The best credit cards to add to your wallet

For years, the most asked question I receive as a travel and credit card expert is: What’s the best travel credit card out there?

To answer this query, I ask questions of my own, including what a person’s travel habits and goals are, so I can help them find the best credit card for their specific needs. This is because there is not one “best travel credit card.”

Which card is best will depend on your individual preferences. Plus, since your spending and travel needs can change over time, the answer to this question will likely also change.

The good news is that there are tons of incredible travel credit cards on the market — so many more than when I started doing this over 15 years ago — whether you want to rack up airline miles, hotel points for a lavish stay or points or miles that you can simply redeem for a variety of general travel purchases to shave a few dollars off your statement.

No matter what your needs, there is a travel credit card out there for you. If you asked me what I currently consider to be the best credit cards, I’d mention the ones below as excellent options to add to your wallet — and how you can make the most of each.

The best credit cards

*TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.

**The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Comparing the best credit cards

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

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95.

Standout benefits: Ever since its debut in 2009, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has been one of the best all-around travel credit cards out there. Not only are the Ultimate Rewards points it earns ultra useful, but it has robust earning categories that make accruing them a breeze.

Although this particular welcome offer is not the all-time high of 100,000 points that we’ve seen once or twice in the past (no longer available), it is still well worth considering since 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points are worth $750 toward travel booked through Chase Travel and potentially much, much more if you can leverage the Ultimate Rewards program’s many airline and hotel transfer partner programs.

I’ve personally been able to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for redemptions galore, including flights in Qatar Airways Qsuite business class from the Seychelles back to the U.S. — I transferred 85,000 of them to British Airways Avios and redeemed them for my ticket that way, saving myself $6,000.

I’ve also found tremendous value from my Chase points by transferring them to World of Hyatt and redeeming them for ultraluxurious stays at properties like Alila Ventana Big Sur, which can cost north of $2,000 per night.

Of course, the high-end redemptions I’m interested in require a lot of points, but this card makes it easy to rack them up thanks to its numerous bonus categories. The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 2 points per dollar spent on travel, which includes tons of purchases like airline tickets and hotel stays. The card also earns 3 points per dollar on dining at restaurants (not to mention cafes, bars and takeout) around the world. This allows me to top up my points every time I go out to eat.

For more information, check out our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

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Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

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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.

Annual fee: $95.

Standout benefits: I don’t have the Capital One Venture myself because I have its higher-end counterpart, the Venture X, instead. However, I just had my husband apply for this card to take advantage of its current welcome offer and solid everyday earning rates.

This card accrues 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases, which in itself is an excellent rate of return since Capital One miles are worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed for travel.

However, this card’s earning potential is much higher since it also racks up 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. For that reason, my husband intends to use it for his rental car charges for frequent work travel, as well as our vacation rental purchases for upcoming summer fun. We can bank those miles for future summer travels, too.

We plan to use this card for everyday purchases since it’s a “set it and forget it” option where whatever (nonbonus category things) we buy will earn 2 miles per dollar, earning us a solid rate of return on expenses we might not be able to maximize otherwise.

There are two other reasons we want to stock up on Capital One miles. First, we plan to take advantage of the program’s various airline and hotel transfer partners for our honeymoon, potentially converting our miles into Air Canada Aeroplan points to book our airline tickets and then also sending some of them to my Accor Live Limitless account to offset some expenses on fancy Raffles and Fairmont hotel stays.

But these miles also come in handy since you can redeem them for statement credits against general travel purchases, meaning they can help offset expenses other types of points and miles cannot, such as ride-hailing spending and train tickets.

For more information, check out our review of the Capital One Venture Rewards.

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Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

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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: Yes, this card costs $695 per year to carry, but you can make far more than that back in value each year … if you play your card right.

Long the gold, or perhaps platinum, standard of travel rewards cards, the Amex Platinum’s true value lies not just in the American Express Membership Rewards points it earns, but in its plethora of perks.

Among them, I find the $200 annual airline fee statement credit (enrollment required) extra useful since it can be applied toward things like checked bag fees and seat assignments on an airline I don’t have elite status with.

