Best Rewards Credit Cards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review) is a much-loved travel credit card, popular for its transfer partners and benefits.

There’s a great introductory bonus, and the points you earn can be transferred at a 1:1 rate to a variety of airlines and hotels, giving you the flexibility to redeem with your favorite travel brands.

The points you earn are typically worth 1 cent each, but you’ll get a 25% point bonus if you redeem for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal. That would give you 1.25 cents per point.

But the more valuable way to use your points is to transfer them to a partner loyalty program, where they could be worth as much as 2 cents per point or more. That’d give you a cash back equivalent of 4% on travel and dining, and 2% for everything else.

• 25% point bonus: When redeeming for travel expenses through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Point transfer: Transfer points at a 1:1 rate to leading airline and hotel frequent travel programs, like Marriott Bonvoy and United MileagePlus.
• DoorDash membership: A free membership (DashPass) for at least a year, which provides free delivery and reduced service fees on orders over $12
• 15,000-point referral bonus: Get 15,000 points for every friend you refer who applies for the card and is approved, up to 75,000 bonus points per year.
• Luxury Hotel Collection: Book eligible rooms to get perks like daily breakfast for two, complimentary WiFi, room upgrades, early check-in or late check-out, and unique gifts.
• Shop through Chase/Chase Offers: Earn more points by shopping at participating retailers with the Shop through Chase marketplace, and find discounts in Chase Offers.
• Visa Signature Concierge: Call to speak with your Visa Signature Concierge, any time, day or night.
• Premium Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Get primary coverage on eligible rental cars so you don’t have to pay for rental insurance and your premiums won’t go up after an accident.
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 15.99% - 22.99% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $95

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
• Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on orders over $12 for a minimum of one year on qualifying food purchases with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
• Earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022. That’s 3X points in addition to the 2X points you already earn on travel.

Flat-rate cards offer the same spending reward for every purchase, and the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card (Review) offers a hefty welcome bonus to go along with a good deal on general spending.

Your miles are worth 1 cent each when redeeming for travel purchases, but you can also transfer them to a selection of airline partners where they might be worth more than that.

If you’re getting 1 cent per point, you’d get a cash back equivalent of 2% back on all spending. But if you get a good value by transferring your rewards, like 2 cents per point, you’d be earning the equivalent of 4% cash back on all purchases.

• Point transfer: Transfer points to a variety of airline partners at a rate of either 2:1.5 or 2:1, depending on the airline.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: A statement credit for the application fee of either Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85), once every four years.
• Luxury Hotel Collection: Get perks for eligible hotel stays, including a $25 food and beverage credit, room upgrades when available, complimentary in-room WiFi, and more.
• Visa Signature Concierge: Call any time for non-emergency assistance, like help making reservations or finding gifts.
• Shopping and travel protections: Including Extended Warranties, Travel Accident Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waivers, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, and more
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 17.24% - 24.49% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $95

The Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card (Review) is the top no annual fee travel card because it offers a decent reward rate for every purchase you make, with the ability to transfer your miles to a variety of airline partners.

It can help you travel for free without putting an extra strain on your wallet, as long as you avoid interest and other fees.

The miles you earn with this card are typically worth 1 cent each, unless you transfer them to an airline partner where they could be worth more.

If you’re getting the standard 1 cent per point, you’ll be earning a cash back equivalent of 1.25%, which is kind of mediocre.

If you get a good point transfer deal, and get 2 cents per point for example, you’d be getting a cash back equivalent of 2.5% everywhere you spend. That’s a much better deal, of course, so aim for high-value point redemptions through transfers.

• Point transfer: Transfer points to a variety of airline partners at a rate of either 2:1.5 or 2:1, depending on the airline.
• Luxury Hotel Collection: Get perks for eligible hotel stays, including a $25 food and beverage credit, room upgrades when available, complimentary in-room WiFi, and more.
• Visa Signature Concierge: Call any time for non-emergency assistance, like help making reservations or finding gifts.
• Shopping and travel protections: Such as Purchase Security, Roadside Dispatch, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, and more
• Purchase APR: 0% for 12 months, then 14.49% - 24.49% Variable
• Balance Transfer APR: 14.49% - 24.49% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $0

Frequent travelers can get a lot out of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review). Cardholders enjoy an excellent rewards rate on travel and dining, valuable travel benefits that are easy to take advantage of, and diverse travel partners for point transfers.

