Best credit card combinations for everyday spending

Running errands, whether it’s buying groceries or filling up your tank, may not be the most exciting part of your day, but these tasks can be rewarding if you’re using the right credit card (or cards). In fact, using the right credit combination, one that perfectly matches your spending habits and offers bonus categories, could expedite your rewards earnings.

There are many credit card combos that may help you capitalize on your everyday purchases. And in many cases, the best combos include cards from the same issuer because you can pool your rewards without losing value. To help you get started, here are some of the best credit card combinations for everyday spending.

Best Chase credit card combo

One credit card combination worth highlighting is the Chase Freedom Unlimited* coupled with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Though the two cards have some overlap in bonus categories, you can use the Freedom Unlimited for 5 percent cash back on Lyft purchases (through March 2025), 3 percent back on drugstore purchases and 1.5 percent on general purchases. The Sapphire Preferred offers 5X points travel booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal, 3X points on select streaming services, dining and online grocery purchases and 2X on general travel.

For the overlapping categories, such as dining and Chase Ultimate Rewards travel, it makes sense to use the Sapphire Preferred, as it offers a 25 percent points boost when redeemed for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal (making your points worth 1.25 cents apiece). Further, the Sapphire Preferred offers a 10 percent anniversary points bonus on your previous year’s spending.

Ultimately, this credit card combo is potentially lucrative with Freedom Unlimited’s 1.5 percent cash back rate on general purchases and the Sapphire Preferred’s boosted point redemption for Chase travel. Both cards cover most everyday categories, so you can earn serious rewards through your regular spending.

Estimated yearly rewards: Chase Freedom Unlimited + Chase Sapphire Preferred

Who should apply: Chase Ultimate Rewards superfans or anyone looking to earn serious travel rewards are good candidates. Chase’s travel rewards program is one of the most robust and popular, and this card combo should set any new cardholder up for success with the program.

Best Citi credit card combo

Another solid card pairing is the Citi Double Cash® Card and Citi Premier® Card. The Citi Double Cash is one of the best cash back cards, with up to 2 percent back on every purchase — 1 percent when you make the purchase and another 1 percent when you pay your bill on time. The Citi Premier offers 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.

So why combine the two cards? You can use the Double Cash to earn up to 2 percent cash back on purchases that don’t qualify under the Citi Premier Card’s bonus categories. And as an added bonus, the Citi Premier gives you an annual $100 off a prepaid hotel stay of $500 or more, if it’s booked through the ThankYou portal. It’s also easy to combine your cash back rewards with your Citi ThankYou points, since Citi fulfills your rewards on the Citi Double Cash as ThankYou points ($1 is worth 100 points).

Together, the two Citi cards increase the rewards rate to 2.58 percent cash back for the average cardholder. A cardholder who spends around $15,900 per year on these two cards can earn about $315 in cash back per year.

Estimated yearly rewards: Citi Double Cash + Citi Premier Card

Who should apply: If you’re already a fan of the Citi Double Cash and its simple yet rewarding cash back, then adding the Citi Premier Card to your wallet is an easy move. Like other travel rewards programs, Citi ThankYou points are fairly flexible — allowing you to redeem them for gift cards, merchandise, statement credits, Citi transfer partner travel and more.

The main advantage is how easy it is to use Citi Double Cash and the $100 annual hotel credit from the Citi Premier Card, a rarity among mid-tier travel cards.

Best American Express credit card combo

When you say “everyday categories,” you are likely referring to dining, groceries, gas and maybe transit (for example, rideshare services or the subway). Credit cards that are great for everyday spending rarely cover all categories. However, this card combo comes close. If you’re carrying the American Express® Gold Card and the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, the combo can greatly maximize your rewards.

The 6 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent), and 3 percent cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, make the Blue Cash Preferred one of the best options for everyday spending. Plus, the 6 percent cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions make this an excellent, all-around card.

The Blue Cash Preferred may be best for groceries in order to take advantage of that 6 percent rate. Once you’ve reached the spending cap on the Blue Cash Preferred, you can use the Amex Gold at U.S. supermarkets (4X points on up to $25,000 per year, then 1X point).

The Amex Gold also earns 4X points at restaurants, another key category, and provides up to $120 annually in Uber Cash and a $120 dining credit.

Estimated yearly rewards: Amex Gold Card + Blue Cash Preferred

Who should apply: Because the Blue Cash Preferred and the Amex Gold both charge annual fees ($0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 and $250 respectively), you should consider whether these cards are worth the cost. If you’re spending on everyday purchases as well as luxuries, this credit card combo may be a good fit.

Though the expected $153 cash back (based on a $15,900 annual spend) from this card combo may not seem impressive, don’t forget that the Amex Gold comes with various credits that should cover most of the cost of the annual fees. But you’ll need to spend an estimated $20,610 per year to earn about $300 in rewards. So, if you spend around that much or more each year, you may enjoy this card combo.

Best Capital One credit card combo

The combo of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the can be pretty lucrative. To start, the everyday categories of the Capital One SavorOne Card include 3 percent cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®). And the Capital One Venture offers 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on every purchases.

It makes sense to use the Capital One SavorOne Card for your grocery shopping, dining, Disney+ and Spotify accounts and movie theater visits. For travel and all other general purchases that aren’t included in either card’s bonus categories, like gas, it’s best to use the Venture Card.

The Capital One SavorOne Card’s strength lies in its unlimited cash back (with no spending cap year-round), and you may convert your cash back into Capital One miles by transferring it to your Venture Card. The Capital One Venture Card also pairs well with other cards because of its 2X miles on every purchase and ability to transfer miles to Capital One travel partners.

Estimated yearly rewards: Capital One Venture Card + Capital One SavorOne Card

Who should apply: If you’re a new cardholder who wants to test out travel rewards without committing to a big rewards program, like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Travel is a great place to start. This card combo especially is good for beginners because of its relatively low cost in annual fees. The Venture Card has an annual fee of $95, and the Capital One SavorOne Card charges no annual fee.

It’s also a good combo if you like stockpiling miles to use on a vacation. You can do that with the grocery stores, entertainment and streaming site bonus categories on the Capital One SavorOne and flat-rate 2X miles on the Venture Card.

Bottom line

With the right credit combination, you can earn hundreds of dollars in rewards on your everyday purchases. While the average cash back card earns a 1.5 percent cash back, you can double that amount by pairing the right cards. That’s not a bad incentive to run your errands.

*Information about the Chase Freedom Unlimited has been collected independently by CreditCards.com. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.