13 cards ranked
Best credit card to use at Eastern Mountain Sports.
Sporting GoodsOnline Shopping
Eastern Mountain Sports, widely known as EMS, is a New England-founded outdoor retailer selling hiking, camping, and climbing gear along with technical apparel from both in-house and name-brand labels. The chain has changed hands several times and scaled back its store footprint in recent years while continuing to operate online. There's no EMS co-brand credit card, so shoppers stocking up on outdoor gear should use a card that earns a bonus on sporting goods purchases, or a flat-rate cashback card if their spending doesn't fit a dedicated category.
Picks without a tag earn at Eastern Mountain Sports both in-store and online. Watch for theOnline onlytag — those bonuses only apply on ems.com.
- #1US Bank Cash+ Visa Signatureif you select itU.S. Bank5% on sporting goods if you select it as a bonus category (up to $2,000/quarter, then 1%)Choose 2 categories each quarter, up to $2,000 combined5%
- #2Blue Cash EverydayOnline onlyAmerican Express3% on online shopping (up to $6,000/year, then 1%)U.S. online retail purchases3%
- #33%
- #42%
- #52%
- #6First Electronic Bank2% flat-rate cashbackUp to 4% with higher crypto balances on Coinbase; requires Coinbase One membership2%
- #7Elan Financial Services2% flat-rate cashbackWhen deposited into an eligible Fidelity account2%
- #8American Express2% flat-rate cashbackUnlimited 2% cash back on eligible purchases2%
- #9Navy Federal2% flat-rate cashbackIssued on the cashRewards application when approved for a credit limit of $5,000 or more; lower limits receive cashRewards at 1.5%2%
- #102%
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- #122%
- #132%
Last updated July 9, 2026