Charging an EV? Get Cash Back from Your Credit Card
A Bank of America credit card is the latest to reward charging an electric vehicle — up to 5.25% cash back.
This article only compares credit cards that reward charging an EV. We may get compensation if you visit partner links on our site. We may not cover every available offer. Our relationship with advertisers may impact how an offer is presented on our website. However, our selection of products is made independently of our relationship to advertisers.
Rates checked as of January 18, 2024.
If you frequently charge an EV at a public charging station, your credit card may be able to give you a break on the price. Bank of America will reward Customized Cash Rewards credit cardholders with 3% to 5.25% cash back for charging an EV, the company announced recently.
Bank of America is the latest issuer to reward electric vehicle charging, largely in response to increased customer spending. The bank said EV charging transactions grew by 44% during the first half of 2023.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Small business owners that log a lot of miles on electric vehicles may get the most benefit from this cash back category.
Here are some of the best cash back credit cards for public EV charging.
Credit cards for charging an EV
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®
<p>This card from U.S. Bank is tailored to <strong>businesses that rely heavily on travel. It offers <strong>4% cash back on EV charging up to the first $150,000 spent in that category. <p>You also earn 5% back on hotels and rental cars, and 4% on travel, including airfare and gas, for example. You earn 2% on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell phone services and 1% for all other purchases. <p><strong>Sign-on bonus: Earn 60,000 points worth $600 if you spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days of opening your account. <p><strong>Interest rate: 20.24% to 28.24% variable APR for purchases and balance transfers. <p><strong>Annual fee: None the first year, then $95.Compare with other cash back cards
There's no cut and dried rule to how many credit cards you should have, but it's wise to pause and think through your strategy before you apply for a new card.
If you want to get a break on EV charging costs, have you considered that the cheapest charging method is juicing up at home, especially at night? The Federal EV charger tax credit can knock up to $1,000 off the hardware and installation costs for these chargers.
If you must rely on public chargers, look through your credit card bills to assess how much you spend per month on charging. Most Americans only spend about $56 per month on EV charging, according to Energy Sage. Americans typically spend more on groceries or online purchases per month, which could yield more cash back with a card tailored to those categories. Or you might want to keep it simple and look for a card that provides the best flat rate cash back, such as 2% back on all purchases.
As an independent publication dedicated to helping you make the most of your money, the article above is our view and is not the opinion of any entity mentioned such as a card issuer, hotel, airline, etc. Similarly, the content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of those entities.
More on Electric Vehicles and Credit Cards
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Ellen writes and edits retirement stories. She joined Kiplinger in 2021 as an investment and personal finance writer, focusing on retirement, credit cards and related topics. She worked in the mutual fund industry for 15 years as a manager and sustainability analyst at Calvert Investments. She earned a master’s from U.C. Berkeley in international relations and Latin America and a B.A. from Haverford College.
-
I'm 54 with a $320,000 IRA and will soon be self-employed, earning about $120,000 per year. How much should I be saving for retirement?We asked financial experts for advice.
-
This High-Performance Investment Vehicle Can Pump Up WealthLeave online real estate investing to the beginners. Accredited investors who want real growth need the wealth-building potential of Delaware statutory trusts.



