Which Credit Card to Use for Each Purchase
By MaxPoints.ai · Updated October 2026
Use a 4× card at restaurants and supermarkets, a 3× card for gas, and book flights and hotels through a card’s travel portal when its rate there is highest. Put everything else on a flat 2× card. With no annual fee, the Wells Fargo Autograph covers dining, gas, transit, streaming and phone plans at 3×. If you already hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Citi Strata Premier, the columns on the right show which card in that family earns the most for each purchase.
The cheat sheet
The best card for each kind of purchase, on $500 a month, before annual fees.
| Purchase | Best overall (annual fee) | Best no annual fee | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred) | Citi (with a Strata Premier) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dining and delivery | Best overall (annual fee): Amex Gold 4×, 8% ($325) | Best no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph 3×, 5.25% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Flex 3×, 6.15% pooled¹ | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Strata Premier 3×, 5.7% |
| Groceries | Best overall (annual fee): Amex Gold 4×, 8% ($325) | Best no annual fee: Capital One Savor 3%¹ | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Unlimited 1.5×, 3.08% pooled² | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Citi Strata 3×, 5.7% pooled¹ |
| Gas | Best overall (annual fee): Chase Sapphire Preferred 3×, 6.15% ($95) | Best no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph 3×, 5.25% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Sapphire Preferred 3×, 6.15% | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Citi Strata 3×, 5.7% pooled¹ |
| Flights | Best overall (annual fee): Chase Sapphire Reserve 8×, 16.4%, through Chase Travel ($795)³ | Best no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph 3×, 5.25% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Sapphire Preferred 2×, 4.1%⁴ | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Strata Premier 3×, 5.7% |
| Hotels | Best overall (annual fee): Citi Strata Elite 12×, 22.8%, through Citi Travel ($595)³ | Best no annual fee: Capital One VentureOne 5×, 9.25%, through Capital One Travel | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Flex 5×, 10.25% pooled, through Chase Travel¹ | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Strata Premier 10×, 19%, through Citi Travel |
| Transit and rideshare | Best overall (annual fee): Citi Strata Premier 3×, 5.7% ($95) | Best no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph 3×, 5.25% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Unlimited 1.5×, 3.08% pooled² | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Citi Strata 3×, 5.7% pooled¹ |
| Streaming | Best overall (annual fee): Disney Inspire 10%, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN only ($149). Other services: Chase Sapphire Preferred 3×, 6.15% ($95)⁵ | Best no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph 3×, 5.25% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Sapphire Preferred 3×, 6.15% | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Double Cash 2×, 3.8% pooled⁶ |
| Drugstores | Best overall (annual fee): Bilt Palladium 2×, 4.4% ($495) | Best no annual fee: Chase Freedom Flex 3%¹ | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Flex 3×, 6.15% pooled¹ | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Double Cash 2×, 3.8% pooled |
| Entertainment | Best overall (annual fee): Bilt Palladium 2×, 4.4% ($495) | Best no annual fee: Capital One VentureOne 1.25×, 2.31% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Unlimited 1.5×, 3.08% pooled² | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Double Cash 2×, 3.8% pooled |
| Phone plans | Best overall (annual fee): Wells Fargo Autograph 3×, 5.25% ($0) | Best no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph 3×, 5.25% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Unlimited 1.5×, 3.08% pooled² | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Double Cash 2×, 3.8% pooled |
| Internet and cable | Best overall (annual fee): Bilt Palladium 2×, 4.4% ($495) | Best no annual fee: Capital One VentureOne 1.25×, 2.31% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Unlimited 1.5×, 3.08% pooled² | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Double Cash 2×, 3.8% pooled |
