Black Friday deals are only half the win. Pay with the right card and those discounted TVs, jumpers and gift sets can also generate cash back, points or miles — effectively a second discount stacked on the first.
The Points Guy has rounded up its favourite cards for the 2026 sales, and the picks fall into a few useful camps. If most of your spending happens online, a no-annual-fee card that lets you pick online shopping as your bonus category can earn 6% back in the first year, with a $200 welcome bonus after $1,000 of spending in 90 days. American Express's Blue Cash Everyday is a similarly simple play: 3% back on online purchases from US retailers on the first $6,000 spent each year, no annual fee, and reward dollars you can redeem at Amazon checkout.
Prefer to turn holiday spending into next year's flights? The Capital One Venture Rewards earns a flat 2 miles per dollar on everything, so it works for any purchase your other cards don't cover — online or in-store. Its current welcome deal is 75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 spent in three months, plus a $300 credit toward hotels and holiday rentals booked through Capital One Travel, an offer TPG values at around $1,688 based on its October 2026 valuations.
Chase Freedom Flex takes a different route with quarterly rotating categories: for the final quarter of 2026 that means 7% back on dining and 5% at grocery stores (Walmart and Target excluded), capped at $1,500 per quarter. The catch, and it matters: you must activate the categories by 14 December or you earn nothing extra.
Two more solid options cover the gaps. The Citi Double Cash pays a straightforward unlimited 2% (1% when you buy, 1% as you pay) — handy fallback for purchases that don't fit any bonus category. And if your cart is full of Amazon orders, the Prime Visa gives Prime members 5% back at Amazon, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, plus 10% or more on rotating items. There's no card fee, but you need a $139-per-year Prime membership to get it.
For in-store shoppers, the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature lets you select department stores, electronics retailers and select clothing shops as a 5% category, which lines up neatly with the bricks-and-mortar side of Black Friday.
A few things to watch regardless of card. Bonus categories often need activating or selecting before you shop, and quarterly spending caps apply. Some offers are targeted, meaning not everyone sees the same deal. And the easiest multiplier of all: shopping portals and limited-time card offers can be stacked on top of whatever your card already earns.
For travellers, the takeaway is simple — a few minutes of card admin before the sales start can quietly fund a future trip. If your goal is miles rather than cash back, a flat-rate travel card is the low-effort play; if you're organised, category cards and activated quarterly bonuses will out-earn it. Match the card to where you're actually spending.
