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Many of the best credit cards are rewards cards that earn you valuable points, miles, or cash back on your purchases. If you qualify and you're able to pay your statement balance in full each month to avoid incurring interest, opening a rewards credit card is a great way to maximize your spending and work toward an award flight or hotel stay, or put some cash back in your pocket.
Best Rewards Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best travel rewards card overall
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best travel rewards card for beginners
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best travel rewards card with luxury benefits
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best premium travel rewards card
- Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best card for flat-rate cash rewards earning
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best premium rewards card if you spend a lot on travel and dining
- Citi Premier® Card: Best card for earning travel rewards in multiple categories
- American Express® Gold Card: Best card for earning travel rewards on dining and groceries
Here are Insider's picks for the best rewards credit cards currently available, based on welcome bonus offers, rewards earned on everyday spending, benefits, and overall value.
Compare Rewards Credit Cards
Best Rewards Credit Cards Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't want to overthink it, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offer rewards that are hard to beat as far as flexibility and earning potential. However, there is no easy answer if you want to optimize all of your spending, because all the types of points and miles have different values.
There are a few main types of rewards cards: flexible travel rewards cards, cash-back credit cards, and hotel or airline rewards credit cards. Flexible rewards cards typically earn transferable points you can move to airline and hotel partners, while airline and hotel cards earn miles or points in a specific loyalty program. Cash-back cards, as the name implies, earn a percentage of each purchase in cash back.
Choosing between cash back or points depends on what you want to do with your rewards. If you want to put money back in your bank account, a cash-back credit card will help you accomplish just that — and you usually won't have to pay a very high annual fee, if you have to pay one at all. On the other hand, if you're hoping to earn rewards that you can redeem for travel, a card that earns points is more up your alley.
If you're willing to juggle multiple credit card accounts, there's value in having both cash-back and points-earning cards. If you prefer a single-card strategy, evaluate your goals and consider how much you're willing to pay in annual fees to make the best decision for your situation.
Points and miles have different monetary values depending on which loyalty program they belong to and how you use them. Unlike cash back, which has a value that will never change, the value of points and miles varies by program and how you redeem your rewards.
According to our points and miles valuations, the most valuable credit card points are American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Best Reward Card Reviews
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Now that the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, it's harder to recommend it as the best travel card overall. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, on the other hand, has a broader appeal with a number of similar features, all for a lower $95 annual fee.
The Sapphire Preferred earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (2x points on all other travel purchases) and 3x points on dining instead of the Reserve's 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (after earning the $300 travel credit) and 3x points on other travel and dining.
Points are worth 1.25 cents apiece on travel booked through Chase and you can transfer them to airline and hotel partner loyalty programs. There's no annual travel credit, but there's still car rental primary coverage, as well as trip delay coverage and purchase protection. Plus, each year on your account anniversary, you'll receive a points bonus equal to 10% of all purchases made in the previous year.
If you don't think you'll be able to use the Sapphire Reserve's benefits — like airport lounge access — the Sapphire Preferred could be a better choice. If you eventually decide that the Sapphire Reserve is worth it, you can ask to upgrade your card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
If you're new to credit card travel rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is an excellent starting point. It offers a generous welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening (worth $1,275 based on Insider's valuation of Capital One miles) and charges a reasonable $95 annual fee.
What makes this card so appealing is its straightforward earning structure and its flexibility in redeeming rewards. Cardholders earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel Portal and 2x miles on all other purchases.
On the redemption side, you can keep it simple by using your Capital One miles to offset travel purchases made with your card at a rate of 1 cent per mile — no fussing with award charts or availability. Alternatively, you can transfer your miles to Capital One's airline and hotel partners to book award travel and potentially get even more value.
You'll also get an impressive range of perks, including up to $100 in credit toward the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, car rental insurance, travel accident insurance, extended warranty, purchase protection, lost luggage insurance, and more.
Capital One Venture Card Review
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a high $695 annual fee, but also a long list of benefits. The Amex Platinum Card is also one of the best options for paying for flights because you'll earn 5x Membership Rewards points on airfare purchased directly with airlines and with American Express Travel (starting January 1, 2021, earn 5x points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year).
