Rewards Credit Cards
Use rewards credit cards to get benefits for each dollar you spend, typically in the form of redeemable points. Rewards credit cards are great for people who don't carry a monthly credit card balance. When used as your primary card, a rewards credit card could quickly help you get things like that flat-screen TV or trip to Hawaii. Keep in mind that these cards generally require a good to excellent credit rating for approval and often come with a higher interest rate. If you carry a balance month-to-month, you'll probably end up paying many times over in interest what you get back in rewards. These are some of the most popular rewards credit cards from Credit Karma's partners.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Named Best Credit Card for Flexible Travel Redemption - Kiplinger's Personal Finance, July 2016
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Earn 5,000 bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $625 toward travel
- No blackout dates or travel restrictions - as long as there's a seat on the flight, you can book it through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Pros & Cons
- Killer sign-up bonus worth $625 toward travel redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 25% more value when redeeming for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee after the first year ($95)
- No intro APR
Our Take
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a travel rewards card aimed at excellent credit consumers.
What to Like
Cardholders get 2 points for every dollar spent on travel and restaurants, and 1 point for every other dollar spent on purchases. The Chase Ultimate Rewards program offers a 25% discount on travel purchases made using points. The card also has no foreign transaction fee and offers a 50,000 point bonus if you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.
Look Out For
After the first year, there’s a $95 annual fee. There’s no intro APR for purchases or balance transfers.
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 40,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $400 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
- Fly any airline, stay at any hotel, anytime
- Travel when you want with no blackout dates
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $59 after that
- Get a metal Venture Card when you apply today
Pros & Cons
- High rewards rate: 2X miles on all purchases
- Flexible redemption options
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee after the first year ($59)
- No transfers to other airline or hotel loyalty programs
Our Take
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card offers flexible travel rewards to people with good to excellent credit.
What to Like
Cardholders get 2 miles for every dollar spent on purchases, and 40,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within 3 months from account opening. As long as the card is open, the rewards don’t expire for the life of the account, and miles can be used for flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises and more.
Look Out For
After the first year, the card comes with a $59 annual fee and there’s no 0% intro APR for purchases or transfers.
Additional Rewards Credit Cards
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire
- 20,000 online bonus points if you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days - that can be a $200 statement credit toward travel purchases
- Use your card to book your trip how and where you want – you’re not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions
- Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, rental cars, or baggage fees
- Comes with chip technology for enhanced security and protection at chip-enabled terminals
- 0% Introductory APR for 12 billing cycles for purchases, then 15.99% - 23.99% Variable APR
- Get an additional 10% customer points bonus on every purchase when you have an active Bank of America® checking or savings account
- If you’re a Preferred Rewards client, you can increase that bonus to 25% - 75%
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and pay no annual fee
- Fly any airline, stay at any hotel, anytime
- Enjoy a low intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 12.99% - 22.99% variable APR after that
- Travel when you want with no blackout dates
- No foreign transaction fees
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
Helpful Articles
* See the online Provider's credit card application for details about terms and conditions. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. When you click on the "Apply Now" button, you can review the credit card terms and conditions on the provider's website.
† Credit Karma looks at how your credit profile compares to other Credit Karma members who were approved for this product. Of course, there's no such thing as a sure thing, but knowing whether your Approval Odds are Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor may help you narrow down your choices.
‡ Average score refers to the arithmetic mean and typical low score to the 5th percentile of, in each case, available VantageScore 3.0 credit scores provided by TransUnion of Credit Karma members who were approved for this product from February 2017 through July 2017. Average and typical approved scores are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed. You can learn more about credit card approval through our in-depth article.