Since beginning The Factors Man in 2010, certainly one of my favourite issues is listening to from readers who share unimaginable tales of how they’ve maximized factors over time. It actually jogs my memory of simply how helpful the knowledge we share is and that it actually unlocks superb experiences.
An enormous a part of that entails leveraging prime journey rewards bank cards.
Possibly you are trying to get a jump-start in your incomes technique forward of a giant journey, or perhaps there are some new perks you wish to leverage to your summer time travels. Maybe you are simply out there for a giant welcome bonus.
No matter you are trying to do, listed here are my picks for one of the best bank cards of 2025.
The perfect bank cards
*I’m a Bilt adviser and investor.
Evaluating one of the best bank cards
Listed here are my prime suggestions for one of the best bank cards.
| Card | Finest for | Welcome supply | Incomes charges | Annual payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Frequent vacationers searching for luxurious perks | Earn 125,000 factors $6,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$795 |
| Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card | Newbie vacationers | Earn 75,000 factors after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card | Premium journey | Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$395 |
| American Specific Gold Card | Groceries and eating at eating places | Discover out your supply and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome provides differ and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion. |
|
$325 (see charges and charges) |
| Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card | Nonbonus spending | Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| The Platinum Card from American Specific | Luxurious advantages | Discover out your supply and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome provides differ and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion. |
|
$695 (see charges and charges) |
| The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific | Luxurious perks for small-business house owners | Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first three months of card membership. |
|
$695 (see charges and charges) |
| Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card | Bonus-earning | Earn 90,000 factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| Bilt Mastercard | Renters | N/A |
You have to use your Bilt card 5 instances every assertion interval to earn factors on hire and qualifying web purchases. |
$0 (see charges and charges) |
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Welcome supply: Earn 125,000 factors $6,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
Annual payment: $795.
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Standout advantages: The Sapphire Reserve is providing a superb welcome bonus and options new credit — along with acquainted ones just like the broad use $300 journey credit score — which cardholders can make the most of to assist offset the price of its $795 annual payment.
In case you journey as usually as I do, the Sapphire Reserve can offer you a ton of worth because of perks like entry to Chase Sapphire Lounges by the Membership, the issuer’s top-tier airport lounges, and an as much as $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for TSA PreCheck, International Entry or Nexus.
Associated: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve for Enterprise — which is best for you?
The Sapphire Reserve is not only a premium journey card, although. It is also a life-style product designed to fit your day-to-day with issues like complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music memberships (as much as $250 worth yearly; one-time activation required per service; subscriptions run by June 22, 2027) and a $300 annual StubHub credit score (cut up up into $150 from January by June and one other $150 from July by December; activation required; legitimate by Dec. 31, 2027).
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card
Welcome supply: Earn 75,000 factors after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
Annual payment: $95.
Standout advantages: The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked provides profitable incomes charges and helpful perks like 3 factors per greenback spent on eating and a $50 annual resort credit score, simply to call a couple of, making it among the best journey playing cards, in keeping with TPG consultants. It is also a go-to card for each learners and consultants.
I nearly completely use my Chase Final Rewards factors to switch to greater than a dozen of Chase’s switch companions and e book award tickets, which permits me to understand even increased worth when redeeming my factors.
In case you’d quite use this card’s welcome bonus in a extra simple manner, you may at all times redeem your factors by way of Chase Journey.
I additionally love this card for its journey protections and insurance coverage, even when you use it to e book an award ticket. Simply pay the taxes and charges with the Sapphire Most well-liked Card, and your journey is roofed.
Total, my Chase factors are tremendous helpful as a part of my general factors and miles technique, so if you’re on the lookout for a card with a low annual payment, a strong bonus supply and nice perks, the Sapphire Most well-liked is a no brainer.
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
Welcome supply: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
Annual payment: $395.
Standout advantages: If you wish to maximize factors and miles in terms of bank cards, your aim must be to earn greater than 1 level per greenback spent on all purchases. This may be arduous when most playing cards solely supply bonus rewards in key classes like eating, groceries and fuel.
Fortunately, the bottom incomes price on the Capital One Enterprise X is 2 miles per greenback spent, so an enormous portion of my private spending goes on this card. Once I’m looking for clothes, child provides or paying for insurance coverage — all classes the place I am unable to earn 3, 4 or 5 miles per greenback — I put these on my Enterprise X.
Whereas it has a $395 annual payment, do not let that scare you. It is easy to offset that annual payment with advantages just like the $300 annual Capital One Journey credit score and the ten,000 bonus miles earned every account anniversary. The latter turns into much more helpful whenever you switch to airline loyalty applications, which I do usually.
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Capital One Enterprise X.
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
American Specific Gold Card
Welcome supply: Discover out your supply and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome provides differ and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion.
Annual payment: $325.
Standout advantages: If there’s one factor I do nearly on daily basis, it is dine out or order in — so maximizing my factors earnings from eating and groceries is big. Since changing into a dad, my grocery invoice has gone up dramatically, so that is the place the Amex Gold is a no brainer.
For starters, you will earn 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 every calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback) and 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide (as much as $50,000 every calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback). This can be a nice method to ramp up your earnings on two large spending classes, whether or not you are eating out or entertaining at dwelling.