Not only that, but I love booking luxury hotel stays through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts. So, in addition to the value-added benefits you get by doing so, including $100 in on-property statement credits each stay, room upgrades (when available) and guaranteed late checkout, you can also count on $200 back in statement credits per year on prepaid stays booked through the collection.

Want to get through the airport quicker? The card offers up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for Clear Plus with it (subject to auto-renewal). You can also get either a $120 statement credit for Global Entry every four years when paying with your card or a credit of up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4 1/2 years when paying with your card.

Then there’s the airport lounge access. Not only does this card get you Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required) so you can access over 1,000 lounges worldwide, but you can also visit Amex Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (when traveling on same-day Delta Air Lines flights). Just note that cardmembers receive 10 visits per year to Delta Sky Club or Grab and Go locations.

Although lounges are more crowded than ever, I was still able to recently pop into the Seattle Delta Sky Club for a quick breakfast and shower between flights. The Centurion Lounges I’ve visited lately, including those in Charlotte and Los Angeles, had some fantastic food options and curated cocktails.

If you stay at hotels frequently, you can also enroll for complimentary Gold status with both Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, making hotel visits that much better thanks to benefits like bonus points earning and dining discounts.

But if you’re more of a homebody, you can also expect tremendous value from this card. First, it awards cardmembers with up to $20 in statement credits each month after you enroll and pay for streaming purchases from eligible streaming services like Hulu, Peacock and Disney+ (and, yes, I admit I subscribe to all of these). That’s worth up to $240 per year.

And if you want to order in while enjoying all that programming, you can get up to $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus of $20 in December for Uber and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. when using your card. That’s another $200 in value right there (your Amex Plat must first be added to your Uber account and you can redeem with any Amex card).

So, while the Platinum Card’s annual fee is high, if you actively use its various statement credits, you can come out way ahead with ease each year.

For more information, check out our review of the Amex Platinum Card.

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Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express

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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: Although it’s only been around since 2023, the Venture X has quickly become one of the best premium travel credit cards available.

Its annual fee of $395 is much lower than those of its competitors, but you still enjoy benefits like a $300 annual credit toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year that almost covers the annual fee in and of itself. I recently used my travel credit toward a stay at a beach hotel in my hometown of San Diego this summer, shaving off a significant portion of the cost.

Not only that, but the Venture X rewards cardholders with 10,000 bonus miles every year starting on their first anniversary. Those bonus miles are worth $100 toward travel, so you can come out ahead with this card very easily if you combine this with the annual travel statement credits.

This card is also an excellent earner. It accrues 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.

That makes it a solid choice for travel spending, as well as earning miles in purchase categories where you might not otherwise earn bonus points or miles, including at various online retailers. For instance, while many of my travel credit cards earn bonus points on travel with a specific airline or hotel chain and at restaurants, I use this card for things like clothing purchases and pet care since I wouldn’t earn bonus miles on them otherwise.

The other main benefit of this card that I love is the access it provides to Capital One’s airport lounges. Not only does it get you into Priority Pass lounges around the world, but you can also use it to access Capital One’s own branded lounges at airports like Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., which serve various small plates and healthy to-go options throughout the day, plus tasty (and strong!) curated cocktails. Some even have wellness and workout spaces.

For more information, check out our review of the Capital One Venture X.

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Learn more: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

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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: This card is a no-brainer for foodies, whether you enjoy dining out or you’re more of an at-home chef. It is one of the best all-around point earners around if you can maximize its bonus categories.

I have held onto this card for several years because it earns bonus points in two of the spending categories I use most: groceries and dining.

Specifically, the card earns 4 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide (on the first $50,000 each year, then 1 point per dollar after that) and groceries from U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 each year, then 1 point per dollar after that). I love dining out and cooking at home and don’t come close to those caps, so I can count on the bonus-earning all year-round.

Amex Gold Card holders can also count on up to $120 in Uber Cash each year (issued as $10 in Uber Cash each month) to use toward restaurants and rides in the U.S. That means that even when I don’t feel like going out or cooking, I can still save money on my takeout orders. (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.)

I take advantage of transferring my Amex Membership Rewards points to the program’s numerous airline and hotel partners. Recently, I transferred points to Air Canada Aeroplan for a redemption in Lufthansa’s new Allegris business class.

