5 best credit cards with customizable rewards: Pick your own categories and earn

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If you haven’t yet found a rewards credit card that fits your spending habits, a customizable rewards card could be the perfect option. Unlike traditional rewards cards that offer preselected categories like travel or dining, these cards let you choose where you want to be rewarded.

CNBC Select rounded up the five best credit cards with customizable rewards so you can compare and find the best fit for your spending.

See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best rewards cards.

Best for no annual fee

Reward options: With the no-annual-fee Citi Strata℠ Card, you can earn 3X ThankYou® Points in an eligible self-select category of your choice from the following options: fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons or pet supply stores.

Other great perks: The Citi Strata comes with a 20,000-point welcome bonus after spending $1,000 in the first three months, and you can save on interest with a low intro APR. The Strata also comes with access to Citi Entertainment®, which helps you get presale tickets and exclusive experiences to some of the year’s most anticipated events.

Best for 0% APR

Reward options: With the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, you can earn up to 6% cash back: 3% cash back, plus a 3% first-year cash back bonus on the category of your choice. Bank of America offers six optional categories: gas and EV charging stations, online shopping (including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming), dining, travel, drug stores and pharmacies or home improvement and furnishings. You also earn 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs.

(Note, the 6% and 2% cash back rates are on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, then 1% thereafter. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.)

Other great perks: The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card has no annual fee, and you can enjoy a low intro APR on purchases and any balance transfers made within 60 days of account opening. Plus, if you’re a soccer fan, the card is currently offering a special FIFA World Cup 2026™ design through July 31, 2026.

Best selection of categories

Reward options: The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card earns 5% cash back on the first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories of your choosing (then 1%), plus 2% cash back on one everyday category. The 5% cash back category offers 12 optional categories ranging from furniture stores to TV, internet and streaming. The 2% cash back options are grocery stores and grocery delivery, restaurants and gas and EV stations.

Other great perks: In addition to earning cash back on your chosen categories, the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa also earns 5% back on prepaid travel booked directly in the Travel Center. You can have your rewards redeemed as a statement credit, a rewards card or directly deposited into your U.S. Bank checking or savings account. Using the Rewards Center Shopping Deals with your U.S. Bank Cash+ card can help you earn bonus rewards offers with over 1,100 online merchants.

Best welcome bonus

Reward options: Opting for the Citi Custom Cash® Card means you’ll earn 5% cash back on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle on up to $500 spent (then 1%). Your purchases will be split into 10 categories, with popular options like grocery stores and fitness centers available.

Other great perks: If you’re looking for a welcome bonus with a longer spending timeline, the Citi Custom Cash Card offers $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. Cash back comes in the form of 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for cash back as a statement credit, direct deposit or check.

Best for small businesses

Reward options: The American Express® Business Gold Card is a great option for businesses, as you’ll earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases on the two categories where your business spends the most in each billing cycle (then 1X points). With six options, including U.S. media providers for advertising in select media, you don’t have to track your spending just to earn rewards.

Other great perks: The Amex Business Gold comes with a few statement credits, including up to $155 in credits toward a monthly Walmart+ membership (up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee, subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Business Gold Card. You can also earn up to $20 in monthly statement credits after using your Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub and office supply stores.

The two most common types of credit card rewards you’ll come across are cash back and points. While one isn’t necessarily better than the other, they serve different purposes.

Cash back credit cards are often ideal for simplicity and ease of use. The cash back you earn doesn’t change in value, and you can often apply it as a statement credit to offset your credit card balance. A common cash back percentage to look for is at least 1.5% to 2% cash back on all purchases, with some cards offering higher rates in certain categories. One downside to cash back is that it’s not very flexible; it’s typically tied to straightforward redemption options, like gift cards or a direct deposit.

Alternatively, credit card points earn an issuer-specific point currency, which can be redeemed for a number of options — from merchandise to, most prominently, travel. The value of points can vary depending on how you redeem them, but a single point is generally worth between 0.5 cents and 2 cents or more. Using points for more complex redemptions (such as transfer partner travel) can often get you tremendous value, while redeeming for merchandise or gift cards may net lower value.

Customizing your credit card rewards can earn you more points in many cases. While your maximum earning potential may be lower depending on the card, your overall earnings can be more consistent; you’re less likely to waste bonus categories on spending you don’t actually do.

For example, instead of using a card that earns 5% cash back on bonus categories that rotate each quarter, a customizable rewards card ensures you’re earning elevated rewards on categories you actually spend in year-round. Alternatively, if your highest spending categories vary from month to month, a customizable rewards card gives you the power to adjust your bonus categories as needed.

All in all, it really comes down to your spending choices, so look for a card with categories that reward you for your habitual purchases.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card list is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards that let you pick your rewards.

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To determine which cards offered the best custom rewards, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.  

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back). We also limited our consideration to cards that provided a personalized selection process for the rewards, not rotating categories that apply to all card users.
 
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.