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- Best Rewards Credit Cards
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Finding the right credit card rewards to fit your needs can be difficult. We at The Ascent have reviewed hundreds of reward credit cards to find the best available for you. Below you'll find the best rewards credit cards that are currently available, reviewed by our team of experts as well as how to maximize your credit card rewards for your lifestyle.
Great for: Travel sign up bonus
Bottom Line
With a leading sign-up bonus, the sky’s the limit for this top-rated travel rewards card. Plus, the premium points program for travel and dining make it a no brainer for travel enthusiasts everywhere. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
2x points on travel and dining, 1x points on all other purchases. 25% more points for travel booked through Chase's portal.
Annual Fee
$95
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.99% - 22.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
60,000 points after spending $4,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Bonus cash with no annual fee
Bottom Line
Somehow this cash back card packs in a deep bench of perks for no annual fee. The standouts are the highest cash back rate we've come across, a lucrative bonus, and a competitive 0% intro APR offer. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 14 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 14 months
Ongoing APR
11.99% - 22.99% Variable APR
Welcome Bonus
Dollar-for-dollar match of all cash back earned the first year
Highlights
Great for: Cash back and 0% intro APR
Bottom Line
This card includes a lineup of features that makes it a great option for one-card-wallet simplicity. The unlimited cash back makes it easy to earn rewards. The sign-up bonus and long 0% intro APR offer are the cherries on top. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Unlimited 1.5% cash back, 5% cash back at on travel through Chase, no minimum redemption
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
14.99% - 23.74% Variable
Welcome Bonus
$200 after spending $500 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: 0% intro APR for balance transfers
Bottom Line
Earn up to 2% on all purchases - 1% when you buy, and 1% when you pay the minimum each month. Add that to no annual fee and an 18 month 0% intro APR offer on balance transfers and this card is a winner. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
2% cash back: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months
Ongoing APR
13.99% – 23.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Highlights
Great for: Gas and U.S. supermarkets
Bottom Line
The U.S. supermarkets and gas stations rewards are clear standouts, in addition to a leading welcome offer and a nice 0% intro APR offer. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets ($6,000 spending cap per year), 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, 1% back on all else
Annual Fee
$95
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
13.99%-23.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
$250 after spending $1,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Dining and U.S. supermarkets
Bottom Line
The welcome offer, lucrative dining, U.S. supermarkets, and travel rewards more than justify the annual fee for most who spend in these categories. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
4x points for dining worldwide and U.S. supermarkets purchases ($25,000 annual spending cap), 3x points for travel booked with airlines or amextravel.com, 1x on all else
Annual Fee
$250
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Welcome Bonus
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $4,000 within 6 months
Highlights
Great for: Dining
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Bottom Line
A rare, great pick that offers lucrative rewards (up to 4x points), a big bonus, and a competitive 0% intro APR offer, all somehow with no annual fee. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
4 points per $1 on dining, 2 points per $1 on groceries, gas, and streaming services, 1 point per $1 on all else.
