Best credit cards for bills and utility payments

Most people have bills and utilities to pay every month. While many people pay these bills directly from their checking accounts or with a debit card, you can also use credit cards.

One of the easiest ways to maximize your credit card rewards is to use cards for everyday spending to earn the most points or cash back in your most common categories. This includes your regular bills and utilities. Identifying where you’ll get the most rewards when you pay your monthly bills with a credit card is a great way to boost your earnings on the money you’re already spending.

Comparing the best cards for bills and utility payments

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Top cards for bills and utility payments

Best for bonus cash back

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card*

Rating: 3.2 stars out of 5

3.2

• Bankrate’s view

  This no-annual-fee card earns 5 percent cash back on purchases in two eligible categories of your choice (up to $2,000 in combined purchases per quarter, then 1 percent), including home utilities.

  You can use this card to pay for home utilities as well as TV, internet and streaming services, making it easy to rack up the cash back on bills that you need.

• Pros & cons

  

  Pros

  • There are 12 categories to choose from for the 5 percent bonus each quarter, including many common bills and utilities.
  • The sign-up bonus can be easy to achieve.

  

  Cons

  • The $2,000 cap on bonus spending may not be enough for people with higher expenses.
  • It doesn’t have many other notable perks or benefits that other cards have.

Best for flat-rate cash back on bills

Citi Double Cash® Card

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5

4.2

• Bankrate’s view

  This card is great for earning on regular expenses that don’t fall into bonus rewards categories. It has no annual fee and earns 2 percent cash back on all purchases — 1 percent when you buy and 1 percent as you pay.

  You also won’t have to keep track of bonus categories or spending limits. Rewards can be redeemed for cash or basic Citi ThankYou points. With a solid sign-up bonus and one of the best intro APR offers available for balance transfers, this is one of the top flat-rate cash back cards to pay your bills.

• Pros & cons

  

  Pros

  • This card is one of the best flat-rate cash back cards available, making this an excellent option for a standalone card for all your bills.
  • The intro APR offer is competitive for balance transfers.

  

  Cons

  • Basic ThankYou points can’t be transferred to Citi’s travel partners.
  • It charges foreign transactions fees, so we don’t recommend using it abroad.

Best for Groceries and streaming services

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5

4.4

• Bankrate’s view

  This is one of the best credit cards for groceries. You earn 6 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent) and select U.S. streaming services. To maximize this card, you’ll also get 3 percent cash back on transit and U.S. gas station purchases and 1 percent cash back on all other purchases.

  What really makes this card great is its streaming credit of $7 monthly for spending $9.99+ each month  on your auto-renewing subscription with the Disney bundle. (Enrollment required)

• Pros & cons

  

  Pros

  • The card has excellent earning rates in numerous categories, making this a great choice for everyday purchases.
  • It has one of the best rates for groceries and streaming expenses.

  

  Cons

  • The annual fee might be a deal-breaker for people.
  • The U.S. supermarkets category doesn’t include wholesale clubs, superstores or online grocery stores.

Best for paying cellphone bills

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5

4.3

• Bankrate’s view

  This card is one of the best cash rewards credit cards available, earning 2 percent cash rewards on  purchases. It’s a great choice to pay your cellphone bill since you’ll get cellphone protection, which covers you against damage or theft for up to $600 per claim (maximum of two claims per year), with a $25 deductible.

  This no-annual-fee card has a solid intro APR and a great cash rewards welcome offer, making it straightforward and easy to use for most people.

• Pros & cons

  

  Pros

  • Earning unlimited 2 percent cash rewards on all purchases makes this card an easy choice for any purchase.
  • This card has no annual fee to eat into your rewards earnings.

  

  Cons

  • It has no bonus categories to boost your earnings, meaning you can earn more with other cards in specific categories.
  • Unlike other issuers, this card doesn’t have another Wells Fargo card to pool rewards for additional redemption value.

Best for business utilities

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5

4.4

• Bankrate’s view

  This card is an excellent choice for business owners looking for flexibility, with the ability to transfer to Chase airline and hotel partners. Its sign-up bonus of 120,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening is well worth the $95 annual fee and can be worth around $1,500 in travel if booked through Chase Travel℠. You can earn 3X points on up to $150,000 each account anniversay year on travel, shipping purchases, telecommunication services, advertising purchases made directly with social media and search engines (then 1X points) and 1X points on all other purchases.

