The difference between earning 1x and 5x on a purchase is the difference between a free flight eventually and a free flight in six months. Most people leave thousands of points on the table every year by swiping the wrong card. This cheat sheet fixes that.
The Core Problem: No Single Card Wins Everywhere
Every rewards credit card has sweet spots — categories where it earns 3x, 4x, or 5x — and flat-rate categories where it earns just 1x or 1.5x. The smartest cardholders carry 2–3 cards and route spending strategically.
Here's the complete breakdown by category.
Dining & Restaurants
Dining is one of the richest categories for rewards. Competition among issuers has driven rates up significantly.
| Card | Dining Earn Rate | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Amex Gold | 4x on dining worldwide | $325 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | 3x on dining | $550 |
| Capital One SavorOne | 3% cash back on dining | $0 |
| Capital One Savor | 4% on dining | $95 |
| Citi Strata Premier | 3x on restaurants | $95 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 3x on dining | $95 |
Bottom line for dining: Amex Gold's 4x on dining is the strongest rate for a card with mainstream acceptance. If you have a Gold, use it for every restaurant, delivery app (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub), and café purchase.
One caveat: Amex's $325 annual fee is partially offset by a $120 dining credit (Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, etc.) and $120 Uber Cash annually. Factor in those credits before evaluating true cost.
Groceries & Supermarkets
Grocery is a high-volume category for most households — small earn-rate differences compound quickly over a year.
| Card | Grocery Earn Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amex Gold | 4x at U.S. supermarkets | Up to $25,000/year, then 1x |
| Blue Cash Preferred | 6% at U.S. supermarkets | Cash back only; up to $6,000/year |
| Amex Everyday Preferred | 3x at supermarkets | Points, not cash back |
| Chase Freedom Flex | 5x on groceries (quarterly) | Rotating category; varies by quarter |
| Capital One SavorOne | 3% on groceries | No cap |
Important distinction: Amex Gold's 4x applies to U.S. supermarkets, not superstores like Walmart or Target. If you primarily shop at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or regional grocery chains, the Gold is exceptional.
Warehouse clubs (Costco, Sam's Club): Don't code as supermarkets. They get 1x on most premium cards. Use the Costco Anywhere Visa (2% on Costco purchases) or a flat-rate card like the Citi Double Cash (2%).
Travel (Flights, Hotels, Car Rentals)
Travel spending rewards vary by whether you book through a card's portal or directly with airlines and hotels.
| Card | Travel Earn Rate | Portal Bonus | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | 3x on travel | 10x hotels/cars via portal | $550 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 2x on travel | 5x hotels/cars via portal | $95 |
| Amex Platinum | 5x on flights booked direct or through Amex Travel | 5x | $695 |
| Capital One Venture X | 2x on all purchases | 10x hotels/5x flights via C1 portal | $395 |
| Citi Strata Premier | 3x on air, hotel, and travel | — | $95 |
| Amex Business Platinum | 5x on flights + prepaid hotels through Amex Travel | — | $695 |
Key insight — Amex Platinum on flights: The Platinum earns 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel. For a frequent flyer spending $8,000/year on airfare, that's 40,000 Membership Rewards points — worth roughly $800–$1,200 depending on how you redeem.
Hotel booking conflict: Many premium cards encourage booking hotels through their portal for bonus points. But booking through portals often means you don't earn hotel status points or use your elite benefits. Run the math for your specific situation.
Gas Stations
Gas isn't glamorous, but it's consistent spending that adds up.
| Card | Gas Earn Rate | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Amex Gold Business | 4x on gas | $375 |
| Costco Anywhere Visa | 4% on gas (non-Costco) | $0 (requires Costco membership) |
| Citi Strata Premier | 3x on gas | $95 |
| PenFed Platinum Rewards | 5x on gas at pump | $0 |
| Chase Freedom Flex | 5x on gas (rotating quarterly) | $0 |
No-annual-fee winner: PenFed Platinum Rewards earns 5x on gas at the pump, requires a credit union membership (easy to get), and has no annual fee. A sleeper pick for high gas spenders.
Online Shopping & Amazon
This category gets overlooked but matters if you shop online frequently.
| Card | Online Shopping Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Prime Visa | 5% on Amazon and Whole Foods | Requires Prime membership |
| Chase Freedom Flex | 5x on Amazon (rotating) | When it's the quarterly category |
| Blue Cash Everyday | 3% at U.S. online retailers | Up to $6,000/year |
| PayPal Cashback Mastercard | 3% with PayPal | 2% elsewhere |
Amazon buyers: The Amazon Prime Visa is a no-brainer if you're already paying for Prime. 5% back on all Amazon purchases, including Whole Foods, with no annual fee beyond Prime membership.
