Best New York Credit Cards: Get the Most Rewards for Your Spending

Anúncios

Looking for a new rewards card? If so, it’s important to find a product that fits your spending.

Where you live can have an impact on the card you choose. For example, the best credit card in New York might not be the best credit card for someone living in Florida or Montana.

That’s because geographic location affects your spending.

If you live in New York, you might be interested in which credit cards are right for you.

Best Credit Cards in New York

Citi Double Cash: Best for General Expenses
American Express Blue Cash Preferred®: Best for groceries
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Best for restaurants and travel rewards
Chase Freedom Flex: Best for the bonus cashback category
Costco Anywhere Visa: The best option for gas rewards.

New York Consumer Spending Trends

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects spending information on households in all 50 states, including New York.

Once you understand how these fees compare, you can find the best credit cards in New York:

Average grocery spend: $5,265
Average meal/delivery spending: $4,005
Average gas expenses: $1,529
Average spending on clothing and services: $2,483
Average entertainment spending: $3,140

The numbers reflect what the average New York household spends in a year. Your own spending figures may be higher depending on which part of New York you live in.

For example, your cost of groceries, gas, or entertainment in New York City will not be the same as living in a small town like Elmira.

Essentially, it boils down to the cost of living and your typical spending habits.

But no matter where you live in the Empire State, finding the right rewards card is important. Therefore, it is important to consider all options.

Not sure which rewards card to try? Here are some of the best credit cards New York residents can consider right now.

Best Credit Cards in New York

Citi Double Cash: Best for General Expenses

Map Highlights

Earn 1% cash back on purchases
Earn 1% cash back on purchases
No cashback caps and no rotating bonus tiers
No annual fee

For New Yorkers looking to earn rewards easily, the Citi Double Cash Card could be an attractive option.

Anúncios

This card pays 1% cash back immediately after your purchase. If you pay for your purchase later, you’ll get an additional 1% cash back.

There is one condition: You must pay at least a minimum amount each month to earn cashback.

But there’s no rotating bonus tier to keep up, and there’s no cap on how much cashback you can earn. Rewards can be redeemed for statement credit, direct deposit or check.

You can also convert cash rewards into CitiThank You Points. Regardless, the Citi Double Cash Card offers a lot of flexibility with no annual fee.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred®: Best for groceries

*See prices and fees. Conditions apply.

Map Highlights

Get 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in U.S. supermarket purchases, then unlimited 1% back
Earn extra cash back on all other purchases made with the card
Cashback is received in the form of Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed for account funds
Introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $95 (see pricing and fees; terms and conditions apply)

If you want to earn cash rewards on groceries, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is highly recommended.

With this card, you can earn 6% cash back on purchases of up to $6,000 per year at U.S. supermarkets. After that, you’ll continue to earn unlimited 1% cash back on supermarket purchases.

When you factor in that the average New York resident spends $5,265 a year on groceries, you can get $315.90 in cash back. This easily offsets the $95 annual fee incurred after the first year.

You also get:

6% cash back on select US streaming subscriptions
3% cash back for US transfers
3% cash back at US gas stations
1% cash back on other purchases

This makes the card even more valuable if you regularly spend on gas, public transportation, or streaming services.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Best for restaurants and travel rewards

Pros and Cons of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Pros	Cons
For frequent travelers who don’t mind paying an annual fee to get premium perks No foreign transaction fees Easily transfer points to participating travel suppliers $1.25 per 100 points instead of $1 when booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program Possibility to combine your points with multiple chase cards	No 0% promotional APR offer $95 annual fee

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and its rewards program may be perfect for foodies and New Yorkers who love to travel.

Anúncios

This card is a real bargain when you book travel.

When you use points to book travel with Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can get 25% extra value. So 100,000 points equals $1,250 in travel credits.

This is a huge advantage that other travel rewards cards don’t have. The annual fee for this card is $95. However, if you eat and shop a lot in New York (or anywhere else), you can easily earn points in the form of points.

Chase Freedom Flex: Best for the bonus cashback category

Map Highlights

Earn 5% up to $1500 on combined purchases in the Rewards category each quarter you activate
Earn cash back on all other purchases made with the card
Cash back rewards do not expire and there are no minimum redemption requirements
No annual fee.

