We recommend these cards from our partners.

CK Editors’ Tips††: The best gas credit cards feature high rewards rates at fueling stations to help you save money.

What to consider when choosing a gas credit card

A great gas credit card will offer an excellent rewards rate at gas stations, potentially including any refueling stations for electric vehicles. While the gas rewards rate will likely determine your pick, consider everything else the card offers and what’s currently in your wallet. If your current cards lack great rewards options, a card with a slightly lower gas rate but more rewards and perks overall might be your best option.

How we picked the best gas credit cards

We looked at gas rewards rates, annual fees and other perks to help make our picks. Read more about our methodology for picking the best credit cards.

Editors’ Tips††: The best credit cards can help you earn rewards, build credit, or manage debt. When you’re shopping for a card, consider the goals you’re trying to reach, along with your spending habits and preferences. Are you willing to pay an annual fee? Do you spend a lot in a particular category, like groceries? Do you want a card that comes with specific perks? Once you know what you’re looking for, you can focus on cards with features that fit your needs.

Our editors’ picks for the top credit cards address a range of goals and financial situations:

• Best no annual fee credit cards: Chase Freedom Flex®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Citi Double Cash® Card
• Best cash back credit cards: Chase Freedom Flex®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Citi Double Cash® Card
• Best credit cards for building credit: Capital One Platinum Credit Card, Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Editors’ Tips††: No annual fee credit cards offer valuable features and rewards without an upfront cost or yearly charge. When looking for a credit card, it can be tough to determine whether paying an annual fee makes sense. Cash back cards can offer higher rewards rates when you pay an annual fee, and the best travel cards almost always charge one. Take stock of your spending habits and consider if you’ll be able to offset an annual fee with rewards.

Our editors’ picks for the top no annual fee cards include several types of cards, such as low-interest cards, credit-building cards and rewards cards, to meet a range of needs:

• Best for maximizing cash back: Chase Freedom Flex®
• Best for everyday cash back: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Best for simple cash back: Citi Double Cash® Card

Editors’ Tips††: Business credit cards offer a range of benefits for different types of businesses, from sole proprietorships to those with dozens of employees. These cards can offer valuable rewards or ways to finance a business, but all business cards don’t fit all businesses. For instance, a business travel credit card probably won’t help you much if you don’t travel for business, and free employee cards probably won’t help if you’re a freelancer. It’s also worth noting that a business card typically requires a personal guarantee, so you could personally be on the hook for paying your bill if your business runs out of funds.

Our editors’ picks for the top business cards reflect a range of business needs:

• Best for business trips: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Best for offsetting business expenses: Capital One Spark Cash Select
• Best for staying on budget: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Editors’ Tips††: Cash back cards offer rewards on your purchases, either at a flat rate on everything or with elevated rates in certain bonus categories. Cash back credit cards don’t always offer the best rewards value, but they do tend to be more straightforward and easier to manage than travel rewards credit cards. When shopping for cash back cards, focusing on your spending habits can help you decide if it makes sense to pay an annual fee, whether you want a flat rate on all purchases or bonus categories, and if rotating categories or consistent bonus rewards are best for you.

Our editors’ picks for the top cash back cards offer bonus categories and/or flat-rate rewards:

• Best for everyday spending: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Best for rotating bonus rewards: Chase Freedom Flex®
• Best for simple cash back: Citi Double Cash® Card

Editors’ Tips††: A great travel credit card comes with great rewards, valuable perks and the opportunity to maximize the value you get from it. Travel cards can come with high annual fees, but you may find that the perks and rewards outweigh the annual fee. Consider how your spending matches with a card’s bonus categories, whether you’ll use the card’s perks and how often you’re likely to redeem your points for travel.

Our editors’ picks for the best travel cards offer clear value for your spending, whether via rewards or perks. Editors looked at bonus rates, perks and the overall value of each rewards program to determine which cards offer the most features for the annual fee.

• Best for premium rewards: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Best for simple rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Best for entry-level travel: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers plenty of potential value, but knowing where to start can be a challenge.

From the sign-up bonus to the travel credits, this card offers a few ways to start earning back the $395 annual fee. But you’ll need to know how to qualify and activate many of the card’s best perks to take full advantage.