Take note that you’ll only begin earning points on travel after you use up the entire $300 travel credit.

Ultimate Rewards points are typically worth 1 cent each, but the Reserve provides a 50% point bonus if you redeem for travel expenses. That makes it easy to get a good value for Chase points, with a cash back equivalent of 4.5% for travel and dining and 1.5% everywhere else.

But the best point values will come from point transfers to partner airlines and hotels. These could yield 2 cents per point or more, depending on the deal you choose, which would give you a cash back equivalent of at least 6% on travel and dining and 2% everywhere else.

Wondering if you should go with the Sapphire Reserve or the less-expensive Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review)? Read our comparison of the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Sapphire Preferred.

• Point transfer: Transfer your points at a 1:1 rate to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs, like United, JetBlue, and Marriott.
• $300 annual travel credit: A $300 travel credit every year that will be automatically applied toward a broad range of travel-related expenses charged to the card.
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership: Provides access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide plus a selection of restaurants. The cardholder and two guests can enter for free; additional guests cost $27 each.
• Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection: Provides complimentary services and benefits at participating hotels and resorts, including room upgrades, daily breakfast for two, and special gifts.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: Get a statement credit to offset the cost of applying for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85), once every four years.
• Elite Hotel Benefits at Relais & Châteaux: Accelerated progress towards Club 5C member status with Relais & Châteaux luxury hotel and resort properties.
• Visa Infinite Concierge: Call for non-emergency help of all kinds, like making dinner reservations or finding good tickets to a show.
• Lyft Pink membership: One free year of Lyft Pink, which includes 15% off rides, relaxed cancellations, surprise offers, and priority airport pickup.
• DoorDash membership: A free membership (DashPass) for a year, which provides free delivery and reduced service fees on orders over $12.
• $60 annual DoorDash credit: Get $60 in DoorDash credits in 2020, and $60 in credits in 2021.
• Special Car Rental Privileges: Rental upgrades, discounts, and promotional offers at Avis, Silvercar, and National Car Rental.
• Shopping and travel protections: You’ll get Purchase Protection, a Primary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Trip Delay Reimbursement, and more.
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 16.99%-23.99% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $550

The Platinum Card® from American Express (Review) is the king of travel perks. Not only will its rewards program earn you a high rate for eligible travel expenses, you’ll also get the best airport lounge access available on a credit card, and a variety of credits that can potentially offset the high annual fee completely.

You’ll want to save up your points until you can get a good point transfer deal, because otherwise your points are only worth a maximum of 1 cent each (and that’s just for eligible flight redemptions). Statement credits will only provide 0.6 cents per point, so definitely avoid using that redemption option.

Point transfers could provide 2 cents per point or quite a bit more. At those rates you’d be earning a cash back equivalent of 10% or more in the 5X spending categories, which is quite a deal. You’ll also get a 4% cash back equivalent on other eligible purchases from Amex Travel, and 2% for everything else.

• Global Lounge Collection: Complimentary access to Priority Pass, Centurion, American Express International, Delta Sky Club, Escape, Airspace, Lufthansa, and Plaza Premium Lounges.
• $200 annual airline fee credit: Good for incidental costs like checked bags and inflight food (not flight tickets) at your selected airline.
• $200 annual Uber credits: $15 in statement credits for Uber rides each month, except for December which gets $35.
• $100 annual Saks credit: Up to $100 in statement credits each year for Saks Fifth Avenue: $50 from January through June, and $50 from July through December.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: A statement credit for the application fee of either Global Entry ($100 every four years) or TSA PreCheck ($85 once every four and a half years).
• The Hotel Collection: A $100 hotel credit and room upgrades when available for every eligible two-night stay.
• Fine Hotels & Resorts: Daily breakfast for two, room upgrades when available, amenities valued at $100, and more at eligible properties.
• Complimentary elite hotel statuses: Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status.
• No foreign transaction fee
  
• Annual fee: $550

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
• Enjoy Uber VIP status and free rides in the U.S. up to $15 each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings.
• 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.
• 5X Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
• Enjoy access to the Global Lounge Collection, the only credit card airport lounge access program that includes proprietary lounge locations around the world.
• Receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts. Learn More.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit, up to $200 per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline.
• Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
• $550 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.
• See Rates & Fees

There aren’t many general-use point cards without annual fees, but the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card (Review) is our pick for number one.

