17 best rewards credit cards of December 2023

This card is suited to travelers who take a few trips a year and want a simple miles-earning structure with the potential to maximize their rewards.

“The Capital One Venture is a great card that can add value to pretty much anyone's wallet. I use it to earn 2 miles per dollar on the purchases that fall outside my other cards' bonus categories. The annual fee is low, Capital One miles are easy to redeem and the card does come with a few nice perks, including TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee reimbursement.” — Madison Blancaflor, senior content operations editor

The main competitor to this card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which earns more points on dining, streaming and online grocery purchases. However, it earns half the rate of the Venture Rewards on everyday purchases and does not include any lounge passes.

This card is ideal for frequent travelers who spend a lot on airfare purchases and want access to a wide range of lounges along with a large number of lifestyle perks.

“While this card has a high annual fee, it more than justifies itself for frequent travelers like me. The lounge access options that come with the Platinum are unrivaled by competitors. I put all my flights — whether bought with cash or points — on this card to earn 5 points per dollar spent (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and trip protection insurance*. I make sure to take full advantage of the Uber, Saks Fifth Avenue, Hulu/Disney+ and Clear Plus credits (enrollment is required). And, honestly, pulling a Platinum card out of your wallet to pay for something does feel pretty fancy.” — Matt Moffitt, senior credit cards editor

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns more points on travel (except flights) and dining purchases and comes with a lower $550 annual fee. However, the Amex Platinum has better lounge access options.

This card is a great addition to the wallets of those who want to earn a lot of points when dining out and grocery shopping.

 “Groceries and dining at restaurants are two of my top spending categories, and I love that the Amex Gold rewards those purchases with 4 points per dollar (up to $25,000 in spending at U.S. supermarkets). When you factor in the $10 dining credit and $10 in Uber Cash each month, the $250 annual fee is a net cost of $10.” — Senitra Horbrook, credit cards editor

There are few direct competitors to this card, but it’s worth checking out the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve, which offer more points for travel purchases but fewer bonus points for groceries and dining.

This card is suited to frequent travelers who want lounge access and transferable miles for maximum-value travel redemptions.

“With an annual fee that is $300 less than The Platinum Card® from American Express (see Amex Platinum rates and fees), the Capital One Venture X is my favorite travel credit card. The card comes with an annual $300 Capital One travel portal credit, which I use to book flights. That effectively brings the annual fee down to $95 per year (see rates and fees). Cardholders enjoy a Priority Pass Select membership. I use my Venture X to earn 2 miles per dollar (a 3.7% return, based on TPG's valuations) in spend categories where most cards would only accrue 1 point, such as auto maintenance, pharmacies and medical bills.” — Kyle Olsen, points and miles reporter

The popular Chase Sapphire Reserve earns more bonus points on travel and dining purchases but comes with a higher $550 annual fee. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth slightly more than Capital One miles.

This card is geared toward small-business owners who want to maximize points-earning on business expenses. It’s also great for those who regularly run into problems with their cellphone, as it provides cellphone protection.

“I originally signed up for the Ink Business Preferred primarily for its sign-up bonus. But, over the last year, I've found myself making it my go-to card when booking travel. After all, the Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar spent on travel and provides excellent travel protections, including trip delay protection and rental car insurance.”  — Katie Genter, senior writer

This card’s main competitor is the American Express® Business Gold Card, which offers 4-points-per-dollar in select bonus categories that automatically reflect your highest spending areas, such as transit purchases, dining at U.S. restaurants, and U.S. gas station purchases. However, its biggest downside is its relatively high $295 annual fee (see rates and fees).

If your everyday spending correlates with the Citi Premier’s bonus categories, the card can be a great way for you to earn on spending you are already doing.

“Out of all of my credit cards, the Citi Premier Card is often my everyday card and a card I typically recommend to friends and family. Earning 3 points per dollar for gas, groceries and restaurants allows you to rack up points even when you’re not on the road. Being able to transfer Citi ThankYou points to valuable partners like Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and Avianca LifeMiles is also a key reason this card stands out, all while having a modest annual fee of $95.” – Danyal Ahmed, credit cards writer

If you love the bonus earning of the Citi Premier but are looking to get a high reward rate, additional travel benefits and don’t mind a higher annual fee, consider the American Express® Gold Card.

This card is a good match for anyone who doesn’t want to expend mental energy juggling spending categories.

“I have the Chase Ink Business trilogy — the Ink Business Cash Credit Card, Ink Business Preferred Credit Card and Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card. The first two cards maximize my points-earning on things like office supply, internet and phone purchases, while the Ink Unlimited covers everything else with a flat 1.5% earn rate. The fact that I have the Ink Preferred means I can convert my cash back from the Ink Unlimited into more valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. This no-annual-fee card will stay in my wallet for years to come.” — Matt Moffitt, senior credit cards editor

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is the only no-annual-fee (see rates and fees) business credit card that can potentially be more valuable. It offers 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent (on up to $50,000 in annual spending, then 1 point), and these points are immediately transferrable to partners; you don't need to carry another card to enable this functionality.

This card is best suited to someone looking for a lot of cash back on groceries, gas, transit and streaming.