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 billing cycles
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 billing cycles for transfers made within 60 days
Ongoing APR
14.99% - 23.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
25,000 points after spending $1,000 within 90 days
Highlights
Great for: Travel card with no annual fee
Bottom Line
No-annual-fee travel cards typically skimp on the sign-up bonus, but this card delivers with its market-leading intro bonus offer, unlimited rewards on purchases, and other wallet-friendly perks. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Unlimited 1.5 points per $1 on purchases, 25%-75% more points for Bank of America Preferred Rewards members
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 billing cycles
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
14.99% - 22.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
25,000 points after making at least $1,000 in purchases within 90 days of account opening
Highlights
Great for: Unlimited travel miles
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
What We Like About The Card
Unlimited 2X miles, TSA Pre✓® credits, and a big, limited time sign-up bonus make this credit card one of the best travel companions on the market. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Unlimited 2x miles on all purchases
Annual Fee
$95, annually
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
17.24% - 24.49%, variable
Welcome Bonus
60,000 miles after spending $3,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Dining
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Bottom Line
Unlimited 4% cash back on dining and entertainment makes this the ideal option for spending nights out on the town. Pair that with the big sign-up bonus and 2% back at grocery stores and you’ve got the ingredients for a top-rated rewards card. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases
Annual Fee
$95
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.99% - 24.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
$300 after spending $3,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Travel, dining, and gas
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
Bottom Line
This no-annual-fee rewards card enables you to earn 3X points for dining out, travel, gas stations, and more, plus a big sign-up bonus. The addition of a 0% Intro APR offer makes it even more surprising that there's no annual fee. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
3X points for eating out and ordering in, gas stations, rideshares, transit, flights, hotels, and more, 1x points on all else
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months
Ongoing APR
14.49% - 24.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
20,000 points after spending $1,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Building credit
Bottom Line
People with no or limited credit histories will be hard pressed to beat it. The rewards program and lack of fees are clear standouts in the category. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
1.5% cash back after making 12 on-time monthly payments. 1% cash back on purchases right away
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
12.99% - 26.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Highlights
A rewards credit card is a type of credit card that rewards you for using the card to make purchases. You earn rewards at a pre-set rate, such as 5% cash back, or 2x miles for every dollar you spend.
While it is possible to find annual fee-free rewards cards, a good chunk do charge a fee -- 18% of them, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). These fees can be much higher than non-rewards cards, ranging up to several hundred dollars each year.
The best reward cards often have other features, too. Rewards cards may have sign-up bonuses where you can earn a jackpot of rewards if you spend a certain amount within a set time period, such as the first three months after you get the card. Other reward credit card offers include discounted event tickets, free checked bags at the airport, free rental car insurance, and more.
Credit card rewards are a sort of pseudo-currency, and are often called "points," "miles," or "cash" as you make qualifying purchases with your credit card. Rewards don't have any real value until you redeem them, however. Some credit card rewards systems can be quite complicated with a lot of rules, while others are simple.
Some credit card enthusiasts prefer the complicated systems and use them to maximize the value they get from the cards. Other people prefer to stick to simple rewards programs where they don't have to worry about the details too much.
There are three main types of rewards credit cards: cash back rewards, travel rewards, and store rewards with specific merchants like Amazon, Home Depot, or Best Buy.
The top rewards credit cards usually offer a blend of cash back and travel rewards, but are still primarily known for one type of reward or another. For example, people see the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card as a travel rewards card because of its excellent travel rewards program, but you can also use it to redeem your rewards for cash, gift cards, and more.
Cash back credit cards allow you to earn rewards in the form of cash back. This can take one of several forms, depending on the details of your credit card's rewards program.
You might get a statement credit back on your account, which effectively erases some of the purchases you've made. You can also get cash back in the form of a paper check or a deposit into your bank account. Other cards even allow you to pay with your rewards points at popular online merchants like Amazon.
Over 25% of all credit cards with rewards are cash back cards, making them the single most popular category, according to the CFPB. It's easy to see why: Cash allows you to transform your rewards into anything you want.
You can split up cash back credit cards even further. The three main types of cash back rewards credit cards are:
Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best cash back credit cards
Travel rewards cards allow you to redeem your rewards specifically for travel. This could include airline tickets, hotel and Airbnb stays, tours, car rentals, cruises, and more. You may be able to redeem your rewards for a statement credit towards travel purchases, deposits of miles into your airline frequent flyer account, or use them to make travel purchases directly through your card issuer's rewards portal.
If you're a traveler (or you'd like to be), it often pays off to choose a travel rewards card instead of a cash back card, even though you could use the cash to pay for travel. That's because you can often get a better return on your spending by choosing a travel rewards card.
For example, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are worth up to $0.05 each, and you can earn up to three of them for every dollar you spend on dining with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. That's an effective cash back rate of up to 15% -- far higher than you'd get with a cash back rewards card.
Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best travel rewards credit cards
Store credit cards allow you to earn points that you can redeem for in-store purchases. Some of these cards only allow you to make purchases from that store, while others can also be used elsewhere.
For example, T.J. Maxx has two different rewards cards. Both of them allow you to buy things at T.J. Maxx stores and earn T.J. Maxx rewards. But only one -- the TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard® -- also allows you to make purchases with other merchants.
Store credit cards often offer smaller perks like fan club membership, access to special sales, discounts, and more. But unless you really spend a lot of money at the store, it's usually better to stick with a regular cash back rewards card. That way you can still use your cash rewards to buy things at the store if you want, but you're not narrowing your options.
TIP
Always pay your bill in full: If you carry a balance from month to month, you'll have to pay interest on your credit card. This will wipe out the value of any rewards you get.
Read and understand the fine print: A lot of people miss out on getting the most from their rewards card because they don't understand exactly how the rewards program works. Don't let that be you.
Don't overspend: Rewards cards often tempt people to spend more than they can pay off in a single month. Keep an eye on your spending, and pay your bill every week to keep your spending in check if you have to.
There's no shortage of rewards cards out there these days. And while there is no single "best rewards credit card" because everybody's circumstances are different, there are some cards that are generally better than others. Here are some of the top rewards credit cards out there today:
If You’re Looking For: | Consider: |
---|---|
Premium travel benefits | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
Unlimited rewards | Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer |
High cash back | Discover it® Cash Back |
Gas points | Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express |
Each rewards credit card has its own rules for how you redeem your rewards, and
these programs can often be confusing. A full 36% of people don't understand exactly how their credit cards rewards work, according to a 2020 survey from J.D. Power. Here's a step-by-step method for how to redeem your credit card rewards according to what type of card you have:
Travel rewards cards are especially tricky because they often come with a lot of options for how to use your points, and with complicated rewards programs.
Cash back credit cards offer a simpler rewards structure, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook for making sure you can maximize the value of your rewards.
Rewards credit cards aren't right for everyone, and that's OK. But if the following items are true, a rewards card may be a good bet:
Rewards are not the only benefit a credit card can give you. Here are some other types of credit cards that you might find more useful, depending on your situation:
0% APR purchase cards: If you need to make a big purchase, you can use a 0% APR purchase card to skip interest payments for a certain length of time while still earning rewards. Watch out for deferred interest cards, though.
Secured credit cards: If your credit score could use some work, you could apply for a secured credit card. You'll need to put down a refundable deposit, but you can use it just like a regular credit card to build your credit score.
Student credit cards: If you're a student, you may be able to get a low-limit student credit card to help you build your credit. If you learn to manage it well, you'll be at a huge advantage by the time you graduate.
You have a lot of options when it comes to the best credit cards for rewards. Here are some of the top reward credit card offers we've seen lately:
Card | Rating | Great For |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Travel sign up bonus |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Bonus cash with no annual fee |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Cash back and 0% intro APR |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: 0% intro APR for balance transfers |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Gas and U.S. supermarkets |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Dining and U.S. supermarkets |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Dining |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Travel card with no annual fee |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Unlimited travel miles |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Dining |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Travel, dining, and gas |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Building credit |
A rewards credit card is a special type of credit card that helps you earn real, tangible rewards from your everyday spending. You'll typically need a good credit score for a rewards credit card. You'll also need the discipline and ability to pay off your card each month so you don't have to pay interest, which can cancel out any rewards you do earn.
Rewards credit cards give you a sort of pseudo-currency (points, miles, or cash) from purchases you make with the card. You can then redeem these for real rewards, such as actual cash, travel, gift cards, and more.
For example, you could earn 5% cash back on Amazon purchases, 2x miles per dollar spent on gas that you can redeem for travel, or 3x points per dollar spent on dining and restaurants that you can redeem for a gift card.
There is no "best credit card for points" or "best credit card for rewards." Rather, it depends on what type of reward you want to get, and where you do most of your spending currently.
However, some cards are broadly popular, and for good reason. The Citi® Double Cash Card offers the highest flat-rate of cash back. The Discover it® Cash Back offers the highest overall percentage of cash back. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is widely considered one of the best premium travel cards.
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