Not only will you get a point bonus for using the card more, you’ll also enjoy a long promotional APR period and no balance transfer fees.

This card offers a way to get Amex Membership Rewards points without paying an annual fee. It has a rare feature that rewards you more for spending more often: Make 20 or more purchases in a billing period to get a 20% bonus on the eligible points you earned.

That would give you a total of 2.4X points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, and 1.2X points everywhere else.

Normal redemptions will get you a maximum of 1 cent per point, but you can do better with point transfers. If you get 2 cents per point through a transfer, for example, you’ll be earning a cash back equivalent of 4.8% at U.S. supermarkets when earning at the 2.4X rate, and 2.4% cash back on all other purchases at the 1.2X rate.

• Amex Offers: Discounts or extra points at specific retailers, like (at the time of publication) Shutterfly.com, Harry’s Razors, Contacts Direct, and many more.
• Complimentary ShopRunner membership: Register with ShopRunner for free two-day shipping and returns at select online retailers.
• Entertainment Access: Exclusive discounts to events, concerts, sporting events, and shows.
• Shopping and travel protections: Like Extended Warranties, Return Protection, Global Assist Hotline, and others.
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 months (for transfers made in the first 60 days), then 13.99%–24.99% Variable
• No balance transfer fee
• Annual fee: $0

• Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
• Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 14.99%–25.99%.
• $0 balance transfer fee. Balance transfers must be requested within 60 days from account opening.
• 2x points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x); 1x points on other purchases.
• Use your Card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% more points on those purchases less returns and credits.
• Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017.
• No annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

You can’t beat The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Review) when it comes to business rewards cards. Amex raised the annual fee recently, but you’ll still have all the same benefits, plus two more that could be very useful for some businesses.

Amex Membership Rewards points are best used for point transfers to partner airlines and hotels, where the value you get will depend on how you redeem them.

If you get 2 cents per point, a pretty good rate, you’d be earning a cash back equivalent of 10% in the 5X categories, which is quite good. And you’d be earning a 3% cash back equivalent on purchases of $5,000 or more, but you may want to use a different card that earns more rewards for those purchases.

• Global Lounge Collection: Complimentary access to Priority Pass, Centurion, American Express International, Delta Sky Club, Escape, Airspace, Lufthansa, and Plaza Premium Lounges.
• Up to $200 annually in airline fee statement credits: Good for incidental costs like checked bags and inflight food, not tickets, at your selected airline.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: A statement credit for the application fee of either Global Entry ($100 every four years) or TSA PreCheck ($85 once every four and a half years).
• Complimentary elite hotel statuses: Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
• Up to $100 in statement credits semi-annually for U.S. Dell purchases: $100 from January through June, and $100 from July through December
• The Hotel Collection: A $100 hotel credit and room upgrades when available for every eligible two-night stay.
• Fine Hotels & Resorts: Daily breakfast for two, room upgrades when available, amenities valued at $100, and more at eligible properties.
• Point transfer: To a selection of airline and hotel partners.
• No foreign transaction fee
  
• Annual fee: $595

• Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
• Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That’s an extra half point per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year.
• Enroll to get up to $200 in statement credits annually by getting up to $100 semi-annually for U.S. purchases with Dell. Terms apply.
• 35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year when you book on amextravel.com.
• Terms Apply
• See Rates & Fees

If you expect your business expenses to change from month to month or you’re never quite sure what they’ll be, the American Express® Business Gold Card (Review) could be the perfect card for you.

It provides 4X points in the two categories (out of six) your business spends the most in each month, letting you earn points at a high rate even with unpredictable spending patterns.

The value of your Amex Membership Rewards points will depend on how you redeem them. Point transfers can provide the highest rate per point, but you’ll typically need to do a bit of searching to find good deals.

You may get 2 cents per point or more through transfers; at that rate you’d be earning a cash back equivalent of at least 8% in the 4X categories, and 4% in the 2X categories. That’s a solid return on your purchases, and the fact that this card adjusts for your spending as it changes makes it all the better.

• 25% airline bonus: Get 25% of your points back when booking eligible airfare through American Express Travel using Membership Rewards Pay with Points.
• The Hotel Collection: A $100 hotel credit and room upgrades when available for every eligible two-night stay
• Amex Offers: A changing selection of merchants where you can earn extra points or find discounts
• Point transfer: To a selection of airline and hotel partners
• No foreign transaction fee
  
• Annual fee: $295

• Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
• More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases. **
• **4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
• Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.*
• Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option with interest to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.*
• *Terms Apply
• See Rates & Fees

If food is your thing, the American Express® Gold Card (Review) might be your card.

