The best credit cards for online shopping, no matter what you buy

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The best credit cards for online shopping:

• Best for 2% cash back (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay): Citi® Double Cash Card
• Best for Amazon and Whole Foods purchases: Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card
• Best for Costco.com purchases: Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
• Bonus cash back for online shopping: Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card
• Best for office supplies: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
• Best for purchase protection: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Unlike groceries, dining, and travel, online shopping isn't a common bonus category on rewards credit cards. But that doesn't mean you can't earn more than 1 point or mile per dollar you spend, or more than 1% cash back, when you buy things online. By picking the right card — and by taking advantage of online shopping portals and other deals like Amex Offers — you can actually rake in the rewards on these purchases. 

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Best for 2% cash back on everything:

Citi® Double Cash Card

If you're looking to maximize your online shopping purchases with the Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card, your best bet would be to only use it for online shopping and put grocery store and wholesale club purchases on another card.

Best for office supplies:

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

You'll also earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each year (then 1% back). This card has no annual fee, and if you also have a Chase Ultimate Rewards travel card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can move over cash-back rewards from the Ink Business Cash card and unlock more redemption options.

Best for purchase protection:

The Platinum Card® from American Express

You need to submit a claim within 120 days (or 90 days for New York residents) to receive reimbursement through this benefit. The card only earns 1 point per dollar on online purchases — and it has a $550 annual fee (See Rates) thanks to its long list of shopping and travel benefits — but you may be able to stack it with an Amex Offer to each additional cash back or rewards.

Make sure to use an online shopping portal

Whenever you shop online, it's worth taking a few extra seconds to go through a shopping portal, since you can earn a ton of bonus rewards or cash back by clicking through one of these sites.

Airlines and credit card issuers, along with a handful of hotel brands, operate shopping portals that award you bonus loyalty points in their respective programs when you click through from the portal to a retailer's website. For example, if you're a United flyer, you can click through the airline's MileagePlus Shopping site to earn bonus miles with Bed Bath & Beyond, Sephora, Staples, and dozens of other online shops.

Online shopping portal bonuses change all the time, and not every portal partners with the same retailers. To see your best options for earning rewards, search for the retailer on Cashback Monitor or Evreward. Both of these sites show you all your different shopping portal options for earning points, miles, or cash back.

Once you've decided which shopping portal you want to use, make sure you're logged into your associated loyalty program account, then find the retailer in the portal and click through. This is an easy way to maximize credit card purchases that would otherwise only earn you 1 point or 1% cash back.

Don't forget about Amex Offers and cash-back deals through Chase 

If you have an American Express card or a Chase card, you could be able to save extra money on your online purchases through Amex Offers and Chase Offers, respectively.

Amex Offers are limited-time deals available to cardholders, letting you earn cash back or bonus Membership Rewards points when you make purchases with retailers such as Best Buy, Home Depot, and Instacart. The offers are targeted, meaning not every cardholder will see the same deals in their account, and you need to make your purchase with the Amex card tied to a given deal in order to be eligible for cash back or bonus points.

Chase Offers work similarly; if you have a Chase card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, log into your account and see what offers are available. Click on any offers you want to use to add them to your account, then use the corresponding Chase card to complete your purchase. Currently, Chase Offers are limited to cash back — for instance, 10% back at Lowe's or Rite Aid. 

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