Rewards credit cards can come in hand whether it comes from to travel to groceries to gas because it can help you earn cash, points or miles from simply spending on those things. With these types of credit cards, you can redeem your collection of rewards for cash, travel or shopping. We’ve sorted through all the rewards cards that are available on the market and compiled our own list of favorite credit cards of 2021. Choosing the right one can allow you to save on shopping , plan a free vacation and more.
For a more comprehensive list, see our best credit card bonuses here.
Table of Contents
Best Rewards Credit Cards Summary
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Best for travel rewards Best sign-up bonus Best beginner travel rewards card |
| Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card | Best for simple & flexible travel rewards |
| The Platinum Card® From American Express | Best for luxury travel |
| Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card | Best no-annual-fee travel card Best for gas rewards |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card From American Express | Best for families |
| American Express® Gold Card | Best for U.S. supermarket rewards Best for worldwide dining rewards |
| Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card | Best for dining & entertainment rewards |
| Citi® Double Cash Card | Best for flat-rate cash rewards Best no-annual-fee card |
| Discover It Cash Back Card | Best for bonus category cash rewards |
| Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card | Best for fair/average credit |
 The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. This card comes with an annual fee of $695 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Terms Apply. Terms Apply. |
Types of Rewards
The kind of rewards you earn varies from card to card, but the main types are:
This is the simplest and most straightforward type of rewards. You’ll get a percentage back on every purchase you make, which you can later redeem at a fixed value.
Cash rewards are great because they have more flexibility than points and miles, and its flexibility does not compromise its value.
These type of points are the credit card issuers’ rewards currencies that can be transferred to partner loyalty programs for optimal value. Generally, these type of rewards holds the most value due to its flexible redemption opportunities.
Examples of transferable points include American Express Membership Rewards®, Capital One® Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Citi ThankYou® Rewards.
Through the years, a new type of rewards points have started to gain traction. They are the called hybrid rewards earned through hybrid cards that typically earns you cash back, but can also be converted to more valuable point currencies when paired with other card in the same family.
For example, the Citi® Double Cash Card earns cash back. But if you pair it with the Citi Premier® Card, you can convert your cash rewards into Citi ThankYou® Rewards points.
These rewards cards earn points or miles for a specific loyalty program, usually an airline or hotel. They often come with brand-specific perks like free checked bags (airline cards) and complimentary elite status (hotel cards).
Loyalty program currencies aren’t as flexible as transferable points, but they can hold a lot of value. Here is a list of our favorite airline rewards credit cards. You might also want to take a look at our best hotel credit cards.
What We Considered
We looked at a variety of factors when we made our best rewards credit cards list, including:
- Welcome bonus
- Earning potential
- Annual fees
- Point values
- Rewards flexibility
- Rewards simplicity
- Additional benefits
- Transfer partners
- Rates & fees
Although we are talking about rewards credit cards in this post, you should still consider choosing a card with additional earning potential that matches your spending behavior.
The Best Rewards Credit Cards of 2020
 The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You'll earn: • 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards • 3X points on dining • 3X points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases • 2X points on all other travel purchases • 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases Enjoy new benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit and when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 25% more value! This card carries a $95 annual fee. |
 The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. You're able to earn 2X miles on every purchase, every day. This card does come with a $95 annual fee. Enjoy no foreign transaction fees and receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. |
The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. This card comes with an annual fee of $695 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Terms Apply. Terms Apply. |
 The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers a $350 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. You'll earn • 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%) • 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions • 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. • 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses & more. • 1% Cash Back on other eligible purchases. The card does come with a $95 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
 The American Express® Gold Card offers 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms apply. You'll earn: • 4X Membership Rewards Points on Restaurants, including takeout and delivery • 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required. This card has an annual fee of $250 with no foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
 The Citi® Double Cash Card offers you the chance to earn cash back twice. Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Balance Transfer Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, a 14.74% - 24.74% (Variable) APR will apply based on your creditworthiness. Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. This card comes with no annual fee. |
The Discover it Cash Back Card is the best card for bonus category cash rewards.
 With the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, you can enjoy: Earning unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply. With responsible use, you can help strengthen your credit and be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months. You'll be able to monitor your credit profile with the free CreditWise® app and enjoy $0 fraud liability if your card is ever lost or stolen. This card comes with a $39 annual fee. |
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Bottom Line
There isn’t a universal rewards credit card that will work for everyone. Generally, the right card for you will depend on what you like spending your money on and your financial goals.
If you are looking to earn free flights and hotel stays, consider a travel credit card. If you want to save money on everyday purchases, then select a cashback card.
Regardless of what type of rewards credit card you decide to go for, consider each cards’ annual fee, rewards rate and benefits. From there, you can narrow the list down by which offers the best welcome bonus. For more post like this, check out our list of the best credit card bonuses.
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