Best Credit Cards for Holiday Spending in 2024

November 25, 2024
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* Advertiser Disclosure: How to Money has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. How to Money and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. Lastly, the site does not include all card companies or all available card offers.

Whether you spend your holidays in a cookie-baking frenzy, or if gift-giving is your love language, I think we can all agree that having to shell out a ton of cash for presents adds a layer of stress to the holiday season we could all do without. 

But what if you could elevate your holiday spending plan to help you save money, earn rewards on your purchases, and even cash in those rewards for a sweet trip in the coming months?

Well, it turns out you can by utilizing credit card rewards wisely! Holiday shopping as the HTM gods intended. Here are the cards we recommend adding to your wallet…

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred 

HTM Rating: Summer Holiday

The holiday season is one of the best times to open up a new credit card, as holiday shopping can help you meet the minimum spending required to earn major sign-up bonuses. So why not grab the card_name and turn your holiday expenses into $750 off a sweet vacation?
card_name
Current welcome offer: bonus_miles_full

Because Chase points are worth 1.25 cents per point when redeemed for travel in the Chase Travel portal, that signup bonus could equate to a $750 value!

Beyond their generous welcome offer, this card comes with a ton of other perks that make this one of the most versatile travel credit cards on the market.

With this card, you’ll earn: 

  • 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ & 2x on other travel purchases
  • $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
  • 3x points on dining, food delivery services, and takeout
  • 1 point per dollar spent on every other purchase 
  • DoorDash Dash Pass subscription
With all this value and a low annual fee (annual_fees), the card_name is perfect for folks who travel regularly and want to turn their holiday spending into meaningful travel rewards.

That’s why we included it as a top pick in our best travel credit cards list!

Learn more: card_name

2. Capital One Venture Card

HTM Rating: The Savvy Shopper

The card_name is one of the best travel rewards credit cards on the market, especially for those who don’t have a singular spending area that stands out to them. Every purchase you make with this card will give you 2 miles per dollar spent, making it the perfect card for a super chill credit card strategy.
card_name
This card also comes with a ton of amazing perks, especially considering its relatively low annual_fees annual fee.

When you open this card, you can look forward to:

  • 2x miles on every purchase 
  • 5X miles on hotels and rental cars via Capital One Travel
  • A $50 experience credit on Lifestyle Collection stays
  • $120 credit for Global Entry or Precheck
Current welcome offer: You can earn bonus_miles_full.

One of the best benefits of this card is that redemption options are super flexible. Whether you choose to redeem them in the Capital One Travel portal or reimburse yourself for travel expenses, your miles will still be worth one cent each.

Pro Tip: Make sure to download the Capital One Shopping browser extension before the holidays. It can search the web for coupons for you, help you to compare prices, and even allow you to earn cash back rewards.

Learn more: card_name

3. Amazon Prime Visa

HTM Rating: Prime Warrior 

Amazon Prime can be a total lifesaver for those of us who like to shop at the last minute. With some items offering same-day delivery and some wicked holiday deals, Amazon is one of the most convenient places to get your holiday shopping done. And it’s even better with the card_name!
card_name
Best of all, right now there’s a great incentive for new customers: bonus_miles_full. For some folks, that might be enough cash to cover most of your holiday shopping!

Better yet, this card has no annual fee and comes with a number of additional perks including:

  • 5% back on Amazon purchases with an eligible prime membership 
  • 5% back on Amazon Fresh 
  • 5% back at Whole Foods Market 
  • 5% back on Chase Travel purchases 
  • 2% back at gas stations 
  • 2% back at restaurants 
  • 2% back on local transit & rideshares 
  • And 1% back on all other purchases 

When it comes to holiday shopping, selecting this card as our number one pick was a total no-brainer!

Learn more: card_name

4. Chase Freedom Unlimited® 

HTM Rating: The Frugalite

If annual fees aren’t your thing, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. There are still plenty of perks to be had with $0 annual fee cards, one of our favorites being the card_name. In additional to the no annual fee, you’ll get intro_apr_rate,intro_apr_duration! (Regular APR is reg_apr,reg_apr_type).
card_name
The welcome offer also passes muster for even the most budget-conscious: bonus_miles_full

Even more perks are included, like: 

  • 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
  • 3% back on dining 
  • 3% back on drugstore purchases

With the average consumer estimated to spend a whopping $902 on holiday shopping this year, many folks are well on their way to some great cash back savings.

Learn more: card_name

5. Target Circle Card

HTM Rating: The Target Loyalist

This card is for the folks that call Target “Targét.” 🙋‍♂️

For all my Target lovers out there, opening up the Target Circle Card is a great way to save more at your favorite retailer. With no annual or monthly fees, you can save 5% on every Target purchase, in-store and online. Plus, you can get $50 off a qualified purchase just for opening up one of these money-saving cards. 

When it comes to the Target Circle Card, you have options. In addition to their Target Circle credit card, you can also open up a debit card or reloadable account, so even more credit card averse folks can get in on the perks. Plus, we love that this could be used to help you control your spending at Target by loading in only the amount you’ve budgeted for. 

With all three of these options, you can enjoy these perks: 

  • $50 off a qualifying purchase (or a $50 credit for the reloadable account)
  • 5% off all Target purchases 
  • Free 2-day shipping 
  • An additional 30 days of return time 

In addition to these perks, credit card holders will also earn 2% on dining and gas purchases, and 1% on all other purchases. 

Learn more: Target Circle Card

6. Citi Double Cash

HTM Rating: Set it and forget it

If you don’t want to worry about spending categories or thinking through which card to use at the checkout aisle, a simple 2% cash back card can be the perfect fit for you. The card_name has no annual fee, and you can get a cool 2% cashback on all purchases- 1% when you make the purchase and 1% when you pay it off!
card_name

Plus, this card comes with some other cool perks, like:

  • 5% back on select Citi Travel bookings
  • 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months
  • Access to Citi Entertainment, which gives you special access to exclusive tickets and presales 
  • 24-hour fraud protection 
As for welcome offer: bonus_miles_full

This card may not be flashy, but for folks looking for a simple and easy-to-understand rewards card, this is an excellent pick.

Learn more: card_name

The Bottom Line: 

Credit card rewards can help you save money on your everyday purchases, including your holiday shopping! However, it’s important to remember that you’ll only actually come out ahead if you avoid overspending.

Remember to always follow the golden rules of credit by paying off your card in full and on time every month. Spend responsibly, folks!

Happy Holidays from the HTM Fam!

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*Advertiser Disclosure: How to Money has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. How to Money and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. Lastly, the site does not include all card companies or all available card offers.

*Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

*User Generated Content Disclosure: Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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