Like Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can use Amex Membership Rewards points to purchase travel, gift cards, or products directly from the issuer, or transfer points to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs. The best value comes from that latter use. If you redeem points by using them to book flights through Amex, you'll get a value of 1 cent per point.
The Platinum Card® from American Express includes access to the same airport lounges as the Sapphire Reserve, plus Delta Sky Clubs when you fly Delta, and the proprietary American Express Centurion Lounges. Amex Platinum Card members also get exclusive access to major events and experiences, including once-in-a-lifetime "By Invitation Only" events.
Of course, $695 is a lot to pay out each year. Up to $200 in annual airline fee credits** and up to $200 in annual Uber Cash credits (including Uber Eats)** certainly help, but the airline credit can be difficult to use if you aren't checking bags or buying drinks on flights.
American Express Platinum Card Review
Capital One Venture X Rewards Card
Capital One's travel rewards program has become very competitive, with expanded card benefits, new transfer partners, and occasional transfer bonuses. The transfer value has improved as well, with most partners offering a 1:1 transfer ratio, and Capital One miles are easy to earn and redeem.
Along with earning 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles on all other purchases, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card comes with top-notch benefits.
Cardholders receive up to $300 per year in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Capital One airport lounge access (even for authorized users), a 10,000-mile bonus on each account anniversary (worth $100 in travel), and Visa Infinite travel and purchase benefits.
You can redeem miles at a fixed rate toward a statement credit to cover travel purchases with Capital One. For example, if you buy a $500 plane ticket, you can apply 50,000 miles to cancel that charge. Or, for potentially even more value, you can transfer miles to over a dozen Capital One airline and hotel partners.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Review
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
All the other top picks in this guide earn credit card rewards that can be redeemed in a variety of ways, and they're especially valuable when you redeem for travel. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a cash-back card, on the other hand — this option may be a better option if you prefer the ultimate in flexible rewards or don't know for sure that you'll be traveling.
Cardholders earn 2% cash rewards on purchases, and there's a solid welcome bonus offer too. On top of that, the card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months from account opening (then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR).
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a great choice if you want a card that earns a high rate of cash rewards without having to worry about keeping track of bonus categories. You'll earn 2% cash back no matter what you buy.
If you want to get maximum value out of your spending, a rewards card will get you a higher return. For instance, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2x miles on non-bonus purchases, but 2x miles isn't equal to 2% cash back. Our points and miles valuations peg Capital One miles at 1.7 cents each, because you can redeem them for travel through a variety of airline and hotel programs. Travel redemptions will usually get you more than 1 cent per mile or point in value. But if cash back is the most useful to you, this probably doesn't matter.
See our guide to the best cash-back credit cards for more top picks.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card Review
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
With 5x points on air travel and 10x points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (after earning the $300 travel credit), 3x points on other travel and dining, and 1 point per dollar on everything else, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® makes it easy to maximize your everyday spending, and it comes with a slew of perks. It used to be our top travel rewards card pick, but now that it has a $550 annual fee (up from $450), it's harder to recommend to everyone.
The Sapphire Reserve's annual fee is offset by a travel credit of up to $300 each year, good for things like taxis, subway fares, parking, tolls, and flights. This effectively decreases the annual fee to $250, so you'll have to decide whether the card's other benefits are worth it for you.
You now get a complimentary two-year Lyft Pink All Access membership, $10 a month in Gopuff rapid delivery service credit, $5 per month in DoorDash in-app credit (along with complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership through December 2024), and up to $15 per month in Instacart credits (activation required by July 31, 2024). If you use these services frequently you may be able to justify the higher annual fee — but that's not the case for everyone.
Check out our guide to the best travel credit cards for more options like the Sapphire Reserve's.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card Review
Citi Premier® Card
The Citi Premier® Card is our top pick for the best Citi credit card, in part because of the card's intro bonus offer of 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2024. The Citi Premier® Card earns Citi ThankYou points, which you can redeem for gift cards, merchandise, travel, and more through the Citi portal. You can potentially get even more from your points by transferring them to Citi's airline and hotel partners.
This is also a good pick whether you're staying close to home right now or traveling again. It earns bonus points in pandemic-friendly categories: 3x points at supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and on air travel, and 1x on everything else. Plus, with so many ways to redeem your Citi ThankYou points, you've got options even if you're not ready to travel just yet.
