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December 16, 2024: The best cards to use at standalone drugstores and pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens can earn you 5% cash back on your pharmacy purchases. If you frequently spend money at pharmacies and drugstores, these are the best credit cards to use.
The best cards to use at pharmacies
Highest rate of cash back at drugstores: Citi Custom Cash® Card
5% cash back on your highest-spending eligible category (including drugstores) on up to $500 spent each statement cycle. Annual fee: annual_fees
Best for unlimited rewards at drugstores: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Unlimited 3% cash back on drugstore purchases, earned as Ultimate Rewards®. Annual fee: annual_fees
Another option for unlimited rewards at drugstores: Chase Freedom Flex®
Unlimited 3% cash back on drugstore purchases, earned as Ultimate Rewards®. Annual fee: $0
Best for paying with mobile wallet: U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Unlimited 3x rewards when you pay with mobile wallet. Equivalent to 3% cash back or 4.5% travel rewards. Annual fee: $400
Good cashback rewards: AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card
3% cash back at pharmacies. Cash back in bonus categories limited to $500 earned per year, then 1%. Annual fee: $0
Best for Bank of America relationship banking customers: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Earn a base 3% cash back (up to 5.25% cash back with Preferred Rewards) in a category you choose, including drug store/pharmacy. Annual fee: annual_fees
Best for U.S. Bank relationship banking customers: U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card
Earn a base 3% cash back (up to 5.25% cash back with Preferred Rewards) in a category you choose, including drug store/pharmacy. Annual fee: $0
Another option for unlimited rewards at drugstores: Editor’s pick: Citi Custom Cash® Card
The Citi Custom Cash® Card comes out as a clear winner for rewards on drugstore purchases. If you use the card exclusively at drugstores, you’ll earn 5% cash back on the first $500 you spend at drugstores each statement cycle.
Most people are probably spending less than $500 a month at drugstores, so the card’s cap on increased earnings likely won’t be an issue for you. And the card has plenty of other uses if your drugstore spending decreases—it’s one of the best cards for a wide array of spending.
The card doesn’t offer much in the way of benefits—though Citi did recently add back extended warranty protection to the card. But for the types of things that you’re likely to buy at a drugstore, you’re unlikely to use benefits like purchase protection, extended warranty, and return protection.
Our only reservation about using the Custom Cash for drugstore purchases is that the card is compelling to use in other reward categories. Since you can only get one Citi Custom Cash directly (there are ways to get additional Custom Cash cards indirectly) you might want to use it for another category where you’re spending more.
Honorable mentions: Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex® are worth mentioning alongside our pick because they offer unlimited 3% cash back rewards at drugstores and the rewards are earned as Ultimate Rewards®.
Even if you don’t spend a massive amount at drugstores, getting 3% rewards as Ultimate Rewards® points can be particularly profitable if you have a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card that gives you increased value when booking through Chase Travel℠ and allows transfers to travel partners.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Who it’s best for: Those who want maximum cash back at drugstores with a simple, no-annual fee card. The Citi Custom Cash® Card is a flexible category card that earns 5% cash back in the eligible category in which you spend the most each month. If you use the card exclusively at drugstores, you’ll earn 5% on the first $500 you spend on groceries each month.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees.
Rewards:
- 5% cash back on your top eligible spending category on up to $500 each statement cycle, then 1%.
- 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Rewards are marketed as cash back, but earned as Citi ThankYou Points.
Learn more: The Citi Custom Cash® Card is an incredibly flexible cash back card that earns ThankYou Points. Read our review of the Citi Custom Cash.
All information about the Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Who it’s best for: Ultimate Rewards® collectors, wallet simplifiers, and people who spend a lot at drugstores. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers 3% cash back at drugstores, plus a handful of other useful categories and 1.5% cash back everywhere else. It’s a great choice for a “use everywhere” card and one of the few cards that earns uncapped bonus rewards at drugstores.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees.
Rewards:
- 3% on drugstore purchases.
- 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
- 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
- 1.5% on all other purchases.
Rewards are marketed as cash back, but earned as Ultimate Rewards® points.
Chase Freedom Flex®
Who it’s best for: 5% rotating category card fans, Ultimate Rewards® collectors, and people who spend a lot at drugstores. The Chase Freedom Flex® is the lesser-talked-about sibling to the Freedom Unlimited. The Freedom Flex offers 3% cash back at drugstores plus 5% cash back in bonus categories that change quarterly.
Welcome offer: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
- 3% on drugstore purchases.
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in rotating bonus categories.
- 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
- 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
- 1% on all other purchases.
