Since beginning The Factors Man in 2010, certainly one of my favourite issues is listening to from readers who share unbelievable tales of how they’ve maximized factors through the years. It actually jogs my memory of simply how priceless the data we share is and that it actually unlocks superb experiences.
An enormous a part of that includes leveraging prime journey rewards bank cards.
Possibly you are trying to get a jump-start in your incomes technique forward of an enormous journey, or possibly there are some new perks you wish to leverage on your summer time travels. Maybe you are simply out there for an enormous welcome bonus.
No matter you are trying to do, listed here are my picks for the perfect bank cards of 2025.
The perfect bank cards
*I’m a Bilt adviser and investor.
Evaluating the perfect bank cards
Listed below are my prime suggestions for the perfect bank cards.
| Card | Greatest for | Welcome provide | Incomes charges | Annual price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Frequent vacationers looking for luxurious perks | Earn 125,000 factors $6,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$795 |
| Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card | Newbie vacationers | Earn 75,000 factors after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card | Premium journey | Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$395 |
| American Categorical Gold Card | Groceries and eating at eating places | Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range and also you might not be eligible for a suggestion. |
|
$325 (see charges and charges) |
| Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card | Nonbonus spending | Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| The Platinum Card from American Categorical | Luxurious advantages | Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range and also you might not be eligible for a suggestion. |
|
$695 (see charges and charges) |
| The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Categorical | Luxurious perks for small-business house owners | Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first three months of card membership. |
|
$695 (see charges and charges) |
| Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card | Bonus-earning | Earn 90,000 factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| Bilt Mastercard | Renters | N/A |
You have to use your Bilt card 5 instances every assertion interval to earn factors on hire and qualifying internet purchases. |
$0 (see charges and charges) |
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Welcome provide: Earn 125,000 factors $6,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
Annual price: $795.
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Standout advantages: The Sapphire Reserve is providing a wonderful welcome bonus and options new credit — along with acquainted ones just like the broad use $300 journey credit score — which cardholders can make the most of to assist offset the price of its $795 annual price.
Should you journey as usually as I do, the Sapphire Reserve can give you a ton of worth because of perks like entry to Chase Sapphire Lounges by the Membership, the issuer’s top-tier airport lounges, and an as much as $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for TSA PreCheck, World Entry or Nexus.
Associated: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve for Enterprise — which is best for you?
The Sapphire Reserve is not only a premium journey card, although. It is also a way of life product designed to fit your day-to-day with issues like complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music memberships (as much as $250 worth yearly; one-time activation required per service; subscriptions run by means of June 22, 2027) and a $300 annual StubHub credit score (break up up into $150 from January by means of June and one other $150 from July by means of December; activation required; legitimate by means of Dec. 31, 2027).
For extra info, try our assessment of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card
Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 factors after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
Annual price: $95.
Standout advantages: The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked affords profitable incomes charges and priceless perks like 3 factors per greenback spent on eating and a $50 annual resort credit score, simply to call just a few, making it among the finest journey playing cards, in line with TPG specialists. It is also a go-to card for each learners and specialists.
I nearly completely use my Chase Final Rewards factors to switch to greater than a dozen of Chase’s switch companions and guide award tickets, which permits me to comprehend even larger worth when redeeming my factors.
Should you’d somewhat use this card’s welcome bonus in a extra simple manner, you possibly can at all times redeem your factors by way of Chase Journey.
I additionally love this card for its journey protections and insurance coverage, even in case you use it to guide an award ticket. Simply pay the taxes and charges with the Sapphire Most well-liked Card, and your journey is roofed.
General, my Chase factors are tremendous priceless as a part of my total factors and miles technique, so if you’re in search of a card with a low annual price, a strong bonus provide and nice perks, the Sapphire Most well-liked is a no brainer.
For extra info, try our assessment of the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
Annual price: $395.