American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card earns a massive 4x points at restaurants and on up to $25,000 per calendar year at U.S. supermarkets (and 1x points after that), 3x points on flights booked directly through the airline, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Based on the fact that you can easily redeem Membership Rewards points for more than 1 cent of value each when you transfer them to airline and hotel partners, this is one of the highest-earning available cards for everything food-related.
The American Express® Gold Card offers up to $120 in dining credits per year (after enrollment), broken into chunks of $10 each month. Credits are good for purchases through food delivery services Seamless and GrubHub, and at Milk Bar, Goldbelly, Wine.com, The Cheesecake Factory, or participating Shake Shack locations. Cardholders also receive $120 per year in Uber Cash (this is only applicable to U.S. Eats orders and Rides, and the Gold Card needs to be added to the Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit).
These credits can offset most of the card's $250 annual fee even before factoring in the value of the rewards you'll earn.
Other top credit cards we considered that just missed the cut
We limited our recommendations in this guide to our most recommended rewards cards, and we only included one cash-back pick because we have a whole separate guide to the best cash-back cards, and we left out co-branded airline and hotel credit cards as well because the best option depends on who you prefer to fly and stay with. There were a few other rewards cards on our shortlist that didn't make the final cut. Here's a look at those cards and why we elected to leave them out:
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card — This card offers good rewards (2x points on travel, 1.5x points on everything else) plus up to a $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck in exchange for a $95 annual fee. It's an especially valuable option if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, since you'll be able to earn up to a 75% rewards bonus, which boosts your earnings with the card as high as 3.5 points per dollar. However, qualifying for Bank of America's Preferred Rewards program requires a minimum of $20,000 in Bank of America banking or Merrill investment accounts, so it's not for everybody. Read Insider's Bank of America Premium Rewards card review to find out more about how it works.
- American Express® Green Card — If you want to earn Amex points but don't want to commit to the high annual fees of the Amex Platinum or the Amex Gold, this card could be a good option. It has a more moderate annual fee of $150, and it earns up to 3x points on purchases. Read our American Express Green card review to learn more.
- Bilt Mastercard® — This no-annual-free rewards card is unique in that it lets you earn rewards on rent payments to any landlord, without restrictions and without any fees for paying with the card. It also offers Rent Day promotions that can boost your points earning. If you're a renter, this could be a great option, but if you aren't you should consider other rewards cards as well. Read our Bilt Mastercard review for more details.
How to Choose the Best Rewards Credit Card
Rewards credit cards give you something back for every dollar you spend — whether that's points or miles for travel, or cash back that you can use to lower your monthly bill or to treat yourself to a splurge.
On top of that, many cards offer high welcome bonuses to new cardholders who meet a spending requirement in the first few months after opening a card, and some include benefits like travel and purchase protection.
So you know you want a rewards credit card, but aren't sure which one?
Our list of the best rewards credit cards can help narrow down your choices if you already know what you want. But what if you're not sure which type of credit card is best suited to your spending habits?
If you're looking to maximize rewards on your everyday spending, look no further than the following credit cards. We'll break it down by spending category — from dining to gas to groceries.
Dining (valuations based on Insider's point-value estimates)
With the average American spending $3,030 each year on dining out, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is a category most people will want to maximize. Luckily, lots of cards offer generous rewards for dining.
The Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants) offers the highest return on dining spending, with 5x points on these purchases. You may notice that some cards, like the Hilton cards below, offer more than 5x points — but keep in mind that the points multiplier is only half of the equation.
You also need to know how much each point is worth. We recommend using Insider's points and miles valuations to get a sense of how many cents you'll get in value with different loyalty currencies. These valuations are based on all the different ways you can use a given type of points or miles, from redeeming them as statement credits to transferring them to a travel partner to book a flight.
Below, we'll rank the best credit cards for dining in order of highest to lowest return based on how many rewards you earn per dollar spent, and the value of those rewards based on Insider's estimations.
