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Best Credit Cards for Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2025
July 1, 2025
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American households spend an average of $860 monthly on online purchases—a figure that spikes during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The right credit card strategy can turn that spending into hundreds of dollars in rewards.
Top Cards by Shopping Category
Amazon Shopping: Prime Visa
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "79", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Frequent Amazon Shoppers", "headerHint": "Impressive Rewards and Benefits"} ]]
Best for: Heavy Amazon shoppers
Online Shopping: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "260", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Reward Seekers", "headerHint": "Cash Back Rewards Program"} ]]
Best for: Moderate online shoppers who want no-fee rewards
Rotating Categories: Chase Freedom Flex®
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "2883", "isExpanded": "true", "bestForCategoryId": "52", "bestForText": "No-Fee Card Seekers", "headerHint" : "No Annual Fee" } ]]
Best for: Organized shoppers willing to track categories
Target Purchases: Target Circle Card Mastercard
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "2259", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "52", "bestForText": "Frequent Target Shoppers", "headerHint" : "No-Brainer Card" } ]]
Best for: Frequent Target shoppers
Travel Rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "438", "isExpanded": "true", "bestForCategoryId": "52", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint" : "High Travel Rewards" } ]]
Best for: Those who prefer travel rewards over cash back
Simple Backup: Citi Double Cash® Card
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "580", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Everyday Spenders", "headerHint": "No Annual Fee"} ]]
Best for: Set-it-and-forget-it users
Stack Kudos for 3-4x More Rewards
Here's where it gets powerful: stack Kudos Boost on top of your credit card earnings.
November Flash Boost (Ends Nov 30)
Travel:
- Trip.com: 9% back
- Expedia: 8% back
- Hotels.com: 8% back
- StubHub: 8% back
Shopping:
- eBay: 5% back
- Giftcards.com: 5% back
- PetSmart: 7% back
- Fanatics: 6% back
Real example: $1,000 Expedia booking
- Kudos (8%): $80
- Capital One Venture (2x): $20
- Total: $100 (10% return)
Kudos Daily Deals
Every day, one merchant gets 3-4x boosted rewards for 24 hours only. Plus weekly deals for bigger purchases.
Example: $300 Sephora purchase during Deal of the Day (25% Boost)
- Kudos: $75
- Credit card (2%): $6
- Total: $81 (27% return)
How to Stack Kudos
- Install free Kudos browser extension or iOS app
- Enable notifications for Daily Deals
- Click "Activate Boost" before checkout
- Use your best credit card
- Redeem for Amazon gift cards anytime
Rewards post within 60-120 days automatically.
Why Kudos Rates Are Higher
Other portals like Rakuten pocket 30-50% of merchant commissions. Kudos gives you 100%.
That's why our rates beat competitors consistently.
Black Friday Strategy
Before Black Friday:
- Install Kudos and enable Daily Deal notifications
- Activate Chase Freedom Flex quarterly category if applicable
- Review upcoming Kudos Daily Deals
Black Friday Week:
- Check Kudos Flash Boost rates daily
- Use Prime Visa for Amazon
- Use Target Circle for Target
- Stack Kudos on all 15,000+ partner merchants
- Use Citi Double Cash as backup
Maximum Returns Example:
- Amazon purchase: Prime Visa + Kudos if featured
- Travel booking: Capital One Venture + Kudos Flash Boost (8%)
- Target shopping: Target Circle
- Everything else: Citi Double Cash + Kudos when available
Quick Decision Guide
- Amazon-heavy? Prime Visa
- Want simplicity? Blue Cash Everyday or Citi Double Cash
- Willing to track categories? Chase Freedom Flex
- Target regular? Target Circle Card
- Prefer travel rewards? Capital One Venture
- Maximum rewards? Stack any card with Kudos Boost
Pro Tips
Book travel early: November Flash Boost offers up to 9% back at major travel sites through Nov 30
Check Daily Deals: Preview upcoming boosted merchants and time purchases accordingly
Morning routine: Check deals with your coffee—takes 30 seconds
Stack strategically: 5% credit card + 8% Kudos Boost = 13% total return
The Bottom Line
The best Black Friday strategy combines the right credit card for each merchant with Kudos Boost stacking. A 5% card plus 8% Kudos beats a single 2% card every time.
Install Kudos to automatically stack rewards at 15,000+ merchants. Daily deals, monthly Flash Boosts, and 100% of commissions—all in your pocket.
Ready to maximize your Black Friday rewards? Install Kudos now and turn on Daily Deal notifications. Your first boosted rate is waiting.
Unlock your extra benefits when you become a Kudos member
Turn your online shopping into even more rewards
Join over 400,000 members simplifying their finances
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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