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![Airline credit cards]()
Airline credit cards
Collect points to slash the cost of flights worldwide
![Balance transfer credit cards]()
Balance transfer credit cards
Paying credit card interest? STOP.
![Best 0% credit cards]()
Best 0% credit cards
Do it right and credit cards are the cheapest way to borrow.
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Credit card rewards
Earn cashback, points & more
Updated 5 January 2022
Spend on one of these cards and it pays you – either in pure cashback or points that you can convert into vouchers for shops, airlines, hotels and more. If you're debt-free and pay off your card every month, you can earn goodies worth £100s each year. Plus our Rewards Eligibility Calculator will show credit cards you've the best odds of getting.
Who's this guide for? People who pay off their credit card balance in full every month who want to be rewarded for their spending.
Not what you want? If you're looking to cut debt costs or want other ways to get rewards, see...
Top Airline Credit Cards | 0% Balance Transfers | Full Credit Cards Section
How do reward credit cards work?
Essentially, they're quite simple. You just do your everyday spending on them and, in return, you get cashback or points which you can turn into vouchers, or money off at various shops. Reward cards can be a great way of earning £100s' worth of bonuses/cashback.
It sounds great – everyone loves something for nothing. But unless you're careful, cards will actually deliver nothing for something, as you may get hit with interest if you don't pay them off IN FULL every month. Some cards even impose a minimum spend to get the rewards – so always read carefully before choosing a card and make sure it'll work for you.
We take you through the top cards and the potential pitfalls below.
The five reward card need-to-knows
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Some schemes are focused on making people think they're earning large, when actually payouts are pretty paltry, so go through our best buys below meticulously to check which you'll actually get value from. To what extent depends on the type of scheme.
- Cashback. This is the most straightforward type of scheme – for every pound spent, you get a certain amount back, for instance, 1%. But watch out for tricky terms – cashback tends to be paid annually as credit to your statement, and some cards have a minimum spend requirement to get any cashback.
Rewards schemes. Here you earn days out, flights, holidays and more by getting points – and that's where the problems can start. Always ensure you know what a point is worth.
Generally, most cards in this guide have one point being worth between 0.5p and 1p. If you're not sure, check BEFORE you take the card out.
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Boost the rewards you get
By correctly targeting the right rewards to redeem your points on, it's possible to substantially increase the amount. To find out how to do this for all schemes and specific info for Avios, Nectar and Tesco, read our Boost Your Loyalty Points and Avios Boosting Tricks guides.
See which reward credit cards you've the best chance of getting, in your own personal best-buy table.
Usually, applying is the only way to know if you'll be accepted for a credit card. Yet that marks your credit file, affecting your ability to get future credit. To help, our tool uses a 'soft search' to find your chances of acceptance before applying.
Check your chance of acceptance
The top-paying rewards cards are from Amex
If you're looking for a cashback or reward card, your best bet is likely to be a card from American Express' range – they have big intro bonuses and give unbeatable ongoing rewards when compared with the rest of the market.
We list our top picks below. But first, a couple of important points:
- Amex isn't as widely accepted as Mastercard or Visa
- You won't get the intro bonuses below if you've had a personal (so not business) Amex in the last two years
If this applies to you, or if you need a backup card for when Amex isn't accepted, check out the top non-Amex cards below.
- Cashback paid annually |
A winner if you're after cashback, with no fee to pay. This is likely the top cashback credit card for most, as it pays the top rate of cashback for any fee-free card, plus features a good introductory rate. However, if you spend less than £3,000/yr you won't get any cashback at all. If you'll spend £10,000+ a year, the Amex Platinum below will beat it. Alternatively, Chase's current account offers 1% cashback for a year – though it's via a debit card rather than credit card. |
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| Check eligibility | Apply* | |
| - 20,000 pt bonus on £3k spend in first three months - Two free visits per year to airport lounges |
Earn rewards rather than cashback – this card also features the highest intro bonus in this guide, worth up to £184.
