The 9 best rewards credit cards to add to your wallet

Early in my rewards journey, I believed I needed to be loyal to a single airline or hotel program, but transferable credit card rewards changed that assumption entirely.

These currencies can be more flexible than points earned directly through a single airline or hotel program. Combined with regular transfer bonuses to select partners, they allow me to hold rewards until I’m ready to use them and choose among multiple partners based on which offers the best value at the time.

That said, use any rewards card responsibly. Pay your balance in full each month; otherwise, interest and penalties will exceed the value of any rewards.

Whether you’re a beginning or experienced traveler, business owner or renter, here are our best rewards credit cards.

The best rewards credit cards

Comparing the best rewards credit cards

Here are TPG’s top recommendations for the best rewards credit cards.

Pointers from The Points Guy

Here’s why TPG’s Brian Kelly recommends rewards credit cards.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Standout benefits: The Sapphire Preferred makes it easy to earn lots of valuable Ultimate Rewards points for a low annual fee. You can boost your earnings with bonus earning rates across travel, dining and several everyday categories.

Why it’s great for rewards: When friends ask which card I recommend for beginning to collect rewards, I usually suggest this one.

I’ve redeemed most of my Ultimate Rewards through World of Hyatt because its award charts offer solid value. I once booked four nights at The Grayson, an Unbound Collection property in New York, with no resort fees or out-of-pocket costs — and my husband gasped at the Empire State Building view from our window.

I’ve also transferred 100,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points (1:1 with Ultimate Rewards) for a 10.5-hour Lufthansa first-class flight from Frankfurt to Houston on the Boeing 747-8. The experience included tarmac service from the First Class Terminal, caviar, Champagne and an 81-inch bed that beat my own.

This is the card I’ve held longest and still love. For beginners who want transferable rewards without a premium annual fee, it’s one of my go-to recommendations.

For more details, see our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Capital One Venture Rewards

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, plus receive a $300 credit to use on hotel and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel in the first cardholder year.

Annual fee: $95

Standout benefits: This card pairs industry-leading at least 2 miles per dollar on all purchases with a low annual fee, rental car insurance and up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit every four years.

Why it’s great for rewards: With no foreign transaction fees and broad Mastercard acceptance, the Venture can also be a useful option for international purchases.

At $95 annually, the fee is reasonable — especially if the $395 annual fee on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card feels steep.

I love the 15-plus transfer partner options, especially transferring my Capital One miles to Air Canada’s Aeroplan program to book business-class flights to Europe in lie-flat seats for as little as 60,000 points, or domestic flights on United for just 6,000 points in economy.

You can also redeem directly through Capital One Travel at 1 cent per mile if your desired flight or hotel isn’t available through a partner. This perk has helped me return home from some of the more unusual destinations I’ve visited.

For more details, see our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards.

Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

American Express Platinum

Welcome offer: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $12,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.)

Annual fee: $895

Standout benefits: The Amex Platinum earns bonus rewards on flights booked both directly and through American Express Travel as well as prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. It’s also packed with credits that can easily cover the annual fee.

Why it’s great for rewards: No personal card matches the Amex Platinum’s perks density. Yes, the annual fee is steep, but the travel benefits justify it even for infrequent travelers.

I love accessing the Centurion Lounges with my Amex Platinum. These spaces feature food and drinks from award-winning chefs and top mixologists and are worth arriving early to enjoy before your next flight.

I also value the complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite statuses (enrollment required). The Hilton status for eligible stays outside the United States is especially great as it provides complimentary breakfast for me and any registered guests (a food and beverage credit is offered at eligible properties in the United States).

I don’t use every credit on the Amex Platinum every year, but Global Entry (Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry once every four years, or an up to $85 statement credit for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership) is such a time-saver for beating long lines at TSA security screening and immigration on arrival. Plus, through regular travel and shopping each year, I know I’ll easily use several of the credits that come with this card.

For more details, see our full review of the American Express Platinum.

Apply here: American Express Platinum Card

Ink Business Preferred

Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Standout benefits: This card lets you earn valuable Ultimate Rewards points for a low annual fee. It’s a great choice for travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines.

Why it’s great for rewards: Ultimate Rewards are some of the best credit card points you can earn. Over the years, I’ve found so many great uses for them, especially the ability to transfer them to World of Hyatt for great-value hotel stays.

I’m also a big fan of KLM’s premium economy product, which I rate as one of the world’s best, and I can transfer my Ultimate Rewards to Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program at a 1:1 rate to book flights to Europe from 40,000 miles.

The 3-point-per-dollar earning rate across so many categories where the average business owner spends regularly makes it easy to rack up Ultimate Rewards points.

For more details, see our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.

Apply here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited

Welcome offer: Earn $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Standout benefits: This card offers a solid earning rate on everyday purchases as well as an auto rental collision damage waiver, extended warranty and purchase protection.

Why it’s great for rewards: If running your business is complicated enough, this card offers a simple way to earn at least 1.5% on every business expense charged to the card with its straightforward cash-back offer.

If you have employees with business expenses, you can issue them cards as authorized users at no extra cost and collect the cashback they spend on the card. Just be aware you’ll be responsible for all charges, though.

For more details, see our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.

Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

Citi Strata Premier

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Standout benefits: The Citi Strata Premier offers $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees, once per calendar year when you book through Citi Travel). This is an easy way to help offset the annual fee.

Why it’s great for rewards: The Strata Premier earns 3 points per dollar spent across popular categories — flights, hotels, dining, supermarkets, gas and EV charging — a rare breadth that makes it one of my most valuable cards.

I transfer my Citi ThankYou Rewards to JetBlue TrueBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, where Saver fares to London run as low as 6,000 points (plus fees and surcharges).

