Best Credit Cards for EV Charging [2024]: Utility Bills, Home Charger Installs, and More

There are more EVs than ever on the road these days, and given that fuel costs are one of the many reasons why people switch to electric, it’s a natural progression for credit card issuers to offer extra rewards on gas and EV charging.

The EV charging landscape is more variable than for gas-powered cars, however. Like many EV owners, I prefer to charge at home even though my car came with three full years of free charging at certain stations. It’s easier, something I can’t do with my gas-powered pickup. As you can see, a standard one-size-fits-all rewards card won’t cut it for most EV owners.

If you’re looking for an all-around good rewards card on EV charging, try the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature^® Card, which offers a good cashback rate on other useful purchases like groceries and dining out in addition to charging.

However, it doesn’t offer cash back, per se. If that’s what you prefer, try the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature^® Card. This is also a good choice if you charge at home, since you can actually earn more on utilities and bills that may be higher if you’re charging at home. Below, we’ll take a look at a range of the best credit cards for EV charging.

Key takeaways

• Charging at public fast charging stations can cost roughly three times as much as charging at home.
• Consider cards that offer higher rewards on utilities, auto, and home expenses too since most EV owners don’t charge exclusively at fast charging stations.
• The PenFed Platinum Rewards card and U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards card are our top two picks for best EV charging cards.

Best Credit Cards for EV Charging 2024

Card	Intro bonus	Annual fee	Rewards
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi — Excellent for household purchases	Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico	$0	4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and 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
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card — Excellent for cell phone protection	Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months (that’s a $200 cash redemption value)	$0	Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans; plus earn 1X points on other purchases
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card — Excellent welcome bonus	For a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com	$95	10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com; 3X points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations; and 1X points on all other purchases
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® — Excellent for homeowners	Earn $200 statement credit by opening a Rewards Checking account and making 3 debit card transactions in the first 60 days of your Upgrade Card account opening	$0	3% cash back on payments for home, auto, and health purchases; 1% cash back on payments for all other purchases
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card — Excellent for EV charging	Earn 15,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in the first 90 days	$0	5X points on gas/EV purchases; 3X points on at supermarkets and restaurants, and on streaming, cable, satellite, and other pay television/radio services; and 1X points on all other purchases
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card — Excellent for electric travel adventures	Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening	$0	5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center; 4X points on travel, and at gas stations and EV charging stations on the first $1,000 each quarter (wholesale clubs and discount stores/supercenters excluded); 2X points on dining, streaming services and at grocery stores; and 1X points on all other eligible purchases
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card — Excellent for highest earning potential	Earn $250 after spending $2,000 on eligible purchases in the first 120 days	$95 (waived first year)	6% cash back on first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter with your choice of two retailers; 5.5% cash back on prepaid hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center; 3% cash back on the first $1,500 in eligible purchases in one everyday category; and 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card — Excellent for climate-conscious consumers	Earn a $100 cash rewards bonus when you spend $500 in purchases in the first 3 months	$0	Earn unlimited 4% cash rewards on self-care, sports, recreation, and entertainment, and planet-friendly purchases and 1% on other purchases

Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi

Gas stations make up most of Costco’s fuel business, but it’s increasingly adding EV capabilities by installing fast chargers at 20+ new warehouses in 2023. Whether you charge at Costco or not, however, this card offers a high cashback rate on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter. It’s also good if you plan on charging at home because it sells Level 2 chargers that you can hire an electrician to install.

I bought such a charger from Costco myself in 2022, and if I had the Costco Anywhere Visa card, I would have earned $13 back on my $655 purchase — not to mention on all of my other regular Costco purchases like groceries and household gadgets.

Learn more in our Costco Anywhere Visa review. 

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Your cell phone is key to your EV’s infotainment system. You could get extra benefits for both with the Wells Fargo Autograph card, which offers 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. You’ll also get a pretty good cell phone protection plan, although there are some caveats.

It only covers $600 toward damage or theft of your cell phone (subject to a $25 deductible) — which isn’t always a lot with today’s modern phones — and only if you’re using the card to pay your monthly bill (which you should, given that it’s one of the reward categories). Lost phones aren’t eligible for coverage, either, nor is damage that doesn’t impact your phone’s “capabilities or functionality” like cracked screens. Still, if you need the coverage, you’ll be glad you have it.

