Best rewards credit card, which is defined as a credit card that rewards you for spending with it, maybe a fantastic way to earn a little more money on purchases you would have made regardless. Credit cards with Top 12 Best Rewards Credit Cards in 2022 programs are one of the few ways to get more bang for your buck, usually in the form of points, miles, or cash back. They’re best for folks who pay off their bills in full each month; otherwise, interest will eat away at your rewards. Aside from being rewarded for your shopping, the best rewards cards also come with big introductory gifts and a slew of features and advantages, such as purchase and travel safeguards that save you money.
Although there are certain negatives to be aware of, such as annual fees, APRs, and minimum credit scores, there are ways to assess whether the card is worth it. Read on to learn more about the best credit cards with rewards and to see our top picks. When you spend money on the best rewards credit card, you get appealing benefits like cash back, travel points, and other rewards. But how can you choose from so many appealing options?
Top 12 Best Rewards Credit Cards in 2022
Depending on how you spend money, the best rewards credit card for you could be one that doesn’t cost anything but gives you consistent points for everyday purchases or one that charges a fee but gives you bigger rewards in certain areas. The top best rewards credit cards make it simple to receive your incentive. They give you great bonuses when you sign up and let you earn more when you spend in your favorite categories.
Here are our recommendations for the best rewards credit cards, so you can choose the best one for you. The appropriate best rewards credit card may help you fill your savings account or finance a dream vacation, depending on the kind of rewards that suit you most—cash back, flexible points, hotel points, or airline miles.
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an excellent travel reward credit card for customers who want to earn flexible points. It earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards® points on travel, 3x points on dining, and 2x points on all other travel expenses. You may use your points in a variety of ways, including for travel through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards® site for a 25% bonus, cash back, and a variety of other alternatives. You may also transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners. There are also other wonderful travel perks with the card, such as no international transaction fees and free rental vehicle insurance.
Pros
- When it comes to travel, points are worth 25% more.
- When you use the Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) travel gateway to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for travel, they are worth 1.25 cents.
- Transfers to 14 different hotel and airline partners are available.
- Your points may be transferred to hotels and airline partners in a 1:1 ratio.
- protection for your rented automobile.
- Your rental car is protected against theft and damage with comprehensive rental car insurance.
- Points can be redeemed for cash.
- If you need to close the card and pay out your points, you may expect a good return — cash back redemptions are 1 cent per point.
cons
- 5/24 Chase
- The capacity to apply is restricted by the rule.
- You won’t be eligible to open this card if you’ve opened five or more new credit cards from any bank in the past 24 months.
- An annual charge of $95 is required.
- While the card’s advantages, which include a sizable sign-up bonus, clearly outweigh the cost, you’ll have to factor it in.
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® remains one of the best travel best rewards credit cards due to its earning potential and redemption flexibility. You can earn 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Even though the price will go up by $100 per year in 2020, regular passengers will get more benefits. Through June 30, 2022, you may earn 10X points on Lyft trips.
Pros
- A substantial welcome bonus is available.
- The card’s bonus is worth $600 in cash and $750 in travel through the Ultimate Rewards® website.
- A $300 travel credit is available every year.
- This credit can be used to pay for anything related to a trip, such as a flight, a hotel, or public transportation.
- 3X points for traveling and eating anywhere in the world.
- Every travel and dining transaction you make anywhere on the globe will earn you 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar.
- Points are worth 25% more when it comes to travel.
- You can use the Chase Ultimate Rewards® online travel portal to redeem points for 1.25 cents each toward travel reservations.
- transfer points to hotel and airline partners 1:1.
- Leading hotel and airline schemes accept points in a 1:1 ratio.
- You can earn up to ten times your money on qualified Lyft rides.
- You’ll earn 7 points for every $1 spent on qualified Lyft trips until June 30, 2022.
- Access to the airport lounge is complimentary.
- Register for a free Priority Pass Select membership to gain access to over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide.
- coverage for a rental automobile.
- You’ll get primary rental vehicle protection from theft or damage if you charge the whole price to your card (and decline the company’s collision insurance).
cons
- A $550 annual charge is required.
- Some passengers may find it difficult to justify the hefty yearly price.