1. Earn the sign-up bonus
2. Start booking your travel through Capital One
3. Apply for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry
4. Find the best airport lounge near you
5. Protect your cellphone

1. Earn the sign-up bonus

The best way to maximize the value of your new Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is by earning the sign-up bonus. Currently, the card offers 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases during your first 3 months of card ownership.

Those points are worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Capital One Travel. Plus, you might be able to get an even better value if you move your bonus points to one of Capital One’s transfer partners. Just make sure to do research on your options and check rewards program point values before transferring.

2. Start booking your travel through Capital One

Capital One rewards you for booking your trips and accommodations through their dedicated travel portal. 

That value starts with the card’s $300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel. Depending on your booking, that credit might be enough to cover a flight or hotel stay. But keep in mind that you won’t earn rewards on bookings that use any part of the credit.

Even once you’ve earned the full credit, booking trips through Capital One Travel is one of the best ways to grow your reward balance. Purchases made through the portal earn you:

• 10 miles for every $1 on hotels and rental cars
• 5 miles for every $1 on flights and vacation rentals

Plus, you’ll earn 2 miles per $1 you get from all other purchases made with the card.

When it’s time to redeem your points for travel, you might be able to maximize your value by transferring your points to one of Capital One’s transfer partners. For purchases, though, Capital One Travel is likely your best option.

3. Apply for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card provides a statement credit of up to $120 every four years to cover the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, two programs that can help you get through airport security faster. 

Picking the right option for you is simple — PreCheck helps you get through TSA checks at U.S. airports, but Global Entry does that and helps speed up the security check at U.S. Customs upon entry into the country.

If you don’t already have membership in one of these programs, keep in mind that you’ll need to go through the full application process before you can use these benefits. Your credit card only covers the application fee with a statement credit — it won’t get you through the application any faster.

4. Find the best airport lounge when you fly

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card features quality airport lounge access, but you’ll want to do your research before finding the best option for your travels.

It’s smart to start your search with the flagship Capital One Lounges, which are open in airports around New York City, Washington, D.C., Dallas and elsewhere. Your card provides complimentary access, but you may want to secure access via the Capital One app before your arrival.

If you’re not at an airport with a Capital One Lounge, you’ll also have access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide through Priority Pass™. With these lounges, you must sign up at the Priority Pass™ website for access to those lounges.

5. Protect your cellphone

Paying your cellphone bill with your Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card can provide extra peace of mind.

When you pay that monthly bill with your card, you could be reimbursed up to $800 if your phone is stolen or damaged. 

You might not ever need to use this coverage, but getting in the habit of paying your cellphone bill with your new card could end up being a big benefit in the future.

Next steps

Your Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with other benefits, like a $100 experience credit at certain hotels booked through Capital One Travel. But the perks we’ve called out above are most likely to help you find value early in your card membership.

Once you start using your card more often, you might find it has some gaps you’d like to fill. For instance, if you’re looking to maximize your rewards balance for redemptions, you may want to add another Capital One card to improve on any non-travel rewards rates you get from this card.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers plenty of potential value, but knowing where to start can be a challenge.

From the sign-up bonus to the travel credits, this card offers a few ways to start earning back your $795 annual fee. But you’ll need to know how to qualify and activate many of the card’s best perks to take full advantage.

1. Earn the sign-up bonus
2. Earn your $300 travel credit
3. Start booking your travel through Chase
4. Apply for TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry or NEXUS
5. Find the best airport lounge when you fly
6. Start using the lifestyle credits and benefits
7. Learn the bonus spending categories
8. Decide if you can reach the $75,000-spend benefits

1. Earn the sign-up bonus

The best way to maximize the value of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is to earn the sign-up bonus. Currently, the card offers 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months after your account opens.

Those points could be worth $1,150 for typical cardholders according to our estimated point value for the card, but you might get even more value from your bonus if you transfer to one of Chase’s partner programs. Just make sure you check available redemptions and assess Credit Karma’s estimated point values before deciding how to use your rewards.

2. Earn your $300 travel credit

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® features a flexible $300 annual travel credit. The credit covers all qualifying travel purchases, not just what you book through the Chase Travel portal.

Plus, the definition of “travel” is loose enough that you should be able to earn the full value relatively quickly. It includes not only flights and hotels, but also some purchases that you might not think of as travel, like car rentals, cruises, trains, ferries, buses, taxis, tolls, parking garages, and campgrounds.

