9 Best Credit Cards for Daily Use (If You Want to Earn [MASSIVE] Points & Cash Back)

Trying to maximize every single one of your purchases based on the spending categories for a pile of different credit cards can be stressful. To avoid this hassle on smaller purchases, having a general credit card for daily use is a great strategy.

In addition, having a credit card designated for your day-to-day purchases, rather than paying cash or using a debit card, is easier than going to the ATM all the time. This can also give you peace of mind when it comes to debit card fraud — and you can earn valuable cash back or travel rewards at the same time.

In this article, I’ll highlight the best credit cards for daily use, along with a few points to consider before selecting a new card for your daily expenses.

How to choose the best credit cards for daily use

The best credit card for daily use is one that will earn you high returns on your day-to-day purchases. Whether it be filling up your car, grabbing a quick cup of coffee, or buying materials for a home project, everyone needs a card they can turn to that will reward them regardless of the purchase.

Additionally, it’s important to consider which type of credit card rewards and redemption options are going to suit you best. Are cashback rewards needed to put money back into your monthly budget? Or is redeeming travel rewards to help fund your next vacation more appealing? Either way, deciding which is a better fit for your budget and lifestyle is critical to finding the best credit card for daily use for you.

With that in mind, I’ve picked a variety of cards from different credit card issuers below — any one of which could be your best rewards credit card for everyday use.

The 7 best credit cards for daily use

Card	Welcome bonus	Rewards rate	Annual fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	Earn 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	5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 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	$0
Citi® Double Cash Card	Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%, based on your creditworthiness	2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases	$0
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening	2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel	$95
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months	3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year on purchases in each category, then 1%); and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Terms apply.	$0
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months	6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Terms apply.	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card	Earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening	3% cash back on the category of your choice; 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (on the first $2,500 spent each quarter in the 2% and 3% categories combined); and 1% cash back on all other purchases	$0
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi	None	4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases (up to $7,000, then 1% thereafter); 3% on restaurants and eligible travel purchases; 2% on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com; and 1% on all other purchases	$0

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is great for someone looking for easy cashback savings without any rotating categories to keep track of. New cardholders can earn 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. For rewards, you'll earn 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 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. You can redeem your rewards for statement credits, travel, Amazon purchases, and more.

With the consistent cashback rewards and ease of use, the Chase Freedom Unlimited can easily be considered one of the best cashback credit cards out there. And this card is not only great for earning cash back, it also comes with great cardmember perks, such as purchase protection and extended warranty protection.

Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.

Citi^® Double Cash Card

Similar to the Chase Freedom, the Citi Double Cash Card will earn you cash back across all purchases. With the Citi Double Cash Card, you’ll earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.

This is an excellent card for earning cash back on all your purchases with a $0 annual fee. Along with that, the card has an intro 0% APR (annual percentage rate) on balance transfers for the first 18 months (then 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)).

Read our Citi Double Cash Card review.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

If you want to earn valuable miles on all your purchases, the Capital One Venture Rewards is a travel rewards card that's worth considering. With this card, you’ll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The points you score can be used to cover flights, hotel stays, rental cars, rideshare services, and more.

If you’re looking for more “lifestyle” perks, the card comes with exclusive access to premier culinary experiences, must-see music events, and big-time sports events. The Venture Rewards also comes with travel assistance services, auto rental collision damage waiver (secondary coverage), travel accident insurance, extended warranty protection, and no foreign transaction fees.

Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a respectable $0-annual-fee card for someone looking for cashback opportunities. With this card, you’ll earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year on purchases in each category, then 1%); and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. All cash back is in the form of a statement credit.

It also provides car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary coverage), as well as travel accident insurance coverage in case your adventure experiences a bump in the road.

Read our Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express review.

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

If your spending is a bit more diversified across various categories, you may want to consider the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. This card will allow you to score more cash back than the Blue Cash Everyday Card. You’ll earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Cash back is in the form of a statement credit.

However, the caveat to this card is that it comes with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter. While that may be a detractor for some, you can more than make up for that charge by earning significant cash back on your grocery shopping alone.

If you’re trying to decide if the Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card or the Blue Cash Preferred Card is the better fit for you, the best thing to do is break down some math. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average household (which includes both single-member households as well as families) spent roughly $5,250 on groceries in 2021. If your expenses are similar to this, your earnings will be the following with each card:

	American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card	American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card
Annual spend at U.S. supermarkets	$5,250	$5,250
Reward rate on purchases at U.S. supermarkets	3% cashback at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year on purchases in each category, then 1%)	6% cashback at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services
Cash back earned (in for the form of a statement credit)	$158	$315
Annual fee	$0	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter
Yearly cash back from U.S. supermarket purchases after subtracting annual fees	$158	$315 in year one with intro annual fee $220 each year after

In the case above, you’d earn an extra $62 per year in cash back — and $157 more in year one — with the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card, even after the annual fee. Because of these great returns, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card is one of the best credit cards for groceries.