I also regularly transfer my Amex points to Hilton Honors for redemptions at fabulous hotels around the world, including the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island and the Conrad Los Angeles.

For more information, check out our review of the Amex Gold Card.

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Apply here: American Express Gold Card

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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: I have had this card for nearly a decade now, and it is not only one of the best business rewards credit cards, but it’s also one of the single best general travel rewards cards.

Why? Easy. This card earns so many bonus points across so many categories, you can rack up more points than you know what to do with.

It accrues 3 points per dollar spent on the first cumulative $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories, which include shipping, internet, cable, phone services and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, each year. If you advertise your business online at all these days, you can easily hit that spending threshold, but even if that’s not a big purchase category of yours (and it’s not of mine), those other categories can help you get well ahead on your earning. Just whip it out every time you visit the post office or a FedEx store, for instance, as I do.

I also use this card for my internet and cable services, as well as my mobile phone bill, since it offers excellent cellphone protection.

The card also has robust travel protections and, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, it earns fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points. You can redeem points through Chase Travel but also convert them into points and miles with the Ultimate Rewards program’s various airline and hotel partners, such as United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt.

For more information, check out our review of the Ink Business Preferred.

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Apply here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

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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: This card is an under-the-radar champ when it comes to racking up valuable transferable rewards.

The Citi ThankYou Rewards points it earns are transferable to 14 frequent flyer programs, including Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Singapore KrisFlyer, as well as five hotel loyalty programs, such as Accor Live Limitless and Choice Privileges.

But where this card truly shines is its earning potential. It has so many bonus categories that you almost can’t help but rack up the points quickly.

It accrues 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through cititravel.com. But perhaps more importantly (since you might not be booking much travel directly through Citi), it earns 3 points per dollar spent on air travel and other hotel purchases not made through Citi.

It also earns 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants internationally and on groceries, gas and EV charging, then 1 point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases. So, if travel, dining, groceries and gas are among your major purchase areas, then this card should be in your wallet.

Beyond just the earning, though, I’ve found this card and the ThankYou program tremendously useful for points transfers, including to Air France-KLM Flying Blue for redemptions in both Air France’s new business class and KLM’s new business class, both with closing doors, and Singapore Airlines’ business class, which is one of the best ways to travel between the U.S. and Asia.

This card has another little-known benefit: Cardholders can take advantage of a $100 annual hotel credit for a single stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through cititravel.com. This can come in handy for stays where you might not be able to earn points or elite credit with one of the major hotel loyalty programs and just need to book a one-off stay at a boutique property. If you’re able to earn the full credit, it more than offsets this card’s annual fee.

For more information, check out our review of the Citi Strata Premier.

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Apply here: Citi Strata Premier Card

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Bilt Mastercard

Welcome offer: N/A.

Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees).

Standout benefits: If you’re a renter (like me) and working your way toward homeownership, this card can be a powerful tool to help you reach your goal while earning tons of valuable points in the process.

Rent tends to be one of the biggest expenses for most folks, but it’s often difficult to charge it to a credit card (or, at least, not without incurring a significant transaction fee). That’s where the Bilt card comes in: You can use it to pay your rent and earn 1 point per dollar on it (up to 100,000 points each calendar year as long as you use the card at least five times each statement period) month after month without getting dinged by processing charges (see rates and fees).

Beyond rent, though, the card earns 5 Bilt Points per dollar spent at Bilt Neighborhood Dining Partner restaurants and 3 points per dollar spent at other restaurants, plus 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides and 2 points per dollar spent on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels, cruise lines and car rental agencies and through the Bilt travel portal. Not to mention, it earns 2 points per dollar spent on Walgreens purchases and prescriptions.

Unlike many other points programs where you have to wait for your statement to close in order to find the points in your account, with Bilt, they appear as soon as you make a charge, meaning you can unlock great travel opportunities even faster and, crucially, before an award you find disappears.

Bilt points are transferable to 17 airline frequent flyer programs and five hotel loyalty programs, including some unique options like Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt.

Plus, Bilt offers special “Rent Day” promotions on the first day of every month, which can include sizable transfer bonuses, so your points can go even further toward that next travel redemption.

For more information, check out our review of the Bilt Mastercard.

