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.
| # | Card | Annual fee | A 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
- groceries: Gold Card — $8.00 per $100
- dining out: Gold Card — $8.00 per $100
- gas: Sapphire Preferred — $6.00 per $100
- flights: Platinum Card — $10.00 per $100
- hotels: Sapphire Reserve — $8.00 per $100
- online shopping: Blue Business Plus — $4.00 per $100
- streaming services: Sapphire Preferred — $6.00 per $100
- food delivery: Gold Card — $8.00 per $100
- Uber and Lyft: Ink Business Preferred — $6.00 per $100
- public transit: Ink Business Preferred — $6.00 per $100
- Target and Walmart: Blue Business Plus — $4.00 per $100
- Costco and Sam's Club: Blue Business Plus — $4.00 per $100