This article originally appeared on www.comparecards.com/blog.
Most retailers have already released their opening day and times for Black Friday, while consumers all over the world are watching prices very carefully.
A survey by Accenture indicated that the consumers are showing a dramatic increase in their spending expectations, with 63% of survey respondents planning to shop at retail stores and online for Black Friday (November 27th of this year).
There are 2 types of rewards credit cards that will be good to use for Black Friday shopping; those that will earn you bonus points on this quarter's category spending, and those that will earn you 2% (or 2 points or more) on all purchases, every day.
Here is a list of the best credit cards from our partners to use for your Black Friday shopping this year.
Credit Cards for Bonus Category Purchases
1. The Discover it Credit Card line is the perfect rewards credit card to use for holiday purchases. The bonus categories for this quarter includes Amazon.com, department store, and clothing store purchases. The 5% category rewards cap at $1,500 and then you will earn 1% on other purchases after that cap is reached. The list of approved department store and online retailers include Walmart.com, Target.com, JC Penny stores, Sear's stores, and more.
Another way cardholders can save money is by purchasing gift cards through the Discover gift card program because you'll never pay more than face value. Cardholders can also earn additional cash back by shopping within Discover's exclusive online shopping mall of premium merchants, products, and services.
2. The Chase Freedom Card is never a bad choice when it comes to earning bonus rewards on rotating categories of purchases. Cardholders will earn $150 cash back bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Cardholders will also earn 10% cash back on up to $1,500 in new purchases at Amazon.com, Zappos.com, Audible.com, and Diapers.com from November 23 - December 31. Rewards can be redeemed as cash back or for gift cards, travel, experiences, and more. The bonus categories that come with this card require cardholders to activate their rewards; the deadline for this quarter is December 14.
3. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express will earn cardholders 3% cash back on select U.S. department store purchases year-round, not just during the holidays. Major department stores include Nordstrom, Kohl's, Belk, Sears, and more. No enrollment is required* and cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars and can be redeemed for statement credits. The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express is another good card to use for Black Friday that will earn you 2% cash back on select U.S. department store purchases. *Terms and restrictions apply.
Everyday Purchase Rewards Credit Cards
The typical rate you see for rewards on everyday purchases is 1 point or 1%. With such a competitive market, more and more credit cards are beginning to offer 1.5% or 1.5 points per dollar spent, but even that's not enough. Here's a list of cards that will earn you the most for your buck on all purchases, all year long.
1. The Capital One Venture Rewards Card is perfect to use for anyone venturing out on this chaotic Black Friday. This card will earn card holders a standard 2 miles per dollar spent on all net purchases, miles never expire and there's no limit to the number of rewards you can earn. Miles can be redeemed for more than just travel. You can redeem miles for cash, gift cards (that's a gift), brand-name merchandise (another gift idea), and more. You must login to your account in order to see the full disclosure of redemption offers.
2. The Citi Double Cash Card is another great rewards credit card, new from Citibank, that's sure to be used during holiday shopping. Cardholders will earn 1% cash back twice; 1% when they make a purchase and then another 1% cash back when they pay for those purchases (pay their bill). Citi Double Cash makes reward redemption easy; as soon as you have earned $25 in cash rewards, you can redeem those for a statement credit, as a gift card, or as a check.
3. The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard, as the name implies, will earn cardholders double miles on all purchases, every day. Miles don't expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. It's not a good idea to use this card for Black Friday purchases if you are not able to use the rewards for travel redemption (hotel, cruise, train, flight, car rentals, & travel agencies) because you will get 5% of the miles back to use towards your next redemption when you redeem for a statement credit.
* Editorial Note: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.
*The content in this article is accurate at the publishing date, and may be subject to changes per the card issuer.