Credit Card Points by Category (2026)

How many points or miles 36 popular U.S. rewards cards earn per dollar in each spending category — so you can match the right card to where your money actually goes.

Updated May 2026

The fastest way to earn more rewards isn't a sign-up bonus — it's putting each purchase on the card that earns the most in that category. A card earning 4x on dining returns four points per dollar at restaurants; a flat 2x card returns two. Over a year of real spending, the difference adds up to tens of thousands of points. The table below shows published earning rates by category. When a card offers separate "direct" and "travel-portal" rates, we show the higher one.

2026 earning-rate comparison

Highlighted cells are 3x or higher. A dash means no category bonus (or the card does not accept that spend type — most cards earn nothing on rent, mortgage or HOA). Rates reflect 2026 published values and can change.

How to read this

• Map your biggest categories first. If most of your spend is dining and groceries, a card that earns 4x there beats a 10x-travel card you rarely trigger.
• "Everything else" matters. The catch-all rate applies to the majority of most people's spending, so a strong base rate (1.5x–2x) often outweighs a flashy bonus category.
• Travel-portal rates have strings. The highest flight/hotel multipliers usually require booking through the issuer's travel portal, which can limit flexibility.

Estimate your own earnings

BalanceBuddy's free Points Simulator lets you enter your monthly spending and compare total yearly points across these cards side by side — no signup required. Pair it with our Transfer Partners guide to see where those points are worth the most. Open BalanceBuddy.