- Citi Prestige: 5 points per dollar spent (points worth 1.6 cents apiece; 8% return on spending)
- American Express® Gold Card: 4 points per dollar at restaurants (points worth 1.8 cents apiece; 7.2% return on spending)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 3 points per dollar spent on dining (points worth 1.8 cents apiece; 5.4% return on spending)
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card : 7 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants (points worth 0.5 cents apiece; 3.5% return on spending)
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card† : 4% cash back on dining (4% return on spending)
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card : 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants (3% return on spending)
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: 3% back on restaurants (3% return on spending)
Based on the numbers, the Citi Prestige is the most rewarding card for dining purchases, but it's not taking applications anymore. The American Express® Gold Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are better options for you if you prefer to earn Amex or Chase points.
You can transfer Citi ThankYou points to over a dozen airline transfer partners including Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, and Virgin Atlantic, but Amex and Chase's loyalty programs partner with airlines and hotels that are arguably more useful for many US-based travelers, such as British Airways, Delta, and Marriott with Amex and Hyatt, United, and Southwest with Chase. In fact, Insider values Citi points (1.6 cents per point) a bit lower than Amex points and Chase points (1.8 cents each)
Gas (valuations based on Insider's point-value estimates)
If you have a car, gas is a big spending category — and it's one that many cash-back credit cards pay out big rewards on.
- American Express® Business Gold Card : 4 points per dollar spent at the two categories where you spend the most each month, including U.S. gas stations, on up to $150,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar (7.2% return on spending)
- Citi Premier® Card: 3 points per dollar spent on restaurants, supermarkets, air travel, hotels, and gas stations (4.8% return on spending)
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: 4% back on eligible gas purchases and EV charging on the first $7,000 spent per year, then 1% (4% return on spending)
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at U.S. gas stations (3% return on spending)
Again, not all points are created equal, and whether 6 Hilton points are equivalent (or higher than) 4% cash back or 4 Membership Rewards points depends on how you redeem your rewards. Most people will be best off going with the American Express® Business Gold Card for gas rewards.
Thanks to a vast list of hotel and airline transfer partners, you can redeem Membership Rewards points for some incredible travel experiences. If you have a business-class trip to Europe in mind, Membership Rewards transfer partner All Nippon Airways (ANA) offers one of the best deals out there at 88,000 miles round-trip.
However, if you're saving up your Hilton points for a high-end resort in the Maldives, it could be worth channeling gas spending toward the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
Groceries (valuations based on Insider's point-value estimates)
- American Express® Gold Card: 4x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 per year (then 1x point; 1.8%-7.2% return on spending)
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent per year (then 1%; 1%-6% return on spending)
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at U.S. supermarkets (3% return on spending)
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent per calendar year (then 1%; 1%-3% return on spending)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) (5.4% return on spending)
With 4x points on the first $25,000 spent each year at U.S. supermarkets, the American Express® Gold Card offers the most generous payout on grocery spending. Considering the average U.S. household spends $4,445 on groceries per year, these limits shouldn't be problematic for most consumers.
Earning 6% cash back on the first $6,000 spent, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a good option if you prefer cash back to rewards points. When maxed out, the 6% back equates to $360 cash back, which is enough for most people to book at least a couple of hotel nights or a round-trip transcontinental flight.
Flights and other travel (valuations based on Insider's point-value estimates)
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel (starting January 1, 2021, earn 5x points in these categories on up to $500,000 in spending per year), 5 Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel (9% return on spending)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: 5x points on air travel (9% return on spending) and 10x points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (after earning the $300 travel credit) (18% return on spending) and 3x points on other travel purchases (5.4% return on spending)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 5 points per dollar on all travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal (9% return on spending)
- American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com (5.4% return on spending)
- Citi Prestige (no longer available to new applicants): 5 points on air travel, 3 points on hotels and cruise lines (4.8%-8% return on spending)
- Citi Premier® Card: 3 points on air travel and gas stations (4.8% return on spending)
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: 3% cash back on eligible travel purchases
If you're looking for lots of rewards for flights, The Platinum Card® from American Express is a great choice. The card earns 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines and through Amex Travel. Prepaid hotel bookings made with American Express also earn 5 points (starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). One reason I'd recommend this card over the Citi Prestige is that the Amex Platinum now offers trip delay insurance, while Citi has done away with these on its cards.
While the American Express Platinum is a great option, not everyone will get enough value out of the 5x bonus categories to justify the $695 annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a great alternative. While it earns a lower 3 points per dollar spent (outside of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, where it earns 10x points on hotels and car rentals and 5x points on air travel), this bonus applies to all travel purchases, not just flights. Plus, the card's annual fee is partially offset by the $300 travel credit.
