The best credit cards to add to your wallet

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year.

Annual fee: $95.

Standout benefits: While I’ve never personally held the Capital One Venture — I have its pricier sister card, the Venture X, instead — it’s easy to understand its broad appeal.

The card earns at least 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, which is an excellent rate for retail expenses, medical bills, concert tickets and anything else that falls outside traditional bonus categories. It’s great for those who want to earn transferable miles without worrying about tracking their spending across categories.

The card is also perfect for those who don’t have time to learn how to maximize their points or miles. Capital One lets you use your miles to wipe any travel purchase off your statement at a rate of 1 cent per mile, and while you’ll likely sacrifice value redeeming this way, it’s hard to beat the simplicity.

This redemption method also unlocks the ability to offset travel purchases that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to get for free using miles. When COVID-19 cases began spiking ahead of my wedding in May 2022, I decided to rent an Airbnb near my venue in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a couple of weeks rather than risk contracting the virus on my flight down from Oregon and missing my own wedding. Being able to cover this unforseen expense through Capital One was huge for me at a time I was already spending so much on the wedding itself.

If you do want to transfer miles, you have a lot of great partners to choose from. I recently helped a friend with this card find award space on Virgin Atlantic and transfer her miles to fly all the way from India back to New York in business class.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Annual fee: $695.

Standout benefits: Let’s address the elephant in the room right away: The Amex Platinum has a very high annual fee of $695. But if you’re someone who can maximize this card’s litany of benefits and credits, you shouldn’t let that stop you from applying.

I’ve held the Amex Platinum since 2018, when the 5 points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with an airline* attracted me to the card. At the time, I was in a job that allowed me to book work travel with my own card, and I realized I was leaving valuable points on the table by not using a card that would maximize those flight purchases.

But while the airfare bonus initially drew me in, the card’s other benefits have earned it a long-standing place in my card lineup.

The Amex Platinum is absolutely stacked with credits that make it easy for me to get my money’s worth. I am admittedly a big shopper, so the up to $50, twice-yearly Saks statement credit usually gets spent pretty quickly (enrollment required).

I also love the up to $200 airline fee statement credit (enrollment required); I set my preferred airline to Alaska Airlines and use the credit to cover checked bags, which really comes in handy when I have my baby (and all her gear) in tow. Meanwhile, the up to $240 digital entertainment statement credit covers my New York Times Cooking subscription and a Disney+ subscription (enrollment required).

Recently, I put another card benefit — the up to $12.95 monthly Walmart+ subscription statement credit — to use for the first time. While I don’t typically shop at Walmart, the subscription got me access to Paramount+, which I very much appreciated having during late-night feedings while on parental leave (subject to auto-renewal and can only be used toward one subscription; enrollment required). Plus Ups not eligible.

Finally, I appreciate having access to Centurion Lounges when traveling, even if they do tend to get pretty crowded. I frequently fly itineraries with connecting flights, and I love having somewhere to grab food and do some work on my layovers.

*You will also earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased through American Express Travel, and there is a $500,000 cap on these purchases per calendar year; you will earn 1 point per dollar after.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $395.

Standout benefits: In my opinion, the Venture X is one of the biggest steals in the world of travel credit cards. Its annual fee of $395 is very reasonable for a premium card, considering that many of its competitors bear fees well above $500, and it comes with several rewarding features that make hanging onto it a no-brainer.

Like its sister card, the Venture, it earns an easy — and lucrative — 2 miles per dollar spent on nonbonus purchases. Plus, each anniversary year, it provides 10,000 bonus miles and a $300 credit to Capital One Travel, which offsets much of the fee.

I’ve found this credit very easy to use, and each year, I love remembering that I still have it in my back pocket. My favorite use so far has been a last-minute plane ticket to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to see the stars of my favorite early 2000s TV show screen the pilot of their new project.

