Find the best credit card for your Super Bowl party

Hosting a Super Bowl watch party can cost you quite a bit of money – averaging $207.16 according to a study by LendEdu. Most of this figure comes from food, with alcohol, decorations and fan gear also driving up the cost. However, a smart credit card strategy can help you chip away at this price by maximizing savings potential and rewards earning.

By carefully matching credit card bonus categories with spending, you can earn quite a bit in rewards from your Super Bowl watch party. In fact, you can earn enough to treat yourself to a celebratory (or consolation) meal on rewards alone.

Best credit cards for snacks

Snacks make up the biggest portion of the cost of throwing a Super Bowl party, with LendEdu estimating an average of $72.10 spent on food and non-alcoholic beverages. By purchasing your snacks with a card that rewards dining or grocery purchases, you can boost your rewards potential.

Ordering in

If you’re planning to order in, the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 4 percent cash back on dining purchases.

Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
	Rewards rate 4% cash back on dining and entertainment 2% cash back at grocery stores 1% cash back on other purchases
	Sign-up bonus $300 after you spend $3000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Why use it? The Capital One Savor card gets bragging rights for offering the most cash back on dining and entertainment purchases combined. Read full review	Annual fee $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
	Estimated earnings in first year ($1,325 monthly spend) $389

With an average food cost of $72.10, a 4 percent cash back rate on dining purchases can earn you $2.89 in rewards from your Super Bowl watch party. Plus, Savor cardholders receive a monthly statement credit for a Postmates Unlimited monthly membership through Dec 31, 2019, which waives delivery fees with the popular food, alcohol and grocery delivery service. Since delivery fees typically range from $3.99 to $5.99, this can also add up to great savings. A $4.99 average savings on delivery charges added to the $2.89 you can earn in cash back means you can get $7.88 on just the snacks for your watch party.

Making your own snacks

If you’d rather make your own treats for your party, you can also earn great cash back on grocery purchases with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. The card earns 6 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1 percent cash back), the best rewards rate you can earn on groceries.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
	Rewards rate 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%) 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations 3% cash back on transit 1% cash back on other purchases Terms apply
	Introductory bonus Earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back. Plus, earn $150 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You will receive cash back in the form of statement credits. Terms apply
Why use it?The Blue Cash Preferred offers a generous point bonus on gas station spending and one of the highest cash back bonuses you can get when you use your card at U.S. supermarkets. Read full review	Annual fee $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
	Estimated earnings in first year ($1,325 monthly spend) $370

If you buy all of your ingredients for food and non-alcoholic drinks on a Blue Cash Preferred card, you can earn around $4.33 in cash back from your game day party.

Best credit cards for party supplies

Decorations and miscellaneous expenses, including party supplies like plates and napkins, also make up a big portion of Super Bowl watch party cost – a combined $56.44 according to LendEdu. Luckily, plenty of rewards cards can earn you cash back or points on these purchases.

Buying party supplies in bulk

For bulk items like plastic utensils, paper plates or tablecloths, consider shopping at a wholesale club for a better deal, combined with great rewards. Both the Sam’s Club Mastercard and Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi reward purchases made at the popular wholesale clubs.

	Sam’s Club Mastercard	Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Rewards rate	5% cash back on gas (up to first $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%) 3% cash back on dining and travel 1% cash back on other purchases	4% cash back on eligible gas purchases (first $7,000 in purchases, then 1%) 3% cash back on restaurant and eligible travel purchases 2% cash back on Costco purchases 1% cash back on other purchases
Introductory bonus	$45 statement credit if you spend $100 on the day of account opening (must open account on SamsClub.com)	None
Annual fee	$0 ($45 Sam’s Club membership required)	No annual fee with your paid Costco membership ($60)
Estimated yearly rewards value ($1,325 monthly spend)	$339	$292

In addition to rewards on gas, dining and travel, the Sam’s Club Mastercard awards cardholders 3 percent cash back on Sam’s Club purchases when you use the Sam’s Club Scan & Go app to shop and pay.

By using one of these cards to buy decorations and other miscellaneous party supplies, you can earn between $1.13 (Costco) and $1.69 (Sam’s Club) in cash back.

