If you’re an avid gamer, using the right credit card can help you turn your rewards into more games or accessories for your preferred platform. Using a credit card for your gaming subscriptions can also help you earn a little bit back each month.
Most credit cards offer statement credits in return for the purchases you make. Statement credits can be used to cover a recent purchase. And with gaming becoming more and more expensive, a card could help cut down on the cost of one of your favorite hobbies. Some cards even offer an introductory purchase APR, which you can use to pay off a large purchase -- say, a $500 console or $1,200 gaming PC -- over time, while the balance accrues no interest.
If you’re looking for yet another way to grind out rewards (with less RNG), here are the credit cards we recommend.
Best credit cards for gamers
Prime Visa
If Amazon is your one-stop shop for gaming and PC parts, the Prime Visa is the one you want. It offers 5% cash back on any and all things Amazon, including Whole Foods purchases if you’re planning to stock up on snacks, and 2% back at restaurants if you’re looking for something more hearty. In addition to its strong rewards, you’ll receive a $100 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval. That’ll cover a game (or two), or knock off some of the cost of your next GPU.
There’s no annual fee, but you’ll need to be a Prime member to qualify. Prime membership costs $15 per month or $139 per year. (Note: There’s a non-Prime version of this card, but it’s less rewarding and offers a smaller gift card.) Your new gaming equipment will also be covered by both purchase protection, which protects your purchases against damage and theft, and extended warranty protection, which extends certain manufacturer’s warranties.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
If Amazon is your one-stop shop for gaming and PC parts, the Prime Visa is the one you want. It offers 5% cash back on any and all things Amazon, including Whole Foods purchases if you’re planning to stock up on snacks, and 2% back at restaurants if you’re looking for something more hearty. In addition to its strong rewards, you’ll receive a $100 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval. That’ll cover a game (or two), or knock off some of the cost of your next GPU.
There’s no annual fee, but you’ll need to be a Prime member to qualify. Prime membership costs $15 per month or $139 per year. (Note: There’s a non-Prime version of this card, but it’s less rewarding and offers a smaller gift card.) Your new gaming equipment will also be covered by both purchase protection, which protects your purchases against damage and theft, and extended warranty protection, which extends certain manufacturer’s warranties.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Gamers who want to earn cash rewards no matter where they’re buying their games can’t do much better than the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It’s the card I use most for my game purchases.
This no-annual-fee credit card offers a flat rate of 2% cash rewards for your purchases, and new customers can earn a welcome bonus to boot. If you’ve had your eye on a PlayStation 5 or are putting together your own PC, you’ll be able to hit its $500 in purchases spending requirement pretty quickly. Then you’ll have a $200 cash rewards bonus to put toward games or accessories.
Another benefit of this card for gamers is its intro APR offer for purchases and qualifying balance transfers, which can help you finance gaming systems interest-free for a limited time.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening
- Regular APR
- 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
- Balance Transfer Fee
- up to 5%, min: $5
Gamers who want to earn cash rewards no matter where they’re buying their games can’t do much better than the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It’s the card I use most for my game purchases.
This no-annual-fee credit card offers a flat rate of 2% cash rewards for your purchases, and new customers can earn a welcome bonus to boot. If you’ve had your eye on a PlayStation 5 or are putting together your own PC, you’ll be able to hit its $500 in purchases spending requirement pretty quickly. Then you’ll have a $200 cash rewards bonus to put toward games or accessories.
Another benefit of this card for gamers is its intro APR offer for purchases and qualifying balance transfers, which can help you finance gaming systems interest-free for a limited time.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening
- Regular APR
- 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
- Balance Transfer Fee
- up to 5%, min: $5
People who buy most of their gaming equipment at Best Buy should consider the My Best Buy® Visa® Card*. This card gives users 5% cash back on purchases at the big box store, plus 3% cash back on gas, 2% back on groceries and dining (including takeout and delivery) and 1% back on other purchases. Plus, you can choose between earning 10% cash back on the day you apply or taking advantage of a deferred financing plan.
We’re not big fans of the Best Buy card’s deferred interest plan, however. Unlike 0% APR offers, a deferred interest plan begins accruing interest from the first day of your purchase. So if you can’t pay off your balance in the introductory time frame, you’ll face interest right away.
There’s no annual fee, and cardholders can redeem their rewards points for more merchandise at Best Buy.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 31.49% variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
People who buy most of their gaming equipment at Best Buy should consider the My Best Buy® Visa® Card*. This card gives users 5% cash back on purchases at the big box store, plus 3% cash back on gas, 2% back on groceries and dining (including takeout and delivery) and 1% back on other purchases. Plus, you can choose between earning 10% cash back on the day you apply or taking advantage of a deferred financing plan.
We’re not big fans of the Best Buy card’s deferred interest plan, however. Unlike 0% APR offers, a deferred interest plan begins accruing interest from the first day of your purchase. So if you can’t pay off your balance in the introductory time frame, you’ll face interest right away.