TABLE_CELL_STYLE TABLE_CELL_STYLE As its points value depends on your choice of reward, it's a tricky card to compare to cashback options. However, spend £3,000 on this card in the first three months and you'll bag a total 23,000 pts. These can be exchanged for £184 in Nectar points, £100 in vouchers or 23,000 airmiles/hotel points (including Avios, Virgin Red and Hilton Honors). Full rewards point info. TABLE_CELL_STYLE |
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| Check eligibility | Apply* | |
| The next best Amex reward cards. Here are quick details of three alternatives. | ||
| - 5% cashback for first 3mths/max £125, then 0.75% cashback on up to £10,000 spent, then 1.25% cashback on £10,000+ |
A good cashback card for big spenders. If you'll spend over £10,000 per year and you want to earn cashback, this a good card to go for. While you'll pay a fee, you'll earn a higher rate of cashback than you get with the Amex Everyday card above. |
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| Check eligibility | Apply* | |
| - 20,000 Nectar pt bonus on £2k spend in first three months - No fee in year one, then £25/yr |
Earn ongoing Nectar points, plus an intro bonus worth £120.
This card's a good pick for avid Nectar collectors, earning you points on all your spending. Plus spend £2,000 in the first three months and you'll earn 24,000 Nectar points, worth £120 at Nectar retailers such as Sainsbury's, Argos and eBay. Or you can swap them for Avios points (400 Nectar = 250 Avios). |
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| Check eligibility | Apply* | |
| - 10,000 pt bonus on £2,000 spend in first three months - No fee |
A similar points card to the Amex Gold above, but fee-free. This has the lowest intro bonus of the Amex cards here, but as it doesn't charge a fee it's still a solid option. The initial 12,000 points you'd get if you spend £2,000 in the first three months would net you £96 in Nectar points, 12,000 airmiles or a £50 voucher. Full rewards point info. |
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| Check eligibility | Apply* | |
(i) You won't get the intro bonus if you've held a personal Amex card in the past two years.｜See all official APR examples.
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As we say above, the top-paying credit cards are all from American Express. But if you already have an Amex, can't get one, or need a backup for when it's not accepted, there are a few decent options – mostly from supermarket chains. These give the best returns when used at those stores, but do give some points if used elsewhere.
Important. Most of the cards below also offer 0% on new spending for a certain number of months. If you plan on using the card for everyday spending, it's best to ignore this and continue to pay it off IN FULL every month. However, if you NEED to borrow for a planned, affordable, one-off purchase, such as to replace a broken fridge, there's no cheaper borrowing – provided you borrow as little as possible and only an amount you can pay back during the 0% period.
Top non-Amex reward credit cards for new cardholders
Must have a Nectar card - 8,000 bonus pts on £400+ spend at Sainsbury's/Argos in first 2mths |
An intro bonus worth £40, plus good for regular Sainsbury's shoppers.
Though you can earn more with the Amex Gold or Amex Nectar cards above. |
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| Apply | ||
- £20 Amazon voucher on acceptance - 0.75 pts per £1 spent at Amazon (1.5pts/£1 for Prime members), 0.25 pts per £1 spent elsewhere (1 pt = 1p at Amazon) |
Amazon Prime members earn twice the points, which convert to Amazon vouchers – plus bonus £20 on acceptance.
If you're a frequent Amazon shopper and existing Prime member (or/and can justify the fee elsewhere), this card offers the top rate per £1 spent in this guide at an equivalent 1.5% back, though just 0.25% outside Amazon.
Points convert to Amazon vouchers every time you earn 1,000pts. |
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| Apply | ||
- 0.25% cashback on all spending up to £4,000/yr and 0.5% above - Cashback paid annually in January |
Earn cashback on all spending, plus an easy £20 intro bonus.
Cashback cards are now a rare breed, so this is a decent option if you'd rather cash over vouchers. Plus do £1,000 of normal spending over three months for a straightforward £20 head start.
