I first acquired began within the factors and miles sport after I realized I used to be leaving cash on the desk with each buy.
Whereas I used to be as soon as hesitant to open a bank card, I’ve since discovered simply how priceless the suitable rewards card will be, and now I am constructing my pockets right into a rewards powerhouse that helps me journey extra, earn sooner and get extra out of each greenback.
One among my playing cards (trace: it is on this record) even helped me spend three unforgettable weeks touring by Europe this previous summer time — a bucket-list journey I by no means would’ve been capable of swing in any other case.
Listed below are my high picks for the most effective rewards bank cards so as to add to your pockets, together with the one I exploit now and those I plan so as to add subsequent.
Evaluating my high picks for the most effective rewards bank cards
Here is a fast overview of what every of my favourite rewards playing cards has to supply.
| Card | Welcome supply | Incomes charges | Annual payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Visa (see charges and charges) | For a restricted time, the Prime Visa affords a $250 Amazon reward card immediately upon approval, solely for Prime members. |
|
$0 (Prime membership required to use) |
| Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and charges) | Earn 75,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening. |
|
$395 |
| American Categorical Platinum Card® | Discover out your supply and see should you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords fluctuate, and also you might not be eligible for a proposal. |
|
$895 annual payment (see charges and charges) |
Prime Visa
Standout advantages: A simple, no-annual-fee card that earns 5% again on amazon.com and Entire Meals purchases, making it a best choice for frequent Amazon consumers.
If there’s one card I want I acquired earlier than my current transfer (and lots of subsequent Amazon orders), it is the Prime Visa. Whereas unassuming with its $0 annual payment, this card is a straightforward but efficient choice that helps flip on a regular basis spending into significant rewards.
Providing 5% again at amazon.com, Entire Meals Market and Amazon Contemporary, this card is a strong alternative for furnishing a brand new house, vacation purchasing, buying weekly groceries and past.
Plus, it additionally affords 2% again at eating places and gasoline stations and on native transit, which (mixed with its lack of international transaction charges), makes for a surprisingly travel-friendly cash-back card.
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The Prime Visa additionally offers a number of protections, together with buy safety and prolonged guarantee safety — one thing you do not typically see with a no-annual-fee card.
I am fascinated with including this one to my pockets quickly, as it’s at the moment providing a $250 Amazon reward card immediately upon approval (solely for Prime members), making it a simple option to put some a refund in my pocket forward of the vacation season.
To study extra, take a look at our full assessment of the Prime Visa.
Apply right here: Prime Visa
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card
Standout advantages: Versatile journey redemptions, priceless switch companions and a modest annual payment make this among the finest rewards bank cards for anybody beginning out with factors and miles.
The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked was the primary journey card I ever opened, and it utterly modified how I take into consideration spending. As an alternative of incomes money again, I started incomes Chase Final Rewards factors that may very well be transferred to companions like World of Hyatt, United Airways MileagePlus and Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
That flexibility is what makes this card a favourite amongst vacationers. Whether or not you need to e-book flights by the Chase Journey portal or switch factors to journey companions to maximise worth, the Sapphire Most well-liked retains your choices open.
By benefiting from a 25% Chase-Flying Blue switch bonus this previous summer time, I used to be capable of switch simply 15,000 factors for a nonstop flight from Washington, D.C., to Paris — a flight that will have in any other case price me greater than $600. The Sapphire Most well-liked is straightforward sufficient to make the most of that I might say it’s certainly one of, if not the, finest journey card for inexperienced persons (I could be biased, however do not simply take my phrase for it).
Even with its approachable $95 annual payment, the perks simply justify the fee. You get a $50 annual lodge credit score for bookings by Chase Journey, a ten% anniversary factors enhance annually and helpful protections like journey cancellation and buy protection.
The Sapphire Most well-liked has been the inspiration of my rewards technique, and I’m all the time recommending it to individuals who need to flip on a regular basis spending into their subsequent journey.
To study extra, take a look at our full assessment of the Sapphire Most well-liked.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
Standout advantages: Premium journey perks, versatile redemptions and easy incomes make this among the finest rewards bank cards for vacationers who need sturdy worth with out pointless complexity.
The Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card has been on my want record for months, and it is the following card I plan to use for.
After watching associates, members of the family and colleagues use their Enterprise X to e-book flights, chill out in airport lounges and rack up rewards with ease, I noticed it deserves a spot in my pockets.
The cardboard’s easy incomes construction is a part of its magic. Cardholders earn:
- 2 miles per greenback spent on each buy
- 5 miles per greenback spent on flights and trip leases booked by Capital One Journey
- 10 miles per greenback spent on accommodations and rental automobiles booked by Capital One Journey
Plus, the Enterprise X additionally affords cardholders $300 in annual assertion credit for bookings made by Capital One Journey, which may also help cowl a last-minute vacation journey or a much-needed getaway.
The Enterprise X is at the moment providing a beneficiant welcome supply of 100,000 miles after you spend $10,000 in six months. In response to TPG’s November 2025 valuations, 100,000 Capital One miles are price $1,850, due to the outsize worth you may get from transferring Capital One miles to this system’s airline and lodge companions.
With its simple rewards, lounge entry and versatile redemptions, the Enterprise X proves 12 months over 12 months why it is among the finest rewards bank cards at the moment available on the market.
To study extra, take a look at our full assessment of the Capital One Enterprise X.
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
American Categorical Platinum Card
Standout advantages: Premium journey perks, intensive lounge entry and beneficiant assertion credit make this among the finest rewards playing cards for frequent vacationers who worth consolation and comfort.
The Amex Platinum has lengthy been thought of the gold customary of premium journey rewards, and for good purpose.
And whereas the Amex Platinum is not in my pockets but, it is firmly on my record.
Providing a priceless mixture of journey and way of life credit that simply justify the cardboard’s excessive annual payment when used strategically, it is a card constructed for individuals who worth each comfort and elevated experiences.
Add in complimentary entry for eligible cardmembers to the American Categorical World Lounge Assortment — together with Centurion Lounges — and it is simple to see why this card constantly ranks among the many finest rewards playing cards out there.
To study extra, take a look at our full assessment of the Amex Platinum.
Apply right here: American Categorical Platinum Card
How I selected my high rewards playing cards
When narrowing down the most effective rewards bank cards, I centered on versatility, long-term worth and the power to earn significant rewards from on a regular basis spending.
Every of those playing cards affords sturdy incomes potential throughout widespread classes like eating, journey and on-line purchasing — however extra importantly, they make redemptions easy, whether or not you are reserving flights, transferring factors to companions or masking on a regular basis purchases.
Backside line
Discovering the most effective rewards bank card is about selecting the one that matches your way of life and targets.
For me, that meant beginning with a flexible card I might use day by day, whereas constructing towards extra premium choices as my journey habits evolve. While you take the time to learn the way every profit works, even only one nice rewards card can flip on a regular basis spending into one thing greater — whether or not that is a free flight, a five-star keep or just extra freedom in the way you spend.
Associated: How one can decide the suitable journey bank card for you
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
