Our Top Cards of 2023

Point Multipliers:

• 5X on Flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 spent per calendar year)
• 5X on Prepaid Hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
• 1X on other purchases
• Terms apply

Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the best travel cards, especially if you can use the many credits. For many, this becomes a highly subsidized lounge access and travel perks card.

Point Multipliers:‍ 

• Earn 4X points at restaurants 
• Earn 4X points on U.S. Uber Eats purchases 
• Earn 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year, then 1X 
• Earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com 
• Earn 1X points on other purchases 

Credits: 

• $120 Uber Cash, up to $10 each month 
• Up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Gold Card at select dining partners (see below for details) 
• Terms apply

Rates & Fees

The American Express® Gold Card offers competitive point multipliers when it comes to purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and it also has a handful of other benefits offered by Amex that make it stand out compared to other premium cards. 

Point Multipliers:

• 10x Miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
• 5x Miles on flights booked via Capital One Travel
• 2x Miles on all other purchases

Other Benefits:

• $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
• 10,000 Anniversary miles (worth at least $100) each card member year
• Access to Capital One Airport Lounges
• Priority Pass membership
• Complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle® status

Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best premium travel cards, given the travel perks and overall simplicity. The card does have a hefty annual fee, but the credits, anniversary miles, and perks easily outweigh this for most people.

Point Multipliers:‍ 

• Earn 2X points on travel purchases including airfare, hotels, cruises, and rideshare 
• 5X total points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 
• 3X points on dining purchases including fine dining, coffee shops, fast food restaurants, and eligible delivery services 
• 3X points on select streaming services 
• 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) 
• Earn 1X points on all other purchases

No foreign transaction fees

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is ideal for those optimizing for cash back or travel. Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for cash back at 1.25x on select categories through Pay Yourself Back or travel via the Chase Travel Portal. The card is also a basic travel card with good spend multipliers and benefits like no foreign transaction fees and primary collision damage waiver (terms apply).

Point Multipliers:

• 3X Points on Southwest purchases
• 2X Points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
• 2X Points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
• 2X Points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming
• 1X Points on all other purchases

The flagship card for Southwest Airlines loyalist. Get a $75 Southwest annual travel credit each year, along with 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available. Get to A-List status faster by earning 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $10,000 spent in purchases annually–with no limit on the amount of TQPs you can earn.

Point Multipliers

With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (CIP), you earn 3x points on the first $150,000 combined spending in various categories. The $150,000 cap is based on the account anniversary year.

3x categories include:

• Shipping
• Internet, cable, and phone
• Advertising through social media sites and search engines
• Travel

You also earn 1x on all other purchases.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a great option if you spend a lot in business categories and want to get elevated value from your Ultimate Reward points.

Point Multipliers:

• 10X on Chase Dining through Ultimate Rewards
• 10X on hotels and car rentals through Ultimate Rewards
• 5X on flights through Ultimate Rewards
• 3X on other travel worldwide
• 3X on dining
• 1X on all other purchases

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a strong premium card if you care about earning points or benefits when you travel. Despite the $550 annual fee, the $300 travel credit, Priority Pass membership, and travel insurances make the card worth considering.