- This is especially important right now because COVID-19 restrictions are making it hard to travel, but Chase has made up for it with a few bonuses that are only available for a limited time.
- Each authorized user costs $75.
- You’ll have to pay an extra $75 per year per person if you wish to extend your benefits to an approved user.
- There is a significant minimum expenditure requirement.
- To qualify for the welcome bonus, you must spend $4,000 in three months.
- This is a challenging barrier for some clients to cross.
3. Capital One Venture best Rewards Credit Card
Travel rewards are simple to redeem with the Capital One Venture best Rewards Credit Card. Through May 16, 2023, you can earn an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; and 5 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world’s largest car-sharing marketplace, then “erase” your travel charges with the rewards you’ve earned by using Capital One’s Purchase Eraser feature to receive an account credit for these purchases up to 90 days later. With the inclusion of airline and hotel transfer partners, its reward program has become one of the most versatile in the industry.
Pros
- Every purchase has the same high reward rate.
- Through May 16, 2023, you’ll earn 2 miles per dollar on every transaction, every day; 5 miles on hotels and rental vehicles booked through Capital One Travel; and 5 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world’s largest car-sharing marketplace, with no limitations.
- Reimbursement for TSA Precheck or Global Entry.
- Once every four years, you’ll be paid up to $100 for application expenses.
- Miles can be transferred to airline and hotel partners.
- You may now transfer miles to more than 15 airline and hotel reward programs through Capital One.
- Depending on the partner, the value of these transferred rewards can vary, but some of these schemes can give you very good deals.
cons
- A $95.-annual charge is required.
- A $95. yearly fee is charged, which lowers the value of the rewards you receive.
- You’ll have to think about whether you’d make enough money to break even.
4. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Because of its high flat-rate rewards structure, hefty welcome bonus, and other significant features, the Wells Fargo Active Cash card is a great choice for anyone wishing to earn cash back. Cardholders can earn limitless 2% cash rewards on purchases for a $0 yearly fee. You’ll also get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months after account opening, and a 0% intro APR on eligible balance transfers for 15 months after account opening. After that, your variable APR will be 15.74 percent, 20.74 percent, or 25.74 percent. Finally, this card may be beneficial to consumers who want to pay off debt while still getting cash back rewards on all of their expenditures.
Pros
- There is no yearly charge.
- It’s uncommon for a credit card to give both a high rewards rate and a no-fee welcome gift.
- All purchases are subject to a strong flat rate.
- You’ll get an infinite amount of 2% cash back on purchases.
- This is a fantastic welcome offer.
- Spend $1,000 in the first three months to receive a $200 cash reward incentive.
- Purchases and debit transfers are eligible for a low introductory APR.
- Purchases get a 0% intro APR for 15 months from the account’s starting date, and qualified balance transfers have a 0% initial APR for 15 months from the account’s opening.
- After that, your variable APR will be 15.74 percent, 20.74 percent, or 25.74 percent.
- Protection for your cell phone.
- When you pay your phone bill with your card, you might get up to $600 in damage or theft protection.
- There is a $25 deductible on this.
- Terms and conditions apply.
cons
- A 3% international transaction fee is charged.
- For people who travel overseas regularly, this card isn’t a good choice because foreign transaction fees can rapidly build up.
- There are no bonus categories.
- The rewards rate on this card is fixed, so cardholders won’t be able to get the most out of their rewards.
5. Chase Freedom Flex℠
The Chase Freedom FlexSM is our top choice for a cash back card with rotating categories because, unlike the Discover it® Cash Back, it gives a very large bonus on additional purchase categories like travel, restaurants, and drugstores. When you use your card for the first time each quarter, you’ll get 5% cash back on purchases in rotating categories and 5% cash back on up to $1,500 worth of purchases in bonus areas. Every quarter, there are new 5% categories to enjoy! In addition, you’ll receive 5% cash back on trips bought through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and pharmacy purchases, and 1% on all other transactions.
You must enroll in one of the card’s rotating categories, which change every three months. However, if you do so by the end of the quarter, you’ll get 5% back on up to $1,500 in purchases in those categories (for a total of $300 in bonus cash back every year). Even if you don’t do well in the card’s revolving categories, you can still win in the card’s permanent categories. The Chase Freedom FlexSM is one of the greatest cash best rewards credit card as a result of this.