| Everything else | Best overall (annual fee): Bilt Palladium 2×, 4.4% ($495) | Best no annual fee: Capital One VentureOne 1.25×, 2.31% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Freedom Unlimited 1.5×, 3.08% pooled² | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Double Cash 2×, 3.8% pooled |
| Rent | Best overall (annual fee): Bilt Blue 0.5×, 1.1% ($0)¹⁷ | Best no annual fee: Bilt Blue 0.5×, 1.1% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): No Chase card earns on rent | Citi (with a Strata Premier): No Citi card earns on rent |
| Purchases abroad | Best overall (annual fee): Atmos Rewards Summit 3×, 4.65% ($395) | Best no annual fee: Capital One VentureOne 1.25×, 2.31% | Chase (with a Sapphire Preferred): Sapphire Preferred 1×, 2.05%⁸ | Citi (with a Strata Premier): Strata Premier 1×, 1.9% |
¹ Tie. Dining and delivery (Chase): Freedom Unlimited and Sapphire Preferred also earn 3×, 6.15%. Groceries (no annual fee): Capital One Savor Student and Citi Strata also earn 3%. Groceries (Citi): Strata Premier also earns 3×, 5.7%. Gas (Citi): Strata Premier also earns 3×, 5.7%. Hotels (Chase): Freedom Unlimited and Sapphire Preferred also earn 5×, 10.25%. Transit and rideshare (Citi): Strata Premier also earns 3×, 5.7%. Drugstores (no annual fee): Freedom Unlimited also earns 3%. Drugstores (Chase): Freedom Unlimited also earns 3×, 6.15%. Rent: Bilt Obsidian (Dining), Bilt Obsidian (Grocery) and Bilt Palladium also earn 0.5×, 1.1%.
² Ties with the Freedom Rise, a starter card. We name the Freedom Unlimited.
³ Booked direct with the airline, the best flight rate is the Amex Platinum’s 5×, 10% ($895), then the Sapphire Reserve’s 4×, 8.2%. Booked direct with the hotel, the best rate is the Sapphire Reserve’s 4×, 8.2% ($795).
⁴ 5× if you book through Chase Travel. Most people book flights direct, so we use the 2× other-travel rate.
⁵ The Disney Inspire’s 10% counts only on purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com and Stream.ESPN.com. For any other streaming service, use the Sapphire Preferred.
⁶ The no-fee Citi Strata also has a 3× category you choose, set to streaming by default. It isn’t counted here.
⁷ The 0.5× is $500 of rent with nothing else on the card. Bilt then pays a flat 250 points. Your rate on rent rises with the everyday spending you put on the same card, up to 1.25× when that spending matches your rent. See Bilt vs. no rent rewards.
⁸ Abroad, the Chase and Citi columns show the family’s premium card on its own. The Sapphire Preferred has no foreign transaction fee. Don’t use the Freedom Unlimited abroad: it charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Effective return is the rewards value per dollar at The Points Guy’s October 2026 values, which assume you transfer points to travel partners. Taken as cash, most points are worth about 1¢. Returns are before annual fees and leave out statement credits and welcome bonuses. Caps, activation and issuer approval rules (such as the Chase 5/24 rule) still apply. This is a general guide, not personal advice. Source: MaxPoints rewards study, October 2026.
How to read this table
The basis. Each cell is one card alone with $500 a month in that category. Return is what the rewards are worth per dollar spent, before any annual fee. “Best overall” ignores the fee, so a $495 card can top a row it would never pay for on its own. Check the fee in brackets, and see how many credit cards you should have before adding one.
Point values. Points are valued at The Points Guy’s October 2026 valuations. Cash back is valued at face value.
Pooled cards. Some no-fee cards earn points worth only 1¢ each on their own. Next to a card that can transfer points, they get the full program value. Chase Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex pool with a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Ink Business Preferred. Citi Double Cash and the no-fee Citi Strata pool with a Strata Premier or Strata Elite. Capital One Savor pools with a Venture, Venture X or VentureOne. Wells Fargo Active Cash pools with an Autograph or Autograph Journey. So the Citi Double Cash earns 2% alone but 3.8% with a Strata Premier (2 × 1.9¢). The Freedom Unlimited earns 3% on dining alone but 6.15% with a Sapphire Preferred (3 × 2.05¢). Cells marked “pooled” assume you hold the partner card. Our calculator does this for you and shows a note such as “Valued at 2.05¢ because your Sapphire Preferred unlocks transfers.”
