There are some offers mentioned below that are no longer available.
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With so many credit card limited-time welcome offers available lately, which card should I apply for? I want to earn cash back, and I'd prefer to earn rewards on groceries and gas.
In recent months, we've seen an avalanche of increased welcome bonuses, with several of these offers matching the best we've ever seen. However, many of these deals are for business credit cards and airline or hotel cards.
If you're like Emily and looking for a big cash-back bonus and extra rewards for groceries and gas, you still have options. Just keep in mind that the amount of the welcome bonus is only one thing to consider; you'll also want to pay attention to the offer's spending requirement.
How to pick a welcome offer
Long-term affordability ($200 cash bonus)
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card currently offers a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This is a great offer if you want grocery rewards and a low minimum spending requirement.
It's a great cash-back grocery card because it earns an uncapped 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart), but it only earns 1% back on all other purchases, including gas purchases. While it's a mediocre option for gas purchases, it has no annual fee and a strong list of other bonus categories that can pick up the slack. You'll also earn 3% cash back on entertainment, popular streaming services and dining.
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the most rewarding options for earning cash back in categories such as entertainment and dining without paying an annual fee. Plus, you can combine its rewards with Capital One's travel cards to convert them into transferable miles.
- One of the most rewarding cash back cards for entertainment and streaming services
- No annual fee
- Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
- High APR
- Requires a good to excellent credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months; 18.74% - 28.74% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
Introductory fee of 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account during the first 12 months that your account is open. After that, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that we may offer you at any other time.
If you have multiple Capital One credit cards, you can combine the rewards. That means you can convert your cash back into transferable Capital One miles if you have a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.
Massive upfront value ($1,000+ bonus)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is a travel card, not a cash-back card. However, you can easily redeem Chase points for statement credits or deposits into eligible Chase bank accounts. So if you prefer the simplicity of cash rewards, you can use the Sapphire Preferred in that way.
It currently has an all-time high, limited-time offer of 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You can redeem 100,000 Chase points for at least $1,000 in cash back, travel or gift cards. This offer is a better fit for anyone interested in getting rewarded for gas purchases and who can qualify for a bonus with a larger spending requirement.
This card earns 3X points on gas and EV charging and 3X points on online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). You'll only earn 1X points at brick-and-mortar supermarkets, so it's not the perfect grocery card. However, it earns 3X points on dining, select streaming services and vacation homes and 2X points on travel, so earning rewards shouldn't be a problem.
You can squeeze extra value from your rewards, too. Chase regularly offers 10% to 15% discounts on gift cards, which means you can get over $1,100 in gift cards for 100,000 points. Chase also offers rotating quarterly Pay Yourself Back categories, which offer bonuses of up to 25% on statement credits for specific purchases.
The current quarterly categories include (valid through Sept. 30, 2026):
- Eligible charities: 1.25 cents per point (25% bonus)
- Pet supply stores and veterinary services: 1.1 cents per point (10% bonus)
- Your card's annual fee: 1.1 cents per point (10% bonus)
- Public transit: 1.05 cents per point (5% bonus)
If you only use your Chase points for cash-back redemptions, it's not difficult to receive an average value of more than 1 cent per point.
Variable bonuses and capped rewards
While the following cards currently have an increased limited-time welcome bonus, you can't have a discussion about amazing cash-back cards for groceries and gas without mentioning the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
Both earn bonus cash back at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations (in the form of Reward Dollars you can redeem as a statement credit), and both offer decent welcome bonuses. However, there are significant caveats to these benefits.
The welcome offers are "as high as" bonuses, which means you may not get approved for the maximum bonus amount. The nice thing is, you'll know whether you are eligible for a bonus before your credit is pulled.
These cards also have annual caps on many of their best bonus categories. The Blue Cash Preferred offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, but only on up to $6,000 in purchases per year (then 1% back) and an unlimited 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a low-fee card with generous cash-back rewards and useful ongoing benefits, such as a monthly Disney Bundle credit. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- High cash-back earnings for U.S. supermarkets and streaming services
- Intro-APR offer for purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee for the first year
- It's less rewarding after the first year because of the annual fee
- Bonus rewards for U.S. supermarkets are capped
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply and find out your welcome offer. As High As $300 cash back* after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply, and if approved: 1. Find out your offer amount 2. Accept the Card with your offer 3. Spend $3,000 in 6 months 4. Receive the cash back. *Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.49%-28.49%.
- Plan It®: Buy now, pay later with Plan It. Split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you don't have the pressure of paying all at once. Simply select the purchase in your online account or the American Express® App to see your plan options. Plus, you'll still earn rewards on purchases the way you usually do.
- Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
- Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
The Blue Cash Everyday earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, but you only earn bonus rewards on up to $6,000 in eligible purchases per category each year (then 1% back).
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has no annual fee and bonus rewards on a wide range of common expenditures. On top of that, you also have access to an intro-APR offer for purchases and balance transfers. So this card can help you save in a variety of ways.
- Up to $264 in streaming service and meal kit credits every year (subject to auto renewal)
- High cash-back rates in popular spending categories
- No annual fee
- The best bonus cash-back categories are capped
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply and find out your welcome offer. As High As $200 cash back* after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply, and if approved: 1. Find out your offer amount 2. Accept the Card with your offer 3. Spend $2,000 in 6 months 4. Receive the cash back. *Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- No Annual Fee.
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.49%-28.49%.
- Earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, on eligible purchases for each category on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
- Get up to a $7 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Everyday® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
If you work from home or have a short commute to work, the capped gas purchases may not be that limiting. But with groceries being impacted by inflation, households may easily spend more than $6,000 per year at the supermarket.
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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please click here.
