Which credit cards earn the most when you buy gift cards

# Summary If you buy gift cards regularly, pick a card that earns bonus rewards at the merchant where you make those purchases. The Points Guy highlights five cards that cover common gift-card sellers: office supply stores, supermarkets and restaurants, Costco, a configurable bonus category, and flat-rate cash back.

# Top card picks and why they matter

• Ink Business Cash: Best for purchases at office supply stores such as Staples or OfficeMax. It pays 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) on office supply store purchases on the first $25,000 spent per account anniversary year, then 1%. No annual fee.

• Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi: If you buy gift cards at Costco or Costco.com, this card gives 2% cash back there. It has no cash-card annual fee but requires a Costco membership.

• Citi Double Cash: Simple, no-friction option for gift-card purchases that don't fall into a bonus category: 2% total cash back (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay), no annual fee.

# How to match card to merchant Choose the card based on where you actually buy gift cards:

• Office supply stores: Ink Business Cash for 5% back up to $25,000/year.
• Supermarkets or many restaurant gift cards: Amex Gold can be lucrative if you'll use the card's dining and supermarket bonuses frequently enough to justify the fee.
• Big-volume, flexible category needs: Bank of America's temporary 6% category can be valuable if you site gift-card purchases inside the selected category and stay below the $2,500-per-quarter cap.
• Costco shoppers: Use the Costco Visa for gift cards bought at Costco.
• Mixed or one-off purchases: Citi Double Cash gives a consistent 2% back on any merchant.

# Quick notes about welcome offers and transfer value Some cards listed include welcome offers that could accelerate rewards accumulation (examples in the original reporting include cash-back or points bonuses after meeting a spending threshold). Chase Ink Business Cash rewards can be paired with other Ultimate Rewards cards for transfer options if you hold eligible Chase products.

# Practical checklist before you buy

• Confirm the merchant categorization: make sure the place where you'll buy the gift card codes as the bonus category for your card (office supply, supermarket, restaurant).
• Watch category caps and timeframes: caps like $25,000 per year or $2,500 per quarter matter for large-volume purchases.
• Consider fees versus extra value: an annual fee card can be worth it if you'll use its higher earn rates and credits enough to offset the fee.

# Bottom line Match the card to the merchant. For office supply purchases, use Ink Business Cash. For supermarket or restaurant-sourced gift cards, American Express Gold often yields the most points. If you need a simple, no-annual-fee approach, Citi Double Cash or the Costco card are reliable defaults.