Pros
- Quarterly bonus categories are rotated.
- Each quarter you activate, you may earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in total bonus category purchases.
- Every quarter, there are new 5% categories to enjoy!
- In addition, you’ll receive 5% cash back on trips bought through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and pharmacy purchases, and 1% on all other transactions.
- It is necessary to activate the device.
- Bonuses on travel, eating, and drugstores are available on a regular basis.
- You’ll get additional cashback on travel and dining purchases in addition to the card’s rotating bonus categories.
- APR has a long introduction.
- Purchases have a 0% intro APR for 15 months (after which a variable APR of 15.24 percent–23.99 percent applies).
- Get 5% back on Lyft rides.
- Until June 30, 2022, you’ll receive 5% cash back on Lyft rides (4 percent on top of the standard 1% earning rate).
- Travel and acquire insurance.
- Get a comprehensive set of safeguards for your purchases, including travel cancellation and interruption insurance and up to $1,000 in annual cell phone coverage.
- Combine your rewards with those from other Chase cards.
- Because the Chase Freedom FlexSM is part of the Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer your points to other cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and spend them on travel to increase the value of your points.
cons
- To receive 5% cash back, you must first register.
- You must register before the end of the quarter in order to earn 5% cash back.
- Spending is limited to $1,500 every quarter.
- The 5% additional cash back isn’t available indefinitely.
- After you’ve reached the maximum, you’ll only get 1% cash back on purchases that aren’t in the other bonus categories.
6. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card is the best rewards credit card for people who cook at home and watch a lot of Netflix. You’ll get 6% Cash Back on up to $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets (then 1%), 6% Cash Back on certain U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% Cash Back at U.S. petrol stations, and on transportation (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more), and 1% Cash Back on other transactions. Terms and conditions apply. You can quickly turn in rewards worth $25 or more to get credit for your purchases on your statement.
Pros
- Earn 6% cash back on grocery purchases in the United States.
- You’ll get 6% cash back on the first $6,000 you spend at U.S. supermarkets each year.
- Get 6% cashback on your streaming purchases.
- Select streaming services in the United States are also eligible for the 6% cashback.
- Transportation costs are refunded at a rate of 3%.
- Get 3% cash back on taxis, ride-sharing services, parking, tolls, and other purchases.
- You’ll also get 3% back on all of your gas station purchases.
- For a limited time, take advantage of 0% APR on purchases.
- For the first 12 months, you’ll get a 0% APR on purchases (14.74 percent -24.74 percent Variable APR thereafter).
- This gives you more time to pay off your purchases without having to pay extra interest.
cons
- There is a yearly charge.
- The $0 annual fee for the first year and the $95 annual fee after that make earning cash back less valuable.
- To break even after paying the yearly fee (which is worth it for most supermarket consumers), you’ll need to spend about $1,600 on groceries.
- Fees for international transactions
- After converting international purchases to US dollars, a tax of 2.7% is added to each one.
- Fees for committing offenses.
- If you pay late or have a payment returned, you could be fined up to $40 per occurrence.
7. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card provides 4% cash back on up to $7,000 in petrol purchases from any qualified gas station each year, making it an ideal choice for gas purchase rewards (not just Costco gas stations). It has no annual cost and gives you additional cash back on eating, traveling, and Costco purchases.
Pros
- Get up to 4% cash back on your purchases.
- For the first $7,000 each year, you’ll get 4% cash back on qualified gas, then 1% for the remainder of the year, 3% on restaurants and travel, 2% at Costco and Costco.com, and 1% on everything else.
- There is no yearly charge.
- This credit card has no annual charge for Costco members.
- Protect yourself by purchasing insurance.
- During the first 120 days, eligible purchases are protected against damage or theft (or 90 days for New York residents).
- Fees for international transactions are nothing.
- The Citi Costco Anywhere Visa® Card is also a great travel companion because there are no fees for transactions outside of the United States.
cons
- There is no welcome bonus.
- When you sign up for this best rewards credit card, you will not receive a welcome bonus.
- Costco Cash Rewards are earned by you.
- Your profits are Costco Cash Rewards, which can only be used to make purchases at Costco, rather than cash back that may be spent anywhere.
- These rewards are given out in the form of a certificate once a year in February and must be used on a single Costco purchase.