Standout advantages: If you wish to maximize factors and miles relating to bank cards, your objective ought to be to earn greater than 1 level per greenback spent on all purchases. This may be arduous when most playing cards solely provide bonus rewards in key classes like eating, groceries and fuel.
Fortunately, the bottom incomes charge on the Capital One Enterprise X is 2 miles per greenback spent, so an enormous portion of my private spending goes on this card. Once I’m looking for clothes, child provides or paying for insurance coverage — all classes the place I am unable to earn 3, 4 or 5 miles per greenback — I put these on my Enterprise X.
Whereas it has a $395 annual price, do not let that scare you. It is easy to offset that annual price with advantages just like the $300 annual Capital One Journey credit score and the ten,000 bonus miles earned every account anniversary. The latter turns into much more priceless once you switch to airline loyalty applications, which I do usually.
For extra info, try our assessment of the Capital One Enterprise X.
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
American Categorical Gold Card
Welcome provide: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range and also you might not be eligible for a suggestion.
Annual price: $325.
Standout advantages: If there’s one factor I do nearly every single day, it is dine out or order in — so maximizing my factors earnings from eating and groceries is large. Since changing into a dad, my grocery invoice has gone up dramatically, so that is the place the Amex Gold is a no brainer.
For starters, you will earn 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) and 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide (as much as $50,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback). It is a nice solution to ramp up your earnings on two big spending classes, whether or not you are eating out or entertaining at residence.
You additionally get numerous assertion credit, which just about fully offset the cardboard’s annual price. This consists of as much as $120 in Uber Money ($10 per thirty days, legitimate for rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. after utilizing any Amex card when including the Amex Gold to your Uber account) and as much as $120 in eating assertion credit with eligible eating companions (as much as $10 per thirty days). Enrollment is required.
I load my Amex Gold Card into all my supply apps: Caviar, Seamless and Uber Eats. These factors actually add up rapidly. Then, to make these factors much more priceless, I look ahead to switch bonuses that Amex runs with journey companions so I can flip my factors into miles and guide airfare.
For extra info, try our assessment of the Amex Gold Card.
Apply right here: Amex Gold
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
Annual price: $95.
Standout advantages: It is a nice card it doesn’t matter what your targets are — whether or not you are newer to factors and miles, favor a simple incomes construction or use it as a part of a wider incomes technique, like me.
Just like the Enterprise X, it permits you to earn 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases, making it an important card for transactions that do not match into frequent bonus classes.
But it surely’s particularly priceless due to the flexibleness it affords to cowl all types of journey with these miles.
For instance, you possibly can redeem these miles at 1 cent apiece towards any journey costs you placed on the cardboard. Alternatively, you possibly can guide flights, rental vehicles or inns by means of Capital One Journey together with your miles — additionally at a worth of 1 cent apiece.
But when, like me, you wish to stretch the worth of these miles even additional, you possibly can switch these miles to any of the 15-plus resort and airline applications that associate with Capital One.
For instance, you might switch the miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue and guide bougie business-class seats from the U.S. to Europe beginning at 60,000 miles plus taxes and charges every manner. Or, switch to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, the place yow will discover lie-flat Higher Class seats to the U.Okay. for as little as 29,000 factors plus taxes and charges every manner.
For extra info, try our assessment of the Capital One Enterprise Rewards.
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
The Platinum Card from American Categorical
Welcome provide: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range and also you might not be eligible for a suggestion.
Annual price: $695.
Standout advantages: Regardless of its excessive price, the Amex Platinum stays a favourite of mine — and lots of TPG staffers as nicely.
I put all airfare on my Amex Platinum as a result of I earn 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare (on as much as $500,000 per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) once I guide straight with an airline or by way of Amex Journey. And whereas the annual price is steep, the advantages embrace an as much as $200 annual price assertion credit score for airline incidentals and an as much as $200 assertion credit score for pay as you go bookings with American Categorical Wonderful Resorts + Resorts and The Lodge Assortment. (The Lodge Assortment requires a minimal two-night keep; enrollment is required for choose advantages.)
