The best credit cards for earning and redeeming rewards

When friends and family ask me for a recommendation on the
best credit card
, I never have a definitive answer.
It’s
not a one-size-fits-all scenario
. Your personal preferences, spending habits, desired rewards and travel goals all play a role, and these factors will prompt a unique response for every person.
There are several cards that I often recommend, from products for
points and miles enthusiasts
to
award travel beginners
who are daydreaming about their next trip. Here’s a collection of some of the best all-around options.
Comparing my top picks for the best credit cards
These four top picks offer valuable points and miles that can power some
fantastic redemptions
. Here’s what to know.
Card name
Welcome offer
Earning rates
Annual fee
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.

• 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases

$395
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Earn 155,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends Jan. 14, 2026.

• 12 points per dollar spent at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
• 6 points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations, U.S. restaurants and U.S. supermarkets
• 4 points per dollar spent on U.S. online retail purchases
• 3 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

$150 (see rates and fees)
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees)
For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

• 12 points per dollar spent on attractions, car rentals and hotels booked on cititravel.com
• 6 points per dollar spent on air travel booked on cititravel.com and restaurants (including restaurant delivery services) on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time (earn 3 points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases outside of this window)
• 1.5 points per dollar spent on all other purchases

$595
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership.

• 5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotel purchases with American Express Travel
• 2 points per dollar spent on up to $2 million in eligible purchases in the U.S. per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar thereafter) in the following categories: eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, U.S. cloud service providers, U.S. construction materials and hardware supplies, U.S. electronic goods retailers, U.S. shipping providers and U.S. software
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

$895 (see rates and fees)
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
There isn’t a premium rewards card out there doing it quite like the
Capital One Venture X
right now.
THE POINTS GUY
With its valuable base earning rates, easy-to-use
annual benefits
and solid
airport lounge access
, you don’t have to fret over complicated statement credits and a swath of bonus categories like with
other premium travel cards
.
This is another card where the
math just works
. For a $395 annual fee, I receive a $300
annual travel credit
to use in the
Capital One Travel
portal and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, which TPG’s November 2025
valuations
deem are worth $185. If I maximize those two benefits alone each year, I’ll already come out ahead of the annual fee by $90.
Plus, the card is offering its
highest welcome offer in nearly four years
, making now an excellent time to add it to your wallet and collect 100,000 valuable
Capital One miles
.
For more information, read our
full review of the Venture X
.
Learn more:
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
The
Hilton Surpass
is a fantastic mid-tier option for anyone who stays with the brand semiregularly.
THE POINTS GUY
If you plan to
make a purchase with Hilton
at least quarterly (whether it’s a room rate, dining or spa service charge, for instance), it’s easy to end up ahead of this card’s modest $150 annual fee. You can earn up to $200 back every calendar year on eligible Hilton purchases (up to $50 in statement credits each quarter).
I highly recommend the Surpass to anyone who places value in the card’s
automatic Gold elite status
perk. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the complimentary breakfast or daily food-and-beverage credit and the space-available room upgrades that Gold status provides me.
And the bonus points certainly don’t hurt, either. I’m working up to another redemption as fantastic as my
130,000-point stay
at the Canopy by Hilton London City last spring.
To learn more, read our
full review of the Hilton Surpass
.
Apply here:
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Citi Strata Elite Card
The
Strata Elite
provides some of the most valuable earning rates in popular bonus categories out there for travelers and those who like to dine out.
THE POINTS GUY
This card provides a stellar return on travel booked through the
Citi Travel
portal and at restaurants during its weekendlong CitiNights promotions. Since
Citi ThankYou Rewards
points
now transfer
to the highly valuable
American Airlines AAdvantage
program, the rewards on this one can take you a long way.
If you’re into airport lounges, the Strata Elite includes four
American Airlines Admirals Club
passes per year, each valid for 24 hours, which is an interesting addition for those who don’t need a full Admirals Club membership but could find value in this level of access.
I’ve also come to appreciate the card’s unique statement credits, which include an up to $300 annual hotel credit for booking through the Citi Travel portal (a minimum stay of two nights is required), an up to $200 annual
Splurge statement credit
(choose two merchants) and an up to $200 Blacklane statement credit ($100 biannually).
To learn more, read our
full review of the Strata Elite
.
Apply here:
Citi Strata Elite Card
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
I’ve long admired the
Amex Business Platinum
as the top-tier card for business travelers who value luxury, statement credits and all the premium perks that matter.
THE POINTS GUY
To start, few cards even come close to rivaling the
lounge access benefits
you’ll find on the Business Platinum. If
Amex Centurion Lounges
, 10 annual visits to
Delta Sky Club lounges
* and
Priority Pass™ Select lounges
fit your travel style, you’ll certainly be pleased here. (Enrollment is required.)
*The annual Delta Sky Club visits must occur when traveling on eligible same-day Delta Air Lines flights.
A
bounty of statement credits
helps offset the card’s higher annual fee. These include highly valuable travel-related statement credits for prepaid bookings through
American Express Travel®
that are part of
American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts
or
The Hotel Collection
(The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay) and an
airline fee statement credit
— just to name a couple.
To learn more, read our
full review of the Amex Business Platinum
.
Apply here:
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
How I chose my top cards
The
Hilton Honors Surpass
and the
Venture X
are mainstays in my wallet. When I maximize the perks on both of these cards, I actually find that they provide more value than they charge in annual fees, which puts me ahead.
I’ve been taking a look at the
Strata Elite
since it was introduced earlier this year, mainly because I frequently fly out of an
American Airlines
hub and love the fact that Citi recently added American Airlines as a transfer partner.
As I’ve factored in the Strata Elite’s Admirals Club passes and Splurge credit, it’s moved near the top of my list.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
While the
Amex Business Platinum
may not be a perfect fit for my lifestyle (I’m not a high-spending business owner), I’d highly recommend it to a business traveler who has the regular expenses to hit the welcome offer’s
minimum spending requirement
and would find value in the card’s bevy of benefits.
I am, notably, a
very happy cardmember
of the Business Platinum’s personal counterpart: the
American Express Platinum Card®
. So, I can vouch that these cards’ overlapping premium travel perks (such as the
prepaid hotel credit
and the
elite status privileges
) are second to none.
If you’re interested in learning more about how I compiled this list and TPG’s rigorous guidelines applied to each card we review and rate, read up on our
methodology
.
Bottom line
While there isn’t one “best credit card,” there are many that stand above the others in terms of earning rates, premium perks and useful benefits.
Any card that makes your travel experience a little sweeter — whether with lounge access, savings via statement credits or the ability to unlock fantastic redemptions — is a card worth your application.
I’ll firmly stand behind any of my recommendations above. Every card may not work for every type of traveler, but it’s likely you’ll find something to love about the rewards and benefits of at least one of them. Take inventory of your wallet to see which of these fantastic cards can add something new to your next trip.
Related:
The best rewards credit cards to maximize everyday spending
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Card, click
here
.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click
here
.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.