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.
Top cards for bills and utility payments
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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% cash back on all purchases — 1% when you buy and 1% 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
- 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 transaction fees, so we don’t recommend using it abroad.
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This is one of the best credit cards for groceries. You earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and select U.S. streaming services. To maximize this card, you’ll also get 3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas station purchases and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
This card is one of the top options on the market to offer some cash back relief on grocery and gas payments you’d already be making.
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.
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This flat-rate card earns 2% 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
- Earning unlimited 2% 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.
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Having bad credit doesn’t always exclude you from earning rewards. This card’s 3% cash back categories include cable, internet, phone plans and streaming. Plus, it earns an extra 2% on grocery and wholesale club purchases — up to $2,500 in combined 2% and 3% category purchases, then 1%.
You’ll have to put down a $200 minimum security deposit, but if you only put your cable, internet, phone and streaming plans on this card and pay them off on-time, you can start to build your credit score.
Pros
- It earns a high rate of cash back for a secured card with no annual fee.
- Cardholders can earn 6% cash back in the category of their choice for the first year.
Cons
- The rewards system can be a little complex, especially for people new to rewards cards.
- The bonus categories are capped to a combined $2,500 in purchases per quarter, which could be limiting, depending on your security deposit amount.
Comparing the best cards for bills and utility payments
| Card name | Best for | Highlights | Annual fee | Recommended credit score |
| Citi Double Cash® Card | Flat-rate cash back | 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay) | $0 | 670–850 |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Groceries and streaming services |
6% cash back on U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and transit services |
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. | Good to excellent |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Cellphone bills | 2% cash rewards on purchases | $0 | 670–850 |
| Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card* | Bad credit |
3% cash back in a category of your choosing 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined 2% and 3% category purchases, then 1%) |
$0 | No credit history |
How to choose the best card 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. Note, however, that some utility companies may charge convenience fees for paying with a credit card. Make sure that you’ll be able to offset it with rewards before you pay with a credit card.
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 card might work best for you:
Choose cash back, points or miles
When choosing the best rewards card for you, decide if you want points, miles or cash back. Points and miles offer the potential for booking trips and vacations, but 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 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
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% cash back for that spending. For example, if your gas bill company applies a 2% processing fee for credit card charges and your card earns 5% back on utilities, you’ll earn a net 3% 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
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 that has elevated rewards and extra benefits is ideal.
How Bankrate staff maximize their utility and bill payments
“I pay all the bills and utilities I can with my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — from cellphone and internet to electricity bills. This way, these inevitable expenses allow me to earn travel rewards at 2 miles per dollar. Not a bad deal, considering this spending category rarely earns any bonuses. Definitely check if there are any processing fees associated with using credit cards when you’re setting up the payment. If so, these fees might negate any rewards you earn from such transactions.”
Ana Staples, Bankrate principal writer
“If I’ve got to pay bills (which I do), then I at least want to get some cash back on these annoying monthly payments. I’ve used a number of different cash back cards for my bills and utilities over the years, but lately I’ve been using my Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Credit Card* pretty consistently. It’s not the most exciting cash back card, but its 2 percent flat cash back rate is solid and the rewards go straight to my Fidelity investment account. Bills don’t bring me joy, but investing for my future financial independence does — so my Fidelity card is perfect for these payments.”
John Puterbaugh, Bankrate editorial senior director
What’s next?
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 Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card and Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
The Bank of America content in this post was last updated on Jan. 6, 2026.
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