Finest bank cards for guide lovers

Editor’s word: It is a recurring put up, commonly up to date with new info and affords.
Now, greater than ever, our choices and causes for studying appear infinite. Whether or not you are lugging textbooks to class, tossing paperbacks into your seashore bag or downloading audiobooks on your commute, guide lovers know {that a} studying behavior can develop into costly.
Our motto round right here is that in the event you’re spending, try to be incomes. So, we’re sharing our greatest methods to make sure your studying behavior is pretty much as good on your rewards stability as it’s on your mind.
the perfect bank cards for books
The simplest and most necessary option to earn in your guide purchases is to make use of top-of-the-line bank cards for books. These playing cards will be sure that you are incomes bonus factors it doesn’t matter what sort of guide buy you make.
This is a comparability chart that breaks down the incomes charges for these choices:
Credit score Card | Finest for | E-book bonus incomes |
---|---|---|
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa | Books purchased by way of Amazon. | 5%. |
Affinity Money Rewards Visa Signature Credit score Card | Bookstores anyplace. | 5%. |
Barnes & Noble Mastercard | Books purchased by way of Barnes & Noble. | 5%. |
Goal REDcard | Books purchased by way of Goal. | 5%. |
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card |
Incomes versatile journey rewards. | 2 miles per greenback. |
Chase Freedom Flex | Books purchased from drugstores. | 3%. |
Citi Double Money Card | Books purchased from unbiased bookstores. | 2% money again (1% while you purchase and 1% while you pay). |
The knowledge for the Amazon Visa, Affinity Visa Signature, Barnes & Noble Mastercard and Goal REDcard has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Extra particulars on the perfect playing cards for books
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa
ERIC HELGAS/THE POINTS GUY
Signal-up bonus: Get a $100 present card immediately upon approval.
Annual charge: $0.
Join our day by day publication
Why we adore it: Among the many most handy methods to save lots of on Amazon’s huge array of books — and all of its different merchandise — is to make use of one in every of its cash-back bank cards. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa comes with out an annual charge and is an efficient possibility in the event you’re loyal to Amazon for a lot of purchases.
The Prime Rewards Visa earns you 5% money again at Amazon when you will have an current Prime membership ($139 yearly). Along with 5% off at Amazon and Entire Meals, you’ll get 2% money again at gasoline stations, eating places and drug shops in addition to 1% again on all different purchases.
For extra particulars, try our full assessment of the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa.
Associated: Finest playing cards for Amazon purchases
Affinity Money Rewards Visa Signature Credit score Card
Signal-up bonus: Get $200 money again while you spend $3,000 inside the first 90 days of account opening. Plus, earn 25,000 bonus factors while you spend $25,000 inside the first yr of opening your account.
Annual charge: $0.
Why we adore it: It is a guide lover’s dream card, incomes 5% money again on Amazon and all bookstores (on as much as $3,500 in purchases every month). Plus, it additionally earns 2% money again at eating places, gasoline stations, and supermarkets, all for no annual charge.
Associated: One of the best cash-back bank cards
Barnes & Noble Mastercard
Signal-up bonus: Get a $25 Barnes & Noble present card after your first buy or stability switch.
Annual charge: $0.
Why we adore it: We aren’t usually large followers of retailer bank cards, however the Barnes & Noble Mastercard is an efficient option to earn bonus rewards on bodily or guide purchases from this retailer.
With this card, you may earn 5% again on all in-store and on-line Barnes & Noble purchases in addition to 2% again at eating places.
Associated: Retailer vs. cash-back playing cards: Which one ought to I get?
Goal REDcard
Signal-up bonus: None.
Annual charge: $0.
Why we adore it: Goal could be synonymous with groceries and family wants, but it surely additionally usually carries a number of books each in-store and on-line. Whereas not practically as in depth a range as Barnes & Noble or Amazon, you may nonetheless discover a surprisingly-wide array of standard bestsellers and even Goal-exclusive reads.
The Goal REDcard earns 5% money again on all Goal purchases, together with books.
Associated: Finest playing cards for Goal purchases
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
Signal-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.
Annual charge: $95
Why we adore it: The great thing about the Enterprise Card is its simplicity. You may earn 2 miles for each greenback you spend on all purchases, together with any outlet that sells books. You need to use these rewards to cowl journey purchases at a price of 1 cent per mile. You too can switch them to quite a few journey companions — probably boosting your return to three.7% (primarily based on TPG’s valuations, not offered by the cardboard issuer).
For extra particulars, try our full assessment of the Capital One Enterprise Card.
Apply right here: Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Signal-up bonus: Earn $200 money again after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual charge: $0.
Why we adore it: Apart from incomes 5% again on rotating quarterly classes (as much as $1,500 spent, activation required), the Freedom Flex earns 3% on eating and drugstore purchases. Drugstores will not be the primary place you consider when buying books, but it surely’s price checking your favourite one to see if it carries good titles. If it does, purchase your books there and use this card to earn bonus factors on these purchases.
Be aware that Goal is a part of the rotating bonus classes for Q1 2023, so this might be an excellent possibility for buying books at Goal by way of March 31. Suppose you even have a higher-end Chase card just like the Chase Sapphire Most popular Card. In that case, you may mix your factors in a single account to successfully convert the cash-back rewards from the Freedom into fully-transferable Final Rewards factors.
For extra particulars, try our full assessment of the Chase Freedom Flex.
Apply right here: Chase Freedom Flex℠
Citi® Double Money Card
Signal-up bonus: None.
Annual charge: $0.
Why we adore it: The Citi Double Money Card is a flexible product that earns 2% money again — 1% while you buy and 1% while you pay your invoice. This card lets you be as versatile as potential with regards to shopping for books, incomes 2% again it doesn’t matter what sort of guide you purchase or the place you make your buy.
For extra particulars, try our full assessment of the Citi Double Money.
Apply right here: Citi® Double Money Card
Different methods to earn on guide purchases
Purchase present playing cards
When you’ve got a bank card that earns bonus factors for procuring at grocery or workplace provide shops, have a look at the present playing cards accessible on the shops round you.
You should purchase present playing cards for shops like Amazon or Barnes and Noble after which use them to purchase books, permitting you to earn bonus factors on these purchases.
Use a procuring portal
All the time examine procuring portals on your favourite bookstores when procuring on-line to see in the event you earn much more in your reading-related purchases.
Examine service provider affords
Many playing cards commonly have service provider affords for guide retailers. Make certain to examine the affords on all of your playing cards commonly and add any that you just assume you may use. Then, use the cardboard with the supply and store on the locations that earn a reimbursement earlier than the supply expires.
As well as, Amex commonly affords a reduction when redeeming Membership Rewards factors on Amazon purchases.
We advocate utilizing a word in your telephone to maintain monitor of which affords are on which playing cards, so you may simply reference it while you’re able to make a purchase order.
Backside line
A studying behavior might be an costly one. Ensure you’re utilizing top-of-the-line bank cards for getting books and stacking your earnings with service provider affords and procuring portals to get essentially the most bang on your bibliophile buck.
Further reporting by Laura Motta and Chris Dong.