium travel category of credit cards because it has a significant annual fee of $495.

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With the Citi Premier® Card, you can get 3 points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants and on entertainment, and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases. There is an annual fee of $95, which is generally average, but can be waived for the first 12 months.

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As mentioned previously, the Citi Prestige® Card is a great card to redeem for flights through Citi, where your bonus will be worth 1.33 cents per point. This card competes in the premium travel category of credit cards because it has a significant annual fee of $495.

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You can earn high rewards at supermakets and gas stations with the American Express EveryDay Preferred card. Furthermore, you can get 3x Amex Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 a year, then 1x points. Additionally, a 50% points bonus each statement period that you make 30+ transactions. That’s a total of up to 4.5x points, with a points value of $0.02 each. This card has an annual fee of $95.

The Citi Premier® Card offers 3 points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants and on entertainment, and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases. This card has an annual fee of $95, which is generally average, but can be waived for the first 12 months.

Cash Back Cards

For the most part, cash back cards don’t offer as large of a welcome bonus as cards that earn points and miles. However cash back cards are great because they have relatively low fees and other significant rewards in specific categories. Find the best cash back rewards cards below:

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT - CAPITAL ONE® SAVOR® CASH REWARDS CREDIT CARDGROCERIES - BLUE CASH PREFERRED® CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESSGAS - COSTCO ANYWHERE VISA® CARD BY CITI
NON-BONUS SPENDING - CITI® DOUBLE CASH CARDROTATING CATEGORIES - CHASE FREEDOM FLEX

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It(R) to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors. Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 18.49% - 29.49%. You'll earn • 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). • 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. • 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). • 1% Cash Back on other purchases. • $84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. The card does come with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. Learn More About This Card

The Chase Freedom FlexSM offers a $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.24% - 27.99%. You'll earn: • Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service • Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases You cash back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back. This card has no annual fee. Learn More About This Card

Business Cards

You can find even more bonus categories with business cards than with personal travel cards, however you should make sure that you find one that matches with your spending to make the most of it. Check out the best business cards here.

DINING - AMERICAN EXPRESS® BUSINESS GOLD CARDHOTELS & AIRFARE - THE BUSINESS PLATINUM CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESSTRAVEL - INK BUSINESS PREFERRED® CREDIT CARDGAS - AMERICAN EXPRESS® BUSINESS GOLD CARDOFFICE SUPPLIES - INK BUSINESS CASH CREDIT CARDNON-BONUS SPENDING - THE BLUE BUSINESS PLUS® CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS

The American Express® Business Gold Card offers 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* 0% Intro APR ¤ for 6 months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 18.74% to 27.74% variable APR.* You'll earn more rewards: • 4X Membership Rewards(R) points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.* • 3X Membership Rewards(R) points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.* • Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required. • Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.* This card does carry a $375 annual fee, but no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms apply. Learn More About This Card

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a welcome offer of 150,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. • 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. • 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases • Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card. Enrollment required. • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card. • $199 CLEAR Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card. This card does come with a $695 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. Learn More About This Card

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase TravelSM. You'll earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases - with no limit to the amount you can earn. Furthermore, points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase TravelSM. This card does come with a $95 annual fee but does not have any foreign transaction fees. Learn More About This Card Here

The American Express® Business Gold Card offers 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* 0% Intro APR ¤ for 6 months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 18.74% to 27.74% variable APR.* You'll earn more rewards: • 4X Membership Rewards(R) points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.* • 3X Membership Rewards(R) points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.* • Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required. • Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.* This card does carry a $375 annual fee, but no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms apply. Learn More About This Card

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening. You'll earn: • 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year • 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year • 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn. This card comes with no annual fee. You'll be able to take advantage of employee cards at no additional cost. Learn More About This Card Here

With the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 17.74% - 25.74%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99% Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. You'll earn 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply. You've got the power to spend beyond your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited. There card comes with no annual fee (See Rates & Fees). Terms apply. Learn More About This Card

Additional Guides

• The Best Hotel Credit Cards For Travel Benefits + Rewards
• The Best Travel Credit Cards: Rewards and Benefits
• Best Credit Cards For Restaurant Purchases
• Best Credit Cards for Supermarket & Grocery Store Purchases
• No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards

Author’s Verdict

Hopefully after reading this post you are informed about which rewards card will give you the most bonuses, depending on what category you spend in. Make sure you do your research to find out which card offers the best benefits based on your spending trends.

In addition, we have a list of bank promotions to get some extra cash in your pockets today. You may also want to check out savings accounts if you want to get started on saving up money.

Huntington Bank Bonuses & Promotions: $100, $400, $1,000 Checking Offers 2024

U.S. Bank Promotions 2024: $400, $450, $900 Personal Checking & Business Bonuses

Chase Coupon Codes 2024 ($100, $200, $300, $400, $500, $700, $2000 Checking Bonuses)

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