Just keep in mind that you won’t earn any rewards on purchases that use the travel credit.

3. Start booking your travel through Chase

While the annual travel credit applies to all travel purchases, Chase offers several benefits for booking your travel through the Chase Travel portal.

First, you’ll get eight points for every $1 spent on all purchases made through Chase Travel, compared to just four points per $1 on flights and hotels booked directly (both rates activate only after earning your full $300 travel credit).

When you book hotel stays, it might be smart to seek out properties included in Chase’s The Edit collection. Chase Travel offers $250 in statement credits twice per year (one from January through June and again from July through December) on prepaid bookings made with The Edit hotels and resorts (for a minimum of two nights).

The Edit bookings also come with a $100 property credit that includes dining, spa treatments and other on-site activities. Not every bookable hotel is included in The Edit, but these credits could help you decide between options when you see them pop up in your search.

4. Apply for TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry or NEXUS

Chase Sapphire Reserve® provides a statement credit of up to $120 every four years to cover the application fee for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS, three programs that can help you move through airport security faster.

Picking the right option for you is simple. PreCheck helps you get through TSA checks at U.S. airports, but Global Entry does that and helps speed up the security check at U.S. Customs upon entry into the country. Meanwhile, NEXUS includes the ability to gain expedited customs service when entering Canada.

If you don’t already have membership in one of these programs, keep in mind that you’ll need to go through the full application process before you can use these benefits. Your credit card only covers the application fee with a statement credit — it won’t get you through the application any faster.

5. Find the best airport lounge when you fly

Chase Sapphire Reserve® includes access to numerous airport lounges, but you’ll want to do your research to find the best option for your travels.

It’s smart to start your search with the flagship Chase Sapphire Lounges, which are currently available in major U.S. airports near New York City, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Of course, you’ll also have access to other, non-Chase lounges in other airports around the world with your complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership. But you must enroll with Priority Pass™ Select for access to these lounges.

6. Start using the lifestyle credits and benefits

Chase Sapphire Reserve® stands out for its travel benefits, but you can also access considerable value with the card in your first few months of membership by taking advantage of its spending credits and other perks.

Your card comes with many of these benefits, but some might not be simple to use fully in your first few months of having the card. With that in mind, we’ve singled out a few that seem most likely to help you early on.

Apple TV and Apple Music subscriptions

Cardholders receive complimentary subscriptions to both Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027 (and with activation required via Chase’s website or mobile app). These subscriptions are valued at a combined $324 annually.

If you already pay for these subscriptions, that’s a meaningful cost now covered by your card. If you don’t currently subscribe, it won’t cost you anything to add them, and it might even allow you to save by canceling another streaming service.

Several DoorDash perks and credits

DoorDash users stand to benefit considerably from the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. When you use your card as default payment for a DashPass membership, you’ll get …

• A complimentary DashPass membership for a minimum of 12 months (when activated prior to the end of 2027). That membership is valued at $120 for 12 months.
• $5 per calendar month in credits on DoorDash restaurant orders, for as long as you have your DashPass membership through your card. Credits don’t carry over from month to month, but that’s still a $60 annual value if you always use the credit.
• $10 in credits on two DoorDash non-restaurant orders per month, for as long as you have your DashPass membership through your card. This credit can be applied to orders from convenience stores and grocery stores and adds up to $120 in value if you always use the credit.

Keep in mind that these credits are likely to be most valuable if you already use DoorDash regularly. While they offer nice recurring value, most DoorDash orders are likely to exceed the value of the credit.

$10 monthly Lyft credits

You’ll get up to $10 in monthly in-app credits for Lyft rides when you use your card as your payment method (available through September 2027). That’s an annual value of $120 for everyone who uses this benefit every month.

As with the DoorDash benefits, this credit is likely to work best for those who already use Lyft regularly because ride costs can regularly exceed $10. Still, $10 might be a significant discount on the cost of a single ride — and you’ll also get five points per $1 on qualifying Lyft rides (through September 2027) for extra value.

$300 in dining statement credits

Chase Sapphire Reserve® also comes with a combined $300 in statement credits for dining at restaurants included in the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program at OpenTable. You’ll get one $150 statement credit to cover eligible purchases from January through June and another to cover July through December, with no carryover between credit periods.

While Chase has partnered with OpenTable for this benefit, you don’t need to book a reservation through OpenTable to take advantage. The credit applies on eligible purchases at participating restaurants, regardless of how you got your table.

