There is no single credit card that is guaranteed to earn the most at Chewy, Petco and PetSmart. For eligible online orders, a general cash-back card with an online-shopping category may be the strongest fit; Petco Pay can add Petco-only value for Petco shoppers. PetSmart Treats Rewards and Chewy Autoship can also reduce costs independently of a credit card. The right comparison depends on where and how you pay, category caps, merchant eligibility and whether you value store credit as much as cash.
Compare the main options
| Option | What it offers | Key limits |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards | Wise Bread’s October 2026 comparison reports that eligible Chewy, Petco and PetSmart web orders received Online Shopping rewards. It reports 6% cash back in the first year, then 3%, before relationship bonuses. | You must select Online Shopping. The category has a shared $2,500 quarterly cap before the base rate applies. The retailer results are reported transactions, not a guarantee that every order or account will qualify. Wise Bread’s comparison. |
| American Express Blue Cash Everyday | American Express offers 3% cash back on eligible U.S. online retail purchases, up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Other eligible purchases earn 1%. | Confirm that the specific purchase qualifies under the issuer’s terms; a particular retailer transaction is not guaranteed to receive the online rate. American Express product terms. |
| Petco Pay Credit Card or Petco Pay Mastercard | Petco says both cards earn 10 additional Petco Perks points per eligible dollar at Petco. The Mastercard also earns points on qualifying grocery purchases and other Mastercard spending. | Points are Petco value, not unrestricted cash; the Petco-only card can be used only at Petco. Purchases made under promotional credit plans do not earn points, and points expire after 365 days. Check the current rate and fee terms before applying. Petco Pay terms. |
| PetSmart Treats Rewards | PetSmart’s free loyalty program awards 10 points per dollar on eligible products and services. Each 1,000 points is worth $2 in savings. | Points are PetSmart savings, not cash. Gift cards, shipping, bag fees, discounts, taxes and tips are among the exclusions. PetSmart Treats Rewards. |
| Chewy Autoship | Chewy offers 5% off eligible items on future Autoship orders. A separate first-order offer gives 35% off, capped at $20. | Eligibility depends on the item. Compare the card reward on the amount actually charged after the discount, and review the current offer terms. Chewy Autoship terms. |
How to choose for your purchases
Start with the checkout channel
Separate online orders, in-store purchases, online orders paid at pickup and orders routed through a third-party checkout or payment service. A card’s category reward depends on its terms and how the transaction is classified. For example, Chase says pet stores are excluded from its department-store category; that statement applies to that category, not every Chase card category or issuer. A third-party payment method may also prevent a purchase from qualifying for the category you selected. Chase Rewards Category FAQ.
Check how much of the bonus category remains
A high earn rate matters only while the purchase qualifies and any spending cap has room. The Bank of America comparison’s $2,500 quarterly Online Shopping cap is shared across category spending, so other household purchases can use it up. Blue Cash Everyday’s online retail rate has a separate $6,000 annual eligible-spend limit, after which the rate drops to 1%. Use each card’s current issuer terms to confirm the cap and what happens after it is reached.
Put a real value on store rewards
Petco Perks points can be redeemed at Petco checkout, while PetSmart states that 1,000 Treats Rewards points equal $2 in savings. Those rewards may be useful if you expect to shop at the same retailer, but they are less flexible than cash back. Do not compare a store-point earn rate with a cash-back percentage as if the two were interchangeable.
#1 Best Overall
Count retailer discounts before card rewards
For eligible future Autoship orders, calculate the card reward against the post-discount charge, not the original shelf total. Treat Chewy’s first-order 35% offer separately: it is capped at $20 and is not the recurring 5% future-order offer. Check the item and offer terms at checkout.
Pay in full before optimizing rewards
Rewards are not a reason to carry a balance. Interest and fees can outweigh ordinary cash back or store points. Compare cards on the assumption that you will pay each statement balance on time and in full, and check current interest rates, fees, welcome offers and eligibility directly with the issuer before applying.
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
Which option fits each shopper?
- Mostly online orders across all three retailers: Consider a general-purpose card with an online-shopping or eligible-online-retail category, then verify qualification for your checkout method and keep track of the category limit.
- Frequent Petco purchases: Petco Pay may be worth considering if Petco-bound points fit your spending. Its value depends on redeeming the points at Petco and observing the card’s exclusions and expiration rules.
- Regular PetSmart purchases: Join Treats Rewards to earn points on eligible products and services. Evaluate those points as PetSmart savings, separate from the payment card’s reward.
- Recurring Chewy orders: Check whether the items qualify for Autoship savings. Compare the card reward on the reduced charge and account for the first-order cap if applicable.
- In-store spending or mixed checkout methods: Do not assume an online-shopping reward applies. Check the issuer’s definition and the transaction’s classification for the specific purchase.
Why there is no universal winner
These choices reward different behavior: a general card may return flexible cash on qualifying online purchases, Petco Pay earns Petco points, PetSmart Treats Rewards provides PetSmart savings, and Autoship discounts reduce eligible Chewy charges. Caps, retailer exclusions and checkout classification can change the result from one transaction to the next. Market growth does not identify the best card for an individual: Chewy’s 2024 Form 10-K attributes estimates of U.S. pet-market spending rising from $92 billion in 2018 to $151 billion in 2024, and online sales reaching an estimated 38% of U.S. retail pet product sales in 2024, to Packaged Facts. The filing also attributes a January 2024 survey finding that 54% of online pet-product buyers had used an Autoship or subscription in the prior 12 months to Packaged Facts, and reports APPA’s figure that U.S. pet spending rose 12% during the 2008–2010 recession. Those figures describe the market, not which card will save you the most. Chewy 2024 Form 10-K and SEC filings.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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