Best Credit Cards for Everyday Use in October 2022

For most US households, gas, groceries and restaurant spending will take up a large part of a daily budget. To determine the best credit cards for the typical ledger, we identified the cards with rewards programs that could maximize value across these categories. Most of these cards have no annual fee, so they are less costly to maintain if used responsibly.

We’ve included a variety of picks for cardholders with a range of credit scores. Read on for more details.

Intro OfferEarn a £200 cash rewards bonus after spending £1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months

APR17.99%, 22.99%, or 27.99% Variable APR

Intro Purchase APR0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening

Recommended Credit Excellent, Good

Reward Rates

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Annual Fee£0

Intro Balance Transfer APR0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Balance Transfer APR17.99%, 22.99%, or 27.99% Variable APR

Balance Transfer Fee up to 5%; min: £5

Foreign Transaction Fees 3%

Penalty APR None

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Our Take

The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card will help you maximize cash rewards on purchases across the board. It’s got one of the highest flat rates on the market, with 2% cash rewards on your purchases.

While you can find higher rewards rates for specific spending categories elsewhere, you won’t have to switch between different cards to get a good overall return. Your everyday spending may earn you the welcome bonus, as well. For more details and benefits, see our full review of the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card.

Best for fluid spending habits

7.5/10 CNET Rating

Intro OfferEarn £200 cash back after you spend £1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening.

This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou(R) Points, which can be redeemed for £200 cash back.

APR16.99% – 26.99% (Variable)

Intro Purchase APR0% for 15 months on purchases

Recommended Credit Excellent, Good

Reward Rates

Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first £500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter.
Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Annual Fee£0

Intro Balance Transfer APR0% for 15 months on balance transfers

Balance Transfer APR16.99% – 26.99% (Variable)

Balance Transfer Fee Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; £5 minimum.

Late Payment Fee Up to £41

Foreign Transaction Fees 3%

Penalty APR Up to 29.99% (Variable)

Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first £500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter.
Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Our Take

If you find yourself going through different phases of spending from month to month — maybe you primarily use groceries at home for a few weeks and then turn to takeout the following weeks — the Citi Custom CashSM Card card allows you to optimize your cash-back rewards automatically. This card earns you 5% cash back on your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle (on up to £500 spent, then 1%), calculated by Citi without any work required on your end. Eligible spending categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.

You’ll earn 1% on all other purchases, and you can take advantage of the welcome bonus, too. To learn more about this card and its benefits, see our full review of the Citi Custom Cash card.

Best for cash back and extra perks

9.5/10 CNET Rating

Intro OfferEarn a £200 Bonus after you spend £500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

APR17.24% – 25.99% Variable

Intro Purchase APR0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months

Recommended Credit Excellent, Good

Reward Rates

5% cash back on up to £1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R), our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Annual Fee£0

Intro Balance Transfer APR0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months

Balance Transfer APR17.24% – 25.99% Variable

Balance Transfer Fee Either £5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Foreign Transaction Fees 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Penalty APR Up to 29.99%

5% cash back on up to £1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate.

Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R), our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Our Take

The Chase Freedom FlexSM claims many rewards categories in an eclectic fashion. There is a rotating 5% category that changes every quarter. It typically covers common everyday spending categories — like grocery stores, gas stations and retailers like Walmart — but it only applies to your first £1,500 in spending per quarter (then 1%).

You’ll also have to manually activate this benefit each quarter to use it. Besides the other cash-back rates, you’ll also get benefits for Lyft and DoorDash. Through March 2025, you can earn 5% cash back on all Lyft rides when you use the Chase Freedom Flex to pay.

You also get three complimentary months of DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service (activate by Dec.

31, 2024). This service provides unlimited deliveries for a £0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders of £12 or more on DoorDash and Caviar. You’ll then automatically be enrolled in DashPass at half off for the next nine months, but you can opt out if you decide not to keep the service.

For more details on this card’s other offerings, check out our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.