These credits will be most attractive to those who live in a city with several Exclusive Tables options, but others can still take advantage by searching out one of these restaurants when traveling. (Available restaurants are listed on OpenTable’s website.)

7. Learn the bonus spending categories

While perks and credits are great ways to get value from your Chase Sapphire Reserve® early in your card membership, maximizing value over time will require you to have enough points on hand to redeem for travel. 

And the best way to earn points to do that is by building your rewards balance with purchases in your card’s bonus spending categories. You’ll earn:

• 8 points per $1 on on all Chase Travel purchases (after earning your $300 travel credit)
• 5 points on qualifying Lyft rides through September 2027
• 4 points per $1 on flights and hotels booked direct (after earning your $300 travel credit)
• 3 points per $1 on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out)
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases

It’s possible that you have another card that gets you more value in one of these categories, and it won’t be right for everyone to shift all their spending to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

8. Decide if you can reach the $75,000-spend benefits

Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers considerable potential value to all cardholders, but people who spend at least $75,000 on the card annually stand to unlock a new level of perks.

If you already spend that much on your credit cards annually, it might be worth shifting all your spending to your new card to qualify for those additional benefits.

Card members who reach the $75,000 threshold get access to the following benefits for the remainder of that calendar year and the following calendar year:

• $500 credit for Southwest Airlines bookings on Chase Travel
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards A-List status
• IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status (Note: All cardholders can activate IHG’s Platinum Elite status)
• World of Hyatt Explorist elite status
• $250 in statement credits for purchases at The Shops at Chase, an e-commerce platform

These extra benefits might not appeal to everyone, and there are many other budgeting and card-value considerations that should inform your decision to pursue the $75,000-spend benefits. Still, if you plan to get there, you’ll likely need to shift your spending to your Chase Sapphire Reserve® right away.

Next steps

Your Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with other benefits, like $150 in StubHub statement credits twice per year, but the perks we’ve called out above are most likely to help you find value early in your card membership.

Once you start using your card more, you might find it has some gaps you’d like to fill. For instance, if you’re looking to maximize your rewards balance for redemptions, you may want to apply for another Chase card to add some bonus spending categories not available on this card.

The American Express Platinum Card® offers plenty of potential value, but knowing how to take full advantage of all its perks and credits can be a challenge.

From the welcome bonus to the numerous travel credits, this card offers numerous ways to start earning back your $895 annual fee. But you’ll need to know how to qualify and activate many of the card’s best features to get full value.

1. Earn the welcome bonus
2. Start booking travel through American Express
3. Activate your airline incidental fee credit
4. Take advantage of the airport security credits
5. Find the best airport lounge when you fly
6. Activate your digital entertainment credits
7. Activate your Resy credits
8. Activate your monthly Uber Cash

1. Earn the welcome bonus

The best way to maximize the value of your American Express Platinum Card® in your first few months of card ownership is to earn the welcome bonus. The card currently offers as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points when you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases in your first 6 months of card ownership. You’ll find out the welcome bonus amount you’re offered after you’ve submitted an application. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Depending on what bonus you qualify for, the points could be worth as high as $1,750 when redeemed for travel through American Express, which could be enough to cover a first redemption for a flight or hotel stay. You could get even more value from your welcome bonus if you transfer your points to one of American Express’s travel partners, but you’ll want to check available redemptions and estimated point values before making that choice.

2. Start booking travel through American Express

Apart from the welcome bonus, the best way to start building up your rewards balance is to book your flights and hotel stays through American Express Travel®.

You’ll get …

• 5 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per $1)
• 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases

Plus, you can earn extra value on hotel bookings when you make eligible bookings with Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection.

The American Express Platinum Card® gives you a total of up to $600 in statement credits each year ($300 semi-annually) on select prepaid bookings at these eligible hotels. You might also have access to perks like early check-in, late checkout, room upgrades and additional property credits.

Finding an eligible hotel might take some work, but those statement credits and extra benefits hold considerable potential.

3. Activate your airline incidental fee credit

The American Express Platinum Card® gives you up to $200 in statement credits each year to cover incidental airline fees, like checked baggage fees.

The catch is it can only be used at one airline of your choice, and you’ll need to activate your pick to start earning the credit. To select your airline, go to the “Benefits” section of your online account or call the number on the back of your card.