I’ve also loved my visits to Capital One lounges on the occasions my travels have brought me through Dallas, Washington, D.C., and, more recently, Las Vegas. I love that they provide healthy grab-and-go options that can be difficult to find in transit. I’m very much looking forward to checking out future openings with the access the Venture X provides.

Day to day, I don’t use this card as much as some of the other cards in my wallet, mainly because Capital One’s transfer partner list lacks some of my favorite programs. But even so, the card’s perks have been enough to keep me holding onto it since it debuted.

American Express Gold Card

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Annual fee: $325.

Standout benefits: If you’re anything like me, you wind up spending a lot on food, whether that’s dining out or staying in and cooking. If that’s the case, the Amex Gold has you covered.

The great thing about the Amex Gold is that it earns 4 points per dollar spent on both dining worldwide and groceries from U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 and $25,000 spent respectively each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), meaning no matter how you get your food, you’ll maximize your spending with this card.

But the card’s benefits go well beyond food. It comes with $120 in Uber Cash* each year and a $100 credit when booking two or more nights with The Hotel Collection, making its $325 annual fee much easier to swallow.

Amex also has a great lineup of transfer partners for spending your hard-earned rewards. In the past, I’ve transferred points earned with the Amex Gold to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to book Delta flights to Amsterdam and Tokyo and to British Airways Club to leverage the carrier’s distance-based award chart for great rates from the West Coast to Hawaii.

*Uber Cash is valid on purchases in the U.S. and you must first add your Amex Gold to your Uber account. You can then redeem with any Amex card.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card

Welcome offer: Earn 70,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Annual fee: $650.

Standout benefits: If you’re looking for a boost toward Delta elite status, give the Delta SkyMiles Reserve a close look. It’s a useful tool for those seeking to get closer to the next status level, with multiple ways to snag extra Medallion Qualification Dollars.

For starters, each cardholder automatically gets a head start of 2,500 MQDs each qualification year. On top of that, cardholders have the ability to earn 1 additional MQD for every $10 in purchases put on the card.

While I’m not a frequent Delta flyer myself, my sister — who travels for work regularly out of Minneapolis, a Delta hub — loves the extra MQDs she gets from this card, as they allow her to requalify for her status each year without the pressure to exclusively fly Delta for the extra spend.

While the card’s annual fee is high, it comes with a couple of credits that help offset it. Its up to $240 in Resy statement credits can be used at U.S. Resy restaurants, and it also features an up to $120 statement credit for ride-hailing services in the U.S. (Enrollment is required for both benefits.)

The card also comes with Delta Sky Club access, a useful perk for those who connect on the airline regularly or live in a hub city.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Welcome offer: Earn $250 cash back after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0.

Standout benefits: The Chase Freedom Unlimited is the unsung hero in my wallet and a core part of my credit card strategy. And, if you ask me about my favorite cards, there’s a 100% chance it’s going to come up.

The card, which is marketed as a cash-back credit card, racks up at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases — even those that fall outside its bonus categories. That makes it a great option for cash-back enthusiasts, but it has a ton of value for those who want to earn travel rewards, too.

Pairing the Freedom Unlimited with a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Ink Business Preferred, unlocks the ability to convert the cash back you earn into valuable Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.

Using this strategy, I effectively earn 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent in categories where I’d otherwise earn just 1 point, all for no annual fee. In my mind, if you already have an Ultimate Rewards-earning card, there’s virtually no downside to adding the Freedom Unlimited to the mix.

This is also a great starter card for those who aren’t ready to venture into travel rewards or don’t have the necessary credit history to take out the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn 90,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95.

Standout benefits: The Ink Business Preferred is a popular pick in the business card category, and it’s not hard to understand why. Its solid earning rates, great welcome offer and relatively low annual fee make it an attractive option for business owners of all stripes.

The Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent each year on combined purchases in a variety of business categories, including some that most businesses can maximize.