- You will lose your rewards if you discontinue your Costco membership.
- If you stop being a member before you get your certificate in February, you will lose any cash back rewards you earned for the year.
- To apply, you must be a Costco member.
- To apply, you must first become a member of Costco and pay the $60 annual membership fee.
- If you don’t get the card, you’ll lose the money you spent to join Costco.
- The gas category is restricted.
- You’ll get 4% cash back on the first $7,000 you spend on petrol each year.
- Additional petrol purchases only earn you 1%.
7. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
The perks of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card will appeal to frequent Delta Air Lines flyers. It gives you an annual companion pass certificate and, depending on how much you spend, a faster way to become a Medallion. Plus, on Delta purchases and transactions made directly with hotels, you can earn 3X miles. Earn 2X Miles in restaurants around the world, as well as takeaway and delivery in the United States, and at supermarkets in the United States, and 1X Miles on all other qualified purchases.
Pros
- certificate for a buddy every year.
- Each year, cardholders receive a main cabin companion voucher that allows them to travel with a companion for free, with fewer taxes and fees (up to $75 for the trip).
- The first checked bag is complimentary.
- On Delta flights, the first checked bag is free for the cardholder and up to eight passengers traveling on the same itinerary.
- On a round-trip flight, that’s a savings of $240 for a family of four.
- You and your buddies will be given priority boarding.
- You’ll get priority boarding in Main Cabin 1 for you and up to eight friends on the same route, regardless of the ticket you purchase.
- Obtain Medallion status more quickly.
- Based on your spending, the Delta Platinum card can earn you up to 20,000 MQMs every year.
- For every $25,000 you spend, you’ll get 10,000 MQMs, up to two times every calendar year.
- Additionally, if you spend at least $25,000 each year, the MQD criteria for Delta SkyMiles’ elite Silver, Gold, and Platinum status are eliminated.
cons
- A $250 annual charge is required.
- The increased yearly price may not be enough to cover the advantages for infrequent travelers or modest spenders.
- To get the most out of this card, set aside at least $25,000 every year to acquire the MQMs and MQD waiver required for elite status.
- Access to the airport lounge is $39 per person.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card members can use the Delta Sky Club airport lounges for $39 per person, which is quite expensive.
- Cardholders are allowed to invite up to two visitors into the lounge, but they must also pay the cost.
- The companion certificate is only valid for the main cabin.
- Your companion will not be permitted to sit with you if you are traveling in first or business class.
9. Capital One® Savor® Cash Best Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the best rewards credit cards for people who like to eat out, go to events, and have fun. You’ll get a limitless 4% cash back on restaurants, entertainment, and popular streaming services, as well as 3% cash back at grocery stores and 1% cash back on everything else. Because it’s a cashback card, rewards are straightforward to use — you may use them to offset purchases on your credit card statement at any time. The card has a $95 annual fee, but if you’re a foodie who attends a lot of events, the rewards you receive will easily cover it.
Pros
- 4% cash back on purchases of dining and entertainment.
- When you dine out and have fun, you may earn an unlimited amount of cashback.
- Get 8% cash back on your tickets.
- When you buy concert, sports, and event tickets with Vivid Seats, you’ll get 8% cash back through January 31, 2023.
- Get 3% cash back on your groceries.
- On days when you prefer to stay home and eat, you’ll get 3% cash back at the store.
cons
- A $95.-annual charge is required.
- Some of the finest Best rewards credit cards have no annual fee or charge anything for the first year, but this isn’t the case here.
- To cover the $95 yearly charge, you’ll need to spend over $2,400 on meals and entertainment each year.
- The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, which has no annual fee, maybe a better alternative for some consumers.
- There is no promotion for balance transfers.
- This card does not provide a 0% APR deal, despite the fact that there is no cost for transferring a balance.
10. Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express
The American Express Hilton Honors Aspire Card is Hilton’s high-end credit card. It gives frequent travelers and people who stay at Hilton hotels a lot of benefits. You’ll be upgraded to Diamond rank and get a free weekend night once a year (enrollment required). Those that spend a lot of money can even get a free weekend night twice a year. In addition, you may use a $250 yearly resort credit at Hilton to pay for qualified resort costs.
Pros
- Hilton Honors Diamond Status is complimentary.
