10 Best Credit Cards for Low Spenders

Welcome bonus: $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an annual fee after the first year, but it comes with an attractive cash back rewards program:

• 6% cashback at supermarkets on $6,000 per year in spending,
• 6% cashback on select US streaming (Spotify, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon Music or Video but not Amazon Prime – see the American Express website for full detailed list),
• 3% cashback at gas stations with no limit,
• 3% cashback on transit (ground transportation only),
• 1% on everything else with no limit.

There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee, . But this fee should be easily made up with cash back just on groceries alone.

Other features include Pay It Plan It, which allows you to make payments on qualified purchases. 

American Express Global Assist Hotline can help you with travel emergencies, while American Express Experiences gives you pre-sale access to concerts and other events. 

2. Capital One VentureOne Rewards

Welcome bonus: 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards card is a great card for low spenders who are also travelers. Benefits include:  

• earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and earn unlimited 1.25X miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
• $0 annual fee
• Book with Capital One Travel to use your miles, or use miles to get reimbursed for past travel purchases
• No expiration date on rewards for the life of the account
• No foreign transaction fees

Cardholders can visit the Capital One Lounge when they travel.

Other benefits of rewards are that they can be used for Amazon purchases, and they have the potential to be transferred to other travel loyalty programs.  

3. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Welcome bonus: $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

If you have excellent credit, the Capital One Quicksilver Rewards card could be right for you. The welcome bonus is easy to earn, and the card offers other benefits as well.

• $0 annual fee
• 1.5% cashback on every purchase
• No foreign transaction fees

With the Quicksilver Rewards card, you can have your rewards sent via check, a credit to your account, or you can use them to get a variety of retailer gift cards.

There’s no minimum requirement to redeem your rewards. There’s a Quicksilver Rewards Secured card available as well, but it doesn’t include an opening bonus as of this writing. 

4. Chase Freedom Unlimited

Welcome bonus: up to $300 cash back with an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year)

Chase’s Freedom Unlimited card is another card that offers great cash back and other benefits – 5% on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% at drug stores and dining, plus 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. All for a $0 annual fee.

The welcome bonus is only available to new card members who do not have the Chase Freedom Unlimited card and have not received a welcome bonus for this card within the last 24 months. 

To receive the 5% cash back for travel, you must purchase your travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.

5. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Welcome bonus: $200 Cash Back after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months

The Capital One Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Card is a great card for low spenders who like to eat out. It offers the following features:

• 3% Cash Back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target), plus 1% Cash Back on all other purchases
• $0 annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees

The exclusion of Walmart and Target on this card is a bit disappointing, especially for frugal grocery shoppers like myself. 

However, the 3% on entertainment makes up for it a bit as it includes a wide array of venues, including movie theaters, zoos, bowling alleys, theatrical events, sports events, and more. 

6. Discover it Cash Back Card

Welcome bonus: Dollar-for-dollar match on all cash back earned in your first year. 

The Discover it Cash Back Card can be a great deal for low spenders because there are no minimum or maximum spending limits to earn your cash back or your welcome bonus dollars.

Some of the benefits of the Discover it Cash Back card include:

• $0 annual fee
• 5% cash back on rotating quarterly bonus categories
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• 0% APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
• 25 card designs to choose from

The Discover it card also offers a Fraud Liability Guarantee, a real-time on/off switch for the card on the app or the website, and 24/7 U.S.-based customer service. 

And there’s no limit on the cash back you can earn with the card or with the welcome bonus.  

Bonus: Check out the Discover it Student Cash Back card for the student in your family.

7. U.S. Bank Cash Plus Card

Welcome bonus: $200 after you spend $1000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening

The U.S. Bank Cash Plus Card offers an online credit application that will give you a credit decision in as little as 60 seconds. Other benefits include:

• $0 annual fee
• 5% cash back in two categories of your choosing
• 2% cash back on one everyday category such as gas or restaurants
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Note that the 5% bonus cash back only applies to your first $2,000 in eligible purchases each quarter. 

However, you’ll also earn 5% cash back on travel purchases made through US Bank’s Rewards Travel Center. 

The card’s ExtendPay feature allows you to extend purchases into affordable monthly payments. You won’t pay interest for this feature, but there will be a monthly service fee applied to your ExtendPay balance.