The best credit card for online shopping depends on where your orders go. If most of them are on Amazon, the Prime Visa’s 5% back is hard to beat. If you shop across many U.S. sites, the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express pays 3% on U.S. online retail purchases up to $6,000 a year with no annual fee. And if you check out with PayPal a lot, the PayPal Cashback Mastercard pays 3% on those purchases.
The catch is that “online shopping” means something different at every bank. Here’s how the leading cards compare and how to tell whether a purchase will actually earn the bonus.
Which credit cards pay the most on online shopping? #
| Card | Online rate | Cap | Annual fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Visa | 5% at Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods | None | $0 (Prime membership required) | Amazon households |
| Blue Cash Everyday (Amex) | 3% on U.S. online retail | $6,000 a year, then 1% | $0 | Spread-out online shopping |
| Bank of America Customized Cash | 3% if you pick Online Shopping | $2,500 a quarter, shared with groceries | $0 | Broad online spending, BofA customers |
| PayPal Cashback Mastercard | 3% via PayPal, 1.5% elsewhere | None | $0 | PayPal checkouts |
| OnePay CashRewards | 5% at Walmart with Walmart+, 3% without | None listed | $0 | Walmart orders |
| Target Circle Card | 5% off at Target and Target.com | None | $0 | Target orders |
| Flat 2% card (Wells Fargo Active Cash, Citi Double Cash) | 2% everywhere | None | $0 | Everything the others miss |
Rates reflect published terms as of September 2026.
Prime Visa: best for Amazon shoppers #
With an eligible Prime membership, the Prime Visa pays 5% at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel, 2% at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit, and 1% elsewhere. The 5% has no cap. Without Prime, you’d be matched to the Amazon Visa, which pays 3% at Amazon instead.
It’s wrong for anyone who doesn’t already pay for Prime. The card itself has no annual fee, but the membership costs about $139 a year, and that math only works if you’d pay for Prime anyway.
Blue Cash Everyday: best no-fee card for general online shopping #
Amex pays 3% on U.S. online retail purchases, 3% at U.S. supermarkets and 3% at U.S. gas stations, each on up to $6,000 a year, then 1%. The caps are separate, so each category can earn up to $180 a year. Amazon, Walmart.com and Target.com orders generally count as online retail. The same stores in person earn 1%.
Amex’s online retail category is built around retailers selling goods. Travel bookings, restaurant delivery and many services usually don’t qualify. It also charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, so skip it for overseas sites.
Bank of America Customized Cash: widest definition of online #
You pick one 3% category, and Online Shopping is an option. Bank of America defines it as purchases made online through a website or app, and on the consumer card it also covers cable, streaming, internet and phone plans. The 3% category and the 2% grocery and wholesale club category share a $2,500 cap each quarter. New cardholders earn 6% in the chosen category for the first year.
If you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, the rate rises by 25% to 75%, so the 3% category can reach 5.25%. Without that relationship, the quarterly cap is the main thing holding it back.
PayPal Cashback Mastercard: best for PayPal checkouts #
This card pays 3% when you check out with PayPal and 1.5% everywhere else, with no annual fee and no categories. Authorized users earn only 1.5%, even through PayPal. Rewards land in your PayPal account before you can use them.
What counts as “online shopping” for credit card rewards? #
Issuers decide using the merchant’s category code plus their own definition, which is why the same order can earn 3% on one card and 1% on another.
- Amex (Blue Cash Everyday): U.S. websites selling goods, like Amazon, department stores and apparel sites. Travel, dining delivery and many services are left out.
- Bank of America: almost any purchase made online via a website or app, which can include streaming, food delivery and online travel. Its terms list exclusions, so check before you rely on one.
- Store co-brands: the Prime Visa, OnePay and Target Circle cards pay only at their own retailer, but pay the most there.
A marketplace purchase can code as the marketplace or as the seller, depending on how it’s processed. If a bonus matters, check your statement after the first order. How to find credit card merchant category codes shows how.
How do you pick the right card at checkout? #
The rates above only help if the right card is in the payment field. Most people have two or three saved in their browser and default to whichever one autofills.
Credit Card Central has a Which Card? screen that ranks the cards you own for a purchase category, using rates it reads from text like “3% on U.S. online retail” or rates you set yourself. Check it once for your usual stores and set that card as the default on each site. The app doesn’t connect to your bank and keeps your card list on your phone.
How can you earn more than the card rate? #
- Shopping portals. Clicking through a cash-back or airline shopping portal before you buy can add a percentage on top of your card rewards. Rates change daily and some merchants exclude categories, so confirm the portal tracked the order.
- Store loyalty programs. Retailer points programs stack with card rewards because they’re earned separately.
- Sign-up bonuses. A new card’s minimum spend is easier to reach with purchases you’d make anyway. Returns reduce your progress, so avoid ordering things you plan to send back. Our guide to tracking minimum spend without stress covers pacing, and Credit Card Central shows a progress bar and the daily pace you need for each bonus.
For Walmart and Target specifically, see the best credit cards for Walmart and Target. For subscriptions, see the best credit cards for streaming services.
Frequently asked questions #
What counts as online retail for Amex? #
Amex’s U.S. online retail category covers purchases of goods from U.S. retail websites, such as Amazon, Walmart.com and Target.com. Travel, restaurant delivery and many service purchases usually don’t qualify. The card’s terms list the full definition.
Is it safe to use a credit card for online shopping? #
It’s safer than a debit card. Under federal law your liability for unauthorized credit card charges is capped at $50, and major issuers advertise $0 liability. The FTC explains the rules. Some issuers also offer virtual card numbers that hide your real one from merchants.
Can I get 5% back on all online shopping? #
Not with one card. You can get 5% at specific stores with the Prime Visa, OnePay or Target Circle Card, and on a rotating card during quarters that feature online merchants. For everything else, 3% on a category card or 2% on a flat-rate card is the realistic ceiling.
Do Amazon purchases count as online shopping on every card? #
On most cards that reward online retail, yes. Amazon also sells gift cards, digital content and third-party services, which some issuers exclude or code differently, so check the first statement if the bonus matters.