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 75,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 10X points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. That's an additional 9 points on top of the 1 point you earn for these purchases. • 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. This card comes with an annual fee of $550 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Plus, up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card® & receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts. |
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 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening. You'll earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. Plus, earn 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases.. And when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 25% more value! You get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee & reduced service fees on orders over $12 for a minimum of one year on qualifying food purchases with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21. This card carries a $95 annual fee. |
 The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening, or still earn 50,000 miles if you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 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 75,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 10X points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. That's an additional 9 points on top of the 1 point you earn for these purchases. • 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. This card comes with an annual fee of $550 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Plus, up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card® & receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts. |
 The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card offers 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – a $200 cash redemption value. You'll earn 3X points for: • eating out and ordering in • gas stations, rideshares and transit • travel including flights, hotels, homestays and car rentals • on popular streaming services • 1X points on other purchases This card comes with no annual fee. |
 The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers 20% back on Amazon.com purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back. Plus, earn $150 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You will receive cash back in the form of statement credits. You'll earn 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 1% Cash Back on other purchases. In addition, you'll earn 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses & more. The card does come with a $0 introductory annual fee for one year, then $95. (See Rates & Fees) |
 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. You'll have the opportunity to earn: • 4X Membership Rewards Points on Restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery, plus, earn 4X points for Uber Eats purchases too. • 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). This card has an annual fee of $250 with no foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees). Some benefits including earning up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. In addition, a $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline. You'll also get $120 Uber Cash: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. |
 The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time $300 cash bonus after spending $3000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn an unlimited 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases. Capital One cardholders get access to premium experiences in dining, entertainment and more. This card does carry a $95 annual fee, however, there is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year. |
 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, the 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 - and earn cash rewards without signing up for any rotating categories. 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. |
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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