You’ll earn points at a high rate at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, which is rare to see on a credit card (you usually only see one of these categories at a time, or one is significantly better than the other). And there are also some cost-saving benefits you can use each year to help offset the annual fee.

This might not seem like a travel card from the spending rewards, but it has a few benefits that make it suited for that purpose. In particular, the best way to redeem your Amex Membership Rewards points is through point transfers to partner airlines and hotels.

Depending on how you redeem, you can get upwards of 2 cents per point. That would give you a cash back equivalent of 8% at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. restaurants, which is probably the best you’ll currently find on any credit card.

• $100 annual airline fee credit: Use this to pay for incidental airline fees, like baggage and in-flight food and drinks. Does not apply to flight tickets.
• $120 annual dining credit: Earn up to $10 in statement credits per month for purchases at eligible restaurants and food delivery services.
• Point transfer: To airline and hotel loyalty programs, like JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Marriott, and Hyatt
• The Hotel Collection: Provides up to $100 in credits for every eligible hotel stay of two nights or more
• Amex Offers: Find significant discounts at a changing selection of merchants and websites, like (at the time of publication) TurboTax, SamsClub.com, Etsy, and many more.
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $250

• Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points when you dine at restaurants worldwide. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
• Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
• $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline.
• Choose to carry a balance with interest on eligible charges of $100 or more.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $250.
• Terms Apply.
• See Rates & Fees

If you’re looking for a solid, no-fee card that earns points on gas, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card (Review) might be right for you.

In addition to gas stations you’ll also get a few other useful bonus categories — including streaming services, which is rare — a nice welcome bonus, and a pretty long introductory APR.

Every point is worth 1 cent when redeemed, so you’ll be earning a 3% cash back equivalent when spending in the 3X categories.

• Entertainment Access: Get access to special offers and ticket presales for events in big U.S. cities.
• Free FICO credit score: Check your FICO Score 9 whenever you’d like, based on your Experian credit report.
• Cell Phone Protection: Pay your cell phone bill with this card to get coverage against damage and theft, up to $600 with a $25 deductible.
• Shopping and travel protections: Including Purchase Protection, Travel Accident Insurance, Travel Inconvenience Insurance, and more
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% Intro APR for 12 months (for transfers made in the first 120 days), then 13.99%-25.99% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $0

• Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $200 cash redemption value
• $0 annual fee and no foreign currency conversion fee
• Earn 3X points on eating out and ordering in
• Earn 3X points on travel including flights, hotels, homestays and car rentals
• Earn 3X points on gas stations, rideshares and transit
• Earn 3X points on popular streaming services
• Earn 1X points on other purchases
• Select “Apply Now” to learn more about the product features, terms and conditions

College students could do worse than the Citi Rewards+^℠ Student Card, an interesting reward card with some unique features.

You won’t earn a ton of points per dollar, but every purchase you make will round up to the nearest 10 points. So even a candy bar will net you 10 points. You’ll also get 10% of your points back, effectively raising the 2X reward rate to 2.2X.

• Citi Private Pass: Special access to purchase tickets and VIP packages for concerts, sports, dining, and movie screenings
• Purchase APR: 0% for 7 months, then 14.49% - 24.49% (Variable)
• Balance Transfer APR: 14.49% - 24.49% (Variable)
• Annual fee: $0

• The Citi Rewards+^SM Student Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap
• Earn 2,500 bonus points after you spend $500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for a $25 gift card at thankyou.com
• 0% Intro APR on purchases for 7 months. After that, the variable APR will be 14.49% – 24.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Earn 2X ThankYou^® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X Points on All Other Purchases.
• The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 14.49% – 24.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion.
• No annual fee

Getting a lot of points fast can be exciting. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review) can give you a wealth of Ultimate Rewards points in your first few months, enough for a trip or two (or even three) depending on how you use them.

Redemptions for travel expenses through Ultimate Rewards will give you 1.25 cents per point. But to get the most of your bonus, transfer your points to a partner airline or hotel you plan to book.

That could give you 2 cents per point or more, leading to a much bigger bang for your buck.