“The Blue Cash Preferred Card is the card I recommended to my parents when they were looking for a new cash-back rewards card for their groceries. My parents prefer the simplicity of cash-back rewards, and I knew they'd benefit from earning 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in purchases at U.S. supermarkets, then 1% back after that. Compared to the 1.5% cash back they were earning on these purchases, the elevated earnings easily justified adding the Blue Cash Preferred to their wallet.” — Katie Genter, senior points and miles writer

If you want a flat cash-back rate on all purchases, then the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) is a great option, offering 2% back on every transaction — 1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay your bill.

This card is best for two groups of people: those who want to keep rewards lucrative but simple, earning 1% cash back as you buy things and 1% cash back as you pay them off, and those who want to ramp up rewards-earning by converting these rewards to Citi ThankYou points, which TPG values at 1.8 cents each.

“I wasn’t the biggest fan of this card previously, thinking it was just average, but I am a big fan now that it earns Citi ThankYou points. Paired with my other Citi cards, it unlocks huge earning potential on everyday spending. The fact it has no annual fee means it’s a long-term keeper for me.” — Ryan Smith, credit cards writer

If you want an even simpler rewards-earning structure, also with no annual fee, check out the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees), which earns 2% back in cash rewards on purchases.

This card is unique in that it’s a great match for those new to credit card rewards and those looking to squeeze all possible value out of every dollar charged. This makes it a good match for almost anyone, but especially for those who want to one day use some of their rewards for travel.

“The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great option, especially for anyone with a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve. It has solid bonus categories but also gives 1.5% back on all other purchases. And, if you have a higher-end Chase card, you can effectively convert these cash-back earnings into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points.” — Nick Ewen, director of content

If you like the idea of a no-annual-fee card in the Chase credit card ecosystem but want even more bonus categories, check out the Chase Freedom Flex, which has unique, rotating 5% bonus categories (up to $1,500 in total spending each quarter, activation required).

It’s perfect for low-budget beginner travelers who want a card with no annual fee and a simple way to earn and redeem points.

 “I’m happy earning 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases on a card without an annual fee. I can’t pay for everything in life with transferable points, and it’s nice to have a card with fixed-value points for those situations. I use this card for travel purchases where I need to pay in cash, then I can reimburse myself with the points.” — Ryan Smith, credit cards writer

If you’re interested in a card with transferable miles that still has no annual fee (see rates and fees), consider the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

Travel card beginners who are looking to get into points earning should consider the Wells Fargo Autograph, which offers a welcome bonus, 3 points per dollar on a variety of everyday spending categories and cellphone protection.

If you’re just getting into the travel credit card world and are not sure travel cards are for you, consider the Wells Fargo Autograph, which will allow you to earn bonus points on travel spending without the commitment of an annual fee.

If you’re looking to earn transferable reward points but still maintain a similar earning structure, consider the Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees), which offers 3 points per dollar on air travel, gas station, and hotels, restaurants and supermarket purchases. In addition, you can transfer ThankYou Rewards points to any of Citi’s travel partners.

This is a good starter card for enthusiastic foodies, avid streamers and regular concertgoers — especially for international travelers, since the card has no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

For no annual fee, you’re getting an excellent return on a variety of purchases — both in and out of the U.S (see rates and fees).

The Chase Freedom Flex offers 5% back on travel purchased through the Chase portal and 3% on dining and drugstore purchases. It also has valuable rotating quarterly categories, earning 5% cash back (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter) after activation.

You don’t have to be a high spender to find value in this card. It’s well suited for those who travel frequently, will enjoy airport lounge access, will benefit from automatic elite status with Marriott and Hilton (enrollment required) and can maximize the card’s various statement credits. Plus, the card’s return on spending for travel purchases is very strong — as is the return in select business categories and purchases totaling more than $5,000. You’ll also enjoy a 35% points rebate on eligible flights booked with Amex Travel on up to 1 million points back per calendar year.

“I find that the annual perks and credits vastly outweigh the large annual fee. And that's even without using some of them. By using the benefits with Priority Pass and Amex lounges, the airline incidental credits, plus the statement credits for Clear, our cellphone plan and restocking my home printer with ink and paper from Dell, I get more value out of the card than it costs to keep it. Plus, it earns my favorite points — American Express Membership Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Rewards — earning 5 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked with Amex Travel.” — Ryan Smith, credit cards writer

If you have a business banking relationship with Capital One, consider the Capital One Venture X Business Card. It comes with a lower annual fee and access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One Lounges. Additionally, it earns at least 2 Capital One miles per dollar spent on all purchases.

Credit card beginners should consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash if they’re looking for a simple cash back card.

"This card offers a generous 15 months of 0% APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then a variable APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% applies) and 2% cash rewards. When the time came to pay my daughter’s preschool tuition, I got the card. I figured I could split the expense up monthly and pay a service fee to the school, or I could spread it out with the introductory APR and get 2% cash rewards. It was a no brainer for me!” — Eileen Sullivan, senior UX researcher

New credit card users who are looking to earn cash back but want the option to transfer their cash back into travel points should consider the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees). It features a similar simple earning strategy as the Wells Fargo Active Cash but when combined with select Citi cards, the cash back can be transferred into Citi ThankYou points.

This is a solid cash-back card for many, especially students and credit card beginners with low monthly budgets.

If groceries, gas and online shopping are among your largest spending categories, this is a great starter card to help you dip your toes into the world of credit card rewards.

If you want higher earning rates on a similar card, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express may be a better choice. You’ll get expanded bonus spending categories and additional perks, though you’ll want to be sure the card’s $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) starting in year two is worth it.