There’s not just one way to go about earning credit card rewards. Are you looking for a card that provides the same earning rate, no matter the purchase? Or, would you rather have a card that offers bonus points on purchases you spend the most on (such as gas and groceries)?
Here’s some food for thought: consider a credit card with a customizable rewards rate instead. A relatively new concept to the world of rewards credit cards, these earning rates are tailored to consumers and our individual spending habits by offering bonus points that are mostly dependent on our top spending categories.
This guide will walk you through some of TPG’s top picks for credit cards with customizable rewards and how to maximize them.
Best credit cards with customizable rewards
The information for the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Comparison overview of the best cards for customizable rewards
| Card | Welcome offer | Earning rate | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Business Gold Card | Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first three months of card membership | Earn 4 points per dollar on the two categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle, on the first $150,000 in combined purchases per calendar (then 1 point per dollar after), 3 points per dollar on flights & prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com, plus earn 1 point per dollar on other purchases | $295 ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24; see rates and fees) |
| Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card | Earn $200 online cash rewards after you spend $1,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first 90 days of account opening | Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice — gas and EV charging stations, online shopping (including cable, streaming, internet, and phone services), dining, travel, drugstores or home improvement/furnishings — and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%, and 1% cash back on all other purchases | $0 |
| Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard | Get a $300 online statement credit when you make at least $3,000 in net purchases within 90 days of your account opening | Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice — gas and EV charging stations (default), office supply stores, travel, TV/telecom and wireless, computer services or business consulting services — 2% cash back on dining (for the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year; 1% thereafter) and 1% cash back on all other purchases | $0 |
| Citi Custom Cash Card | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back | Earn 5% on your top eligible spending category, on up to $500 spent each billing cycle (then 1%), and 1% cash back on all other purchases | $0 |
| Chase Freedom Flex | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening | Earn 5% on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% on dining (including take out & eligible delivery services) and drugstores and 1% on all other eligible purchases | $0 |
| U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1000 on purchases within the first 120 days of account opening | Earn 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories of your choice, 2% cash back on one category, like gas stations, EV charging stations, grocery stores or restaurants, and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases |
$0 |
| U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card | Earn $750 cash back after you spend $7,500 on eligible purchases on the account owner’s card within the first 120 days of account opening | Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Rewards Center, 2% back in the top two categories where you spend the most each month, and 1% back spent on all other eligible purchases | $0 intro annual fee for the first 12 months, then $95 |
| Discover It Cash Back | Unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year from account opening | Earn 5% Cash Back on different places you shop each quarter, like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate and earn 1% cash back on all other purchases | $0 |
Card details for the best cards for customizable rewards
American Express Business Gold: Best for high-spending businesses
Annual fee: $295 ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24; see rates and fees)
Welcome offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first three months of card membership.
Why it’s great for high-spending businesses: As one of two cards with an annual fee in this guide, the Amex Business Gold is intended for companies with high operating expenses. It offers 4 points per dollar on the two categories where a business spends the most each billing cycle, on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar thereafter), 3 points per dollar on flights & pre-paid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. The categories include:
- U.S. online, TV and radio advertising
- U.S. computer hardware, software and cloud systems from select technology providers
- U.S. gas stations
- U.S. transit purchases, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S
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If your business can maximize this $150,000 spending threshold, the rewards can be outstanding. TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, so earning 600,000 bonus points is like earning $12,000 in value.
Related: Amex Business Gold review
Official application link: Amex Business Gold
Bank of America Customized Cash: Best for shopping at wholesale clubs
Annual fee: $0
Sign-up bonus: Online $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
Why it’s great for shopping at wholesale clubs: The Bank of America Customized Cash offers a unique 3%-2%-1% earning scheme. You’ll earn:
- 3% in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations, online shopping (including cable, streaming, internet, and phone services), dining, travel, drugstores or home improvement/furnishings
- 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
- 1% cash back on all other purchases; Note that you’ll only earn the 3% and 2% rates on the first $2,500 in the combined choice category, grocery and wholesale club purchases each quarter (then 1%)
Most cards that offer bonus points on groceries (and even some of the cards on this list) specifically exclude earning bonus points at wholesale clubs, so it’s nice to see that the Bank of America Customized Cash still offers a solid 2% earning rate on these purchases.
Related: Bank of America Customized Cash review
Official application link: Bank of America Customized Cash
Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash: Best for small businesses and freelancers
Annual fee: $0
Sign-up bonus: Get a $300 statement credit when you make at least $3,000 in net purchases within 90 days of your account opening.