• Pros & cons

  

  Pros

  • The card offers bonuses in many business expense categories.
  • Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed through the Chase Travel portal, adding extra value.

  

  Cons

  • The welcome offer has a high spending requirement which could be difficult to achieve.
  • The benefits are more travel-focused than business-related.

Best for paying rent

Bilt Mastercard®

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

4

• Bankrate’s view

  This card’s unique feature is earning 1X points for rent payments with no additional fees (up to 100,000 points per year). Any other method of paying rent with a credit card usually charges fees that erase any potential rewards. The first day of every month is Rent Day, which features promotions and double points earned on all purchases (up to 10,000 bonus points).

  Multiple redemption options include travel, fitness, future rent payments or a saving for a down payment on a home. With spending promotions and bonuses when transferring to travel partners, this card offers flexibility for outsized value redemptions.

• Pros & cons

  

  Pros

  • Earning points on rent with no processing fees is a unique feature of this card.
  • The card has many promotions and bonuses to provide huge value for redemptions.

  

  Cons

  • Renters with poor credit who would benefit from this card aren’t likely to qualify
  • There’s no welcome offer, which limits the card’s initial value compared to other cards.

How to choose the best cards for bills and utility payments

While you don’t have much control over your recurring bills and utilities, what you can control is how you choose to pay them. Some utility companies may charge convenience fees for paying with a credit card, but you may be able to offset it with credit card rewards. No one card will be the correct answer for all of your bills and utilities since they all offer different bonuses and incentives. Here are some things to consider when deciding which cards work best for you.

Choose cash back, points or miles

Points and miles can fluctuate in value

When choosing a rewards card, decide if you want points, miles or cash back. For points and miles, calculate their worth using our points and miles valuation guide as they can vary among cards and issuers. While points and miles offer the potential for booking trips and vacations, they may lose value if you try to redeem them for cash back.

Cash back is more straightforward. You’ll earn a percentage of your spending back, usually between 1 percent and 5 percent, and can watch that cash back accumulate in your account, knowing it won’t change in value. You can usually redeem those cash back earnings as a statement credit or direct deposit, but you usually need a more complicated plan to redeem points and miles. If you’re just starting out with credit cards, cash back cards are likely your best option.

Run the numbers: fees vs. rewards

Get more in return than you pay in fees

You’ll want to calculate the value of points or cash back earned, then subtract any convenience or processing fees. It’s worth it to pay bills and utilities with a credit card if it earns at least 3 percent cash back for that spending. For example, if your gas bill company applies a 2 percent processing fee for credit card charges and your card earns 5 percent back on utilities, you’ll earn a net 3 percent cash back.

Other fees and charges can quickly erase the value of your rewards, so consider annual fees, ongoing APRs and intro offers when making your decision.

Other benefits

The more your card offers that you value, the better

Consider extra benefits and protections a card gives you when paying your bills and utilities, like cell phone protection and streaming credits. Paying these everyday expenses with a card with elevated rewards and extra benefits is ideal.

A card offering a unique benefit is a great selling point. For instance, the Bilt Mastercard lets you earn 1X points when paying rent without additional fees. While that might not seem like a lot, most people can’t pay rent using credit cards, and those who can often pay processing fees.

Maximizing your cards for bills and utility payments

Getting the maximum return on your bills and utilities can feel like a puzzle. While you can choose a flat-rate card to keep everything simple, the potential for better value is finding the best return in each category. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Make your payments: Pay your credit card bill in full each month to avoid interest charges and penalty fees. These add up quickly and will easily wipe out the value of any rewards you earn.
• Do the math: Calculate whether the rewards earned outweigh any fees. For example, you don’t want to earn only 1 percent on a transaction that charges a 3 percent fee. Make sure the math is in your favor before using a card to pay your bills and utilities.
• Autopay: Set up features like autopay to ensure you don’t miss payments on your recurring bills so you can earn consistent rewards on your bills and utilities.
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What’s next?

To understand what cards you qualify for, enter some basic information into CardMatch™, Bankrate’s prequalification tool. For more insight into what best fits your rewards needs, our Spender Type Tool can point you in the right direction.

The bottom line

Paying your regular bills and utilities can earn plenty of rewards if you’re using the right credit card. Finding the right combination for you can put significant rewards and savings back in your pocket. Just be sure to pay your balance off in full each month, because credit cards charge high interest rates, even to those with the best credit scores. If you can make your payments and the rewards outweigh the fees, you’ll surely come out ahead when paying your everyday recurring expenses.

*The information about the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.