Amex continues to be a pacesetter within the card lounge house, and this premium journey card offers entry to its Centurion Lounges, plus Precedence Go lounges and Delta Sky Golf equipment when flying Delta Air Strains. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages.)
For extra info, try our assessment of the Amex Platinum Card.
Apply right here: Amex Platinum
The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Categorical
Welcome provide: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases throughout the first three months of card membership.
Annual price: $695.
Standout advantages: Certainly one of my favourite perks on this card is Pay with Factors — cardholders obtain a 35% bonus after they Pay with Factors on first- or business-class tickets by means of Amex Journey (as much as 1 million factors per calendar yr).
Regardless that this can be a enterprise card, it comes with premium journey perks and enterprise assertion credit:
- Centurion Lounge entry and Precedence Go membership
- A press release credit score of $120 for World Entry each 4 years or an announcement credit score of as much as $85 for TSA PreCheck each 4 ½ years
- An airline credit score price of as much as $200 yearly
- Gold elite standing with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
- Entry to Amex Wonderful Resorts + Resorts and The Lodge Assortment
Regardless that the annual price is $695, the annual assertion credit and advantages greater than offset that. For instance, The Enterprise Platinum card affords:
- An as much as $150 in assertion credit on U.S. purchases made straight with Dell and an extra as much as $1,000 assertion credit score after spending $5,000 per calendar yr
- An as much as $360 Certainly assertion credit score per calendar yr (as much as $90 per quarter)
- A $250 Adobe assertion credit score after spending $600 or extra on U.S. purchases made straight with Adobe per calendar yr (topic to auto-renewal)
- As much as $200 in Hilton credit per calendar yr (as much as $50 per quarter; Hilton for Enterprise membership required)
- As much as $120 per calendar yr for U.S. wi-fi phone suppliers (as much as $10 per thirty days)
- An as much as $209 Clear Plus membership assertion credit score per calendar yr (topic to auto-renewal)
- The aforementioned as much as $200 airline price credit score per calendar yr on costs made with an airline of your selecting
- The aforementioned as much as $120 World Entry/TSA PreCheck credit score
Enrollment is required for choose advantages.
For extra info, try our assessment of the Amex Enterprise Platinum.
Apply right here: Amex Enterprise Platinum
Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card
Welcome provide: Earn 90,000 factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
Annual price: $95.
Standout advantages: I really like my Ink Enterprise Most well-liked card and its bonus classes — particularly the web web promoting class, which earns 3 factors per greenback spent on as much as $150,000 a yr (then 1 level after that). Should you max out this annual bonus, these 450,000 factors you earn can be utilized for journey bookings by way of Chase Journey for as much as 1.75 cents every (relying on the particular redemption; see your rewards program settlement for full particulars).
Associated: The facility of the Chase trifecta
Chase factors are very versatile, and I exploit mine as rapidly as I earn them. Should you personal a small enterprise or also have a enterprise concept, you possibly can apply utilizing your Social Safety quantity; try our posts to see who is likely to be eligible for a enterprise bank card (you is likely to be shocked!) and tips on how to apply.
For my part, this card is a heavyweight, particularly for the low annual price of $95.
For extra info, try our assessment of the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked.
Apply right here: Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card
Bilt Mastercard
Welcome provide: N/A.
Annual price: $0 (see charges and charges).
Standout advantages: For thus many individuals, hire is their largest month-to-month expense. But for years, the one solution to pay for hire was to offer landlords checks or Venmo funds. Should you wished to pay by bank card, you’d incur a price.
The Bilt Mastercard has fully revolutionized this method. So long as you make a minimum of 5 purchases with the cardboard every assertion interval, you possibly can earn factors on hire funds and different qualifying internet purchases. Even when your landlord solely takes a test, Bilt can ship checks and automatic clearing home direct deposits so you possibly can earn factors on the transactions (as much as 100,000 factors per yr).