New Yorkers might consider using the Chase Freedom Flex Card for cash back rewards.

Each quarter, you can earn 5% back up to $1,500 on combined purchases in certain reward categories. For example, you can get 5% back at the grocery store one quarter and 5% back at the department store or gas station the next.

You can also earn 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can earn 3% back at restaurants and drugstores. Everywhere else you get 1% back.

If you want the flexibility to earn rewards and no annual fee, this card could be great. Remember, you need to activate the 5% bonus quarterly to take advantage of it.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card: Best for Gas Rewards

Map Highlights

Earn 4% on the first $7,000 of qualifying gas per year, then 1%
Earn 2% Back at Costco Stores and Costco.com
No foreign transaction fees
No annual fee for Costco paid memberships

If you live in New York City and walk or use public transportation, you probably won’t spend much on gas. But overall, New Yorkers still spend quite a bit on fuel each year.

Costco Anywhere Visa rewards you with a 4% refund on the first $7,000 of eligible gas purchases per year. After that, you still get the 1% gas fee.

This card also returns 3% on dining and eligible travel, and 2% on Costco purchases. Finally, you’ll get 1% back wherever Visa is accepted.

If you have a paid Costco membership, there is no annual fee for this card. Rewards are awarded annually in the form of reward certificates that you can stock up on at Costco.

How to choose the right credit card for you

We recommend the best credit cards in New York for you. Now it’s up to you to decide which one (or which ones) are best for you.

Anúncios

Not sure which one to choose? These tips can help.

1. Check your expenses

As mentioned earlier, New Yorkers spend differently than Californians or Texans.

The way you spend your money may not be the same as the way your neighbors or co-workers spend their money.

So, the first step in choosing a rewards card is to look at your purchases over the past year. Especially consider where you spend the most money.

This may include the following:

gas
food
Electricity and mobile phone bills
a meal
entertainment
travel
Shopping

The next step is to add up the amount you spent in each category. This can help you narrow down the best rewards card for you.

Do you spend the most money on groceries? Then consider a card that pays cash at the supermarket.

Spending more money on food and travel? Then a hand like Chase Sapphire Preferred might be a good fit.

It’s all about finding a card that fits your normal spending habits.

2. Compare the best credit cards in New York

We’ve simplified this step by putting together our picks for New York’s top rewards cards.

But it’s also important that you compare the cards yourself. This means looking at the following:

Reward category (e.g. fuel, food, entertainment, etc.)
How to get rewarded
Earning Caps/Limits
redemption option
annual fee
annual percentage

There is an easy way to determine if one bonus card is better than another. You simply calculate the amount of incentives you can get for a year based on your typical spending.

This can also help you determine if you need to pay an annual fee.

For example, let’s say you’re considering buying a card with 3% gas back and a $95 annual fee.

At this premium rate, you’d have to spend at least $3,200 a year on gas to recoup the cost. If you spend less, consider another rewards card option.

3. Consider multiple cards to maximize rewards

The advantage of choosing a rewards card is that you don’t have to settle for just one.

If you’re a typical New York resident and your spending isn’t concentrated in specific categories, it might make sense to have multiple rewards cards.

So your wallet might contain:

Card A, which offers high cash back reward rates on groceries
Card B, which allows you to return food and travel points
Card C, top up to earn cash

This strategy prevents you from missing out on rewards.

But remember to check the annual fee and APR for each card. The higher the fee, the more you have to spend to get the reward.

A high APR can be expensive if you’re balancing monthly.

Final judgment

The cards we’ve listed here are the best options for New Yorkers looking to earn rewards on nearly every type of purchase.

When comparing rewards cards, pay attention to how you spend. This allows you to avoid maps that don’t fit your needs.

Finally, remember to check your credit history before applying for a new rewards card. This can help you evaluate which NYC credit cards you are most eligible for.

Escrito por

Jake Smith

He is the editor of Eragoncred. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of Eragoncred and a financial industry reporter. Jake has spent most of his career as a Digital Media journalist and has over 10 years of experience as a writer and editor.