Best for everyday spending without an annual fee

5.5/10 CNET Rating See Rates and Fees Terms Apply

Intro OfferEarn a £200 statement credit after you spend £2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.

APR16.99% – 27.99% Variable

Intro Purchase APR0% on purchases for 15 months

Recommended Credit Excellent, Good

Reward Rates

3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to £6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
New!

3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to £6,000 per year, then 1%.
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to £6,000 per year, then 1%.
1% Cash Back on other purchases.

Annual Fee£0

Intro Balance Transfer APR0% on balance transfers for 15 months

Balance Transfer APR16.99% – 27.99% Variable

Balance Transfer Fee Either £5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Late Payment Fee Up to £40

Foreign Transaction Fees 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Penalty APR 29.99% Variable

3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to £6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
New!

3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to £6,000 per year, then 1%.
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to £6,000 per year, then 1%.
1% Cash Back on other purchases.

Our Take

The Blue Cash Everyday, as you might’ve guessed, is designed to reward you for purchases you have to make all the time. For no annual fee, you can earn a return on your essential spending. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

In addition to its strong rewards at U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, it’s a great credit card for online shopping with its rewards for U.S. online retail purchases. It also features an intro 0% APR offer for new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening (then 16.99% to 27.99% variable). That means you can pay off new purchases or an existing balance on another credit card at no interest, making it a good option for an emergency credit card, too.

Read more about the Everyday in our Blue Cash Everyday review. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers.

Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Best for everyday spending with an annual fee

7/10 CNET Rating

Intro OfferFor a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou(R) Points after you spend £4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening

APR18.99% – 26.99% (Variable)

Intro Purchase APRN/A

Recommended Credit Excellent, Good

Reward Rates

Earn 3 Points per £1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
Earn 3 Points per £1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
Earn 1 Point per £1 spent on all other purchases

Annual Fee£95

Balance Transfer APR18.99% – 26.99% (Variable)

Balance Transfer Fee Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; £5 minimum.

Late Payment Fee Up to £41

Foreign Transaction Fees 0%

Penalty APR Up to 29.99% (Variable)

Earn 3 Points per £1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
Earn 3 Points per £1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
Earn 1 Point per £1 spent on all other purchases

Our Take

The £95 annual fee for the Citi Premier(R) Card is well worth it for most people when you can get a 3 points per dollar spent on everyday spending like restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations as well as big-ticket travel costs like air travel and hotels. If you redeem these points for a statement credit on Thankyou.com, travel or gift cards, you can get 1 cent per point — essentially a 3% return rate. This is the closest many households will get to earning a flat 3% return rate on their spending, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

For more information, see our full review of the Citi Premier Card.

FAQs

How should I choose a credit card?

Ultimately, the right credit card is individual to each person and their goals and preferences. Decide what features you’re looking for: maximized rewards, spaced-out payments on a large purchase, credit building, an emergency credit card or other benefits. From there, you can decide the type of card you’re looking for.

You can then use online reviews like those at CNET to further narrow down what terms will work best for you.

How do I qualify for a credit card?

The better the benefits, the more hoops you’ll need to jump through to be eligible for certain credit cards. Credit cards with attractive rewards programs or cash-back rewards require better credit than more basic credit card varieties. If you have poor or fair credit, you might only qualify for credit builder or secured credit cards.

If you have good to excellent credit, you may easily qualify for any credit card you want. But if you don’t have the right score, you can always work to improve your credit for better odds of approval.

What’s the best credit card to get for first-time users?

The best credit card for beginners is one that will help you build credit, so make sure to get a card that reports to the three credit bureaus. You’ll also want to determine how you plan to use a credit card.

Are you expecting to carry a balance from month to month, or can you reliably pay the credit issuer off? Are you a student who needs to finance a bunch of back-to-school purchases? Depending on what you need, one credit card might be better than another.

Our methodology

CNET reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each major category, including cash back, welcome bonus, travel rewards and balance transfer.

We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a range of consumer profiles — with the understanding that everyone’s financial situation is different — and the designated function of a card. For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express, click here.

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party.

However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.