Learn more in our Wells Fargo Autograph review.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Citi offers a nominal rewards rate of 3X points on EV charging with the Citi Strata Premier card and its annual $100 hotel credit just covers the $95 annual fee, making this card worth it to keep in the long run. (Be advised, though, that the $100 credit only applies to hotels booked directly through Citi’s travel portal.)

Its real strength, however, is its welcome bonus: For a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. If you’ve got an upcoming trip, this would be the perfect time to pay for your hotel or airfare costs to boost you towards the spending requirement, especially considering the high 10X reward rate on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.

Find out more in our Citi Strata Premier review.

Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa^®

Charging your EV at home is best for your battery’s longevity, but it’ll set you back an average of $1,400 to buy and install a standard home Level 2 charger. Upgrade’s Triple Cash Rewards card could come in handy here since it’s one of the few credit cards — in general — to offer an extensive menu of cashback rewards on purchases for your home and auto.

That’s good if you own a car or a home, but there’s one big catch if you’re hoping to use it for a specific purpose like in this example: “home” and “auto” are understandably broad, so you’ll need to sift through qualifying merchants first. You’ll earn 3% cash back when you hire an “electrical contractor” and buy the hardware from a “car and truck dealer,” for example. But if you buy your home charger from Costco, a grocery warehouse store, it won’t count.

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature^® Card

There are some hoops to jump through to get a PenFed Platinum Rewards card, such as opening a savings account with a $5 deposit when you sign up to become a member. (Membership is open to anyone, however.) I’ve always found credit unions great to work with since they’re nonprofit, community-focused institutions that distribute proceeds back to member-owners, and that seems to be true in PenFed’s case as well.

PenFed offers up to 5X on gas/EV purchases with no limits on how much you could earn. One downside is that PenFed doesn’t disclose how much points are worth, but according to some reports, it’s generally about 0.85 cents each. Still, that’s equivalent to a cashback rate of 4.25% — not bad at all. You can redeem these points for gift cards, merchandise, or travel.

U.S. Bank Altitude^® Connect Visa Signature^® Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect card saw some changes in September 2024, including the introduction of a limit on its elevated earning rate for EV charging. Now, you could earn 4X on travel, and purchases gas stations at EV charging stations on the first $1,000 each quarter (wholesale clubs and discount stores/supercenters excluded). Even so, it’s an especially powerful card if you take your EV on the road or rent an EV at your destination, given its many travel perks.

Some of these perks can make all of your travel experiences smoother, such as helping to cover the cost of TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, special access to airport lounges, premium car rentals, and in-flight mobile data plans. Others could very much come in handy if you run into any problems, such as its unique SmartDelay feature that gives you instant access to premium airport lounges if it senses your flight is delayed by a lengthy period of time.

Find out more in our U.S. Bank Altitude Connect review. 

U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature^® Card

Although you’ll only earn extra rewards on your first $1,500 in purchases each quarter with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards card, it makes up for it with two other unique qualities: you can choose your bonus categories each quarter, and the bonus rewards rates offered range up to 6% cash back. This differs from other rotating-category cards because you’ll choose which two merchants will earn you up to 6% cash back each quarter and which one “everyday category” will earn you 3% cash back.

This could be really handy if you know you’ll be buying a lot from a particular retailer in one quarter and not another. You might opt for Home Depot in one quarter while you’re installing a new backyard fence, for example, and then choose Chewy the next quarter when you’re buying all the things you’ll need to adopt a new dog. The 3% back on your choice of one everyday category (on the first $1,500 in eligible purchases each quarter) also allows a lot of flexibility. You can choose whether you’ll earn extra at public “EV charging stations” while out and about or “bills and home utilities” for charging at home.

Learn more in our U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards review. 

Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card

Seven out of 10 EV buyers say that environmental concerns are the reason for making the leap from gas-powered cars, so it’s no secret that this card will appeal to many EV owners. It’s a relatively new card, with Wells Fargo announcing its launch in June 2024. It offers up to 4% cash rewards on a somewhat-scrambled collection of purchases (plus 1% cash back on other purchases). Wells Fargo offers the higher rewards rate on three main categories of purchases: “self-care,” “select sports, recreation, and entertainment,” and “impactful purchases,” which includes EV charging.