Buying supplies and decorations online

Alternatively, consider buying supplies and decorations online with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card. Amazon Prime members can enjoy two-day shipping on qualifying purchases as well as 5 percent cash back.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card
	Rewards rate 5% back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases 2% back on restaurant, gas station and drug store purchases 1% back on other purchases
	Sign-up bonus $70 Amazon.com gift card when you sign up
Why use it?The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card offers a great 5 percent rate on Amazon purchases.Read full review	Annual fee $0 ($119 Amazon Prime membership required)
	Estimated earnings in first year ($1,325 monthly spend) $304

Unlike most sign-up offers, which require users to meet a spend threshold in the first few days, the Amazon Prime Visa awards a $70 gift card immediately on approval. This is more than enough to cover the average cost of decorations and supplies.

If you already have a Prime Visa and don’t qualify for the sign-up bonus, you’ll still earn a great 5 percent cash back rate on the average $56.44 in supplies, or around $2.82.

Best credit cards for fan gear

No Super Bowl watch party would be complete without memorabilia for your favorite team, but the price can add up quickly. In fact, LendEdu estimates it’ll cost $20.70 on average. By turning to online shopping for flags or t-shirts advertising your favorite team, you can maximize your rewards potential.

For purchases made directly through NFL’s website, the NFL Extra Points Credit Card is your best bet. You’ll get a 20 percent discount on your purchase and earn 2 points for every dollar you spend. If you prefer to stock up on another site, the Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card lets users choose online shopping as their bonus category to earn 3 percent cash back ($2,500 quarterly limit on combined choice category, grocery and wholesale club purchases).

Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card
	Rewards rate 3% cash back on a category of choice (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores or home improvements and furnishings) 2% cash back on groceries and wholesale club purchases $2,500 combined limit on 2% and 3% categories each quarter 1% cash back on other purchases
	Sign-up bonus $200 online cash rewards if you spend $1000 in first 90 days
Why use it?The Bank of America Cash Rewards card offers an exceptional rewards rate on a category of the user’s choice, allowing increased flexibility.Read full review	Annual fee $0
	Estimated earnings in first year ($1,325 monthly spend) $318

By using the Bank of America Cash Rewards card (with a bonus category of online shopping) you can earn 62 cents in rewards for your game day gear.

If you choose an NFL Points Visa, you’ll only earn 33 points (or around 33 cents) on your gear after the 20 percent discount. Plus, you’ll need a minimum of 2,500 points to redeem them for NFL gear, tickets or a statement credit. But the discount will save you $4.14 on the cost of your memorabilia. That means your total savings comes out to $4.47, as long as you continue to use the card to earn more points. For big football fans, this could equal long-term savings beyond your watch party.

Best credit card for the whole party

If you don’t want to weigh spending on several cards, a flat rate cash back card can also be a rewarding option. Or you can use a flat rate card to cover any categories you aren’t already earning bonus cash back in. For example, LendEdu estimates an average spending of $57.92 on alcoholic beverages. Depending on where you buy your drinks, a grocery or gas card might earn you rewards. Otherwise, you’ll need a cash back card with a good general rewards rate to boost your watch party earnings.

One great option for earning flat cash back is the Citi® Double Cash Card, which awards 1 percent cash back on any purchase, plus another 1 percent cash back when you pay your bill on time. This comes out to 2 percent cash back on general purchases you fully repay – one of the best flat cash back rates available.

Citi® Double Cash Card
	Rewards rate 2% cash back on purchases: 1% when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay your bill on time
	Sign-up bonus None
Why use it?If you regularly pay off your card in full each month, it’s hard to beat the cash back rewards on the Citi Double Cash card.Read full review	Annual fee $0
	Estimated earnings in first year ($1,325 monthly spend) $318

If you just use the Citi Double Cash Card to cover alcohol expenses, you can still earn $1.16 in cash back from your Super Bowl party. For those who’d rather use one card for all their party purchases, the Double Cash Card earns around $4.14.

Bottom line

By using the right rewards credit card, you can earn enough in rewards from your Super Bowl watch party to treat yourself to a meal to celebrate your team winning or a consolation drink after a loss. By using top earning cards in popular party categories – including the Capital One Savor, the Amazon Prime Visa, the Citi Double Cash Card, and the NFL Points Visa – the average Super Bowl party (costing $207.16) can rake in more than $15 in rewards.

See related: 6 card strategies to save big on your Super Bowl watch party, Find the best credit card for your New Year’s resolution

The Bank of America content was last updated on March 3, 2020.