The rates are tiered, so you earn more if your annual spend hits the trigger – but don't use this as an excuse to overspend. |
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| Check eligibility | Apply* | |
| The next best non-Amex reward cards. | ||
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- £20 in bonus John Lewis/Waitrose points when you spend £250+ at these stores in first 90 days - 5 pts per £4 at John Lewis or Waitrose, 1 pt per £4 spent elsewhere (1 pt = 1p at John Lewis) - My John Lewis and My Waitrose members get double points for first 90 days - 9mths 0% spending, then 18.9% rep APR |
£20 intro bonus, plus a decent rate of points if you're a regular John Lewis or Waitrose shopper.
If you'll spend £250+ in John Lewis or Waitrose in the next three months, do it on this card and you'll earn 2,000 bonus points worth £20. You'll also earn ongoing points, which can be doubled for the first 90 days if you're a My John Lewis or My Waitrose member – if you're not, both schemes are free to join.
The 2,000 bonus points will be added to your account within two months of hitting the £250 trigger. Points are converted to vouchers three times a year, which you can spend at John Lewis or Waitrose. |
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| Check eligibility |
Apply* | |
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- 2 pts per £1 at M&S in 1st year (then 1 pt/£1 at M&S), 1 pt per £5 spent elsewhere (1 pt = 1p at M&S) - 12mths 0% spending, then 19.9% rep APR |
A good option for frequent M&S shoppers, plus earn double points in year one. Points automatically store up and convert to M&S vouchers in Feb, May, Aug and November, provided you've earnt at least 200 points (worth £2) in each period. |
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| Check eligibility | Apply* | |
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- Up to 23mths 0% spending, then 20.9% rep APR. |
No bonus, but good for Tesco shoppers wanting extra Clubcard points.
This card gives an extra point for every £4 spent at Tesco, so five points including the standard 1pt per £1 you'd get from your Clubcard anyway. The secret to this card is getting the most from your points – see boost points for full help. |
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| Check eligibility | Apply* | |
See all official APR examples.
Top reward debit card
A new current account from Chase currently beats the Amex Platinum Cashback card above if you don't take into account the intro bonus the Amex gives, as it doesn't require a minimum spend to start earning 1% cashback. Unlike the other options in this guide, it's also a debit card rather than a credit card, so you'll need to top up the account in advance.
Though unlike the free Amex cashback card above, Chase's cashback only lasts twelve months – so if you want to keep on earning cashback, diarise to review your options.
Top reward debit card for new cardholders
- Fee-free overseas spending & ATM withdrawals |
Get 1% cashback for a year with Chase's current account. The 12 months start from the date you activate cashback in the app (though there are a few cashback exclusions). Cashback can be transferred from the 'Rewards' section of the Chase app to the main account balance whenever you like.
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| Apply |
Cashback sites may pay you for signing up
As an extra boon, members of specialist cashback websites can be paid when they sign up to some financial products. Do check that it's exactly the same deal though, as terms can be different. And remember the cashback is never 100% guaranteed until it's in your account.
For full help to take advantage of this and the pros and cons, see our Top Cashback Sites guide.
If you're struggling to pay off debt on an existing credit card due to coronavirus, lenders should provide support. Yet the blanket payment holiday help that used to be available has ended.
So if you're struggling to pay your credit card debt, or you're coming off an agreed payment holiday, lenders are now supposed to provide 'tailored support'. Under this, you could be offered a (further) payment holiday or a period of reduced payments, reduced interest or a repayment plan – lenders should take into account how much you can afford and how your finances are likely to change in the near future.
Providers are expected to report any support they give you to credit reference agencies, which could affect your ability to get credit in future. But don't let that put you off from contacting your provider – missing payments or defaulting is likely to have a far worse impact.
For the latest updates and full information on the support available, see our Coronavirus Finance & Bills Help guide.
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