4. Take advantage of the airport security credits

Your American Express Platinum Card® features a fantastic combo of airport security credits, but you’ll need to activate your memberships to take full advantage.

Like some of its competitors, the card offers a statement credit of up to $120 every four years when you apply for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry. 

Picking the right program for you is simple — both programs get you through the physical security portion of TSA screening faster, but only Global Entry also offers expedited service when you go through U.S. customs. And keep in mind that this credit only covers the application fee — you’ll still need to go through the full application process like everyone else.

If you really want to speed up your airport security experience, you’ll also want to take advantage of the card’s annual $219 statement credit for a Clear®+ membership, which will speed up the identification verification process at participating airports. 

You can start your Clear®+ enrollment online before your next flight and complete the process at a participating security checkpoint.

5. Find the best airport lounge when you fly

The American Express Platinum Card® offers excellent airport lounge access, but you’ll want to do your research before finding the best option for your travels.

It’s smart to start your search with the Centurion Lounge Network, which is available in airports in most major U.S. cities and several more internationally. To enter these lounges, you’ll need to present your card, a same-day boarding pass and a physical government-issued ID.

If a Centurion Lounge isn’t available at your airport or terminal, you can still gain complimentary access through The Global Lounge Collection, which includes more than 1,550 lounges around the world. Just keep in mind that you may need to activate the individually included lounge memberships before arriving to get inside.

6. Activate your digital entertainment credits

The American Express Platinum Card® provides useful digital entertainment credits, but activating them requires some work. 

You’ll get a $25 monthly statement credit for digital entertainment subscriptions with a selection of services like Disney+, YouTube TV and The New York Times, but you’ll have to activate the credits in the Benefits section of your online account or by calling the number on the back of your card. 

After activation, the credit will only apply to purchases made directly with the service provider. And because the credit is applied monthly, you might want to avoid signing up for annual subscriptions.

Your card also provides another digital entertainment credit, but it’s somewhat hidden. When you use your card to sign up for a Walmart+ account, you’ll get a monthly $12.95 statement credit to cover the cost of membership. That membership also includes either a Paramount+ Essential or Peacock Premium (with ads) subscription, but you’ll need to register for that service separately (with instructions provided by Walmart).

7. Active your Resy credits

Your card offers up to $400 annually in statement credits for purchases with restaurants available for reservation on Resy (with activation via your card account), but it doesn’t require booking a reservation on Resy to get your credits.

Every quarter, the American Express Platinum Card® offers up to $100 in statement credits when you pay with your card at eligible U.S. restaurants. To qualify, these restaurants just have to be available for reservation on Resy.com or the Resy app — but you don’t need a reservation of any kind to get the credits.

If you have Resy-affiliated restaurants in your area, you might be able to earn this credit just by eating at some of your favorite restaurants. Even if you don’t frequent eligible restaurants, you can keep the credit in mind when looking for restaurants while traveling within the country.

8. Activate your monthly Uber Cash

You can get $15 in Uber Cash each month and a bonus $20 in December with your American Express Platinum Card®, which could save you up to $200 a year on Uber rides and Uber Eats in the U.S. You’ll also get a statement credit of up to $120 every calendar year on Uber One membership fees charged to your card.

The monthly credits are fairly easy to use — all you have to do is add your card as your payment method on your Uber or Uber Eats app. But unused value won’t carry over from month to month.

If you’re not in the habit of using Uber, this perk might not seem valuable. But you should be able to get a good chunk of the value from the monthly credits even if you make only one Uber Eats order or take just one Uber ride.

Next steps

Your American Express Platinum Card® comes with other benefits, but the perks we’ve called out above are most likely to help you find value early in your card membership.

Once you start using your card more often, you might find it has some gaps you’d like to fill. For instance, if you’re looking to maximize your rewards balance for redemptions, you may want to add another American Express card to improve on any nontravel rewards rates you get from this card.

Best for simple cash back: Citi Double Cash® Card

From our partner

Citi Double Cash® Card

Citi Double Cash® Card

2.8 out of 5

1462 reviews

Apply Now

Here’s why: Earning cash back couldn’t be any more straightforward than with the Citi Double Cash® Card.

You’ll earn 2% back on every purchase at a $0 annual fee. The rate includes 1% back when you make a purchase, plus another 1% back when you make your monthly payment.