Unlike American Express, Chase doesn't restrict its travel credit to a specific airline. The credit automatically applies to any purchases coded as travel. That's why the Chase Sapphire Reserve is such a popular card for earning and redeeming travel rewards.
All other spending (valuations based on Insider's point-value estimates)
- Chase Freedom Unlimited: 1.5% cash back on most things, bonus cash back on eligible travel and drugstore purchases, can be combined with Chase Ultimate Rewards cards to boost your value
- Chase Freedom Flex℠ : 1% cash back, bonus cash back on eligible travel and drugstore purchases, 5% rotating quarterly category bonuses for up to $1,500 in combined spending (requires activation), can be combined with Chase Ultimate Rewards cards to boost your value (1.5%-3%) (1%-9% return on spending)
- Discover it® Miles: 1.5 miles per dollar spent, and Discover will match the Miles you've earned at the end of your first year (3% return on spending)
- Discover it® Cash Back: 1% cash back, with 5% in rotating quarterly categories on the first $1,500 in purchases each quarter you activate; then 1% cash back (1-5% return on spending) (from July 1 to September 30, 2023, you can earn 5% cash back at Gas Stations and Digital Wallets on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%)
- Citi® Double Cash Card: 1% when you make purchases, 1% as you pay (2% return on spending)
Lots of cash-back credit cards offer at least 1.5% cash back on everything, which is a great benchmark to keep in mind on purchases that aren't eligible for bonus points. The Discover it® Miles is a great option for those looking for a no-annual-fee card with accelerated earning power. Cardholders earn 1.5 miles per dollar spent, which is equivalent to 1.5% cash back. Discover will match all the rewards you earn at the end of your first year and can be redeemed for statement credits toward travel purchases or transferred to your bank account.
For those looking to maximize long-term earnings, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is another great option. It earns 1.5% cash back on most things, with bonus cash back on eligible travel and drugstore purchases. If you have a Chase travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Cardor the Sapphire Reserve, you can convert your Freedom Unlimited rewards to fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points. Essentially, you could earn 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on everything outside of the bonus travel and drugstore categories, which equals a very solid return on every dollar you spend.
If you want the flexibility of earning occasional category bonuses, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Discover it® Cash Back are worth considering. Both cards earn 1% cash back along with 5% on select category bonuses (for Discover it® Cash Back (from July 1 to September 30, 2023, you can earn 5% cash back at Gas Stations and Digital Wallets on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%)). Bonus categories rotate every quarter and cardholders can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 worth of spending when they activate the bonus each quarter. Be sure to check the cash-back bonus calendar for both Discover and Chase for a better idea of where you can expect to earn more points.
For a more straightforward option, the Citi® Double Cash Card is solid. Cardholders earn 1% cash back on purchases and another 1% when they pay them off. Because you can convert your cash back to ThankYou points, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a great way to earn 2 ThankYou points on every dollar spent.
Why You Should Trust Us: Our Expert Panel for the Best Rewards Credit Cards
We consulted top credit card, finance, and travel experts to inform these picks and provide their advice on finding the best rewards card for your needs. You'll find the full text of our interviews with them at the bottom of this post.
We interviewed a certified financial planner along with top experts on credit cards and travel rewards about what makes a good rewards card and how to choose the best options for you.
Here's what they had to say when we interviewed them about finding the best card for you. (Some text may be lightly edited for clarity. Special thanks to Tanza Loudenback for interviewing the experts.)
Generally, what features make a rewards credit card good?
Sara Rathner, travel and credit cards expert at NerdWallet:
I look for three things when I consider a rewards card:
- Does it earn more points or miles where I spend the most?
- Can those points or miles be applied to rewards I'd actually want? (Like airlines I typically fly, hotels I want to stay at, etc.)
- Is it easy to redeem points, or will I get lost in a maze of draconian rules, restrictions, and blackout dates?
I also weigh the annual fee, but a welcome bonus offer and other perks tend to offset the fee for me.
Luis Rosa, certified financial planner:
Generally, cards that offer a variety of reward options are best because they offer the cardholder flexibility. Whether it's points, miles, or discounted offers with a particular airline or hotel brand, the more options available the better in order to help the cardholder take full advantage of the rewards offered.
