I’ve been writing about credit cards for almost a decade now, and in that time I’ve reviewed countless cards. It’s a simple fact that some credit cards are better than others and many cover largely the same categories.

I’ve found that these three items are all I need to cover my main spending habits: travel, meals, essentials like gas and groceries, and everything in between. THE Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card*, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the most recent addition, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

I started with the Blue Cash Preferred and Active Cash cards

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Both cards offer two of the best rewards programs in their respective categories: the Blue Cash Preferred is a tiered rewards card focused on select U.S. streaming subscriptions and purchases at U.S. supermarkets and gas stations, while Active Cash is a flat rate card. without bonus categories.

Blue Cash Preferred offers one of the highest cash back rates on the market. It charges an annual fee of $95 ($0 annual introductory fee for the first year, see prices and fees), but its rewards are quickly eclipsing it – something I can personally attest to.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express lets you earn impressive rewards on some of your essential purchases.

I use it every time I need to restock my kitchen or fill my gas tank and have never noticed its annual fee. This also helps earn rewards in the background for my streaming subscriptions. I receive cash back in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

Americans spent $6,053 per household on groceries in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Blue Cash Preferred earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%).

If you spend like the average American, you could earn $268.18 ($6,053 x 0.06 – $95) per year with Blue Cash Preferred from grocery spending alone. And that’s after subtracting the card’s annual fee.

The no annual fee Wells Fargo Active Cash complements almost any tiered rewards credit card with its 2% flat cash rewards for your purchases, whatever the spending category. This is a good option to consider if you are making purchases where you are not getting a high return on investment.

Both cards also feature APR introductory offers This can help you finance a large purchase and pay it off over time without interest.

I initially chose Active Cash for help pay my taxes without having to worry about interest for several months. At the time, Active Cash had an introductory APR of 0% for eligible purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from account opening (then 20.24%, 25.24% or 29 .99% variable APR).

The card’s current 0% introductory purchase APR lasts for 12 months from account opening (then 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR). I did not use Active Cash for purchases until my tax bill balance was fully paid off.

Blue Cash Preferred’s introductory APR offer on purchases and balance transfers now matches Active Cash’s current offer – 12 months from account opening (then 18.74% to 29 .74% variable). You won’t have to worry about interest charges during this period (see rates and fees).

Each card also has a welcome offer with reasonable spending thresholds. If you manage to earn the bonuses, your first year with both cards will be even more rewarding. But don’t overspend just to get a welcome bonus.

Using the cards together

Maximizing the rewards you get from both credit cards is simple:

1. Use Blue Cash Preferred to earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, and 3% cash back at gas stations and on public transportation in the United States. .
2. Use Active Cash on other purchases to earn a flat 2% cash reward.

I use Blue Cash Preferred for essential purchases and my Active Cash for anything not covered by Blue Cash Preferred. Essentially, if I’m not at the grocery store or gas station, the Blue Cash Preferred fits neatly into my wallet while the Active Cash does all the work.

In 2024, I earned $226.58 with my Blue Cash Preferred and I earned $687.19 with Active Cash since I applied for it in 2022.

How to redeem your rewards

Swapping with both cards is simple. The best way to do this is to redeem your cash back or cash rewards for statement credits.

Blue Cash Preferred has no minimum redemption amount, while Active Cash lets you redeem your statement credits for purchases of as little as $1. Statement credits reduce your overall account balance, but they do not contribute to your minimum payment.

Wells Fargo Active Cash also lets you redeem your rewards for gift cards in $25 increments, from an ATM with a $20 minimum or to an eligible Wells Fargo checking or savings account.

You can also use them for purchases via PayPal. Redeeming your rewards in the form of statement credits or to an eligible bank account will be your best bet.

This year’s addition: the Chase Sapphire Preferred

I added a third card to my wallet last April, one that covers two categories that were previously missing: travel and dining.

The Sapphire Preferred earns 5x points for travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining, and 2x points for all other travel. By using it every time I eat out or travel, I earn enough rewards to cover some of the expenses.

It also offers a $50 annual hotel credit for hotels booked through Chase (which essentially helps reduce its annual fee from $95 to $45 per year). This was a nice perk when booking my hotel earlier this year.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns great travel rewards and has one of the best rewards programs available.

This card proved particularly rewarding during my recent trip to Europe, where I was able to use it for all my purchases thanks to the lack of foreign transaction fees. I was also able to almost earn his welcome bonus by spending on this trip alone.

It’s certainly a great card, and I’m happy to have it, but it doesn’t really check all the boxes. I could finish upgrade to Chase Sapphire Reserve®a more advanced Sapphire travel map.

More Credit Card Combinations to Consider

The Goldilocks combo of Blue Cash Preferred and Wells Fargo Active Cash isn’t exactly a rare occurrence. Both cards also pair well with other cards. Keep in mind that Active Cash works well with just about any tiered rewards card.

• Blue Cash Preferred and Chase Freedom Unlimited®: THE Unlimited freedom earns 3% cash back on drugstore and restaurant purchases – two categories that Blue Cash Preferred only earns 1% back on – plus a base rate of 1.5% for everything else. Use a similar strategy as you would with Active Cash: use each card in its respective bonus categories and Freedom Unlimited as a catch-all card for its higher base rate.
• Blue Cash Preferred and the Citi Double Cash® Card*: Double Cash is very similar to Active Cash with its flat 2% cash back rate (1% when you purchase, plus an additional 1% when you pay for those purchases), although it offers less benefits and don’t do it. have an introductory 0% APR for new purchases. But if you already have a relationship with Citi or want access to the Citi ThankYou Points ecosystem, this is still a good option.
• Blue Cash Preferred and the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card*: If you want to earn travel rewards with no annual fee, the VentureOne Rewards card offers 1.25x miles for every purchase. This flat rate is lower than Active Cash, Double Cash or Freedom Unlimited, but the main advantage of VentureOne is that you can transfer your miles to 18 airline and hotel partners without the need for a premium credit card (read: annual fee).

The strategy for these card pairs will be the same as for using Active Cash with Blue Cash Preferred. Use either card where it pays off the most.

My favorite trifecta of cards

The Blue Cash Preferred, Wells Fargo Active Cash, and Sapphire Preferred are three of the best credit cards you can choose. They all offer a great return on everyday purchases, have reasonable spending thresholds for their welcome offers, and offer several useful perks.

The only downside is that they generally require good to excellent credit to qualify. If your credit score isn’t in great shape, you may want to improve your credit with a credit builder Or secure card before applying for one of them.

For rates and fees for the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, click here.

*All information on the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card, Citi Double Cash Card and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card was collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.