Portal or direct. The highest travel rates only apply when you book through the issuer’s travel site, such as Chase Travel or Citi Travel. Portal prices can be higher than booking direct, so compare the total cost, not just the rate.
If you only want cards with no annual fee
Start with the Wells Fargo Autograph. It earns 3× on dining, gas, flights, transit, streaming and phone plans, worth 5.25% each at The Points Guy’s values. See is the Wells Fargo Autograph worth it for the details.
Add the Capital One VentureOne for everything else. It earns 1.25× everywhere, worth 2.31%, and 5× on hotels booked through Capital One Travel, worth 9.25%.
For groceries, the Capital One Savor pays 3% with no cap. The no-fee Citi Strata earns the same 3× on its own. For drugstores, the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited both pay 3%.
Two of these also unlock pooling. The VentureOne lets Savor cash back become Capital One miles. The Autograph does the same for Wells Fargo Active Cash. If you want a single flat-rate card instead, see our flat 2× cards.
If you only want Chase cards
Hold a Sapphire Preferred so your Freedom points are worth 2.05¢. It earns 3× on dining, gas and select streaming, worth 6.15%. It also earns 3× on online groceries but only 1× in stores.
Put everything else on the Freedom Unlimited. Its 1.5× is worth 3.08% when pooled. Use the Freedom Flex or Freedom Unlimited at drugstores (3×, 6.15% pooled), and book hotels through Chase Travel at 5×, worth 10.25%.
Flights are the weak spot. The Sapphire Preferred earns 2× when you book direct, worth 4.1%, and 5× through Chase Travel. The Freedom Flex’s rotating 5% categories, up to $1,500 a quarter after you activate them, aren’t counted in the table.
To choose between the two Freedom cards, see Freedom Unlimited vs Freedom Flex. For a Chase card abroad, use the Sapphire Preferred: it has no foreign transaction fee, and its 1× is worth 2.05%.
If you only want Citi cards
Hold a Strata Premier. It earns 3× on dining, groceries, gas, flights and transit, worth 5.7% each, and 10× on hotels booked through Citi Travel, worth 19%. It has no foreign transaction fee, so it’s also your Citi card abroad.
Add the no-fee Citi Strata if you want a second 3× card for groceries, gas and transit. Next to the Strata Premier, its points are worth the same 1.9¢.
Put everything else on the Citi Double Cash. Its 2× is worth 3.8% when pooled with the Strata Premier. That covers drugstores, entertainment, phone plans, internet and cable, and streaming outside the Strata’s chosen 3× category.
See our Citi trifecta guide for setup, and Citi Strata vs Chase Sapphire Preferred if you’re choosing between the two families.
Set it up in your wallet
A cheat sheet only works if you use it at the register. Set your main card as the default in Apple Pay or Google Pay, and switch only for your big categories. Add a short note to your phone listing which card goes with dining, groceries, gas and travel. Set each card’s payment to autopay in full so a missed bill never wipes out the rewards. Review the setup each time a card’s categories or fees change.
FAQ
Which card should I use for groceries?
Is it worth carrying a separate card for each category?
Should I book travel through the card portal?
Which card should I use for purchases abroad?
What is the best no-annual-fee card for everything?
How we calculated this
This table comes from the MaxPoints rewards study: each eligible personal card alone on $500 a month in one category, at The Points Guy’s October 2026 values, before annual fees. It uses the same optimizer and card catalog as our calculator, and the full study covers 336 spending profiles. Booked-direct rates leave out portal-only and co-brand-only rates. See how we calculate, the full method and data, or the guide to how to maximize credit card rewards.
Points are valued at The Points Guy’s October 2026 valuations. Cash back is valued at face value.
Want the best mix for your own spending? Try the AI credit card optimizer.