Why it’s great for small businesses and freelancers: No matter if you’re a one-person show or manage a small team, you’ll want to keep your business and personal finances separate. That’s why the Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards is a terrific choice for those who don’t want to pay an annual fee but do want to have access to a customizable rewards rate that’s quite similar to the consumer version of this card — but with a higher spending limit:
- 3% cash back in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations (default), office supply stores, travel, TV/telecom and wireless, computer services or business consulting services
- 2% cash back on dining (for the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year; 1% thereafter)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Related: Bank of America Business Customized Cash review
Official application link: Bank of America Business Customized Cash
Citi Custom Cash: Best for the utmost flexibility
Annual fee: $0
Sign-up bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Why it’s great for the utmost flexibility: The Citi Custom Cash is a cash-back card that offers 5% back on your top spending category per billing cycle, on up to the first $500 spent, then 1% back. There are a whopping 10 eligible categories that will make it easy for most people to maximize this $500 threshold:
There’s little to no legwork involved for cardholders since the card will automatically offer the 5% earning rate on where they spend the most each month. Whether you decide to take a road trip one month or decide to stay put one month and purchase more groceries than usual, the 5% rewards rate is truly tailored to how you spend each billing cycle. Be wary that groceries don’t include wholesale clubs, so this isn’t the best card to maximize those purchases if you’re a frequent shopper at a Costco or Sam’s Club.
Related: Citi Custom Cash review
Official application link: Citi Custom Cash
Chase Freedom Flex: Best for top spending category promotion
Annual fee: $0
Sign-up bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Why it’s great for holiday shopping: The Chase Freedom Flex takes a similar approach to the Citi Custom Cash but with a few noteworthy caveats. First, you’ll earn 5% back on rotating quarterly categories (up to the first $1,500 spent) that are designated by Chase. You can check out the rotating category calendar here, but it’s PayPal, wholesale clubs, and select charities for Q4 of this year (from now until Dec. 31, 2023). This makes the card slightly less flexible than the Citi Custom Cash, and you’ll have to be diligent about activating each quarter on your Chase account — otherwise, you won’t earn the 5% rewards rate.
The Chase Freedom Flex is also great for holiday — and every day — shopping thanks to solid earning rates including:
- 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3% on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstore purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
Plus, earning 1% on all other purchases makes the Freedom Flex credit card a great choice for filling in the gaps in your reward-earning strategy since you can earn every time you tap your card.
Related: Chase Freedom Flex review
Official application link: Chase Freedom Flex
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card: Best for 5% cash back across top spending categories
Annual fee: $0
Sign-up bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1000 on purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.
Why it’s great for individuals to earn maximum cash back: You can spend in various categories, and this can change every month or quarter that’s why the U.S. Bank Cash+ card is an excellent choice for all. While having no annual fee, cardholders can earn 5% cash back on the first $2,000 in the following categories:
- Fast food
- Home Utilities
- TV, internet and streaming
- Department stores
- Cell phone
- Electronic stores
- Sporting goods stores
- Movie theaters
- Gyms/fitness centers
- Furniture stores
- Ground transportation
- Select clothing stores
In addition, cardholders can select a category to earn 2% cash back on everyday purchases. and all other purchases earn 1%. The categories for 2% are impressive and are as follows:
- Gas stations
- EV charging stations
- Grocery stores
- Restaurants; 3 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Earnings on the 2% and 1% categories are unlimited, making this card an excellent choice for those looking to rack up their cash back.
The information for the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: U.S. Bank Cash+ review
Official application link: U.S. Bank Cash+ card
U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card: Best for businesses to earn on travel and flexible categories
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee first year, then $95
Sign-up bonus: Earn $750 cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases on the account owner’s card within the first 120 days of account opening.
Why it’s great for businesses who spend on travel and flexible spending: Small or medium businesses that spend on travel and are looking to get rewarded will receive 5% cash back on all prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Rewards Center. In addition, businesses will earn 2% on the top two categories where businesses spend money the most. This is an excellent way for businesses with flexible spending habits to be constantly rewarded each month based on their change in spending. On top of all these earning rates, businesses will continue to earn 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Because there’s no limit on the amount of awards you can earn in any bonus category, the $95 annual fee is well worth it.
Related: Best U.S. Bank cards
Official application link: U.S. Bank Business Leverage
Discover It Cash Back: Best for increased quarterly cash back earnings
Annual fee: $0
Sign-up bonus: Unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year from account opening.
Why this card is good for earning maximum cash back throughout the year: The card earns 5% cash back on different places you shop each quarter, such as grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate and earn 1% cash back on all other purchases. Several choices are available each quarter, empowering cardholders to take advantage of bonus earning categories each quarter.
Related: Discover it Cash Back Review
Bottom line
Whether it’s your first or fifth, a credit card with customizable rewards can offer many benefits for those looking to maximize their everyday purchases. If you’re looking for ease, you may want to earn cash back instead of points and miles. The beauty here is that you can choose the card that best aligns with your spending habits since how and where we spend varies so much from person to person and business to business.
Official application link: Amex Business Gold
Official application link: Bank of America Customized Cash
Official application link: Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash
Official application link: Citi Custom Cash
Official application link: Chase Freedom Flex
Official application link: U.S. Bank Cash+ card
Official application link: U.S. Bank Business Leverage
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, click here.