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Apply here: Bilt Mastercard

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Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard 

Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $99, waived for the first 12 months.

Standout benefits: I’m a loyal American Airlines flyer, so I am always looking at ways to boost my American Airlines AAdvantage mileage account, and this card helps me do that while also earning Loyalty Points toward elite status.

The card comes with a respectable welcome bonus and is easily one of the strongest airline credit cards in terms of earning on everyday purchases, as it racks up 2 miles per dollar spent at restaurants and gas stations — two of my major expense categories — as well as on eligible American Airlines purchases. Additionally, it earns 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.

The card also helps me maintain my AAdvantage elite status since it earns 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent, so all my purchases count toward either hitting that next tier or maintaining my current one for the following year. For those years I don’t quite hit status, I know that carrying this card will continue to assure me preferred boarding and a free checked bag on domestic itineraries.

Plus, when I’m feeling peckish on flights and forget to pack snacks, I can use this card for inflight purchases of food and beverages when flying with American Airlines and get 25% off.

This card also maintains a solid place in my wallet because American miles are among the hardest to earn since the program does not have many transfer partners. I regularly redeem my American miles for things like an upcoming flight in the airline’s new Flagship business class and past awards in Qatar Airways Qsuite, so carrying this card ensures I’ll always have a steady stock of them to draw from.

For more information, check out our review of the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select.

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Apply here: Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

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Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Welcome offer: Earn 175,000 points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership.

Annual fee: $550.

Standout benefits: I have gotten such outstanding value out of this card, I don’t even know where to begin.

First, it comes with automatic Hilton Honors Diamond elite status, so as long as your card account is open, you can enjoy top-tier benefits such as space-available upgrades, complimentary breakfast and on-property dining credits.

You can also earn up to three reward nights each year, redeemable at practically any Hilton property worldwide. You get one automatically after opening your account and on your cardmember anniversary each year.

You earn a second night after spending $30,000 on purchases with the card in a calendar year and a third night after spending $60,000 on the card in a calendar year. I generally just stick to the included free night but still get incredible value out of it.

For instance, I just redeemed my last one to spend my wedding night at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills instead of spending $1,100. That’s double the card’s annual fee. Plus, we got $50 toward food and beverages while we were there, thanks to my Hilton Diamond status.

The other perk I am always able to take advantage of is the up to $400 in Hilton resort statement credits I receive each calendar year for room charges, dining, spa treatments and activities. I get up to $200 to use from January through June and another up to $200 to use from July through December.

I also make sure to use the card for at least one airline purchase each quarter since I can earn up to $200 per calendar year (up to $50 per quarter) toward airline fees, including ticket purchases and seat selection charges.

There are even more benefits to this card, but I know I can always depend on well over $1,000 in value from it each year, which is why I continue to hang onto it.

For more information, check out our review of the Hilton Aspire Card.

What to consider when choosing the best card

Which credit card is best for you depends on what you spend the most money on each month and what type of traveler you are.

While that means you have to do a little homework, it also means that you can really tailor your credit card portfolio to your specific needs and then change it as your plans evolve.

In general, though, consider the following when choosing the best card:

• Is there an airline you fly with the most where earning extra miles or day-of-travel perks like free checked bags will come in handy?
• Is there a hotel chain you tend to stay with the most where a credit card with elite status could help you enjoy your trips even more?
• Do you want to play the field and instead rely on transferable points or miles instead of those tied to a particular brand?
• Will you take advantage of premium perks like lounge access and statement credits toward things like airline fees or Global Entry?

Thinking through broader questions like these will help you home in on the right card, or the right category of card, for your specific needs.

But don’t forget: Loyalty programs change all the time, and the benefits of specific credit cards do, too. So, take a little time each year to reevaluate your overall travel rewards strategy and the cards in your wallet to make sure you are maximizing your travel opportunities.

Here are some of the other specific aspects to consider when choosing the best card.

Preferred rewards

Think about what kinds of loyalty points or miles you want.

Are you after airline award tickets with a specific carrier? Then you’ll want a card like the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select so that your next trip is within reach sooner.

Need hotel points to help you book a few free nights? The Hilton Aspire can come in handy for those and elite status benefits like room upgrades and late checkout.

