Pick the largest sign-up bonus your regular spending can earn before its deadline, and pay the card in full every month so interest doesn’t cancel it out. For most people, that’s a $95 travel card such as the Capital One Venture Rewards. Pay a premium card’s fee only if you’ll use its credits.
A sign-up bonus is the fastest way to earn big card rewards, as long as you earn it on spending you’d do anyway and pay the balance in full each month. Banks charged an average rate of 22.15% on card accounts that paid interest in the second quarter of 2026, the Federal Reserve reports. At that rate, carrying a balance to reach a spending requirement can cost more than the bonus is worth.
Every card below earned its place on three tests: the offer’s value in cash or travel, the spending it requires in the time allowed, and whether the card is worth its annual fee after the bonus. Divide the spending requirement by the months allowed, and take an offer only if the result fits what you already charge each month. Some American Express offers vary by applicant, and the company shows your exact amount before you accept the card.
Points & miles for any trip
Each card here pays points or miles worth a cent apiece on travel booked through its issuer, on flights in American Express’s case, so 100,000 points comes to about $1,000 of travel.
Best overall: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Anyone who wants double miles on everything can earn 75,000 miles for a $95 fee, plus up to $300 for a hotel or vacation rental booked through Capital One Travel in year one.
- What Sets It Apart: Flat 2X miles everywhere; transfers to 22 airline and hotel programs, most at one to one
- Welcome Offer: 75,000 miles after $4,000 in purchases in 3 months
- Rewards: 5X on Capital One Travel reservations for hotels, vacation rentals, or rental cars; 2 miles per dollar on every purchase
- Features: A one-time $300 Capital One Travel credit for hotels and vacation rentals in year one; up to $120 every 4 years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 19.74%, 24.74%, or 28.74% variable
- Cost: No foreign transaction fee
- Credit Needed: Excellent, as Capital One lists it
- Pros: No bonus categories to track; a first-year offer worth up to $1,050 toward travel; transferred miles worth more than a cent each on awards that cost fewer miles than their cash price in cents
- Cons: 2X beats the no-fee VentureOne’s 1.25X after the fee only past about $12,700 a year; no airport lounge access; 5X and the $300 credit only on Capital One Travel bookings
For more information, read our full Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Review.
Best for one hotel stay: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Travelers who book one hotel stay a year through Chase Travel can earn 75,000 points for a $95 fee that the card’s yearly hotel credit of up to $100 covers.
- What Sets It Apart: A $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit that covers the $95 fee, plus transfers to airline and hotel programs
- Welcome Offer: 75,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in 3 months
- Rewards: 5x on Chase Travel; 3x on dining, gas, EV charging, streaming, and online grocery
- Features: Up to $120 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 19.49% to 27.74% variable
- Cost: No foreign transaction fee
- Pros: $100 hotel credit exceeds the $95 fee; primary rental car coverage; trip cancellation and trip delay coverage
- Cons: Credit only on Chase Travel hotel bookings, which usually earn no hotel loyalty points; 1x on non-bonus purchases; Points Boost limited to select bookings; no intro APR
For more information, read our full Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review.
Best for dining out: American Express® Gold Card
Offers run as high as 100,000 points, and the $325 fee pays for itself after the bonus only if you spend heavily at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and use its dining credits.
- What Sets It Apart: 4X points at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets; $424 a year in dining, Uber, Resy, and Dunkin’ credits
- Welcome Offer: Up to 100,000 points after $8,000 in purchases in 6 months
- Rewards: 5X on prepaid Amex Travel hotels; 4X at restaurants (up to $50,000 a year) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000); 3X on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel; Uber and Lyft rides earn 1X; 1X elsewhere
- Features: $10 a month in Uber Cash; up to $10 a month at Grubhub and select restaurants; up to $50 every six months at Resy restaurants; up to $7 a month at Dunkin’; enrollment required
- Annual Fee: $325
- APR: 19.74% to 28.74% variable on Pay Over Time balances
- Cost: No foreign transaction fee
- Pros: 4X on restaurant meals abroad with no foreign transaction fee; welcome offer worth up to $1,000 toward Amex Travel flights
- Cons: Points worth 0.6 cent as statement credits; dining credits need enrollment and don’t carry over; no airport lounge access
For more information, read our full American Express® Gold Card Review.
Best for one travel credit: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
From year two, a $300 yearly credit on Capital One Travel bookings plus 10,000 anniversary miles more than cover the $395 fee. A traveler who’d use that credit anyway can earn 75,000 miles.
- What Sets It Apart: $300 yearly travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles, together worth $400 toward travel, more than the $395 fee
- Welcome Offer: 75,000 miles after $4,000 in purchases in 3 months
- Rewards: 10X on Capital One Travel hotels and rental cars; 5X on Capital One Travel flights and vacation rentals; 2X miles on all purchases
- Features: Up to $120 back for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every 4 years
- Annual Fee: $395
- APR: 19.74%, 24.74%, or 28.74% variable
- Cost: No foreign transaction fees
- Credit Needed: Excellent, as Capital One lists it
- Pros: Lounge access for the primary cardholder at Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges; miles worth 1 cent each toward travel; transfers to more than 15 airline and hotel programs
- Cons: Travel credit works only on Capital One Travel bookings and expires each year; lounge guests cost $45 per adult at Capital One Lounges and $35 at Priority Pass; $125 a year for each authorized user’s lounge access
For more information, read our full Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Review.