There’s no annual fee, and cardholders can redeem their rewards points for more merchandise at Best Buy.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 31.49% variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®
Gamers who buy their systems and anything else at Walmart stores could benefit from having the Capital One® Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®️*. There’s no annual fee, and cardholders earn 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases (including pickup and delivery), 2% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores, Murphy USA and Walmart® fuel stations, 2% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases and 1% back on other spending.
You’ll earn significantly more by shopping online. But if you’re more of an instant gratification gamer, you can also earn 5% back on in-store purchases for 12 months when you use Walmart Pays. Rewards are redeemable for statement credits, gift cards and merchandise at Walmart.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.48% or 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $0 at the Transfer APR, 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Gamers who buy their systems and anything else at Walmart stores could benefit from having the Capital One® Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®️*. There’s no annual fee, and cardholders earn 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases (including pickup and delivery), 2% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores, Murphy USA and Walmart® fuel stations, 2% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases and 1% back on other spending.
You’ll earn significantly more by shopping online. But if you’re more of an instant gratification gamer, you can also earn 5% back on in-store purchases for 12 months when you use Walmart Pays. Rewards are redeemable for statement credits, gift cards and merchandise at Walmart.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.48% or 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $0 at the Transfer APR, 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
The PlayStation® Visa® Credit Card* doesn’t offer the same perks you get from other gamer credit cards, but it does offer 12 months of PlayStation Premium for free when you spend at least $600 on the card within 60 days of account opening.
Since a year of PS Premium is about $160, paying $600 to earn $160 is on the lower end in terms of welcome bonus payouts, though the spending threshold is more affordable than other options.
You’ll also need to do a bit more legwork to earn the maximum points if you plan to shop for Sony products at authorized retailers like GameStop or Best Buy. Namely, you’ll need to fill out a Sony Rewards Bonus Point form. Otherwise, you’ll only earn 1x point per dollar for Sony products when you’re not buying directly from Sony. This card doesn’t have an annual fee, and it can be used anywhere Visa is accepted around the world.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.24%, 25.24%, or 27.99%, based upon your creditworthiness. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $10 or 5% of the transfer, whichever is greater
The PlayStation® Visa® Credit Card* doesn’t offer the same perks you get from other gamer credit cards, but it does offer 12 months of PlayStation Premium for free when you spend at least $600 on the card within 60 days of account opening.
Since a year of PS Premium is about $160, paying $600 to earn $160 is on the lower end in terms of welcome bonus payouts, though the spending threshold is more affordable than other options.
You’ll also need to do a bit more legwork to earn the maximum points if you plan to shop for Sony products at authorized retailers like GameStop or Best Buy. Namely, you’ll need to fill out a Sony Rewards Bonus Point form. Otherwise, you’ll only earn 1x point per dollar for Sony products when you’re not buying directly from Sony. This card doesn’t have an annual fee, and it can be used anywhere Visa is accepted around the world.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.24%, 25.24%, or 27.99%, based upon your creditworthiness. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $10 or 5% of the transfer, whichever is greater
Consider the Xbox Mastercard* if you’re an Xbox loyalist looking to earn rewards on everyday spending and bills. This card doesn’t have an annual fee, and it offers 5X points on purchases at the Digital Microsoft Store, 3X points on select streaming services, 3X points on select dining delivery purchases like DoorDash and GrubHub and 1X points on other spending.
Rewards can be redeemed for options like games, add-ons and hardware at Xbox.com, or for eligible Microsoft.com gaming purchases.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 5% (min. $10)
Consider the Xbox Mastercard* if you’re an Xbox loyalist looking to earn rewards on everyday spending and bills. This card doesn’t have an annual fee, and it offers 5X points on purchases at the Digital Microsoft Store, 3X points on select streaming services, 3X points on select dining delivery purchases like DoorDash and GrubHub and 1X points on other spending.
Rewards can be redeemed for options like games, add-ons and hardware at Xbox.com, or for eligible Microsoft.com gaming purchases.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 5% (min. $10)
What makes a credit card good for gamers?
To find the best credit card for gamers, look for a good rewards rate for the purchases you’re planning to make and a selection of useful perks like purchase protections and extended warranties. Gaming isn’t cheap; having an extra layer of insurance when you’re purchasing hundreds of dollars of equipment could go a long way.
A competitive rewards rate -- whether that’s 5% or 2% -- can also help you save money on future gaming purchases. Considering current-gen games are now $70, every little bit helps. And if the card offers an introductory purchase APR like the Wells Fargo Active Cash, it can help you pay down the cost over a number of months without having to worry about interest.
Here’s what to keep an eye out for:
- Rewards for spending: Look for cards that offer cash back or rewards points for each dollar you spend. Certain cards will earn more rewards if they’re tied to a specific retailer.
- Flexible redemption options: Make sure you know how you can redeem your rewards, whether options include cash back, merchandise, statement credits or other options.
- Consumer protections: Look for credit cards that offer purchase protection or extended warranties, both of which are offered at no extra charge.
- Intro APR offers: Finally, look for cards that let you avoid interest on new purchases for a limited time.