You additionally get numerous assertion credit, which just about fully offset the cardboard’s annual payment. This contains as much as $120 in Uber Money ($10 monthly, legitimate for rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. after utilizing any Amex card when including the Amex Gold to your Uber account) and as much as $120 in eating assertion credit with eligible eating companions (as much as $10 monthly). Enrollment is required.
I load my Amex Gold Card into all my supply apps: Caviar, Seamless and Uber Eats. These factors actually add up shortly. Then, to make these factors much more helpful, I look ahead to switch bonuses that Amex runs with journey companions so I can flip my factors into miles and e book airfare.
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Amex Gold Card.
Apply right here: Amex Gold
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
Welcome supply: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
Annual payment: $95.
Standout advantages: This can be a nice card it doesn’t matter what your objectives are — whether or not you are newer to factors and miles, want a simple incomes construction or use it as a part of a wider incomes technique, like me.
Much like the Enterprise X, it lets you earn 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases, making it an important card for transactions that do not match into frequent bonus classes.
But it surely’s particularly helpful due to the flexibleness it provides to cowl all types of journey with these miles.
For instance, you may redeem these miles at 1 cent apiece towards any journey expenses you placed on the cardboard. Alternatively, you may e book flights, rental vehicles or inns by Capital One Journey along with your miles — additionally at a worth of 1 cent apiece.
But when, like me, you wish to stretch the worth of these miles even additional, you may switch these miles to any of the 15-plus resort and airline applications that associate with Capital One.
For instance, you possibly can switch the miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue and e book bougie business-class seats from the U.S. to Europe beginning at 60,000 miles plus taxes and charges every manner. Or, switch to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, the place you’ll find lie-flat Higher Class seats to the U.Okay. for as little as 29,000 factors plus taxes and charges every manner.
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Capital One Enterprise Rewards.
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
The Platinum Card from American Specific
Welcome supply: Discover out your supply and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome provides differ and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion.
Annual payment: $695.
Standout advantages: Regardless of its excessive price, the Amex Platinum stays a favourite of mine — and lots of TPG staffers as effectively.
I put all airfare on my Amex Platinum as a result of I earn 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare (on as much as $500,000 per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback) once I e book immediately with an airline or by way of Amex Journey. And whereas the annual payment is steep, the advantages embody an as much as $200 annual payment assertion credit score for airline incidentals and an as much as $200 assertion credit score for pay as you go bookings with American Specific Superb Resorts + Resorts and The Resort Assortment. (The Resort Assortment requires a minimal two-night keep; enrollment is required for choose advantages.)
Amex continues to be a frontrunner within the card lounge area, and this premium journey card offers entry to its Centurion Lounges, plus Precedence Cross lounges and Delta Sky Golf equipment when flying Delta Air Strains. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages.)
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Amex Platinum Card.
Apply right here: Amex Platinum
The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific
Welcome supply: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases throughout the first three months of card membership.
Annual payment: $695.
Standout advantages: Considered one of my favourite perks on this card is Pay with Factors — cardholders obtain a 35% bonus once they Pay with Factors on first- or business-class tickets by Amex Journey (as much as 1 million factors per calendar 12 months).
Regardless that this can be a enterprise card, it comes with premium journey perks and enterprise assertion credit:
- Centurion Lounge entry and Precedence Cross membership
- An announcement credit score of $120 for International Entry each 4 years or a press release credit score of as much as $85 for TSA PreCheck each 4 ½ years
- An airline credit score payment of as much as $200 yearly
- Gold elite standing with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
- Entry to Amex Superb Resorts + Resorts and The Resort Assortment
Regardless that the annual payment is $695, the annual assertion credit and advantages greater than offset that. For instance, The Enterprise Platinum card provides:
- An as much as $150 in assertion credit on U.S. purchases made immediately with Dell and a further as much as $1,000 assertion credit score after spending $5,000 per calendar 12 months
- An as much as $360 Certainly assertion credit score per calendar 12 months (as much as $90 per quarter)
- A $250 Adobe assertion credit score after spending $600 or extra on U.S. purchases made immediately with Adobe per calendar 12 months (topic to auto-renewal)
- As much as $200 in Hilton credit per calendar 12 months (as much as $50 per quarter; Hilton for Enterprise membership required)
- As much as $120 per calendar 12 months for U.S. wi-fi phone suppliers (as much as $10 monthly)
- An as much as $209 Clear Plus membership assertion credit score per calendar 12 months (topic to auto-renewal)
- The aforementioned as much as $200 airline payment credit score per calendar 12 months on expenses made with an airline of your selecting
- The aforementioned as much as $120 International Entry/TSA PreCheck credit score
Enrollment is required for choose advantages.
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Amex Enterprise Platinum.
Apply right here: Amex Enterprise Platinum
Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card
Welcome supply: Earn 90,000 factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.
Annual payment: $95.