- Cardholders automatically get Hilton Honors Diamond status, which means you’ll earn double base points from paid stays, room upgrades, and more (you’ll need to sign up for this).
- To reach Diamond elite status, you typically need 15 stays, 30 nights, or 60,000 base points.
- Weekend night rewards are provided for free.
- Upon acceptance, you’ll get one free weekend night, and each year you renew your card, you’ll get another.
- Additionally, after spending $60,000 in a calendar year, you can receive a second free weekend night.
- Credit for Hilton resorts on a yearly basis.
- By making certain purchases at certain Hilton locations, you can earn up to $250 in resort credits each year.
- Purchases get you a lot of additional points.
- Earn 14X points for eligible purchases made directly with a qualifying Hilton hotel or resort on your card; 7X points for eligible purchases made directly with airlines or amextravel.com; 7X points for eligible purchases made directly with certain car rental providers; and 3X points for all card transactions.
- That’s a very high pay scale.
cons
- A $450 annual charge is required.
- The annual charge for a hotel credit card is one of the highest.
- People who only come once in a while might not find the yearly fee to be worth the high price.
- You’ll need to spend a lot of money to get a second free weekend night.
- Cardholders must spend $60,000 in a calendar year to qualify for the second free weekend night.
- For many homes, this will be tough to attain.
11. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The American Express Business Platinum Card (Amex BPC) comes with a slew of perks for small business owners. It comes with a slew of yearly credits for things like air travel and Dell Technologies purchases, which will more than cover the card’s $695 annual cost if you use them. You can earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels at amextravel.com. Double your Membership Rewards® points. For each qualified purchase of $5,000 or more, you’ll get an extra half point per dollar.
Pros
- Dell credits of up to $400 per year are available.
- From January to June, you’ll get up to $200 in statement credits for Dell purchases, and from July to December, you’ll get another $200.
- It is necessary to enroll.
- Indeed, a credit of up to $360 is available.
- Enroll to receive up to $360 in statement credits each year when you use your card to make purchases with Indeed.
- An Adobe credit of up to $150 is available.
- Purchases made with your card toward eligible Creative Cloud for teams and Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign yearly prepaid plans can earn you up to $150 in statement credits per year.
- It is necessary to enroll.
- A wireless credit of up to $120 is available.
- For wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless carrier in the United States on your card, you can get up to $120 in statement credits every year.
- It is necessary to enroll.
- The Global Lounge Collection is available to you.
- Cardholders get access to over 1,300 airport lounges in 140 countries, including American Express Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass lounges.
- On redemptions, you’ll get a 35% incentive from the airline.
- When you book flights using points, you’ll earn 35 percent of your points back.
- This advantage is limited to 500,000 points each year, and you may only earn it with one airline, which you must choose at the start of the year.
- It is necessary to enroll.
- Hotel elite status is granted automatically.
- Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status are automatically granted to cardholders.
- It is necessary to enroll.
cons
- The yearly charge is rather high.
- The principal cardholder must pay a $695 yearly fee.
12. Discover it® Secured Credit Card
People who are trying to build or fix their credit should get the Discover it® Secured Credit Card. The Discover it® Secured Credit Card, unlike many other cards aimed at those with bad credit, has a strong cash rewards program. Plus, Discover will match any cash back earned by new cards at the conclusion of the first year, effectively doubling your rewards. After seven months, Discover will check automatically every month to see if your secured card can be changed to one that doesn’t need a security deposit. You’ll be well on your way to improving credit if you make your payments on time.
Pros
- The first year’s cashback is matched.
- Discover will match any cash back you earn over the first year, up to a certain amount.
- You may earn rewards for your purchases.
- Each quarter, you may earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in total purchases.
- On all other purchases, you’ll get 1% cash back automatically.
- Your security deposit is entirely up to you.
- The amount of your credit line is equivalent to the amount of your security deposit.
- The minimum security deposit is $200.
- After seven months, the system does an automatic evaluation.
- After seven months, Discover will look at your card to see if you are eligible for an unsecured credit card.
- FICO Scores are available for free.
- With a free FICO Score online, via its app, and on your monthly bill, you can follow your progress toward improving your credit.
cons
- Your credit limit is determined by the amount of your security deposit. Yo!