10 Best Credit Cards for Low Spenders

Do you love getting credit card bonuses but don’t like the high spending requirements that come with many credit card bonus offers? Perhaps you want to earn rewards but don’t spend enough money monthly to justify the high annual fee.

Just because you don’t spend thousands every month on your credit card doesn’t mean you should be pushed out of the credit card rewards game.

In this article, we’re sharing the best credit cards for low spenders. The cards we’ve selected offer welcome bonuses and attractive rewards programs, and some of them also appear on our list of the best cash back credit cards.

Table of Contents
  1. Best Credit Cards for Low Spenders
    1. 1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
    2. 2. Capital One VentureOne Rewards
    3. 3. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
    4. 4. Chase Freedom Unlimited
    5. 5. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
    6. 6. Discover it Cash Back Card
    7. 7. U.S. Bank Cash Plus Card
    8. 8. Chase Freedom Flex
    9. 9. Citi Custom Cash Card
    10. 10. Discover it Miles
  2. Final Thoughts

Best Credit Cards for Low Spenders

Whether you’re a low-spender because you have to be or because you want to be, you deserve credit card and bank account bonuses just the same. 

The following credit cards offer bonuses for those who love to earn and save money at the same time. So whether you’re after travel benefits, cash back, or simply the convenience of using a credit card, we’ve got something here for you. 

1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Blue Cash Preferred from American ExpressWelcome 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

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit CardWelcome 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

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit CardWelcome 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. 

Related: Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards with a Welcome Bonus

4. Chase Freedom Unlimited

Chase Freedom Unlimited CardWelcome bonus: Additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spend in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back

Chase’s Freedom Unlimited card is another card that offers great cash back and other benefits – 5% on travel purchases through Chase Travel, 3% at drug stores and dining in restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, plus 1.5% 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 Chase Travel.

5. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Savor CardWelcome bonus: none

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

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature CardWelcome 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. 

8. Chase Freedom Flex

Welcome bonus: $200 bonus with $500 in purchases in the first three months and 5% cash back in quarterly bonus categories up to $1500 per quarter.

The Chase Freedom Flex card carries a $0 annual fee and comes with a host of cash back and other benefits. 

  • 5% cash back on up to $1500 in combined purchases on quarterly bonus categories
  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Travel
  • 3% cash back on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
  • 3% cash back at drugstores
  • 1.0% cash back on all other purchases
  • Annual fee: $0

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. 

With the Chase Freedom Flex card, your rewards do not expire as long as your account is open. In addition, there’s no minimum to redeem your rewards.

9. Citi Custom Cash Card

Welcome bonus: Earn $200 when you spend $1,500 on the card in the first six months

Citi’s Custom Cash Card is one of many Citi rewards cards, but this particular card is especially attractive to low spenders. 

Benefits of this card include:

  • $0 annual fee
  • 5% cash back on your highest eligible spending category on up to $500 spent per month.
  • 1% cash back on every other eligible purchase, unlimited
  • 0% APR for the first 15 months
  • 0% APR on balance transfers for the first 15 months, as long as those transfers are made within four months of opening the card

Note that the 5% cash back bonus is limited to specific categories but does include restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores. 

Tip: Check out the Citi Double Cash card if you want to earn a straight 2% cash back on all purchases. 

10. Discover it Miles

Welcome bonus: Unlimited match on all miles you earn in the first year, no minimum spending requirement

The Discover it Miles credit card is another great card for low spenders who like to travel. Some of the benefits of this card include:

  • 1.5 miles earned for every $1 purchased on everything every day
  • Redeem miles as a statement credit for travel
  • Travel includes airfare, hotels, gas stations, restaurants, and more
  • No blackout dates
  • $0 annual fee
  • APR based on creditworthiness

Your Discover it Miles rewards miles can also be redeemed for Amazon.com purchases, PayPal purchases, or for cash. Also, rewards can be redeemed starting at one mile, and miles never expire. 

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many great rewards credit cards that cater to low spenders, with no annual fees, generous welcome bonuses, and cash back rates as high as 5%.

If you’re struggling to decide on a card, try to narrow down your choice to three or four cards that best align with your spending habits. Also, be mindful of the spending maximums in various categories, as that may have an impact on the rewards you can earn.

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About Laurie Blank

Laurie Blank is a blogger, freelance writer, and mother of four. She’s psyched about teaching others how to manage their money in a way that aligns with their values and has been quoted in Bankrate.

She's a licensed Realtor with Edina Realty in Minneapolis, Minnesota (also licensed in Wisconsin too) and has been freelance writing for over six years.

She shares powerful insights on her blog, Great Passive Income Ideas, that will show you how you can create passive income sources of your own.

Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank or financial institution. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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