Countless payment apps make spending easier, faster and potentially more rewarding--but you still have to decide which cards to use on the apps. Check out our list of the top credit cards for Apple Pay and Android Pay.
Countless payment apps make spending easier, faster and potentially more rewarding -- but you still have to decide which cards to use on the apps.
The best credit cards for Apple Pay and Android Pay are going to be the ones that make it easiest to earn the most points at brick-and-mortar stores, where contactless payment takes place.
Here are a few to consider:
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Card: Same great cash back on all purchases
If you're the type of spender who's less interested in using a different card at every store for every purchase in order to score the most cash back, the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Card may be your best. This card offers an industry-best -- tied with a few other cards -- unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases. That means no category restrictions, no opting into bonuses quarterly, no memorizing which cards need to be used on which purchases - just 1.5 percent cash back all the time.
Solid cash back aside, this card also comes with a sign-up bonus: $200 cash if you spend $1,000 in net purchases within the first three months of card ownership. That's not the largest bonus on the market, but neither is the card's minimum spending threshold of $1,000. Most customers won't have an issue hitting that target within the time frame and earning some quick cash.
There are benefits beyond rewards, too. The Wells Fargo Cash Wise Card comes with 12-month 0 percent introductory APR on purchases and no annual fee. And, again, because the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Card earns cash back on everything, you'll earn points every time you use it with Apple Pay or Android Pay.
Chase Freedom: Big rotating rewards
For shoppers looking to earn a relatively large cash back percentage on changing categories year round, the Chase Freedom is the way to go. A rotating rewards card, the Chase Freedom card has a 5 percent cash-back bonus category that switches every category between things like gas, groceries, restaurants, and retail with all other purchases earning a flat one percent back.
Apple Pay and Android Pay users shouldn't have a problem finding their required NFC terminals as most of the bonus categories are brick-and-mortars retailers - but there are a few stipulations to the five percent bonus.
First, to even earn bonus cash back, cardholders need to manually opt in to bonus categories each quarter via Chase's website. (The process is relatively simply, taking less than a minute). The other condition is that bonus cash back is capped at $1,500 in spending each quarter, though you'll continue to earn the flat one percent back after that. For most people, the cap is still high enough to earn plenty of rewards.
The Chase Freedom also comes with a sign-up bonus of $150 after you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. That's joined by a 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, after which the regular APR will apply. This card also has no annual fee.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Travel points on everthing
Maybe travel rewards are more your thing? In that case, check out the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. The Capital One Venture Rewards card is truly one of the best credit cards for Apple Pay and Android Pay as it earns an unlimited two miles per dollar on every purchase, as opposed to travel cards that only offer the highest point earnings on purchases like flight or trains- purchases where it might be hard or impossible to pay with Apple/Android Pay.
The Capital One Venture Card works slightly different than other cards when it comes to redemption, though. Points are redeemable for all sorts of travel spending from planes, trains, cruises, amusement parks and beyond, but you don't directly use points to purchase services like you would with other popular travel cards.
Instead, cardholders use Capital One's Purchase Eraser tool which erases (or redeems point for) eligible travel purchases retroactively from your statement. For example, if you wanted to use points to purchase a plane ticket you would simply purchase the flight on your Capital One Venture Rewards card and, assuming you have enough, use points to remove the purchase from your statement.
Like other popular travel cards, the Capital One Venture Rewards card also comes with a sign-up bonus: 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $3,000 within the first three months of account opening. There is an annual fee of $95 (waived the first year) but, if you travel enough, the card will be well worth the cost.
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