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Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and if you haven't finalized your plans, now is the time to do so.
As with any holiday-specific spending, treating your significant other to a new piece of jewelry or a special meal can be costly. U.S. consumers expect to spend a record average of $199.78 on gifts this Valentine's Day — including candy, greeting cards, flowers, jewelry and an evening out — according to a 2026 survey from the National Retail Federation.
But with the right credit card, you can save money or cover the cost. Below, CNBC Select highlights several ways your credit card can help you pay for Valentine's Day purchases, from redeeming rewards to utilizing statement credits and more.
Redeem credit card rewards
The best rewards credit cards offer cash back, points or miles at a rate of over 2X points per dollar spent. These rewards can add up over time, and Valentine's Day can be an opportune time to redeem them.
Cover the cost of dinner at home
Many grocery rewards credit cards offer added value on supermarket purchases, which can save you money when cooking a special meal at home. Depending on your card's redemption options, you can redeem rewards to reduce your credit card balance.
For example, if you own the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, you earn an industry-leading 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%). These rewards, earned as Rewards Dollars, can then be redeemed as a statement credit.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a low-fee card with generous cash-back rewards and useful ongoing benefits, such as a monthly Disney Bundle credit. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- High cash-back earnings for U.S. supermarkets and streaming services
- Intro-APR offer for purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee for the first year
- It's less rewarding after the first year because of the annual fee
- Bonus rewards for U.S. supermarkets are capped
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply and find out your welcome offer. As High As $300 cash back* after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply, and if approved: 1. Find out your offer amount 2. Accept the Card with your offer 3. Spend $3,000 in 6 months 4. Receive the cash back. *Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.49%-28.49%.
- Plan It®: Buy now, pay later with Plan It. Split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you don't have the pressure of paying all at once. Simply select the purchase in your online account or the American Express® App to see your plan options. Plus, you'll still earn rewards on purchases the way you usually do.
- Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
- Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
Purchase a gift
Accumulated rewards can be used to purchase merchandise or gift cards, as well. You typically don't get the best value when redeeming rewards for merchandise, but if you own the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, for example, you can redeem rewards at Amazon.com or with PayPal at a standard rate of 1 cent apiece.
If you opt to redeem rewards for gift cards, plenty of the best cash back credit cards offer 1:1 redemption value. You can then use the gift card to purchase jewelry, apparel or other gifts for your sweetheart.
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the most rewarding options for earning cash back in categories such as entertainment and dining without paying an annual fee.
- One of the most rewarding cash back cards for entertainment and streaming services
- No annual fee
- Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
- High APR
- Requires a good to excellent credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months; 18.74% - 28.74% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
Introductory fee of 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account during the first 12 months that your account is open. After that, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that we may offer you at any other time.
Book travel plans
If you haven't booked a Valentine's Day getaway yet, consider redeeming any points or miles you have for travel arrangements, such as a hotel room in the city. Plenty of travel credit cards let you redeem rewards toward hotel stays through an issuer portal, including cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and American Express Membership Rewards® points.
If you own the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), for example, you can use your points to book a hotel through Chase TravelSM — and depending on the booking, you may qualify for a Points Boost of up to 1.5X more value. Plus, the card comes with up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Use your annual dining and travel statement credits
Many premium cards offer annual statement credits for travel or dining purchases, which can add up to significant savings on purchases you already make. If you own any of the following cards, take into account the following annual credits:
Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees):
- Enjoy a $300 annual travel credit for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Plus, get up to $150 in statement credits every six months (for a maximum of $300 annually) for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables on OpenTable.
- Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly (up to $120 annually) when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub(including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. Enrollment required.
- You can also earn up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the Amex Gold Card to dine at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases (up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually). Enrollment required.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card:
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.
To take advantage of these credits, simply charge eligible purchases to your card and expect to receive the credit on your account within a few weeks (though it often comes sooner).
Take advantage of special financing
If you need to make a big purchase for Valentine's Day that you can't afford to pay off right away, some rewards credit cards offer financing tools that help you pay off your purchase in fixed, monthly payments.
Chase Pay Over Time® is one such option, and it's available for most consumer Chase credit cards — including the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees), Chase Freedom Flex® and even the Amazon Prime Visa (see rates and fees).
If you make an eligible purchase of $100 or more, you may see "Pay Over Time" listed next to the transaction in your online account. You can typically choose from three plans ranging from three to 24 months, alongside a monthly plan fee (1.72% of the amount of each eligible purchase transaction). If you choose to pay off your purchase before your plan ends, you won't incur a penalty fee.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus.
- Users get a high rewards rate and strong welcome bonus
- Purchases and balance transfers get long intro APR
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Few rewarding ongoing benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Prime Visa is only available to Amazon Prime members ($139 for an annual membership and $14.99 for a monthly membership) but is very rewarding for Amazon purchases.
- High rate of return at Amazon and Whole Foods
- Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
- Requires an Amazon Prime membership
- If you choose the promo APR you won't earn rewards on those purchases
Rewards
- Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Chase isn't the only issuer offering this form of financing. Most consumer American Express credit cards offer a similar feature called Plan It®. Within your online account, you can create a payment plan on an eligible purchase of $100 or more and pay it off in equal monthly installments over a fixed period of time (alongside a fixed monthly fee). Similar to Chase, there aren't any penalty fees for paying off the purchase early.
*Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our credit card marketplace or get personalized offers via CardMatch™.
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