Personally, I love using the card to earn 3 points per dollar spent on travel, which Chase defines broadly to include everything from airfare and hotels to parking and ride-hailing services. Internet, cable and phone services also earn 3 points per dollar, so I make sure to put those on my Ink Business Preferred as well.

Whether you’re shipping physical products or advertising on social media, you’ll also have the opportunity to earn bonus points with the Ink Business Preferred. This card is the one I reach for any time I’m at USPS or FedEx, and in the past, I’ve also used it to boost posts on Instagram to support a travel consulting venture.

The Ink Business Preferred comes with a sizable welcome offer of 90,000 points. While you’ll have to spend $8,000 over three months to unlock it, the value you’ll get in return is immense.

With 90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can easily score a business-class flight ticket. Last summer, I used Chase transfer partners like Aer Lingus and Air France to fly in the front of the plane to Madrid and Paris, respectively — each time for fewer than 90,000 points. I also regularly transfer 40,000 Chase points to United Airlines to book economy tickets to or from Europe since I can use my Premier Gold status to book myself into the exit row without a fee.

Citi Strata Premier Card

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

Annual fee: $95.

Standout benefits: The Citi Strata Premier doesn’t get as much buzz as some of the other cards in this list, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked.

It’s been a longtime player in my wallet; in fact, a previous version of this card was the first transferable rewards credit card I ever took out, and I held onto it through its transformation into the card it is today.

In that time, it has added bonus categories so that it now earns 3 points per dollar spent on air travel, hotels, restaurants, groceries, gas and EV charging. Picking this card up is an easy way to ensure you’re earning at a great rate across a wide range of purchase types.

Like the Strata Premier Card, Citi’s roster of transfer partners tends to fly under the radar a little bit, but I’ve found it to be extremely useful for booking international travel.

Last year, I transferred points earned with this card twice to score business-class seats from Europe back to the U.S. I first sent Citi ThankYou Rewards points to Cathay Pacific to book Finnair’s unique business-class seat after a summer trip to Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia. More recently, I transferred them to Emirates to book a Condor flight between Frankfurt and Portland, Oregon.

The Strata Premier also comes with a $100 annual hotel credit off a single stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through cititravel.com, and if you can put that to use, it will more than offset the card’s $95 annual fee.

Bilt Mastercard

Welcome offer: N/A.

What to consider when choosing the best card

There are a few factors you’ll want to take into account before choosing a credit card to ensure you’re making the best choice for you, and we’ve gone into detail on them below.

Remember, though, that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a long-term commitment if you’re not happy with your card after the first year. At that point, it’s always possible to do a product change to a different card without affecting your credit score.

Preferred rewards

It’s important to think about what type of rewards you want to earn for your spending. The Delta SkyMiles Reserve, for example, will only earn you Delta miles, while the Amex Platinum and the Amex Gold will earn you Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to a range of airline and hotel partners, including Delta.

If you’re eager to earn transferable rewards, remember to consult each issuer’s list of transfer partners to make sure your preferred programs will be accessible.

Welcome bonus

Welcome bonuses are important in the world of travel credit cards, as they’re the best opportunity you’ll have to earn a large sum of points or miles all at once. If a specific card has an elevated, limited-time offer, it may be worth considering. The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s 100,000-point offer, for example, can provide immense value if you transfer those points to travel partners.

Spending habits

Before taking out a credit card, think through where you spend most of your money. Ideally, your credit card’s bonus categories will align with your top spending categories to ensure you’re earning as many points as possible. Someone who always eats out won’t benefit from a bonus on groceries, for example, and would be better off going with a card that rewards them at restaurants.

Annual fee

Of course, you’ll also want to consider whether you can maximize enough of the perks and benefits included with your card to justify paying an annual fee. While it’s possible to get great value from just about any card, if you don’t pick one that suits your lifestyle and travel habits, you risk paying extra for features you aren’t using. The good news is that there are options on this list to suit every budget, from $0 all the way up to $695.