Summer Hull, travel director at The Points Guy:
Solid earning structure, built-in benefits that are useful and not duplicated on many other cards, annual fee that is easy to justify relative to the perks, and some unique offerings that would be hard to get elsewhere.
Sarah Silbert, senior reviews editor at Personal Finance Insider:
A good rewards credit card earns points that are flexible, meaning you have lots of options for using them, as you do with Amex and Chase points. It also has bonus categories that give you the opportunity to earn rewards quickly, as well as (hopefully) a generous welcome offer for new cardholders.
Beyond that, a good rewards card should offer you benefits that make it worth the annual fee (if there is one), such as statement credits that cover travel purchases and travel coverages like trip delay insurance.
How can someone identify whether a rewards credit card is good for them?
Sara Rathner, NerdWallet:
Look for a card that rewards you where you spend the most, with terms you can live with. A card that's trendy won't necessarily be the right card for you. It's a highly personal decision, and it's worth it to not overlook a less flashy card that may suit your needs really well.
Luis Rosa, CFP:
To best identify if a rewards credit card is good for you, consider your lifestyle and spending habits. For example, do you have a preferred hotel brand or airline? Do you often travel abroad? Knowing the answer to these types of questions will help you narrow down your choices in order to best help you identify if a rewards credit card is good for you.
Summer Hull, The Points Guy:
It's really 99% math. If you can place value on the rewards you earn and the perks included, it gets easy to see if a particular card is a good match for your spending habits and rewards desires.
Sarah Silbert, Personal Finance Insider:
Look at the card's bonus categories and see if they align with where you spend your money. Also, remember to check if a card has a foreign transaction fee before you take it abroad — many cash-back cards do charge this fee, so don't assume.
What should someone consider when selecting a rewards credit card?
Sara Rathner, NerdWallet:
Travel rewards cards are popular, but they're a better bet for consumers who travel often, especially if they travel internationally. If you stay close to home, a cash-back card may actually be more rewarding.
Also, consumers who currently have credit card debt should make paying that debt down their number-one priority, before looking for a rewards card. The interest you'd pay on your debt would wipe out the value of any rewards you'd earn. Consider a balance transfer credit card, which gives you a year or more to pay down your debt at 0% interest.
Luis Rosa, CFP:
Consider annual fees and foreign transaction fees. Some annual fees can be in the hundreds of dollars, so you want to make sure that the rewards you'll accumulate will offset the cost of having the card. Another thing to consider is whether or not you carry a balance. If you do carry a balance, you should also consider the interest that you'll be paying on that balance in order to ensure that it's not eating away at your rewards.
Summer Hull, The Points Guy:
Is the welcome bonus offer juicy? Let's be real, big bonuses are better than small ones, so pounce when the bonus is big. But then look beyond that at the earning rate, the annual perks, and benefits such as statement credits and elite status.
Sarah Silbert, Personal Finance Insider:
Make sure you're doing your homework so you don't miss out on a higher welcome bonus offer (do some searching online to see if higher offers are available). Many cards offer limited-time welcome offers that can score you thousands of extra bonus rewards compared to the standard offers.
Always make sure that you'll be able to use the rewards card responsibly, by paying off your statement each month and avoiding spending beyond your means.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Rewards Credit Cards
You'll notice that this page doesn't include every rewards credit card currently available to new applicants. That's on purpose — we evaluated the options on the market, utilizing the expertise of our Personal Finance Insider staff and the input of credit card, points and miles, and financial experts to narrow down the list to the very best options.
We define "very best options" as those that offer concrete value through benefits like annual statement credits and airport lounge access and through rewards such as bonus points on your everyday spending.
This list doesn't include our top picks for airline and hotel cards. And see our guide to the best travel rewards credit cards if you're specifically interested in earning travel rewards rather than cash back.
Read Insider's guide to how we rate and review credit cards for more information on our methodology.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
**Enrollment required.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, and Cell Phone Protection Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Global Assist Hotline Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, and Baggage Insurance Plan Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
***Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details. Travel Accident Insurance is not guaranteed, it depends on the level of benefits you get at application.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are 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 Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of Discover it® Cash Back, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of Discover it® Secured Credit Card, please click here.