The best credit card for beauty and cosmetics
On beauty purchases, Wells Fargo Attune earns the most with no point counted above a cent: $4.00 per $100. It stays on top when points are valued, too.
Ranked first with no point or mile counted above a cent, what a dollar of cash back pays. A point the published valuations put lower, as most hotel points are, is counted at that lower figure. Below that, the same cards with points valued in full. Counts as: Sephora, Ulta, Bath & Body Works.
The short version
- Earns the most: Wells Fargo Attune, $4.00 per $100 (4%), with no annual fee.
- If you value points: the same card stays on top.
- No annual fee: the top pick already has none.
Counting no point above a cent
| # | Card | EarnsThe rate the card advertises here, in its own currency: cash back, points or miles. | Point valueWhat one point is counted at in this table: the published valuation, but never more than a cent. | Per $100What $100 of spending earns with no point or mile counted above a cent, what cash back pays. This is what the first table is ranked by. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Attune
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
Self-care — gyms, exercise classes, salons and spas
|
4% | 1.00¢ / pt | $4.00 |
| 2 |
Robinhood Gold Card
Robinhood, $50/yr
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
3% | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 3 |
Active Cash
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
2% | 1.00¢ / pt | $2.00 |
| 4 |
Apple Card
Goldman Sachs, No annual fee
Only when you pay with Apple Pay — the physical titanium card earns 1%
|
2% | 1.00¢ / pt | $2.00 |
| 5 |
Blue Business Cash
American Express, No annual fee
2% on every purchase, with no bonus categories to track. Up to $50,000 per year, then the base rate
|
2% | 1.00¢ / pt | $2.00 |
| 6 |
Blue Business Plus
American Express, No annual fee
2x on every purchase, with no bonus categories to track. Up to $50,000 per year, then the base rate
|
2x | 1.00¢ / pt | $2.00 |
| 7 |
Business Essentials Visa
U.S. Bank, No annual fee
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
2% | 1.00¢ / pt | $2.00 |
| 8 |
Double Cash
Citi, No annual fee
Base rate — no bonus category applies here. Points valued at 1¢ — full-value transfers to partners need Strata Premier or Strata Elite in your wallet
|
2x | 1.00¢ / pt | $2.00 |
If you value points
Some points are worth more than a cent if you transfer them to airlines and hotels. Here each rate is multiplied by its currency's full published valuation, the figure in the Point value column. The last column is where the card sat above.
| # | Card | EarnsThe rate the card advertises here, in its own currency: cash back, points or miles. | Point valueWhat one point or mile in this currency is worth, in cents: the median of the published valuations we read. Every ranking multiplies by it. | Per $100What $100 of spending earns, in dollars: the rate multiplied by what the currency is worth. This is what the table is ranked by. | MoveWhere this card sat in the first table, which counts no point above a cent. Up means its full published valuation lifts it. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Attune
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
Self-care — gyms, exercise classes, salons and spas
|
4% | 1.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Same |
| 2 |
Blue Business Plus
American Express, No annual fee
2x on every purchase, with no bonus categories to track. Up to $50,000 per year, then the base rate
|
2x | 2.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Up from 6 |
| 3 |
Venture Rewards
Capital One, $95/yr
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
2x | 1.80¢ / pt | $3.60 | Up from 12 |
| 4 |
Venture X
Capital One, $395/yr
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
2x | 1.80¢ / pt | $3.60 | Up from 15 |
| 5 |
Robinhood Gold Card
Robinhood, $50/yr
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
3% | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 | Down from 2 |
| 6 |
Strata Elite
Citi, $595/yr
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
1.5x | 1.60¢ / pt | $2.40 | Up from 33 |
| 7 |
VentureOne Rewards
Capital One, No annual fee
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
1.3x | 1.80¢ / pt | $2.25 | Up from 40 |
| 8 |
Active Cash
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
2% | 1.00¢ / pt | $2.00 | Down from 3 |
Cards that pay more here with a condition attached
Not ranked above because each needs a chosen category or a specific store. If that fits how you shop, these can beat the table.
- Strata (Citi) — 3x if you choose Beauty as your category.
How to use this list
- Check the store codes as beauty and cosmetics. Issuers pay by how the store is registered, not by what you bought. This page counts: Sephora, Ulta, Bath & Body Works.
- Start with cards you have. Your highest one in the table is your card for beauty purchases today.
- Read the notes under each card. A cap or "US only" can change the answer.
- Then consider a new card, judged on your whole year of spending.
Why two rankings
The first table never counts a point above a cent, so no estimate of what a transfer is worth can lift a card there; a point worth less than a cent is still counted at less. The second uses the full published valuation, an estimate with a date on it. If you redeem points for cash or gift cards, trust the first. If you transfer them to airlines and hotels, the second is closer.
Point values: published industry valuations, most recently read 2026-09. We track The Points Guy, Upgraded Points, NerdWallet, Frequent Miler and AwardWallet.