Streaming Services
Most premium cards offer bonus rates on streaming — it's typically 3x for most cards but worth checking your specific card's terms.
| Card | Streaming Rate |
|---|---|
| Amex Gold | 3x on streaming subscriptions |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 3x on streaming |
| Chase Freedom Flex | 3x on streaming (permanent) |
| Capital One SavorOne | 3% on streaming |
For most people, streaming represents $50–$150/month in spend — the extra points matter but aren't worth adding a new card just for this category.
Drugstores & Pharmacy
A sleeper bonus category on the Chase Freedom Flex and Ink cards.
| Card | Drugstore Rate |
|---|---|
| Chase Freedom Flex | 3x on drugstores (permanent) |
| Chase Ink Business Cash | 2% on drugstores |
Note: Walmart, Target, and other big-box stores with pharmacies inside typically don't code as drugstores.
Everything Else: Flat-Rate Cards
For spending that doesn't fall into bonus categories — contractors, medical bills, education costs, niche purchases — a flat-rate card prevents you from settling for 1x.
| Card | Flat Rate | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Citi Double Cash | 2% (1% + 1% on payment) | $0 |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash | 2% cash back | $0 |
| Capital One Venture X | 2x on all purchases | $395 |
| Alliant Cashback Visa | 2.5% (with Alliant checking) | $99 |
| Robinhood Gold Visa | 3% flat on everything | $50/year (Gold membership) |
The Robinhood Gold Visa earns 3% flat with a Robinhood Gold membership ($5/month) — the highest flat rate available if you can overlook the somewhat limited rewards ecosystem.
The Optimal 2-Card Setup for Most Travelers
You don't need a wallet full of cards. A well-selected two-card setup captures the most meaningful bonus categories.
Option A: The Everyday Earner Setup
- Amex Gold → dining (4x), groceries (4x)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred → travel (2x + portal bonuses), everything else Amex doesn't cover
- Gap coverage: Sapphire Preferred at 1x or add Citi Double Cash for 2% catch-all
Option B: The Premium Traveler Setup
- Amex Platinum → flights (5x), lounge access, travel credits
- Amex Gold or Chase Sapphire Reserve → dining and hotels
- Gap coverage: Capital One Venture X (2x flat) for everything else
Option C: No-Annual-Fee Maximizer
- Chase Freedom Flex → rotating 5x categories, dining 3x, streaming 3x
- Citi Double Cash → 2% on everything else
- Result: Average earn rate of 2–3.5% with zero annual fees
Using Faroway to Book Travel Strategically
Once you've accumulated points across Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, or Capital One Miles, the next question is: what's the best way to spend them?
Faroway — an AI trip planner that builds personalized itineraries — can help you design trips that maximize point redemptions. If you have 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points and want to go to Japan, Faroway will map out a full Tokyo-to-Kyoto itinerary so you can see what dates and routes make sense before you start searching award space.
Travel planning and points strategy work better together. Use Faroway to scope out the trip first, then transfer points to the right airline or hotel partner based on your actual plans.
Category Assignment Tips and Gotchas
A few things that frequently trip people up:
Delivery apps and dining: DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub typically code as "dining" on most cards. Instacart codes as "groceries." Confirm with your card's customer service if unsure.
Airline credits vs. earning: Cards like the Amex Platinum offer airline credits but the earning structure matters separately. Read both.
Temporary vs. permanent categories: Chase Freedom Flex has some permanent bonus categories (dining, streaming, drugstores) and rotating quarterly categories that change every three months. Track the rotating categories at DoC or The Points Guy.
International groceries and dining: Amex Gold's 4x on U.S. supermarkets only applies domestically. When traveling internationally, the Gold earns 3x on dining abroad — still strong.
Quick Reference: Category Winners
| Spending Category | Best Card | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | Amex Gold | 4x |
| U.S. Groceries | Blue Cash Preferred | 6% (cash back) OR Amex Gold 4x MR |
| Flights | Amex Platinum | 5x |
| Hotels via portal | Chase Sapphire Reserve | 10x |
| Gas | PenFed Platinum Rewards | 5x |
| Amazon | Amazon Prime Visa | 5% |
| Streaming | Chase Freedom Flex | 3x |
| Drugstores | Chase Freedom Flex | 3x |
| Everything else | Robinhood Gold Visa / Citi Double Cash | 3% / 2% |
The Takeaway
Routing your spending to the right card by category is the highest-leverage habit in the travel rewards world. It requires no extra spending — just a little discipline at checkout. Start with the categories where you spend the most (dining and groceries for most households) and work outward from there.
When your point balances grow to the point where you're ready to plan a trip, Faroway can help you design an itinerary worth burning those points on.
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Written by
Faroway Team
The Faroway team is passionate about making travel planning effortless with AI. We combine travel expertise with cutting-edge technology to help you explore the world.
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