The team at Quizience has done a lot of the research for you, compiling our top picks of the best credit cards from our partners available on the market today.
The Citi Premier Card is one of the best starter travel rewards cards due to its gracious amount of bonus spend categories. You’ll not only earn triple points on air travel and hotel, but also on restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations — offering plenty of opportunities to earn on your everyday purchases. Best of all, your points are flexible and can transfer to a variety of frequent flyer programs in every airline alliance. Finally, enjoy an annual $100 hotel savings benefit through Citi on a single hotel stay booking of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees).
Earns 3 points per dollar on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels
$100 annual hotel savings benefit (on a single hotel stay of $500 or more booked through thankyou.com)
Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic
World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection
$95 annual fee
Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the most popular travel rewards credit card on the market. Offering an excellent return on travel and dining purchases, the card packs a ton of value that easily offsets its $95 annual fee. Cardholders can redeem points at 1.25 cents each for travel booked through Chase or transfer points to one of Chase’s 14 valuable airline and hotel partners.
You’ll earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases, 2 points per dollar on all other travel and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The current sign-up bonus on this card is quite generous. TPG values it at $1,600
New annual $50 hotel statement credit when booked through Ultimate Rewards
Premium travel protection benefits including trip cancellation insurance, primary car rental insurance and lost luggage insurance
The card comes with a $95 annual fee
If you can maximize the up to $300 statement credit toward Capital One Travel, the Venture X’s annual fee effectively comes down to $95, the same annual fee pegged to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Add in a 10,000-mile bonus every account anniversary (worth $185, according to TPG valuations) and lounge access, and the card may become the strongest option out there for a lot of travelers.
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary
$395 annual fee
Up to $300 back in statement credit annually only applicable for bookings made through Capital One Travel portal
The Amex Platinum is unmatched when it comes to travel perks and benefits. If lounge access, hotel elite status, and annual statement credits are important to you, this card is well worth the high annual fee.
The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. TPG values it at $2,000.
This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, and more than $1,400 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more.
The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway
The $695 annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost
Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning bonus rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories
The annual airline fee credit and other statement credits can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards.
The Capital One SavorOne is a great cash back credit card for beginners looking for a solid rewards structure and no annual fee. Dining, entertainment and groceries are high-value bonus categories, and it’s rare for a card to hit all three.
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases
This card is better for beginners since it’s easier to be approved for than the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
The 0% intro APR offer that comes with this card makes it a solid choice for those looking to finance a large purchase. You’ll get 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (17.99% – 27.99% variable APR after, there’s a 3% fee for balance transfers).
If you spend a lot on dining and entertainment each year, the Savor is the better value since it earns higher rewards
The sign-up bonus isn’t anything to write home about (though it is easy to earn)
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a great card for frequent travelers looking to add a touch of luxury to their business trips. While the card does come with a high annual fee, you’re also getting a ton of valuable benefits in return. They include generous annual travel credits, unparalleled lounge access that includes Amex Centurion Lounges and more.
Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four to five years
$400 annual statement credit for eligible U.S. Dell purchases
Gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels (enrollment required)
Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and Hotel Collection (enrollment required)
Extended warranty protection
International Airline Program
Cruise Privileges Program
Steep $695 annual fee
Difficulty meeting $15,000 welcome offer for smaller businesses
Limited high bonus categories outside of travel
The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card’s sign-up bonus is among the highest we’ve seen from Chase. Plus earn points across the four bonus categories (travel, shipping, advertising and telecommunication providers) that are most popular with businesses. The card comes with travel protections, shopping protections and will also have primary coverage when renting a car for business purposes for you and your employees.
One of the highest sign-up bonuses we’ve seen — 100,000 bonus points after $15,000 worth of spend in the first three months after card opening
Access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal for points redemption
Reasonable $95 annual fee; bonus categories that are most relevant to business owners
Primary car insurance; and perks including cellphone and purchase protection
High spending needed to get 100,000-point sign-up bonus
No travel perks
Subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule on card applications
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a decent option for those in need of a straightforward cash back card. However, there are other options that offer more flexibility to redeem your rewards.
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
No annual fee
Cash back doesn’t expire
Limited card perks and benefits
Other cards offer more potential and upside when it comes to redeeming cash back
This isn’t just a card that’s nice to look at. It packs a real punch, offering 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar). There’s also an up to $120 annual dining credit at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required. plus it added an up to $120 annually ($10 per month) in Uber Cash, which can be used on Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. All this make it a very strong contender for all food purchases, which has become a popular spending category. Enrollment required for select benefits.
4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar)
3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
Welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months
Weak on travel and everyday spending bonus categories
Not as effective for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
Few travel perks and protections
The Blue Cash Preferred Card is one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. You’ll get a great return across a wide range of bonus categories, a solid welcome bonus and a low annual fee that’s waived the first year.
This card has one of the best earning structures out for among cash-back credit cards
The card comes with access to Amex Offers, which can save you even more money on specific purchases
There is a $6,000 spending cap on the supermarket bonus category, which may not work for those with large grocery budgets
You’ll have to pay a foreign transaction fee on international purchases, so it’s not a great choice when you’re traveling abroad
The Citi Custom Cash card is one of the most flexible cash-back cards on the market, offering the ability to reduce your debt with an enticing intro APR offer and earn valuable cash-back rewards at the same time.
No annual fee
0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers and purchases. After, the variable APR will be 16.99% – 26.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
You’ll earn 5% cash back on your top eligible spend category each billing cycle on up to the first $500 spent, then 1% on everything else.
You don’t want to miss a payment after the introductory period, as you’ll face a variable APR of 16.99% – 26.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
If you feel like paying an annual fee negates your will to learn about travel rewards, the Capital One VentureOne is the perfect place to begin. With no annual fee and a simple 1.25x rate on all purchases, you’ll earn miles that can be used for travel purchases or transferred to Capital One’s 14 airline or three hotel partners.
No annual fee means that beginners can ease into the world of travel rewards with little stress.
Easy-to-remember 1.25x earning rate on all purchases.
The sign-up bonus is outdone by most competing credit cards.
No bonus categories means that you may not necessarily maximize all your purchases to the fullest.
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business offers a simple way to earn rewards on every business purchase, no matter the category. Those miles can then be easily redeemed for travel purchases or by transferring to partners.
You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you don’t have to juggle different bonus categories.
Employee cards are free and also earn 2 miles per dollar on all spending.
It’s an affordable card that only charges $95 in annual fees, and that fee is waived the first year.
The sign-up bonus is only worth $850 according to TPG valuations (not provided by the issuer), which falls short against some of the top business travel cards.
The card comes with minimal perks if you’re wanting additional benefits for when you travel.
The Amex Business Gold card is a solid choice for high-spending small businesses with the flexibility to earn 4 points per dollar in the two categories where you spend the most. The card is ideal for businesses who value simplicity above all.
You’ll earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar in the top 2 spending categories each month (on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year)
Pay for eligible flights booked with Amex Travel with points and get 25% of them back
Hefty $295 annual fee
No monthly or annual credits such as on the Amex Business Platinum or consumer Amex Gold
There may be better options for small businesses who don’t spend a lot
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a surprisingly powerful card that earns at least 1.5% back on everything. However, it becomes a standout card if you pair it with a card that earns transferable Ultimate Rewards points, doubling their potential value.
At least 1.5% back on every purchase, with up to 3% back on select categories.
There is no annual fee.
Perfect for everyday, non-bonused spending — incredible value when paired with a premium Chase card.
There is a foreign transaction fee so the card shouldn’t be used abroad.
Limited card perks and benefits.