When I book travel through the Citi Travel portal, I earn an incredible 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rental and attractions.

For more details, see our full review of the Citi Strata Premier.

Apply here: Citi Strata Premier Card

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Welcome offer: Earn $200 bonus cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Standout benefits: You’ll earn at least 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make with the card, increasing to 3% on dining and drugstore purchases and 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel.

Why it’s great for rewards: I recommend this as a great option if you’re looking for a card that earns more than 1% cash back on all purchases without an annual fee. The welcome offer can also provide additional value during the first year.

If you love to travel, then consider the convenience of booking flights, hotels, cars, cruises and more through Chase Travel. Not only can this be a one-stop shop for your next vacation, but you’ll earn a generous and rewarding 5% cash back on all travel booked via Chase Travel.

You can also convert the cash back you earn from this card into transferable points by pairing it with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

For more details, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited

American Express Blue Cash Preferred

Welcome offer: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as $300 cash back after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.)

Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95

Standout benefits: This card lets you supercharge your cash back with an impressive 6% at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services.

Why it’s great for Rewards: For a card that does not charge an annual fee in the first year ($95 each year thereafter), the Blue Cash Preferred will reward you handsomely. The 6% cash back for U.S. supermarkets (on the first $6,000 spent each calendar year, then 1%) and select streaming services is among the highest cash back you’ll find offered on any category on any card.

The 3% cash back offered on transit and at U.S. gas stations is broadly defined, covering most ground transportation options, including parking. Because of this, I recommend the Blue Cash Preferred as a terrific cash-back credit card and an especially good option for larger families with large grocery bills.

For more details, see our full review of the American Express Blue Cash Preferred.

Apply here: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

American Express Gold

Welcome offer: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.)

Annual fee: $325

Standout benefits: This card will earn you bonus points in multiple categories, especially if dining and groceries dominate your spending. You’ll also get $10 monthly dining credits with select partners (up to $120 in statement credirs annually; enrollment required) and $10 in monthly Uber Cash for Uber Eats or rides (up to $120 annually)*. There’s also up to $100 annually (up to $50 in biannual statement credits) in Resy credits at participating U.S. restaurants (enrollment required).

*Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Gold Card as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.

Why it’s great for rewards: I dine out constantly, especially while traveling, making this a straightforward way to earn Membership Rewards points on my regular spending.

When splitting group dinners, I’ll pay the full bill on my card and collect reimbursement — earning points on the entire charge, which can easily reach thousands for larger groups.

I’m particularly drawn to transferring Membership Rewards to British Airways Club and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer for premium cabin redemptions.

The earning rate is substantial: 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to $50,000 and $25,000 annually, respectively, then 1 point per dollar). Combined with the monthly credits, you can effectively offset the annual fee.

For more details, see our full review of the American Express Gold.

Apply here: American Express Gold Card

What to consider when choosing a rewards credit card

It can be dizzying having so many different cards, each with different welcome bonuses, annual fees, earning rates, statement credits and other perks. It helps to set some parameters around how you plan to use a card and its accompanying rewards.

Preferred rewards

Consider whether you value earning cash back or points and miles you could transfer to a partner program or redeem through a credit card travel portal.

There’s no perfect answer to this, and it depends on your personal preferences and travel style. If the idea of multiple transfer options, award charts and transfer bonuses feels too complex, perhaps start with a card that earns cash back and then work up to a product that earns points or miles once you’re more familiar with the credit card rewards game.

Welcome bonus

It’s tempting to choose the card with the highest welcome bonus, but comparing a $750 cash-back bonus to 75,000 points isn’t straightforward — points are typically worth more than 1 cent each, depending on how they’re redeemed. Check TPG’s current monthly valuations to estimate the bonus’s true value before applying.

Spending habits

Which categories do you tend to spend the most in? Do the places you shop at accept American Express or Discover? If you can determine this before applying for anything, deciding which card will earn you the most rewards is easier.

If you plan to take the card traveling with you, ensure it does not charge a foreign transaction fee. Otherwise, this fee will likely exceed the value of the rewards you would earn.

Annual fee

Some cards I’ve recommended carry annual fees, but they can make sense when the benefits and credits you’ll actually use exceed the cost.

I use a simple rule: find a welcome bonus that exceeds the annual fee for year one, then assess whether ongoing benefits (like statement credits, earning rates and travel protections) outweigh the fee in year two and beyond.

If you’re unsure, start with a card with no annual fee to confirm you’re getting real value before committing to one with an annual fee.

How we chose the best rewards credit cards

We rated cards based on welcome offers, bonus category earning rates, transfer partners and associated perks — see our methodology for details on how TPG evaluates cards.

Redemption options for rewards credit cards

For cash-back cards, I recommend applying earnings directly to your bill. If you prefer flexibility, most issuers let you redeem toward Amazon purchases, convert to points (depending on your card family) or deposit to your bank account.

For points-and-miles cards, you can redeem through the issuer’s travel portal at roughly 1 cent per point, though transferring to airline or hotel partners typically yields better value. Transfer partners can sometimes provide greater value, but redemption values and transfer ratios vary by program.

Related: Credit card transfer partners: Guide to transferring points and miles to airlines and hotels

Bottom line

Rewards credit cards have transformed how I spend and travel. I optimize every purchase — down to a pack of gum — by choosing the card with the best earning rate for that category.

But you don’t need my level of obsession. A little upfront research to match a card to your travel goals will quickly pay dividends in points, miles and the trips they fund.

My no- or low-fee cards have earned me hundreds of thousands of points and miles, plus perks like lounge access, elite hotel status and those bucket-list trips.

Related: The best credit card welcome bonuses this month

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For the rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred Card, click here.