Cardful

The best travel credit cards

Of the 32 points cards in the catalogue — bank points you can move to airlines and hotels — American Express Blue Business Plus earns the most in a year once its fee is paid: about $1,058.

Ranked by what each card earns in a year once its annual fee is paid — every rate converted to dollars with a dated point valuation, spending caps honoured, and rotating categories not credited. Priced on an illustrative household spending $2,205 a month on a card — the assumption, in full. Credits and perks are not priced: they are worth their face value only if you would have spent that money anyway.

#CardAnnual feeA year, after the feeA year of rewards on the illustrative household spending described on the method page, minus the annual fee. Your own spending will give a different number.
1
American Express, most from Groceries
none $1,058
2
Capital One, most from Groceries
$95 a year $858
3
American Express, most from Groceries
$325 a year $828
4
Citi, most from Groceries
$95 a year $760
5
Chase, most from Restaurants & Bars
$95 a year $719
6
Bilt, most from Groceries
$95 a year $716
7
Bilt, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $715
8
American Express, most from Groceries
$95 a year $710
9
Wells Fargo, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $690
10
American Express, most from Groceries
none $649
11
American Express, most from Restaurants & Bars
$150 a year $622
12
Capital One, most from Groceries
none $595
13
Chase, most from Groceries
$95 a year $590
14
Capital One, most from Groceries
$395 a year $558
15
Bilt, most from Groceries
none $529
16
Citi, most from Groceries
none $529
17
Wells Fargo, most from Restaurants & Bars
$95 a year $529
18
Citi, most from Groceries
none $505
19
American Express, most from Restaurants & Bars
$375 a year $478
20
Citi, most from Groceries
none $469
21
Chase, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $458
22
American Express, most from Groceries
$95 a year $434
23
Chase, most from Groceries
none $397
24
Chase, most from Groceries
none $397
25
Chase, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $376
26
Chase, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $346
27
Chase, most from Groceries
none $265
28
Citi, most from Restaurants & Bars
$595 a year $126
29
Chase, most from Restaurants & Bars
$795 a year $4
30
Chase, most from Groceries
$795 a year −$140
31
American Express, most from Groceries
$895 a year −$270
32
American Express, most from Groceries
$895 a year −$366

The best of them for each kind of spending