Best for everyday spending: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

From our partner

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

3.6 out of 5

2040 reviews

Apply Now

Here’s why: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great all-around cash back credit card, with a $0 annual fee and generous cash back in bonus categories that cover a wide range of everyday spending.

Cash back bonus categories include 5% on travel bookings made through Chase Travel℠ and 3% back at restaurants and drugstores. For everything else, you’ll still get a strong 1.5% back.

Best for rotating bonus rewards: Chase Freedom Flex®

From our partner

Chase Freedom Flex®

Chase Freedom Flex®

3.3 out of 5

44 reviews

Apply Now

Here’s why: The Chase Freedom Flex® takes the bonus categories of Chase Freedom Unlimited® and adds variety with a top category that changes every quarter.

You could earn 5% cash back on up to the first $1,500 you spend each quarter in combined purchases in a revolving series of bonus categories (that you must activate every time). These categories may include everything from groceries to popular online shopping destinations. After hitting the quarterly spending cap, you’ll earn 1% back in the bonus categories.

Within the consistent categories, you’ll get 5% back on travel purchases booked through Chase Travel℠ and 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, plus 1% back on all other purchases. It also features a $0 annual fee.

Best for groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Here’s why: The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express boasts the highest grocery rewards rate on the market.

You’ll earn a whopping 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent in eligible purchases each year (then 1%).

Elsewhere, you’ll earn 6% cash back on certain popular U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations, 3% back on various forms of transit, and 1% back on all other purchases.

You’ll just have to weigh all this potential cash back against the annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

See if you have an offer for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express on Credit Karma (you must be logged in to see this offer).

Best for dining and entertainment: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

From our partner

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

3.0 out of 5

2 reviews

Apply Now

Here’s why: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card provides a decent cash back rate on purchases you might make during a night out, or to plan for a fun night at home.

You’ll earn in a number of bonus categories with a $0 annual fee.

• 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and groceries (except at superstores like Target and Walmart)
• 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 5% on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 1% on all other purchases

Best for gas: Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

From our partner

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

3.0 out of 5

302 reviews

Apply Now

Here’s why: The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi offers you more cash back to fill up your tank at other gas stations than it does to shop inside a Costco store.

You’ll earn a whopping 5% cash back on gas at Costco and 4% cash back on other gas and electric vehicle charging purchases on up to the first $7,000 combined spend each year (then 1%).

You’ll also get 3% back on dining and travel (including purchases made from Costco), 2% cash back on all other Costco purchases, and 1% on all other purchases.

The annual fee is $0, but you must be a Costco member to apply.

Best for fair credit: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

From our partner

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.4 out of 5

933 reviews

Apply Now

Here’s why: The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card gives people with fair credit a chance to earn cash back while building credit.

You’ll earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make. Plus, Capital One will periodically review your account for a credit line increase.

Unfortunately, it also comes with a $39 annual fee that can eat into the cash back you earn. But if you’re prioritizing building credit, the cost could be worth it.

Is the American Express Platinum Card® worth the annual fee?

The American Express Platinum Card® charges a $895 annual fee, which is on the high side, even for a premium rewards card. But it’s hard to beat for the sheer scope of benefits offered.

There are plenty of different ways to get value, from its best-in-class airport lounge memberships to lucrative shopping and entertainment credits.

But unlike some other cards, the American Express Platinum Card® gets much of its value from specific, branded credits that won’t appeal to everyone.

It’s important to approach this card with a plan for which benefits you want to use and how you intend to use them. If you do, you could end up earning enough.

The most exciting American Express Platinum Card® benefits

American Express Global Lounge Collection memberships

The American Express Platinum Card® is perhaps best known for its world-class airport lounges. If you want to maximize the lounges available to you at any airport you may visit, this card is well worth a look.

You’ll have access to more than 1,550 airport lounges around the world through the American Express Global Lounge Collection network, including the Centurion Lounge, and Priority Pass™ Select lounges when you enroll.

Airport and airline credits

The American Express Platinum Card® features three credits for frequent flyers.

You’ll be eligible for a $200 airline incidental fee credit (enrollment required), a $219 Clear®+ credit (enrollment in Clear®+ required), and a credit for up to $120 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee every four years (or 4.5 years if you opt for TSA PreCheck).