Since you are paying hire by way of a bank card, you too can assist construct your credit score historical past with every fee. It is an absolute no-brainer, particularly since there is no annual price (see charges and charges).
For extra info, try our assessment of the Bilt Mastercard.
Apply right here: Bilt Mastercard
What to contemplate when selecting the perfect card
There is not a one-size-fits-all technique for choosing the perfect bank cards. There are a number of components you must analyze earlier than deciding on which of them deserve a spot in your pockets.
Most well-liked rewards
First, contemplate the kind of rewards you wish to earn on your purchases. If you would like simplicity, a cash-back card could also be an important choice because you usually have few limitations on how these rewards can be utilized. Alternatively, in case you’re after free journey or wish to actually maximize your spending, it’s possible you’ll be higher off with a transferable rewards foreign money like American Categorical Membership Rewards or Chase Final Rewards.
Welcome bonus
Incomes an enormous haul of factors or miles as a welcome bonus is usually one of the best ways to rapidly increase your rewards steadiness. That is significantly profitable if one of many playing cards you are contemplating has a limited-time provide. Simply be sure you assessment every issuer’s eligibility necessities, and contemplate checking your credit score rating upfront of your software so you might have an concept of whether or not you will be authorised.
Associated: 21 methods to make use of 100K Final Rewards factors
Spending habits
Earlier than opening a bank card account, analyze your spending habits during the last yr, together with the way you’re incomes rewards on any playing cards at the moment in your pockets. Many TPG readers begin with a easy, no-annual-fee card that earns 1 level, 1 mile or 1% money again on all purchases, however, as I’ve stated in my weekly e-newsletter earlier than, “Buddies do not let mates earn only one level per greenback.”
Should you spend a ton at eating places, make sure you might have a card that rewards you when making eating purchases. You probably have a major commute, decide up a card that rewards you for fuel or transit bills. It is easy to double and even triple your incomes charges for a lot of purchases with the precise mixture of playing cards.
Annual price
Lastly, you must contemplate the out-of-pocket price of any new card in your radar. Whereas some haven’t any annual price (or waive the price for the primary yr), others have hefty ones, as you noticed within the listing above.
Within the first yr, nearly each card with a strong welcome provide pays for itself (after which some), however you must take a while earlier than you apply to ensure you can actually benefit from that card’s advantages, each now and sooner or later.
How we selected the perfect bank cards
Many components go into our choice of the perfect bank cards, together with incomes charges, welcome affords, advantages and perks. The playing cards I listing above have personally allowed me to earn tens of hundreds of {dollars} price of rewards through the years.
You may be taught extra about how we analyze playing cards right here at TPG on our methodology web page.
Redemption choices for the perfect bank cards
Savvy vacationers will acknowledge that every one the playing cards I listing above have one thing in frequent: Every one earns transferable factors or miles. These rewards are extremely priceless due to their flexibility. You are not locked into one airline and its companions or one resort program and its collaborating manufacturers. You’re within the driver’s seat when it comes time to redeem.
For instance, for example I wish to fly Virgin Atlantic to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) within the provider’s Higher Class, and the one-way flight I would like is $4,000. I might use 400,000 Amex factors to guide by means of American Categorical Journey, however that very same flight may be 235,000 miles utilizing Delta SkyMiles, which is a 1:1 switch associate of Amex. Nonetheless, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership has costs as little as 29,000 factors — and it, too, companions with Amex.
Backside line
Bank cards can play a significant position in unlocking rewards for purchases you are already going to make, however there is no one good card that works for everybody. The above choices are just some selections that’ve labored nicely for me through the years, nevertheless it’s vital so that you can analyze which one is smart on your particular person state of affairs.
In fact, in case you do get into the world of journey bank cards, make sure you do not spend past your means and pay your balances in full and on time each month.
Associated: Greatest journey bank cards of 2025
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold, click on right here.
For the charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Enterprise Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
