Category spending rewards

Many credit cards earn rewards for your purchases. For instance, a 1% rewards card earns $1 in rewards for every $100 you spend on the card.

Some cards also offer special category rewards when you make purchases at certain merchants or in certain categories. For instance, a card might offer particularly high rewards on purchases at grocery stores or on Amazon.

For gamers, looking for rewards on gaming purchases makes sense. Rewards categories they might like include electronic stores, eBay, Amazon, Target, or other major retailers. For example, the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature card earns 5% cash back on Amazon purchases if you have Prime membership, which means you can earn 5% back every time you buy a game or console on Amazon.

Gamers should also look for a card with a high enough credit limit to purchase the gear or game consoles they’re after.

Looking for the best card to maximize your rewards? Check out Kudos to earn more points and rewards every time you make a purchase!

Introductory offers

Some credit cards have introductory offers when you sign up for them.

Here are some examples of common introductory offers and how they might be helpful for gamers.

Signup bonus: Signup bonuses award you with extra rewards when you first sign up for a card and spend a certain amount of money using it. For example, a card might offer a $200 cash rewards bonus if you spend $1,000 in the first three months. If you’re already planning to make a major purchase (read: a new console, gaming PC, or hardware upgrade!), this can be a valuable perk that helps lower your net cost. These rewards often come in the form of statement credits, which simply lower the amount you need to pay on your credit card.

Introductory APR: Some credit cards offer a low annual percentage rate (APR) for a limited period. For example, a card might offer 0% APR for the first 12 months of your card membership. This essentially means you can get an interest-free loan for 12 months. Once the 12-month period intro rate ends, you’ll start paying interest at the standard rate.

Interest rates (APR)

All credit cards charge interest, which is measured in annual percentage rate (APR). If you carry a balance on a credit card, you’ll pay interest. Rates vary based on the card and your credit score, but they can range from 15% to 35% — or even higher.

If you do plan to use a credit card to finance purchases, you should look for an option with a competitive APR. The lower the APR, the less you’ll pay in interest.

If you don’t plan to carry a credit card balance, then you don’t need to worry about APR. If you pay the card off in full each month, you won’t pay any interest at all!

Purchase protections

Purchase protections are one of the lesser-known advantages of credit cards. They can help protect the purchases you make in a variety of ways, although the details can vary depending on the card.

Here are some types of purchase protections that might be available on certain cards.

Loss/damage protection: Some cards may reimburse you for items you purchase that are lost, damaged, or stolen within a certain period after you purchased them — often 120 days.

Return protection: Some cards may extend the return window for items you purchased. For instance, if the retailer has a 30-day return window, the credit card issuer might extend that to 120 days. If you return the item after the retailer’s 30-day limit, you will return it directly to the credit card company, which will issue a refund.

Price protection: Some cards may refund the difference if an item’s price drops shortly after you buy it. For instance, if you buy a new game for $60 and the next week it goes on sale for $40, you could notify your credit card company and — if everything checks out — receive a $20 refund on your card (which means more money for video games!).

Extended warranties: Some cards may extend the existing manufacturer warranties. For instance, if a console has a 1-year warranty, certain credit cards might extend that to 2 years.

Not all cards offer these perks, and the details will always vary depending on the card. It’s important to research the benefits and read through the fine print before signing up for a card.

What is the best credit card for gamers?

We’ve gone over some of the advantages of credit cards for gamers — but which rewards cards should gamers actually consider signing up for?

Here, we’ll go over some of the best options for gamers and young adults looking to maximize credit card perks.

Amazon Rewards Visa Signature

The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature card is a great option for anyone who shops on Amazon.com — particularly Prime members.

This card earns rewards at the following rates:

• 5% back on Amazon.com if you’re an Amazon Prime member
• 5% back at Whole Foods if you’re an Amazon Prime member
• 2% back on restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores
• 1% back on everything else

The card also offers extended warranty protection, purchase protection, and other useful perks for gamers.

PlayStation Visa

The PlayStation Visa is a great option for PlayStation gamers, as it offers console-specific perks.

This card earns rewards at the following rates:

• 5x points on eligible purchases at Sony and the PlayStation Store
• 3x points on cable and internet bills
• 2x points on restaurants
• 1x points on everything else

The 5x points on eligible purchases at PlayStation Store are automatic and can add up quickly for PlayStation gamers. The PlayStation Visa card can also earn 5x points on Sony/PlayStation purchases at authorized third-party retailers, like big box stores.

However, to get this perk and earn the bonus rewards, you’re required to submit a receipt so that the purchase can be verified.

There’s also a signup bonus of a free $75 PlayStation game with this card after you sign up and spend $500 within 60 days of opening the account.

Target RedCard

The Target RedCard is a versatile card for anyone who likes to shop at Target or Target.com.

This card offers the following perks:

• 5% discount on Target and Target.com purchases
• Free shipping on Target.com purchases
• Extended returns on all Target and Target.com purchases

Instead of earning rewards, the RedCard offers an instant discount on your purchases at Target. It’s useful for regular Target shoppers, but it doesn’t earn rewards for purchases outside of Target.

Wells Fargo Active Cash

The Wells Fargo Active Cash card is another versatile credit card that’s useful for a variety of reasons.

The main perks of this card include the following:

• 2% cash back on all purchases
• A $200 statement credit if you spend $1,000 in the first three months
• 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months

These perks make the Active Cash card a good option for paying for a major new purchase. A gamer buying a new PC or console could potentially earn a signup bonus, 2% cash back on their purchase, and interest-free financing for 15 months at the same time.

Bottom line

Gamers should keep an eye out for a credit card that offers a good rewards rate as well as purchase protection perks, like extended warranties. If you’re planning to make a major purchase soon, a card with a low introductory APR rate may also be beneficial.

Looking for the best credit card for your needs? Use Kudos’ Explore Cards feature to find the perfect card for you!