Unfortunately, you must choose one qualifying airline for the incidental fee credit, and it can’t be used to book your ticket or upgrade your seat. Some people might have a hard time using all $200 of the credit on purchases like baggage fees and in-flight drinks.

On the other hand, combining Clear®+ with Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® could help you breeze through airport security.

Uber Cash

With the American Express Platinum Card®, you’ll get a total of $200 each year in Uber Cash.

Unfortunately, you can’t use your Uber Cash all at once. It’s split up into $15 monthly increments (plus an extra $20 in December), and a leftover balance won’t carry over to the next month if you don’t use it.

Digital entertainment credit

The American Express Platinum Card® also offers a $300 digital entertainment credit that requires enrollment.

The digital entertainment credit is once again split up into $25 monthly increments that don’t carry over from month to month.

You won’t be able to apply it to all popular streaming services, so it’s worth checking the official list to see if your favorite apps are covered.

Hotel credits and perks

You’ll receive a total of up to $600 in hotel credits each year ($300 semi-annually) when you book a prepaid stay through American Express Travel® at a property owned by Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection.

On top of the hotel credit, you’ll be eligible for room upgrades, early check in and other bonuses with Fine Hotels + Resorts properties.

When you stay at properties owned by The Hotel Collection, you’ll get an additional experience credit worth $100, which can be used on amenities.

On top of these credits, the card makes you eligible for complimentary Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status (enrollment required for both programs).

More American Express Platinum Card® benefits

Fitness credits

When you enroll, you’ll be eligible for an annual $300 Equinox credit to help pay for a digital Equinox+ or physical club membership, plus a $300 SoulCycle credit each time you purchase an at-home bike (which is only eligible to people with an Equinox+ membership).

These benefits can be great for fitness enthusiasts who already use Equinox and SoulCycle, but the cost of membership with these brands dwarf the value of the credits.

Shopping perks

You’ll get a monthly statement credit when you pay the full $12.95 cost of Walmart+, which offers free shipping and deliveries on eligible orders and a subscription to Paramount+, among other perks.

Cellphone protection

When you pay your monthly phone bill with your card, you’ll be covered for up to $800 per claim (with a $50 deductible) if your phone is stolen or broken.

Is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card worth the annual fee?

While other cards provide more potential value, the beauty of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is its straightforwardness. This card doesn’t require a lot of strategizing — the benefits are easy to use and flexible enough for most travelers.

In fact, the card is likely to be worth the $395 annual fee even if you don’t use airport lounge access and other potentially valuable benefits. As long as you book one trip through Capital One Travel, the annual travel credit and card anniversary bonus miles can provide at least $400 in value every year.

If you’re interested in getting a taste of what premium rewards cards are all about but don’t want to shell out for an expensive annual fee that might not be so easy to cover, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card might be a strong choice.

The most valuable Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card benefits

$300 annual travel credit

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card features a $300 annual travel credit. You can use the travel credit to pay for flights, hotels and rental cars booked directly through Capital One Travel.

The ability to use this credit on common travel purchases gives cardholders both straightforward value and the confidence to know they’re likely to use it every year. And the full credit goes a long way towards covering the card’s annual fee on its own.

10,000 anniversary bonus miles

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also gives you 10,000 bonus miles each year to celebrate your account renewal. The best part? There’s no spending requirement to earn this anniversary bonus — all you have to do is keep the card open.

Airport lounge access

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also grants you access to multiple airport lounge networks to enjoy while you wait for your flights.

This includes complimentary access to the issuer’s Capital One Lounges, which would otherwise cost $90 per visit. But keep in mind that there are currently only a handful of Capital One Lounges currently open in U.S. airports.

You’ll also receive a complimentary Priority Pass™ membership, which can get you into more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world, after enrollment.

More Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card benefits

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a handful of other benefits that might interest you.

• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee statement credit — Like with some other travel cards, you’ll have your application fee covered when you use your card to apply for one of these expedited airport security programs, up to $120 every four years.
• Cellphone protection — When you pay your monthly cellphone bill with your card, Capital One provides coverage of up to $800 if your phone is stolen or damaged.
• Hertz President’s Circle® status — Not everyone needs to rent a car, but this status can help you get car upgrades and other amenities when you rent with Hertz.
• No foreign transactions fees — We consider this feature a must-have for any travel card, no matter the annual fee.