But if you want the flexibility to use your points or miles as the need arises, you might want to opt for transferable points or miles like those you earn with the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Amex Gold. You can either redeem them directly for travel purchases through their respective issuers’ travel portals or transfer them to their program’s airline or hotel partners for a specific redemption.

Welcome bonus

Welcome bonuses can be the single best way to rack up points or miles quickly. It’s not often, after all, that you might have spending that can equate to earning hundreds of thousands of points or miles in a short period.

The thing is, welcome bonuses change all the time. We track them here at TPG, though, so you know whether a specific card’s bonus at any given time is an elevated limited-time offer or just your run-of-the-mill bonus. It pays to stay on top of these things since missing out on a higher bonus can cost you tens of thousands of points or miles.

Spending habits

One of the best ways to decide if a specific credit card is right for you is to examine your everyday spending habits and break them down into various categories, such as gas, groceries, dining and travel.

Then, choose the credit cards that will earn bonus points or miles in those categories so you can maximize each and every dollar that you spend.

For example, if you take out a card that earns bonus points on gas, but your main expense is groceries, then you might be missing out on tons of points each year. The same is true if you get a card that rewards you for travel purchases, but you tend to spend more on dining out.

By examining where your dollars go each month, you can ensure that your spending matches your earning potential and earn points or miles toward your next travel reward even faster.

Annual fee

Finally, you should consider the annual fee on any rewards card that you open. Many of the best travel rewards cards charge annual fees, and they can range up to hundreds of dollars per year.

That might sound daunting, but by paying those fees up front, you can open up access to valuable benefits like statement credits toward airline fees, hotel stays or ride-hailing services, not to mention lounge access and day-of-travel perks like Global Entry, which together can add up to thousands of dollars per year in perks.

Conversely, if you do not take advantage of these types of benefits on a regular basis, then you might want to reconsider opening or carrying a rewards credit card with a high annual fee and perks you don’t optimize.

Luckily, there are plenty of travel rewards cards with fees of under $100, and even some with $0 annual fees, that pack a powerful punch.

How we chose the best credit cards

We chose the best credit cards based on a range of factors, including earning rates, welcome offers, each card’s benefits and the variety of ways in which you can use the points or miles each earns.

Which card is best for you will depend on your specific travel habits and goals, so it’s always a good idea to evaluate your strategy periodically to ensure you have the right mix of travel rewards cards for your current needs.

To read more about how TPG evaluates and chooses cards to spotlight in our roundups, check out our methodology.

Redemption options for the best credit cards

Most of the cards on this list earn transferable points or miles, meaning the redemption options are myriad. That’s the beauty of transferable points and miles: You can transfer them to the partner airline or hotel program you like at the moment you need them rather than having to stick to a single frequent flyer or hotel program for years on end.

For instance, if you find a Lufthansa first-class award that’s bookable using Air Canada Aeroplan points, you could transfer points from the Amex Gold or miles from the Capital One Venture cards. Or, if you find a fabulous Hyatt you want to stay at that’s bookable using points, your Ultimate Rewards points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Bilt Rewards points you earn with the Bilt Mastercard will come in handy.

That said, if there is a specific airline or hotel chain you travel with the most, consider getting one of its cobranded cards to take advantage of day-of-travel benefits and enjoy either a boost toward elite status through spending or just outright status by being a cardholder to make your travel experience even better.

Bottom line

What’s the best credit card? The bad news is, there’s no one right answer.

But that’s also the good news. There are so many excellent options out there, including the ones on this list, that it shouldn’t be hard to find the right one for your needs. If your needs change, you can simply change your cards.

Loyalty programs evolve all the time, and your rewards strategy should, too. That means taking the time each year to evaluate your travel goals, your spending habits and which cards have the earning potential and benefits you can maximize to make your next trip not just possible, but better.

Once you evaluate your spending patterns and your upcoming travel needs, you should be able to home in on the card or cards that will suit you best. Then, do it again when you’re ready to consider your next travel card. Soon enough, you’ll be a credit card pro yourself.

In the meantime, any of the cards on this list are fantastic options to help you boost your rewards and put your next trip within reach faster.

Related: How to choose your best credit card strategy for 2025

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
For the rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.
For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.