Read our Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card review.

Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi

If you’re as much of a Costco fan as I am, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card is a must-have credit card. You’ll earn 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases (up to $7,000, then 1% thereafter); 3% on restaurants and eligible travel purchases; 2% on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com; and 1% on all other purchases.

There are an incredible amount of perks that come with having a Costco membership, but arguably the best one is the discounted gas. You’ll typically see a decent price difference between warehouse stores like Costco and your regular retail gas stations. Regardless of which credit card you use, you’ll see savings in your fuel bill each month if you begin filling up at Costco instead of a retail gas station. And using the Costco Anywhere Visa Card will add even more savings back into your wallet.

If you were to spend $200 a month on gasoline, you’d save $8 a month or $96 per year. This is on top of the already discounted gas prices you’ll enjoy at Costco.

There’s no annual fee with this card. However, you do need to have a Costco membership to qualify for this card, and that has its own annual fee.

Bank of America^® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card is a great daily-use card because of its flexible categories and earning potential. It will earn you 3% cash back on the category of your choice; 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (on the first $2,500 spent each quarter in the 2% and 3% categories combined); and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Since you can change your 3% category up to once a month, you’ll be able to plan out your purchases ahead of time to maximize your cashback potential. Between your 3% category and 2% category, you’re capped at $2,500 in purchases each quarter. All purchases made after the $2,500 threshold in those categories will go back to earning 1% cash back.

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card also comes with a great sign-up bonus where you can earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. And you’ll have an introductory 0% APR offer on new purchases for 18 billing cycles (then 17.99% - 27.99% Variable) and an introductory 0% APR offer on balance transfers for 18 billing cycles for any qualifying balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 17.99% - 27.99% Variable). So there’s a great opportunity for savings right out of the gate.

Read our Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card review.

The 2 best business credit cards for daily use

If you are a business owner with consistent expenses such as purchasing office supplies or paying your company cell phone bill, having an everyday business credit card can earn you rewards for your business. Whether you want to score cash back to save your business money or rack up bonus points to help pay for flights, your expenses can get you closer to these goals by using one of the following credit cards.

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a great way to earn valuable Membership Rewards points without worrying about spending categories. With this card, you’ll earn 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that.

Membership Rewards can be used in a few different ways. They can be transferred to a number of different travel partners, redeemed for gift cards, or redeemed for statement credits, just to name a few.

If you’re traveling and things go wrong, the Blue Business Plus from American Express can also assist by giving you access to the Global Assist Hotline, as well as car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary coverage). The annual fee is $0.

Read our Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card review.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a seamless way to put cash back into the bottom line of your business. When you use this card, you’ll earn 2% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

To increase these rewards, you can also earn up to $1,000 cash bonus — $500 after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus $500 after spending $50,000 in the first 6 months. If you get the bonus and put your daily business expenses on this card, you could net some serious cash back in the first year. You’ll also have no annual fee in that initial year, and then it will be $150 annually after that.

Along with these incredible savings, you can issue your employees an authorized employee card at no additional cost. You’ll also have auto rental damage waiver protection (primary coverage), purchase security, and extended protection.

Methodology

All of the cards listed above provide valuable earnings without restrictive spending categories. Everyday spending cards are meant to give you great returns based on purchases you make on a regular basis.

For example, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card has spending categories, but they’re designed for qualifying purchases made on a regular basis, such as gas and Costco purchases. Or if you’re looking for even more simplified daily rewards, the Citi Double Cash Card will earn you cash back on every single purchase, regardless of what it is.

In summary, the best credit card for daily use is the one that will give you the best returns with the least amount of stress. So if you’re looking for worry-free rewards for your daily spending, simply use one of the above cards to swipe away and earn yourself cash back or points without the hassle.

FAQs

The bottom line on the best credit cards for daily use

Credit cards for daily use are necessary for any type of spender:

• If you’re looking for simplicity, daily-use credit cards can make a significant difference in your monthly budget through cashback savings. Or they can put a large dent in the cost of your next vacation with points earnings on purchases that you were going to make anyway, like gas, groceries, streaming subscriptions, or takeout from your favorite restaurant.
• Even if you enjoy maximizing every single one of your purchases with multiple credit cards, you still may want a daily-use credit card to cover any remaining expenses.

And finally, as using cash earns no rewards and debit cards are becoming more commonly compromised by fraudsters, a daily-use credit card could be both more convenient and safer for all levels of spenders alike.