Rewards cards are wildly popular for good reason — not using one is literally turning your back on free money. This is a huge category, offering a variety of ways to maximize your spending. Such cards can offer simple cash back, airline miles, and/or points that can be reimbursed for merchandise, certain kinds of expenses, and so on. If you’re interested in a particular category, be sure to check out our other pages up top.
The chart below lists the annual fee as well as whether it’s waived the first year (WFY). The bonus column explains what you get for every $1 charged to the card, whether it’s a cash-back percentage (%), points (pt), or airlines miles (mi). Some cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, earn points that can be transferred into airline miles. Typically, rewards cards will feature certain bonus categories of purchases that will get a better rate, which is why some sport a range for this column.
Remember, don’t use a rewards card if you carry a balance. They have high interest rates that easily outdo the rewards. And don’t forget to check our list of the best rewards cards.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Capital One Venture
Capital One Quicksilver
American Express Blue Cash Preferred
American Express Blue Cash Everyday
US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards
Barclay’s US Airways Dividend Miles
Chase Freedom
Chase United MileagePlus Explorer
US Bank LANPASS
Barclaycard Rewards Average Credit
Barclaycard Rewards Excellent Credit
US Bank AeroMexico
US Bank LifeMiles
Citi Dividend Platinum Select
Barclay’s Lufthansa Premier Miles & More
US Bank SKYPASS
American Express JetBlue
Chase British Airways
Citi Forward
Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier
American Express Premier Rewards Gold
Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage
American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles
PenFed Platinum Cash Rewards
US Bank Cash+
Bank of America Travel Rewards
Barclay’s Arrival
PenFed Premium Travel Rewards
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Discover it for Students
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American Express Starwood Preferred Guest
Chase Sapphire
Mercedes-Benz Platinum Card
IHG Rewards Club Select Visa
Citi ThankYou Preferred
Citi ThankYou Premier
Barnes & Noble MasterCard
Upromise World MasterCard
NFL Extra Points Credit Card
Harley-Davidson Visa
Amazon Rewards Visa
Ace Rewards Visa
