December 9, 2024: You might expect that the best card to use at Best Buy is the retailer’s own card: the My Best Buy Visa® Card. But you’d be wise to be skeptical of the card. Between the Best Buy card’s restrictive rewards, lack of benefits, and costly financing offers, there are many better cards to use at Best Buy.
Here’s our take on the best credit cards to use for your purchases at Best Buy.
The best cards to use at Best Buy
- Best cash back rewards at Best Buy: U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card
- Best cash back rewards with no annual fee: U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
- Best for Best Buy in-store purchases with mobile wallet: U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
- Best card with no annual fee for Bestbuy.com: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
- Best for earning Membership Rewards®: American Express® Business Gold Card
- Best for unlimited rewards at Best Buy: My Best Buy Visa® Card
Editor’s overall pick: U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card
When it comes to picking a card to use at Best Buy, there are definite tradeoffs. Ideally, we’d like a card that earns the most rewards possible with no annual fee while also providing essential consumer benefits like extended warranty and purchase protection—which you’d probably want on many of the things you’re likely to buy at Best Buy. Sadly, that card doesn’t exist.
We chose the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card as our favorite card to use at Best Buy. It offers extended warranty protection and up to 6% cash back rewards in two retailers you choose, including Best Buy.
We don’t like that the card has an annual fee—$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95/year thereafter)—but the fact that you can earn rewards at another useful retailer in addition to Best Buy, plus rewards in everyday categories and decent rewards on general purchases mitigates this somewhat.
Why not the Best Buy credit card?
A natural question to ask is why we didn’t pick the My Best Buy Visa® Card. After all, 5% “rewards” at Best Buy with no annual fee sounds compelling.
But when you dig into the details, the card just isn’t great. First, the rewards are issued as points which can only be redeemed for coupons that provide a discount at Best Buy. These coupons expire, have no residual value if partially used, and you won’t get any credit for your coupons if you return an item.
Second, the promotional financing offers are downright predatory. According to the terms, if you don’t pay off your balance in full by the end of your promotion, you’ll get charged interest retroactively. That’s incredibly consumer-unfriendly.
Finally, the card doesn’t offer an extended warranty—likely because Best Buy wants to sell you one.
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card
Who it’s best for: Best Buy shoppers who want superior rewards and an extended warranty. With the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card, you can earn 6% cash back at Best Buy, plus the card offers purchase security, return protection, and extended warranty protectio.
Welcome offer: Earn a $250 bonus after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening. Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95/year thereafter).
Rewards:
- 6% cash back on your first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter with two retailers you choose.
Choose from a list of 24 popular retailers, including Best Buy. - 3% cash back on your first $1,500 in eligible purchases on one everyday category you choose.
Everyday category options include wholesale clubs, gas and EV charging stations, and bills and utilities. - 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
Learn more: Check out our review of the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card.
All information about the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
U.S Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Who it’s best for: Best Buy shoppers who want rewards with no annual fee. The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card can get you 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter in two categories you choose. And one of those categories can be electronic stores, which would include Best Buy.
Welcome offer: Earn a $200 rewards bonus after you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
- 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories you choose.
- 2% cash back on one everyday category you choose each quarter, like gas stations and EV charging stations, grocery stores, or restaurants.
- 1% on other eligible purchases.
Learn more: For more, see our review of the U.S Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card.
All information about the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Who it’s best for: Best Buy in-store shoppers. When you check out using the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card with a mobile wallet, you’ll earn 3x points—the equivalent of 3% cash back or 4.5% toward travel. Unfortunately, the card is no longer available to new cardmembers.
This card is no longer available to new cardmembers. It may be available by doing a product change from another card.
Annual fee: $400.
Rewards: Rewards are earned as points which can be redeemed for 1 cent of cash back each or 1.5 cents toward travel purchases.
- 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center.
- 3x points on mobile wallet spending with Apple Pay®, Google Wallet, and Samsung Pay.
- 3x points on eligible travel purchases.
- 1x points on all other eligible purchases.
Learn more: Read about the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card in our review.
All information about the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Who it’s best for: Bestbuy.com shoppers who don’t want to pay an annual fee. Since you can order pretty much everything Best Buy sells for in-store pick-up, Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a great option that can get you uncreased rewards on you Best Buy purchases—provided you check out at Bestbuy.com in the U.S.
Welcome offer: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership, plus receive 10% back, up to $150, as a statement credit on purchases at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Learn how to apply. (See Rates and Fees)
Annual fee: annual_fees.
Rewards:
- 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 3% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 3% cash back on gas at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 1% on other eligible purchases.
Learn more: Take a peek at our review of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Who it’s best for: Membership Rewards® point collectors who spend a lot at Best Buy. The American Express® Business Gold Card earns 4x Membership Rewards® points on the two categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full card_name (See Rates and Fees)
Annual fee: annual_fees
Rewards: This card earns Membership Rewards® points.
- 4x on the two categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle, on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1x thereafter.
U.S. purchases from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers is one of the six eligible categories. - 3x on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
- 1x on other purchases.
Learn more: See our overview of the American Express® Business Gold Card for more on the card’s rewards and benefits.
My Best Buy Visa® Card
Who it’s best for: Heavy Best Buy spenders. The My Best Buy Visa® Card offers unlimited 5% rewards at Best Buy, but with some pretty big strings attached.
The rewards on this card are issued as points that can be redeemed for My Best Buy Reward Certificates that can only be used for a discount at Best Buy. Certificates expire shortly after they are issued and you won’t get anything back for your certificates if you need to redeem an item you purchased.
Welcome offer: 10% back in rewards on your first day of purchases when you are approved for the My Best Buy® Credit Card. To apply for this card, visit Best Buy’s website or see an associate in-store.
Annual fee: annual_fees.
Rewards: (The card earns points that can be redeemed for discount certificates at Best Buy.)
- 5% back in rewards at Best Buy.
- 3% back in rewards on gas purchases.
- 2% back in rewards on grocery purchases and on dining and takeout purchases.
- 1% back in rewards on other purchases.
All information about the My Best Buy Visa® Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
