The best credit card for public transit
On transit fares, Wells Fargo Attune earns the most with no point counted above a cent: $4.00 per $100. Value points in full at the published figures and Chase Ink Business Preferred comes out ahead.
Ranked first with no point or mile counted above a cent, what a dollar of cash back pays. A point the published valuations put lower, as most hotel points are, is counted at that lower figure. Below that, the same cards with points valued in full. Counts as: Subway, bus, commuter rail, Amtrak.
The short version
- Earns the most: Wells Fargo Attune, $4.00 per $100 (4%), with no annual fee.
- If you value points: Chase Ink Business Preferred comes out ahead, $6.00 per $100 with its points at 2.00¢ each.
- No annual fee: the top pick already has none.
Counting no point above a cent
| # | Card | EarnsThe rate the card advertises here, in its own currency: cash back, points or miles. | Point valueWhat one point is counted at in this table: the published valuation, but never more than a cent. | Per $100What $100 of spending earns with no point or mile counted above a cent, what cash back pays. This is what the first table is ranked by. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Attune
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
Planet-friendly spending — public transit, EV charging and select thrift stores
|
4% | 1.00¢ / pt | $4.00 |
| 2 |
Flagship Premier Visa Signature
Navy Federal, $95/yr
Travel however it is booked — airlines, hotels, car rentals, buses, taxis, cruises, parking, rideshare and transit
|
4% | 1.00¢ / pt | $4.00 |
| 3 |
Autograph
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
|
3x | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 4 |
More Rewards American Express
Navy Federal, No annual fee
Gas, transit, restaurants, food delivery and supermarkets
|
3% | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 5 |
Strata
Citi, No annual fee
Select transit, and gas and EV charging stations. Points valued at 1¢ — full-value transfers to partners need Strata Premier or Strata Elite in your wallet
|
3x | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 6 |
Robinhood Gold Card
Robinhood, $50/yr
Base rate — no bonus category applies here
|
3% | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 7 |
Autograph Journey
Wells Fargo, $95/yr
Travel other than hotels and airlines
|
3x | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
| 8 |
Blue Cash Preferred
American Express, $95/yr
|
3% | 1.00¢ / pt | $3.00 |
If you value points
Some points are worth more than a cent if you transfer them to airlines and hotels. Here each rate is multiplied by its currency's full published valuation, the figure in the Point value column. The last column is where the card sat above.
| # | Card | EarnsThe rate the card advertises here, in its own currency: cash back, points or miles. | Point valueWhat one point or mile in this currency is worth, in cents: the median of the published valuations we read. Every ranking multiplies by it. | Per $100What $100 of spending earns, in dollars: the rate multiplied by what the currency is worth. This is what the table is ranked by. | MoveWhere this card sat in the first table, which counts no point above a cent. Up means its full published valuation lifts it. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ink Business Preferred
Chase, $95/yr
Travel and internet, cable and phone — the first $150,000 each account year, shared with shipping and advertising. Up to $150,000 per year, then the base rate
|
3x | 2.00¢ / pt | $6.00 | Up from 9 |
| 2 |
Classic Green Card
American Express, $150/yr
Transit — trains, taxis, rideshare, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways
|
3x | 2.00¢ / pt | $6.00 | Up from 11 |
| 3 |
Autograph
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
|
3x | 1.50¢ / pt | $4.50 | Same |
| 4 |
Autograph Journey
Wells Fargo, $95/yr
Travel other than hotels and airlines
|
3x | 1.50¢ / pt | $4.50 | Up from 7 |
| 5 |
Attune
Wells Fargo, No annual fee
Planet-friendly spending — public transit, EV charging and select thrift stores
|
4% | 1.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Down from 1 |
| 6 |
Blue Business Plus
American Express, No annual fee
2x on every purchase, with no bonus categories to track. Up to $50,000 per year, then the base rate
|
2x | 2.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Up from 17 |
| 7 |
Flagship Premier Visa Signature
Navy Federal, $95/yr
Travel however it is booked — airlines, hotels, car rentals, buses, taxis, cruises, parking, rideshare and transit
|
4% | 1.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Down from 2 |
| 8 |
Sapphire Preferred
Chase, $95/yr
Travel booked anywhere else
|
2x | 2.00¢ / pt | $4.00 | Up from 27 |
Cards that pay more only some of the year
Freedom and Freedom Flex and Discover it Cash Back pay a bonus on public transit only in quarters the issuer picks it, and only after you activate it. Not ranked above, since you may not have that rate this quarter.
Cards that pay more here with a condition attached
Not ranked above because each needs a chosen category or a specific store. If that fits how you shop, these can beat the table.
- Custom Cash (Citi) — 5x if you choose Public Transit as your category; Up to $500 per billing cycle, then the base rate.
- Customized Cash Rewards (Bank of America) — 3% if you choose Public Transit as your category; Up to $2,500 per quarter, then the base rate.
- Cash+ Visa Signature (U.S. Bank) — 5% if you choose Public Transit as one of your categories; Up to $2,000 per quarter, then the base rate.
- World of Hyatt Business Card (Chase) — 2x if you choose Public Transit as one of your categories.
- Business Gold Card (American Express) — 4x if you choose Public Transit as one of your categories; Up to $150,000 per year, then the base rate.
How to use this list
- Check the store codes as public transit. Issuers pay by how the store is registered, not by what you bought. This page counts: Subway, bus, commuter rail, Amtrak.
- Start with cards you have. Your highest one in the table is your card for transit fares today.
- Read the notes under each card. A cap or "US only" can change the answer.
- Then consider a new card, judged on your whole year of spending.
Why two rankings
The first table never counts a point above a cent, so no estimate of what a transfer is worth can lift a card there; a point worth less than a cent is still counted at less. The second uses the full published valuation, an estimate with a date on it. If you redeem points for cash or gift cards, trust the first. If you transfer them to airlines and hotels, the second is closer.
Point values: published industry valuations, most recently read 2026-09. We track The Points Guy, Upgraded Points, NerdWallet, Frequent Miler and AwardWallet.