Pros and cons of credit cards for gamers
Pros
Ability to earn rewards for your spending
Redeem rewards for gaming systems, accessories and games
Some have benefits specific to gaming
Some cards have intro APR offers for purchases
Access purchase protection and extended warranties with some cards
Cons
Most credit cards come with a high APR
Potential to get into debt
Most require good to excellent credit
How to choose the right gaming credit card
Because credit cards for gamers are so varied, it’s important to compare the best options side by side. When you do, you can pick and choose the benefits that are most important to you.
Rewards
Where the card earns rewards will likely be a big factor in what you want to choose. If it doesn’t earn a good rate at the retailer you primarily buy your games from, it’s likely not the card for you.
While co-branded cards like those offered by Target, Best Buy, Walmart, PlayStation and Xbox will earn higher rewards with their respective brands, you could instead pick a general card from Amazon or Wells Fargo that offer greater flexibility with where you can shop.
You’ll probably use your rewards to cover games (I know I do), which means how you can redeem will also play a role in your card choice. Basically, make sure you can redeem your cash back or points for statement credits or gift cards to help cut back on gaming expenses.
Protections
Some credit cards offer purchase protection against damage or theft, extended warranties or both. These benefits can help you get your games or systems repaired or replaced if something happens within a specific length of time.
As just one example, purchase protection offered on the Prime Visa covers purchases against damage or theft for 120 days with a maximum benefit of $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. Extended warranty protection with this card adds an additional year of warranty protection on items that come with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less.
Virtual card capability
You may also want access to digital cards or card numbers, particularly if you’re making a lot of purchases online. Check whether the credit card you’re interested in offers this option or whether they will let you start using a virtual card number once you’re approved (and before you get your physical card in the mail).
For example, you can use the Active Cash and Prime Visa with your digital wallet to make in-person transactions more secure, though neither offers online virtual card numbers.
Intro APR offers
Finally, ask yourself if you want the chance to buy gaming equipment with an intro 0% APR for a limited time. If so, you should look at rewards credit cards that have intro APR offers for purchases, balance transfers or both. For example, the Wells Fargo Active Cash.
How to get the most from your gaming credit card
If you decide to get a credit card for gaming purchases, you can maximize its benefits by using your card to earn rewards on as many purchases as possible. This means charging gaming purchases and other expenses you have -- like gas, groceries, bills and dining out -- to your card all month long, especially to take advantage of any bonus rewards categories your card offers.
Try to earn the card’s welcome bonus, if you can. With a card like the Prime Visa, that’s incredibly easy considering all you need to do is get approved for it. But for other cards on the list, you’ll need to hit a spending threshold first. Games are expensive, so if you’re planning to use the card for a new console, that should be quite easy. Just be sure whatever you charge to your card, you’re able to pay off right away.
The most important thing when it comes to credit cards is paying your credit card statement balance in full each month to avoid interest. If you let a balance sit on the card, interest charges can quickly wipe out any value you’d get from the card’s rewards.
If you have a card with an intro APR offer, you’ll want to make sure you pay your balance down to $0 before the introductory period ends. To figure out how much you’ll need to pay, divide the total balance by the number of months in the APR offer. If you carry a balance after the promotional period ends, your card will begin accruing interest on your balance at its regular variable APR.
Alternatives to credit cards for gamers
If you’re unsure whether you want to use a credit card for gaming, consider these alternatives:
- Cash-back debit cards: Opting for a cash-back debit card like the Discover® Cashback Debit would help you earn rewards on eligible purchases. You would also benefit from the convenience of using a debit card for online gaming spending.
- Gaming gift cards: Buying gift cards you can use for online gaming spending is another way to finance purchases made online without a credit card.
- Buy now, pay later companies: Some BNPL companies like Affirm and Klarna let you finance eligible gaming purchases and pay the money back over time without a credit card. However, interest charges and other fees can apply.
How to apply for a credit card
Once you’re ready to apply for a credit card, you can do so with the following steps:
- Assess your credit score. Check your credit score online to see where you stand. If your FICO score is lower than 670, you may need to consider credit cards for fair credit or poor credit.
- Find the best credit card for your needs. Compare the best credit cards for gamers to find one that has the benefits, rewards or protections you want the most.
- Fill out an application online. Apply for a credit card online by supplying your full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, household income and monthly housing payment.
- Find out if you’re approved. Most credit cards will approve you or deny your card online in a matter of minutes, so you may have your new rewards credit card faster than you think. Sometimes you can add it to your digital wallet right away so you don’t have to wait to use it.
FAQs
The best credit card for gamers is a card that earns a good rewards rate and lets you redeem your rewards the way you want. CNET recommends comparing cards like the Prime Visa and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.
General rewards credit cards aren’t necessarily “better” than co-branded rewards credit cards, but they tend to be more flexible.
For example, general cards tend to offer more rewards in everyday spending categories instead of with a specific brand, and they let you redeem your rewards for a range of flexible options.
While saving a credit card on your account will make it easier to make in-game purchases, if you have kids, it could also lead to unwanted expenses. If you can, use a virtual credit card. It’ll keep your information secure and allow you to cancel the card on a whim.
*All information about the My Best Buy Visa, Walmart Mastercard, PlayStation Visa Credit Card and the Xbox Mastercard has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