Rewards are marketed as cash back, but earned as Ultimate Rewards® points.
Learn more: Read more about rotating category cards, including the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Who it’s best for: Existing Altitude Reserve cardmembers who have the card and use mobile pay. The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card earns 3x rewards when you use your phone’s tap-to-pay feature with the card. And those 3x rewards can be redeemed for an effective 3% cash back or 4.5% travel rewards. Unfortunately, this card isn’t available to new cardmembers.
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card is not open to new applications, but may be available via a product change if you have another U.S. Bank credit card.
Annual fee: $400.
Rewards:
- Get 3x at drugstores when you use Apple Pay®, Google Wallet, and Samsung Pay.
- 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.
Altitude Rewards points can be redeemed for cash back at 1 cent per point or used to book travel through the Altitude Rewards center at 1.5 cents per point. You can also redeem your points against travel purchases through Real Time Rewards at 1.5 cents per point.
All information about the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card
Who it’s best for: People looking for good grocery rewards in addition to cash back on pharmacy purchases. The AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card earns 3% cash back on pharmacy purchases, with a cap of $500 in bonus earnings per year (then 1%). That’s less compelling than the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, but when you add in the Daily Advantage’s grocery rewards, the whole picture may be more compelling for people who want fewer cards in their wallet.
Welcome offer: Receive a $100 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on your card in the first 90 days of account opening. Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
- 5% cash back* on grocery store purchases.
- 3% cash back* on gas and electric vehicle charging, wholesale clubs, streaming services, pharmacy, and AAA purchases.
- 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- * You’ll earn 5% and 3% cash back in bonus categories until you’ve earned $500 of cash back during the calendar year, then 1%.
All information about the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® Credit Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards
Who it’s best for: Bank of America Preferred Rewards customers with at least Gold status or higher. Having at least $20,000 of combined deposits in Bank of America and Merrill accounts will get you a 25% rewards bonus, which brings the 3% category bonus of the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card up to 3.75% cash back. Platinum Honors and higher members earn a total of 5.25% cash back in their selected bonus category.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees.
Rewards:
- Base 3% cash back on a category you choose.
Choose from gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/streaming/internet/phone plan, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy, or home improvement/furnishings purchases. - Base 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs.
- 1% cash back on all other purchases.
* 3% and 2% cash back categories earn bonus cash back on the first $2,500 spent each quarter across all bonus categories, then 1%.
Rewards can be multiplied by up to 1.75x if you have Preferred Rewards Platinum Honors or higher status, which requires holding $100,000 or more of deposits and investments with Bank of America and Merrill. With a 1.75x multiplier, the 3% category earns a total of 5.25% cash back.
All information about the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card
Who it’s best for: Bank of America relationship banking customers with $100,000 or more at the bank. The U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card earn a base 2% cash back everywhere, but you’ll earn up to 4% everywhere based on your qualifying balances with U.S. Bank.
Welcome offer: The card does not currently have a new cardmember welcome offer. Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
- Base 2% cash back on every purchase.
- Earn a total of 2.5% cash back with qualifying deposit and investment balances of $5,000 to $49,999.
- Earn a total of 3% cash back with qualifying deposit and investment balances of $50,000 to $99,999.
- Earn a total of 4% cash back with qualifying deposit and investment balances of $100,000 or more.
All information about the U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Our perspective: Cards we use at pharmacies and drugstores
While our best card lists are based on our methodology, the members of our team often sometimes have different perspectives.
Although I picked the Citi Custom Cash® Card as our editor’s pick for the best drugstore card, I use my Chase Freedom Flex® for spending at standalone pharmacies. Here’s why.
The Citi Custom Cash has so many other useful bonus categories that can be more profitable for me. Most months, I’m earning more by using the card at Home Depot (home improvement stores) or at my local grocery store, so I end up using my Freedom Flex instead for the occasional CVS or Walgreens purchase.
Why not the Chase Freedom Unlimited®? Well, I don’t actually carry that card—I use the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card as my “everywhere else” Ultimate Rewards® card. The Freedom Flex has all of the bonus categories of the Freedom Unlimited, but earns 1% on all other purchases, so I really only need the 1.5% cash back everywhere, which the Ink Unlimited offers. And the Ink Unlimited has a much bigger sign-up bonus.
Bottom line: Easily get at least 3% cash back at drugstores
If you frequently shop at drugstores and pharmacies, you can easily get 5% cash back with a no-annual-fee credit card. But even if your local CVS is only an occasional stop for you, you can get 3% cash back using a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® that is broadly useful.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