Best for high-value points: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Its 100,000 points can be worth up to 2 cents each on some Chase Travel flights and hotels, but the $795 fee pays off only if you’ll use most of the card’s credits.
- What Sets It Apart: $300 travel credit that covers almost any travel purchase; lounge access with up to two guests
- Welcome Offer: 100,000 points after $6,000 in 3 months
- Rewards: 8x on Chase Travel; 4x on flights and hotels booked direct; 3x on dining; points worth up to 2 cents each with Points Boost
- Features: Up to $500 for prepaid The Edit stays; $300 dining credit; $300 StubHub credit; up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every 4 years
- Annual Fee: $795
- APR: 19.74% to 28.24% variable
- Cost: No foreign transaction fees; $195 per authorized user
- Pros: Automatic $300 travel credit; Chase Sapphire Lounges and 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges; transfers to United, Southwest, and World of Hyatt; up to $75,000 in rental car coverage
- Cons: $795 fee; dining and StubHub credits paid in $150 halves; several perks end in 2027; 1 cent per point in Chase Travel without Points Boost
For more information, read our full Chase Sapphire Reserve® Review.
Best for lounge access: American Express Platinum Card®
American Express offers up to 175,000 points. After the bonus, the $895 fee is worth paying only for a frequent flyer who’ll use its airport lounges and already buys what its credits cover.
- What Sets It Apart: Access to more than 1,550 airport lounges; Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status; 11 yearly credits worth $2,994 at face value
- Welcome Offer: Up to 175,000 points after $12,000 in purchases in 6 months
- Rewards: 5 points per dollar on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel (up to $500,000 a year) and on prepaid Amex Travel hotels; 1 point elsewhere
- Features: $600 a year for prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or Hotel Collection stays; $200 in airline fees; $200 in Uber Cash; $219 for CLEAR+; up to $120 for Global Entry every 4 years
- Annual Fee: $895
- APR: 19.74% to 28.74% variable on Pay Over Time balances
- Cost: No foreign transaction fee; $195 per additional Platinum card
- Pros: Free entry to Centurion lounges and 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year on eligible Delta flights; up to two free guests at Priority Pass, Escape, and Plaza Premium lounges
- Cons: Credits split into monthly, quarterly, and half-year amounts; $50 per Centurion Lounge guest until $75,000 in yearly spending; 1 point per dollar on everyday spending
For more information, read our full American Express Platinum Card® Review.
Cash back
Best for big grocery bills: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Households with big U.S. supermarket bills can earn up to $300 back with no annual fee the first year, and the 6% grocery rate justifies the $95 fee from year two.
- What Sets It Apart: 6% on U.S. groceries, up to $6,000 a year, and on select U.S. streaming
- Welcome Offer: Up to $300 back after $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months; your amount shown before you accept
- Rewards: 6% back on the first $6,000 spent each year at U.S. supermarkets (then 1%) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% at U.S. gas stations with no yearly cap; 3% on transit, rideshare included, with no cap
- Features: Up to $10 a month back on Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN with enrollment
- Annual Fee: $0 intro the first year, then $95
- Intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases and on balance transfers requested in the first 60 days
- APR: 19.74% to 28.74% variable
- Cost: Balance transfer fee 3% (min. $5); 2.7% foreign transaction fee
- Pros: Up to $360 a year from groceries at 6%; uncapped 3% on gas and transit; first year free
- Cons: 6% grocery rate stops at $6,000 a year; superstores and warehouse clubs don’t count as supermarkets
For more information, read our full Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Review.
Best for no annual fee: Discover it® Cash Back
For someone who spends little and won’t pay an annual fee, the $200 bonus takes only $500 in purchases within 3 months, and Discover matches all your first-year cash back.
- What Sets It Apart: A first-year match of every dollar of cash back, plus rotating 5% categories, with no annual or foreign transaction fee
- Welcome Offer: $200 statement credit after $500 in purchases in 3 months when you apply through Discover’s page; Cashback Match doubles all the cash back you earn in your first year, with no cap
- Rewards: 5% on up to $1,500 a quarter in categories you activate; 5% on Capital One Travel bookings of hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, and activities, and on Capital One Entertainment tickets; 1% on all other purchases
- Features: No late fee the first time you pay late
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
- APR: 18.74% to 28.74% variable
- Cost: 3% fee on balances transferred in the first 15 months; no foreign transaction fee
- Pros: First-year match on every purchase; categories that cover everyday spending
- Cons: Categories need activating every quarter; 5% capped at $1,500 of purchases a quarter; 1% on everything else after year one; 5% categories only at U.S. merchants
For more information, read our full Discover it® Cash Back Review.
Airline cards
Each airline’s card earns that airline’s miles, so if you mostly fly a carrier not listed here, find its card among the best airline credit cards.