• 25% point bonus: When redeeming for travel expenses through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Point transfer: Transfer points at a 1:1 rate to leading airline and hotel frequent travel programs, like Marriott Bonvoy and United MileagePlus.
• DoorDash membership: A free membership (DashPass) for at least a year, which provides free delivery and reduced service fees on orders over $12
• 15,000-point referral bonus: Get 15,000 points for every friend you refer who applies for the card and is approved, up to 75,000 bonus points per year.
• Luxury Hotel Collection: Book eligible rooms to get perks like daily breakfast for two, complimentary WiFi, room upgrades, early check-in or late check-out, and unique gifts.
• Shop through Chase/Chase Offers: Earn more points by shopping at participating retailers with the Shop through Chase marketplace, and find discounts in Chase Offers.
• Visa Signature Concierge: Call to speak with your Visa Signature Concierge, any time, day or night.
• Premium Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Get primary coverage on eligible rental cars so you don’t have to pay for rental insurance and your premiums won’t go up after an accident.
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 15.99% - 22.99% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $95

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
• Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on orders over $12 for a minimum of one year on qualifying food purchases with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
• Earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022. That’s 3X points in addition to the 2X points you already earn on travel.

Airline credit cards typically offer the same kinds of perks: free checked bags, priority boarding, in-flight discounts, and maybe even lounge access.

You’ll get all that with the United Club℠ Infinite Card (Review), plus more. You’ll get quite a few more miles than United flyers who aren’t cardholders, and enjoy access to perks that typically take a lot of flights or spending to earn.

• United Club membership: Complimentary membership to the United Club airport lounge, with free access for you and two guests
• Premier Access airport travel services: Includes priority check-in and security screening, and boarding/baggage handling privileges
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit: Get a $100 credit for the application fee of Global Entry, or $85 for TSA PreCheck, once every four years.
• Free first and second checked bags: For you and one traveling companion on United flights
• 25% in-flight discount: For purchases like food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on United flights
• Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection: Hotel perks like daily breakfast for two, complimentary WiFi, and room upgrades when available
• World of Hyatt Discoverist status: A 10% point bonus, room upgrades, and other benefits at Hyatt properties
• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle Elite Status: Get a 25% point bonus, upgrades, and exclusive offers at Hertz.
• Complimentary Premier Upgrades on United award flights: MileagePlus Premier members can get award ticket upgrades when available
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 16.49% - 23.49% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee, then $525

Looking for a way to upgrade your next trip? A hotel credit card can do just that, by bumping up your member status and providing free nights, among other perks.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card (Review) is one of the best, featuring a big boost to the points you’ll earn for every stay, a free night every year after your cardmember anniversary, and solid airport lounge access.

• $300 annual Marriott Bonvoy hotel credit: Up to $300 in statement credits for eligible purchases and purchases at U.S. restaurants will now qualify toward the $300 Marriott Bonvoy Statement Credit (6/1/20 through 8/31/20)
• Free Night Award: Every year after your account anniversary you’ll get a Free Night Award, good for redemption values of 50,000 points or less.
• Priority Pass Select membership: Free access to Priority Pass airport lounges for you and up to two guests (excludes non-lounge experiences)
• Application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: A statement credit for the application fee of either Global Entry ($100 every five years) or TSA PreCheck ($85 every four-and-a-half years)
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite hotel status: Includes perks like a 25% bonus on base points, 2 p.m. late checkout, and more
• 15 Elite Night Credits: Each year you’ll get 15 Elite Night Credits towards a higher member status.
• $100 property credit: Earn up to $100 in property credits when booking at least two nights direct with a special rate code at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis.
• Bonus points for airline transfers: Get 15,000 bonus points for every 60,000 points transferred to airline programs.
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 16.74%–25.74% Variable
• No foreign transaction fee
• Annual fee: $450

• 6X points per dollar at Marriott Bonvoy hotels
• 3X points per dollar at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines
• 2X points per dollar spent on all other purchases
• 75,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
• $300 Marriott Bonvoy annual statement credit
• Purchases at U.S. restaurants will now qualify toward the $300 Marriott Bonvoy Statement Credit (6/1/20 through 8/31/20).
• Free Night Award every year after your card anniversary
• Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, Platinum Elite status after spending $75,000 per year
• Priority Pass Select membership
• Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓ application
• $450 annual fee