Standout advantages: I really like my Ink Enterprise Most well-liked card and its bonus classes — particularly the net web promoting class, which earns 3 factors per greenback spent on as much as $150,000 a 12 months (then 1 level after that). In case you max out this annual bonus, these 450,000 factors you earn can be utilized for journey bookings by way of Chase Journey for as much as 1.75 cents every (relying on the particular redemption; see your rewards program settlement for full particulars).
Associated: The ability of the Chase trifecta
Chase factors are very versatile, and I exploit mine as shortly as I earn them. In case you personal a small enterprise or actually have a enterprise concept, you may apply utilizing your Social Safety quantity; try our posts to see who may be eligible for a enterprise bank card (you may be stunned!) and the right way to apply.
For my part, this card is a heavyweight, particularly for the low annual payment of $95.
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked.
Apply right here: Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card
Bilt Mastercard
Welcome supply: N/A.
Annual payment: $0 (see charges and charges).
Standout advantages: For thus many individuals, hire is their greatest month-to-month expense. But for years, the one method to pay for hire was to provide landlords checks or Venmo funds. In case you needed to pay by bank card, you’d incur a payment.
The Bilt Mastercard has fully revolutionized this technique. So long as you make no less than 5 purchases with the cardboard every assertion interval, you may earn factors on hire funds and different qualifying web purchases. Even when your landlord solely takes a test, Bilt can ship checks and automatic clearing home direct deposits so you may earn factors on the transactions (as much as 100,000 factors per 12 months).
Since you are paying hire by way of a bank card, you may also assist construct your credit score historical past with every fee. It is an absolute no-brainer, particularly since there isn’t any annual payment (see charges and charges).
For extra data, try our evaluation of the Bilt Mastercard.
Apply right here: Bilt Mastercard
What to think about when selecting one of the best card
There is not a one-size-fits-all technique for choosing one of the best bank cards. There are a number of elements it’s best to analyze earlier than deciding on which of them deserve a spot in your pockets.
Most well-liked rewards
First, think about the kind of rewards you wish to earn to your purchases. In order for you simplicity, a cash-back card could also be an important possibility because you typically have few limitations on how these rewards can be utilized. Alternatively, when you’re after free journey or wish to actually maximize your spending, chances are you’ll be higher off with a transferable rewards forex like American Specific Membership Rewards or Chase Final Rewards.
Welcome bonus
Incomes a giant haul of factors or miles as a welcome bonus is usually one of the best ways to shortly enhance your rewards stability. That is notably profitable if one of many playing cards you are contemplating has a limited-time supply. Simply you should definitely evaluation every issuer’s eligibility necessities, and think about checking your credit score rating upfront of your utility so you may have an concept of whether or not you will be accredited.
Associated: 21 methods to make use of 100K Final Rewards factors
Spending habits
Earlier than opening a bank card account, analyze your spending habits over the past 12 months, together with the way you’re incomes rewards on any playing cards presently in your pockets. Many TPG readers begin with a easy, no-annual-fee card that earns 1 level, 1 mile or 1% money again on all purchases, however, as I’ve mentioned in my weekly publication earlier than, “Mates do not let pals earn only one level per greenback.”
In case you spend a ton at eating places, be certain you may have a card that rewards you when making eating purchases. When you have a big commute, choose up a card that rewards you for fuel or transit bills. It is easy to double and even triple your incomes charges for a lot of purchases with the precise mixture of playing cards.
Annual payment
Lastly, it’s best to think about the out-of-pocket price of any new card in your radar. Whereas some haven’t any annual payment (or waive the payment for the primary 12 months), others have hefty ones, as you noticed within the listing above.
Within the first 12 months, nearly each card with a strong welcome supply pays for itself (after which some), however it’s best to take a while earlier than you apply to ensure you can actually benefit from that card’s advantages, each now and sooner or later.
How we selected one of the best bank cards
Many elements go into our choice of one of the best bank cards, together with incomes charges, welcome provides, advantages and perks. The playing cards I listing above have personally allowed me to earn tens of hundreds of {dollars} price of rewards over time.
You may study extra about how we analyze playing cards right here at TPG on our methodology web page.
Redemption choices for one of the best bank cards
Savvy vacationers will acknowledge that every one the playing cards I listing above have one thing in frequent: Every one earns transferable factors or miles. These rewards are extremely helpful due to their flexibility. You are not locked into one airline and its companions or one resort program and its collaborating manufacturers. You’re within the driver’s seat when it comes time to redeem.
For instance, as an example I wish to fly Virgin Atlantic to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) within the provider’s Higher Class, and the one-way flight I would like is $4,000. I might use 400,000 Amex factors to e book by American Specific Journey, however that very same flight may be 235,000 miles utilizing Delta SkyMiles, which is a 1:1 switch associate of Amex. Nonetheless, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership has costs as little as 29,000 factors — and it, too, companions with Amex.
Backside line
Bank cards can play a significant position in unlocking rewards for purchases you are already going to make, however there isn’t any one excellent card that works for everybody. The above choices are just some decisions that’ve labored effectively for me over time, but it surely’s important so that you can analyze which one is smart to your particular person scenario.
After all, when you do get into the world of journey bank cards, be certain you do not spend past your means and pay your balances in full and on time each month.
Associated: Finest journey bank cards of 2025
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold, click on right here.
For the charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Enterprise Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
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