Best for United flyers: United℠ Explorer Card
United flyers can earn up to 80,000 miles with no annual fee the first year, time enough to see whether free checked bags cover the $150 fee that follows.
- What Sets It Apart: Free first checked bag for you and a companion; early Group 2 boarding; two United Club lounge passes a year
- Welcome Offer: Up to 80,000 miles, 70,000 after $3,000 in purchases and 10,000 for adding an authorized user, both in the first 3 months
- Rewards: 3 miles per $1 on United purchases; 2 on dining and on hotels booked directly; 1 on everything else
- Features: Up to $120 every 4 years toward a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee; at least 10% fewer miles on United flights booked with miles
- Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $150
- APR: 19.99% to 28.49% variable
- Cost: No foreign transaction fees
- Pros: Free first bags for two can cover the $150 fee in one round trip; two United Club passes a year, which Chase values at over $100
- Cons: Advertised $500-plus in credits split across specific partners; only 1,000 Premier qualifying points a year toward elite status; no companion ticket
For more information, read our full United℠ Explorer Card Review.
Hotel cards
Each pays in one hotel group’s points and free nights, so start with the chain you already stay with, and compare the yearly perks of the best hotel credit cards.
Best for Marriott stays: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
The offer pays 3 free nights, each at a hotel charging up to 50,000 points. That suits a Marriott guest with a trip coming up, since each award expires 12 months after it’s issued.
- What Sets It Apart: A free night after each account anniversary at a hotel charging up to 35,000 points, which you can top up with up to 25,000 of your own points
- Welcome Offer: 3 free nights, each at a hotel charging up to 50,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in 3 months
- Rewards: 6x at Marriott hotels; 3x on the first $6,000 a year in combined grocery, gas, and dining purchases; 2x on everything else
- Features: Silver Elite status; 15 elite night credits a year
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 19.49% to 27.99% variable
- Cost: No foreign transaction fee
- Pros: 35,000-point anniversary night that covers the fee on any room costing more than $95 in cash; Gold status after 10 nights a year; trip delay and lost luggage coverage
- Cons: Just 2x outside the bonus categories, less than a 2% cash-back card unless each point is worth at least a cent; free night expires after 12 months; resort fees not covered on free-night stays
For more information, read our full Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Review.
Best for Hilton stays: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
A Hilton guest with modest spending has six months to earn 130,000 points and a Free Night Reward, good for a standard room at most Hilton hotels.
- What Sets It Apart: Up to $200 a year in Hilton credits, $50 per quarter, against a $150 fee; Gold status with the card
- Welcome Offer: 130,000 points and a Free Night Reward after $3,000 in purchases in 6 months (apply by January 13, 2027)
- Rewards: 12x when you pay Hilton directly; 6x at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations; 4x at U.S. online retailers; 3x elsewhere
- Features: Free Night Reward at $15,000 and Diamond status at $40,000 in purchases in a calendar year
- Annual Fee: $150
- APR: 19.74% to 28.74% variable
- Cost: No foreign transaction fee
- Pros: Four quarterly credits exceed the fee by $50; Gold’s daily food and beverage credit at select U.S. brands; free nights include resort fees
- Cons: Credits capped at $50 a quarter; free night takes $15,000 in spending; 3x on other purchases, less than a 2% card unless each point is worth at least 0.67 cent; no elite night credits
For more information, read our full Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Review.
Best for IHG stays: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
IHG guests can earn 180,000 points on $3,000 in purchases within 3 months, and every fourth night of a stay booked with points is free.
- What Sets It Apart: Anniversary night at hotels costing up to 50,000 points, with your own points topping up pricier ones; fourth night free on stays booked with points; 15 elite night credits a year
- Welcome Offer: 180,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Rewards: 10 points per $1 at IHG hotels; 5 per $1 on dining, groceries, gas, car rentals, and flights bought from the airline; 3 per $1 elsewhere
- Features: Automatic Gold Elite status; $100 yearly airline credit through 2027; up to $100 a year in IHG food and drink vouchers; Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit up to $120 every four years
- Annual Fee: $150
- APR: 19.49% to 27.99% variable
- Cost: No foreign transaction fees
- Pros: Free night that covers the $150 fee on any room costing more than $150 in cash; fourth night free on any number of stays; 5 points per $1 on dining, groceries, and gas
- Cons: Gold status lacks room upgrades and early check-in; Platinum takes $15,000 in purchases in a calendar year; food and drink vouchers expire each quarter
For more information, read our full IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card Review.
The best offer is the largest one your regular bills can earn by the deadline without carrying a balance, and for most readers that means a $95 travel card. Step up to a premium card only for credits you’d use anyway.
Readers already carrying a balance should compare the best balance transfer credit cards before applying for any of these.
Subscribe and we'll send you 101 Essential Money Tips to get you started.
The 101 money moves that matter most, from the foundations to protecting what you’ve built.
Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser. Opinions expressed here are ours alone, not those of any advertiser. Compensation does not influence our editorial evaluations, ratings, or opinions.
Advertiser Disclosure: Many or all of the offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us, and some companies pay for sponsored content. That compensation may influence which products we cover and where and how they appear on a page, including the order in which they appear. We do not include every company or offer available in the marketplace.
