🏷️ Best credit cards for general merchandise
Ranked by effective rewards rate — factoring in point values, caps, and annual fees.187 cards compared.
Shopper Cash Rewards
U.S. Bank · No annual fee
Cap: $1500/quarterly
Amazon Prime Store Card
Synchrony · No annual fee
Hilton Honors Business
American Express · $175.00/yr
Strata Premier
Citi · $95.00/yr
Venture
Capital One · $95.00/yr
Venture X
Capital One · $395.00/yr
Altitude Reserve
U.S. Bank · $400.00/yr
Cashback Visa Signature
Alliant · No annual fee
Cap: $10000/monthly
Active Cash
Wells Fargo · No annual fee
Altitude Connect
U.S. Bank · No annual fee
Altitude Go
U.S. Bank · No annual fee
Autograph
Wells Fargo · No annual fee
Showing top 12 of 187 cards
How to choose
The best card for general merchandise depends on how much you spend in this category each year, whether you prefer cash back or transferable points, and whether the annual fee is worth the extra rewards.
Look at the effective rate — not just the headline multiplier. A 3x points card with 1¢ per point earns the same as a 3% cash-back card. Cards with caps earn the bonus rate only up to a spending threshold, then drop to the base rate.
Add your cards to PerkPro to see which one in your wallet actually earns the most on each general merchandise purchase, with caps and bonus deadlines tracked automatically.