It’s a great choice if you’re interested in earning more for making mindful spending decisions, but the downside is you’ll need to sort through the list to see what counts and what doesn’t every time you want to ensure your purchase counts. For example, “self-care” is a relatively personal thing. Wells Fargo counts things like massage parlors and fitness clubs under this umbrella, which means you’re out of luck if gourmet cooking is your particular form of self-care.

Learn more in our Wells Fargo Attune review. 

How much cashback could you earn?

The exact amount you could earn depends on lots of different factors, such as what type of car you drive, how often you drive it, the electricity prices where you are, when you charge it, which credit card you choose, etc. But to make things simple, let’s assume that you drive an average EV like an average American with average charging costs.

According to Kelley Blue Book, you can expect to spend about $68 per month if you charge at home, based on the average U.S. electricity price of 16.88 cents per kWh and the average EV consumption rate of 402 kWh needed to drive 1,207 miles. EV charging company Qmerit says that public fast chargers cost between $0.40 and $0.60 per kWh, however, which boosts that monthly average charging cost up to $241 if you rely exclusively on these charging stations.

If you opt for the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards card, that could net you $6 in rewards every three months if you charge at home and select “bills and utilities” for your 3% cash back category each quarter or $22 in rewards if you opt for 3% cash back at EV charging stations instead. A straight-up up to 4% cash rewards cash-back card like the Well Fargo Attune World Elite Mastercard, on the other hand, would net you $116 per year in cash rewards for charging exclusively at fast charging stations.

How to maximize your rewards

Here are some ways you can get the most back when it comes to using EV charging cards.

• Choose your card(s) wisely: Choose a card that offers unlimited cash back on everything, or open several cards that offer higher cashback rates in different categories you frequently use in addition to electric vehicle charging. That way, all of your spending earns some amount of rewards.
• Consider other EV expenses: It’s not just fast charging. Consider whether you’ll pay higher electric bills for charging at home, battery replacement costs down the line, installation costs for home chargers, etc. Some cards offer rewards in these categories.
• Pay the balance off each month: You won’t have to pay interest if you pay off your credit card bill in full, meaning the credit card company ends up paying you rather than the other way around.

Should you get a credit card for EV charging?

Opening a new credit card just for the EV perks is unusual, and it may or may not be a good idea depending on your situation. If you spend a lot each month on powering up your ride and you could get some extra benefits by using a credit card, such as extra cash back on other big spending categories, then it’s worth investigating further.

If, like most EV owners, you mostly charge at home, then it’s probably not worth getting a credit card for EV charging unless you can find one that offers extra rewards on utility bills. Most of us were trained to associate gas rewards cards with good things, but the truth is most EV owners don’t spend as much on EV charging costs as they would on gas purchases (unless you drive your EV all day and rely exclusively on fast charging stations).

Alternatives to consider

Opening a new credit card that offers bonus rewards at EV charging stations isn’t the only way to lower your driving costs. Here are several other good methods.

• Buy a new EV: A good chunk of new EVs come with free or lower-cost charging packages. I bought a new Volkswagen ID.4 in 2023, for example, and my car came with free charging at Electrify America stations for three full years — no credit card needed.
• Use a rewards debit card: Although they’re not common, some debit cards offer rewards on your spending. The FutureCard Visa Debit Card goes even further and offers 5% cash back on EV charging, a good option if you don’t want a credit-based product.
• Use a cash-back credit card: General-purpose cash-back credit cards may offer a lower overall rewards rate, but because you can use them on just about everything, they might be a better option if you don’t want to open a separate card just for your EV.
• Check out a membership plan: Charging stations may offer subscriptions with discounts for a small fee. Electrify America, for example, charges $7/month for a Pass+ membership, but offers a 25% discount on all EV charging.

FAQ

Bottom line

It’s a good idea to estimate how much electricity you burn through each month while driving and then estimate your monthly cost — whether you charge at home or at public charging stations — before opening an EV charging rewards card. Only then can you make an informed decision about whether it’s worth the hassle or not, especially since EV charging cards may not be quite as useful as gas cards.

Earn up to 4% cash back

Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi

4.5

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Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi

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Rates and fees

Current Offer

Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and 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

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter
• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees

Drawbacks

• Must be a Costco member
• Cash back is only redeemed once a year
• No welcome bonus

Card Details

• Discover one of Citi's best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
• 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter
• 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases
• 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
• Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico