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If you have a good credit score, it's smart to think about how to get more value from your credit cards. Credit card rewards are a popular option, as they're one of the most valuable features card issuers offer. In this guide, you'll learn everything you need to know to maximize your credit card rewards.
Maximizing your credit card rewards is achieved through using your rewards card on your spending and paying the bill in full every month
Here are a few guidelines to make the most of your rewards credit card:
To qualify for the rewards cards with the most benefits, you'll generally need good or excellent credit. If you need help raising your credit score, you can learn how in our credit score guide.
If you want to take advantage of the perks of a rewards credit card, take a look at a few of our favorites below. Our full list of the Best Rewards Credit Cards has a lot more options to consider too.
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Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Discover it® Secured Credit Card |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
On Wells Fargo's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Discover it® Secured Credit Card
On Discover's Secure Website. |
Rates & Fees | Rates & Fees | |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
$200 cash rewards offer |
75,000 miles |
Cashback Match |
Rewards Program: 2% cash rewards |
Rewards Program: 2x miles |
1% - 2% Cashback |
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: 10.99% Intro APR, 6 months |
Regular APR: 15.74%, 20.74%, or 25.74% Variable APR |
Regular APR: 16.24% - 24.24% Variable |
Regular APR: 23.24% Variable APR |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $95 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
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Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
On Wells Fargo's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Discover it® Secured Credit Card
On Discover's Secure Website. |
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Chase has the best credit card rewards program because it has several quality travel partners and it offers the best rates when you use points for cash travel bookings.
Here's how you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to save big on travel:
Here are some of our top-rated Chase cards that could be a good fit for you if you're looking for travel rewards.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Reserve®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
80,000 points |
50,000 points |
100,000 points |
1x - 5x points |
1x - 10x points |
1x - 3x points |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Regular APR: 16.24% - 23.24% Variable |
Regular APR: 17.24% - 24.24% Variable |
Regular APR: 16.24% - 21.24% Variable |
Annual Fee: $95 |
Annual Fee: $550 |
Annual Fee: $95 |
Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Reserve®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
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The Chase Ultimate Rewards program ranks at the top, but there are a couple of other great rewards programs you may want to check out.
American Express also offers quite a few travel partners in its popular rewards program. You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to over 20 different partners. That includes domestic airlines, international airlines, and hotels. The Membership Rewards program provides so many options that American Express rewards credit cards work well if you like to shop around for the best travel rewards deals.
American Express has several credit cards with travel rewards that we love. Take a look at a few here.
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The Platinum Card® from American Express |
American Express® Green Card |
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Apply Now for The Platinum Card® from American Express
On American Express' Secure Website. Terms apply |
Apply Now for Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
On American Express' Secure Website. Terms apply |
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Rates & Fees | Rates & Fees | Rates & Fees |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
100,000 Membership Rewards® Points |
45,000 Membership Rewards® points |
40,000 bonus miles |
1x - 5x points |
1x - 3x points |
1X - 2X miles |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Regular APR: See Pay Over Time APR |
Regular APR: 15.99% - 22.99%, variable |
Regular APR: 16.49%-25.49% Variable |
Annual Fee: $695 |
Annual Fee: $150 |
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. |
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Apply Now for The Platinum Card® from American Express
On American Express' Secure Website. Terms apply |
Apply Now for Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
On American Express' Secure Website. Terms apply |
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The information for the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by The Ascent and not provided by the issuer. Therefore, some terms may be out of date. Visit the issuer's website for more information.
Citi is another card issuer to consider as you shop for rewards credit cards. It has over a dozen travel partners where you can send your Citi ThankYou points. Most of these travel partners are international airlines. If there are any international frequent flyer programs you like, Citi rewards credit cards could be just what you need.
If you're interested in Citi, take a look at a few of our favorite cards that offer rewards below.
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Citi Premier® Card |
Citi Prestige® Card |
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Apply Now for Citi Premier® Card
On Citi's Secure Website. |
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Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
60,000 ThankYou® Points |
50,000 ThankYou Points |
50,000 miles |
1x - 3x points |
1x - 5x points |
1x - 2x miles |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Regular APR: 16.74% - 24.74% (Variable) |
Regular APR: 16.99% - 23.99%, variable |
Regular APR: 15.99% - 24.99%, variable |
Annual Fee: $95 |
Annual Fee: $495 |
$0 intro fee |
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Apply Now for Citi Premier® Card
On Citi's Secure Website. |
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Citi Prestige® Card is unavailable on The Ascent. All information was collected independently from the issuer. Some items may be out of date.
Bank of America rewards credit cards are ideal if you already use its banking or investment services. Through the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program, you can get bonuses of 25% to 75% on all your credit card rewards. To qualify, you need to meet minimum balance requirements that start at $20,000.
Unlike the card issuers above, Bank of America doesn't offer transfers to travel partners. Instead, it offers cash back rewards and fixed-rate travel redemptions depending on which of its cards you have.
Here are a few rewards cards from Bank of America that are worth a look.
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Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card | Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card |
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students |
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. |
Apply Now for Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
|
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
Credit Rating Requirement: |
50,000 points |
25,000 points |
25,000 points |
1.5 - 2 points per dollar |
1.5 points per dollar |
Rewards Program: 1.5 points per dollar |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Purchases: 0%, 15 billing cycles Balance Transfers: N/A |
Purchases: 0%, 12 billing cycles Balance Transfers: N/A |
Regular APR: 16.24% - 23.24% Variable |
Regular APR: 14.24% - 24.24% Variable |
Regular APR: 14.24% - 24.24%, variable |
Annual Fee: $95 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Apply Now for Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
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Credit card rewards programs are generally the better option if you travel multiple times per year. The top rewards programs give you ways to redeem points for a high value when you use them to book travel. Transferring points to travel partners, in particular, is one of the smartest ways to maximize credit card rewards.
Cash back is the better choice if you aren't a frequent traveler. It's also the way to go if you want the simpler credit card rewards option. There can be a learning curve to credit card rewards programs as you figure out how to best use your points. With cash back, you don't need to deal with that. Cash back credit cards are easy to use and can work for anyone.
Some other questions we've answered:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers the best rewards. It earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer to airline and hotel partners or use to book travel in cash. This Chase credit card also has a big sign-up bonus and a reasonable $95 annual fee.
Points are typically the best type of credit card rewards, because they have the most potential value. This is especially true with Chase, American Express, and Citi points. All three credit card companies allow you to transfer points to travel partners, which can get you more value than any other type of redemption.
To make the most of your rewards credit card, use it for every purchase so you earn as many credit card rewards as you can. Make sure you follow a budget so that you don't overspend, and pay off your credit card bill in full every month to avoid interest charges.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. The Motley Fool has a Disclosure Policy. The Author and/or The Motley Fool may have an interest in companies mentioned.
For rates and fees for the American Express® Green Card, click here
For rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here
For rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here
The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.
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