Do Bookstores Earn a Bonus?
How bookstores code
A bookstore rings up under a book-store retail category code, outside the usual bonus buckets like dining and groceries, so most cards earn their base rate on a novel or a textbook. A café inside the bookstore may code separately as dining, so a combined visit can earn two different rates. The framework is in what is a bonus category.
Online books code as the retailer
Books bought on Amazon code as Amazon, not as a bookstore, so an Amazon-specific card or offer applies rather than a book category. E-books and audiobooks bought through an app store or subscription can code as digital goods. So where you buy changes the rate more than the fact that it is a book.
The best card for book lovers
Since books rarely earn a bonus, a solid flat-rate card is the most reliable earner, and any in-store café coffee still earns a dining bonus if it codes separately. Value points at a flat 1 cent and compare the all-purpose options in our best cash back cards guide.
Frequently asked questions
Related reading
