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Are you making more contactless payments than before? The answer for most of us is a resounding yes. If you own an Apple Watch, an iPhone®, iPad® or MacBook®, you can pay for purchases using the Apple Pay® feature. These rewards credit cards can help you earn the most rewards for Apple Pay purchases at local and online stores. Here are the best credit cards for Apple Pay.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Best Credit Cards for Apple Pay & Digital Wallets
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card – at least 2x miles on every purchase
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Best travel card for Apple Pay
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® – Best premium credit card for digital wallets
- American Express® Gold Card – Best for foodies
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express – Best cash back card for Apple Pay
Another advantage of using Apple Pay is for additional security measures to prevent credit card fraud. You can use Face ID® or Touch ID® to authorize transactions. This digital wallet also doesn’t store your credit card information. This service uses a device-specific code to avoid sharing your card information with merchants.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the best overall travel credit cards, and the Venture isn’t hard to get. You earn 2 miles per $1 on every purchase whether you pay with Apple Pay or your physical card. However, if you want to earn a few more miles on travel, the good news—earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
You can redeem your Venture Miles for travel statement credits, miles, hotel point transfers, cash back, gift cards, or Amazon shopping credits.
In addition to the Apple Pay security features like Touch ID or Face ID, Capital One provides virtual card numbers. These numbers use an alternate card ID to pay for online purchases.
One additional Capital One Venture Card card benefit you may appreciate is a fee credit of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Now that more people are flying, the security lines can be quite long again. TSA PreCheck and Global Entry can help you avoid those long lines. And if you get Global Entry, TSA PreCheck is also included.
For a limited time, new Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once they spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus they’ll receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit their first cardholder year. Earning the entire bonus is equal to $1,000 in travel!
Chase Sapphire Reserve
A premium travel credit card can help you have a better travel experience and may not be as pricey as you think since many of the fees are offset by the perks. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® can be worth it. One reason is that Chase Ultimate Rewards® are some of the most valuable credit card points. Chase is also making it easy to earn bonus Ultimate Rewards and redeem your points and travel benefits for lifestyle purchases.
The Sapphire Reserve offers these ongoing benefits:
- $300 annual travel credit
- 50% travel redemption bonus for select award travel bookings
- 1:1 point transfers to airlines and hotels
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Plus, earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
New Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
The annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is $550.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Everyday Spending
American Express Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card is definitely worth the application and does a fine job of balancing travel and lifestyle purchase rewards.
The American Express® Gold Card earns:
- 4x Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year)
- 4x Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year)
- 3x Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com
- 2x Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com
- 1x Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
Another perk is the ability to earn up to $10 in statement credits on a monthly basis when you use your Gold Card to pay at the following dining establishments (enrollment is required):
- Grubhub
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Goldbelly
- Wine.com
- Five Guys
This perk can save you up to $120 annually.
Your 50,000+ Amex points are most valuable when booking award flights or redeeming gift cards. You can also transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to multiple airline and hotel partners.
The annual fee is $325, and there are no foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees).
New American Express® Gold Card cardholders can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
Plus, get the American Express® Gold Card in either the Gold, Rose Gold, or Limited-Edition White Gold metal design. White Gold design is only available while supplies last.
The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is one of the best credit cards for grocery stores and other daily spending.
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
- 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 3% cash back on transit, including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations
- 1% cash back on other purchases
Cash back comes in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com at checkout.
Plus, with their enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card, cardholders who spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
The welcome bonus is the ability to earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express within the first 6 months. There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (See Rates & Fees).
Citi Double Cash Card
The information for the Citi® Double Cash Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
One of the best flat-rate cash rewards credit cards is the Citi® Double Cash Card. You get up to 2% back on every purchase (1% back when you buy, then 1% when you pay for your purchase). There is no limit to how many purchases can earn up to 2% back. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
Citi Double Cash cardholders can redeem rewards for statement credits, bank deposits, and paper checks. There is no annual fee either, which makes this a handy card for many wallets.
Related: Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Card
The information for the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card is another attractive flat-rate cash rewards card. For a limited time, you can earn 1.8% back on qualifying digital wallet payments, including Apple Pay, for the first 12 months (known as the 20% mobile wallet bonus). All remaining purchases earn 1.5% back.
Few cards offer digital wallet payment bonuses versus a few years ago, as digital wallet payments are more common. This card has no annual fee. The signup bonus is $150 bonus cash by spending $500 in the first 3 months.
Chase Freedom Flex
The information for the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Chase Freedom Flex® can also be a good addition to your wallet, especially if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn bonus points on purchases besides dining and travel.
Chase Freedom Flex cardholders earn:
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (then 1% back)
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
The Chase Freedom Flex card doesn’t have an annual fee.
New Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders can earn a $200 bonus after they spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Apple Card
The information for the Apple Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
One of the more exciting cards for Apple fans can be the Apple Card. This card is a natural fit for Apple Pay purchases but can be used for other payment methods too, including dipping your EMV chip.
You can earn these cash rewards:
- 3% back on Apple Store, App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, and other Apple-owned purchases
- 2% back on Apple Pay purchases
- 1% back for everything else
It’s possible to request daily cashouts and get statement payment reminders.
This Goldman Sachs-issued card has no annual fee or signup bonus. You will need to apply for the card through your iPhone in the “Wallet” app.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Apple Purchases
Summary of the Best Credit Cards To Use With Apple Pay
Apple Pay can be the easiest way to pay for local and online purchases if you’re part of the Apple ecosystem. Contactless payments and digital wallet payments make it easy to choose the best credit card for your purchase so that you can maximize rewards. Plus, it helps you avoid having to pull out your cards and keeps you safe through contactless payments.
Best Cards to Use with Apple Pay:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card – at least 2x miles on every purchase
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Best travel card for Apple Pay
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® – Best premium credit card for digital wallets
- American Express® Gold Card – Best for foodies
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express – Best cash back card for Apple Pay
FAQs
What credit cards can you use with Apple Pay?
Most bank and credit union credit cards (and debit cards) work with Apple Pay. Each credit card from the national banks is Apple Pay-compatible:
- Chase
- American Express
- Capital One
- Citi
- Wells Fargo
- Bank of America
- Discover
- Barclays
- Goldman Sachs
- US Bank
If you’re getting a card from a local bank or credit union, you should call customer service to see if they support Apple Pay. You can also check this list as digital payments are a popular and growing payment trend.
Does Apple Pay build credit?
Apple Pay is a digital wallet and doesn’t directly improve your credit. Neither will be using Google Pay, PayPal, or other digital payment apps. However, paying your credit card balance in full each month and keeping your card utilization 30% or less than your total credit limit can build your credit score.
Can I use Apple Pay on Amazon?
Amazon currently doesn’t accept Apple Pay digital wallet payments. You must enter your credit card information manually. However, most national retailers and a growing number of small businesses accept Apple Pay. Even the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Portland’s Hop Fastpass accept “Express Transit” Apple Pay payments.
Expect to see more acceptance of digital payments as it is an easy and safe way that reduces contact with surfaces (especially important during a pandemic). You will know if a merchant accepts Apple Pay as you will see the Apple Pay logo.
Related Articles:
- Best Credit Cards for Road Trips
- Easiest Credit Cards to Apply For
- Best Credit Card Offers
- What Should I Bring On A Road Trip?
- Best Credit Cards for Millennials
For rates and fees of The American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please click here.
Johnny Jet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Johnny Jet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
