The Best Credit Cards For Your Everyday Expenses

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Picking the right credit card for your lifestyle can be tricky. If you’re a traveler, you may want miles. If you dine out often, consider cash back from restaurants. But if you’re someone that does it all, you’ll probably want multiple credit cards that offer you the best rewards for your every purchase.

Having multiple credit cards isn’t a bad thing as long as you manage them appropriately. Pay them off in full and on time every month, and you’ll be able to rack up rewards while boosting your credit score at the same time. Who doesn’t love that type of financial freedom? If you’re in the market for a new card (or five), consider these for your everyday expenses.

Food

If you’re the take-out queen, you deserve a few perks for keeping Seamless in business. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card comes with unlimited 4 percent cash back on dining and entertainment (like movies), 2 percent cash back at grocery stores and 1 percent cash back on everything else. New cardmembers pay no annual fee for the first year, and then it’s $95 per year after that (or about $8 per month — less than you probably spend on coffee). You’ll get access to premier dining experiences and events just for being a cardmember, too.

Coffee

We may be fond of budget-friendly Dunkin’, but Starbucks offers the perfect card for racking up perks on your daily latte. The Starbucks Rewards Visa Card offers members one star for every $4 spent outside of Starbucks stores, up to three stars for every $1 spent at a Starbucks store and eight free barista picks throughout the year. New cardmembers can also get 4,500 stars, or about 36 free food and beverages, when they spend $500 within the first three months, plus an additional 250 stars when they use the Starbucks Rewards Visa card to reload their balance in the Starbucks app. There’s an annual fee, but it’s only $49 per year (or about $4 per month).

Entertainment

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If you’re a movie maven, love live sports or constantly jam out at concerts, then the Sony Card from Capital One might just be the pick for you. Cardmembers receive five points per dollar spent on entertainment, streaming services, events, music and video downloads, movie and theatre tickets, and all Sony purchases through authorized retailers. Plus, you also earn one point per dollar spent on everything else. The Sony Card can even be used to pay for your Amazon Prime account, which helps you earn that many more points per year. When you’re ready to redeem your points, apply them toward electronics, movies, games and more. There’s no annual fee, and new cardmembers can enjoy a $50 statement credit after making at least one charge to the card within the first 90 days. Oh, and there’s 0 percent interest for the first six months. Does it get any better than this?

Flights

If you’re a frequent flyer or just want to book more solo trips because YOLO, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is a great option. We’re big fans of the $95 annual fee, which is waived the first year, because it’s a lot less expensive than other miles rewards cards. Plus, new cardmembers receive 50,000 bonus points when they spend $4,000 in the first three months — that’s $625 that can be used on hotels or airfare, or $500 in straight cash. You’ll earn two points per dollar spent on airfare, hotels, taxis and dining, and then one point per dollar on all other purchases. This card’s great for anyone looking to get into the points and miles game.

Shopping

Amazon and Whole Foods fans, listen up. If you order everything from groceries to toiletries from our fave e-commerce site and organic marketplace, then you really should be racking up the rewards from the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card. You’ll get 3 percent cash back on all purchases made through Amazon and Whole Foods, 2 percent cash back on purchases made at gas stations, drugstores and restaurants, and 1 percent cash back on all other purchases. The cash back can be redeemed on any product on Amazon.com at any time. Plus, cardmembers get access to perks like room upgrades and VIP status at certain hotels. There’s no annual fee, either.

Ride Share

Uber

Don’t call and pay for an Uber without the right card. If you’re all about the ride-share life, then consider signing up for the Uber Visa Credit Card. Cardmembers receive 4 percent cash back on all purchases at restaurants, bars and take-out, 3 percent cash back on hotels, airfare and home rentals, 2 percent cash back on all online purchases, including Uber rides, and 1 percent cash back on everything else. Plus, when you spend $500 in the first 90 days, you’ll receive $100, and there’s no annual fee. But that’s not all. The Uber Visa card also comes with membership perks, like access to exclusive events, a phone damage credit when you pay your phone bill with the card, a $50 subscription service credit when you spend at least $5,000 on your card per year and more.

Hotels

If you’ve got good credit, then the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card is one of the best options for a hotels rewards card out there. Of course, it all depends on your preferred place to stay. But if you’re not picky, then stay with us here. The Ascend Card comes with a sign-up bonus that will beat all other sign-up bonuses. It may change, but when I signed up in May of 2018, I was eligible to receive 100,000 points for spending at least $3,000 within the first 90 days. That’s enough to pay for multiple nights in a hotel. Other perks include 12 points per dollar on Hilton Hotel purchases, six points per dollar on purchases at restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations, and three points per dollar on all other purchases. Cardmembers also get free Gold Status at Hilton Hotels, which comes with free internet and late checkout, and a free weekend night when they spend $15,000 or more per year. There is an annual fee of $95, so if you’re not feeling that and don’t mind earning fewer points per purchase, consider its sister card, the Hilton Honors Card.

Gas

Gas can really add up to a large portion of our budgets if we’re on the go 24/7. Pay for it with the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature Card and earn five points per dollar spent on gas, three points per dollar spent on groceries and one point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Plus, receive a statement credit (like $100) when you spend a certain amount (like $1,500) in the first 90 days and enjoy 0 percent interest for the first year. The sign-up bonus may vary, but there’s no annual fee, so paying at the pump and earning rewards with this card won’t cost you anything extra.

Side Hustle

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If you’re running a side hustle, make sure you’re paying for supplies with the right small business credit card. The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card is a great option because it has no annual fee. Plus, cardmembers get $500 after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days, plus 5 percent cash back on purchases up to $25,000 at office supply stores or online, cable and phone services. Cardmembers also get 2 percent cash back on purchases at gas stations and restaurants, and 1 percent cash back on all other purchases. Even better, there’s no interest on the card for the first 12 months.

Everything Else

Before signing up for a new card, always choose wisely. Signing up for too many cards too quickly could actually hurt your credit score. Consider waiting a few months between signing up for credit cards. Plus, if there’s a sign-up bonus offer, you may way to wait until you hit that three-month mark with the one card before signing up for the next. Be smart with your credit so that you can be fierce in your finances for the foreseeable future.

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