The Best Rewards Credit Cards of 2023

Whether you get a cash back or travel rewards credit card, you get the ability to capitalize on your spending. This is the case with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, the best cash back card we’ve selected, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, our top pick from the travel cards segment. You can also choose from various other great options we’ve selected based on your specific requirements.

To determine which rewards credit cards are the best, we analyzed 94 of the most popular credit cards available in the U.S. that offer rewards. We compared each card against a long list of criteria, including the value of the rewards given, welcome bonus, APR, foreign transaction fees and customer reviews. We also looked into the perks associated with each card and the ease of redeeming the rewards earned.

The links in the table above will take you to one of our partner's sites where you can compare and apply for a selected credit card.

• Best Cash Back Cards for Consumers and Business Owners
• Best Credit Cards for Travel Rewards
• Tips for Comparing Different Rewards Cards
• Understanding How Cash Back Credit Cards Work
• Understanding How Travel Rewards Credit Cards Work
• Understanding How Business Rewards Cards Work

There are many different rewards credit cards to choose from, and the best card for you may be different from the best card for someone else. Yet all of the best rewards credit cards have two things in common: easy-to-earn rewards for your purchases and excellent perks. We've compiled the best offers currently out there to give you a good starting point for your research.

The best cash back cards for consumers and business owners vary greatly, based on each person’s spending habits. Keep in mind that consumer cash back credit cards and business cash back credit cards are nearly identical, but their cash back categories can be different in some cases.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express - Great for capitalizing on grocery spending
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express charges a $95 annual fee but lets you make up for it in different ways. For starters, you stand to earn a welcome bonus of $400 as a statement credit by spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months.

• Spending up to $6,000 per year on groceries at U.S. supermarkets comes with 6% cash back, and you also get 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• Spending on gas at U.S. gas stations and on transit earns 3% cash back.
• You get 1% cash back on all other purchases.

If you use your card to pay for your Equinox+ membership, you get a $10 statement credit each month. This card also comes with a 0% APR offer on purchases for 12 months.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card - Best for Amazon Prime members
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card charges no annual fees. New cardholders get a $100 Amazon gift card immediately upon approval.

• Eligible Prime members get 5% cash back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market.
• Spending at gas stations, restaurants and drugstores comes with 2% cash back.
• All other purchases come with 1% cash back.
• Cardholders may also earn 10% cash back or more on a rotating selection of Amazon products and categories through limited-time offers.

Using this card outside of the U.S. makes sense as it does away with foreign transaction fees.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card - Ideal for earning cash back at grocery stores and on dining and entertainment
The no-annual-fee Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a $200 early spend cash bonus if you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months.

• Spending on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services as well as at grocery stores comes with 3% cash back.
• You earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

This card charges no foreign transaction fees, which makes it perfect for use outside of the U.S. It also comes with a 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express - Great for earning cash back on online retail, gas and grocery purchases in the U.S.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express charges no annual fees. New cardholders may earn a welcome bonus in the form of a $250 statement credit if they spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months. This card offers:

• 3% cash back at U.S. grocery stores on spending of up to $6,000 each year.
• 3% cash back of up to $6,000 each year on gas purchases at U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases
• 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Using this card to spend $13.99 or more per month on an eligible Disney Bundle subscription comes with $7 back every month. If you buy Home Chef meal solutions online, you get up to $15 in statement credits every month. This card also comes with a 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.

Chase Freedom Unlimited - Perfect for Chase Ultimate Rewards members
The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited Card offers higher-than-usual cash back on gas station purchases in the first year, and it gives you the ability to earn a spend-based welcome bonus.

• Using this card to make travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards platform comes with 5% cash back.
• Drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) earn 3% cash back.
• You get 1% cash back on all other purchases.

This card also comes with a 0% intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card - Great for everyday use
The no-annual-fee Capital One Quicksilver card is perfect for everyday use because it offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. As a new cardholder, you get to earn a $200 early spend cash bonus by spending $500 on purchases in the first three months. This card is perfect for use outside of the U.S., given that it does not charge foreign transaction fees. It also comes with an intro 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Ideal for earning more cash back through your highest spending category
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card comes with no annual fees. New cardholders earn $200 cash back if they spend $750 on purchases in the first three months.

• This card offers 5% cash on up to $500 spent in your highest eligible spend category every billing cycle. Categories that may fall under this bracket include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, drugstores, fitness clubs, home improvement stores, live entertainment, select transit, select streaming and select travel services.
• You get unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

You might also benefit by this card’s intro 0% APR offer on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Ideal for earning cash back on travel, dining and drugstore purchases
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card does not charge any annual fees. It comes with a spend-based welcome bonus and offers higher-than-usual cash back on gas station purchases during the first year.

• You earn 5% cash back in quarterly bonus categories that you need to activate. Examples include grocery stores, eBay, Amazon.com, car rental agencies and select streaming services.
• Travel purchases made via Chase Ultimate Rewards earn 5% cash back.
• You earn 3% cash back on drugstore and dining purchases (including takeout and eligible delivery services).
• All other purchases come with 1% cash back.

This card also comes with an intro 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card - Best for everyday use
The no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is perfect for everyday use because it offers unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. If you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first three months, you get a $200 cash rewards bonus. You might also benefit by using this card’s intro 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.

Citi® Double Cash Card - Perfect for everyday use
The Citi® Double Cash Card comes with no annual fees.

• It lets you earn up to2% cash back on all purchases.
• You earn 1% back when you make purchases and an additional 1% when you make your payments.

Using this card to transfer balances from other cards might work well for you because it comes with an intro 0% APR offer on balance transfers for 18 months.

Compare more cash back cards on our Best Cash Back Cards Review page.

There are several top credit cards for travel rewards, meaning that there are excellent cards for many different consumers. But the best travel credit card for you is the one that complements your spending and travel needs the best.

Read more about Cash Back vs. Points here.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card - Ideal for travelers who use Chase Ultimate Rewards
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges a $95 annual fee, but it lets you make up for it in different ways. For starters, it comes with a sizable spend-based welcome bonus. In addition, you get up to $50 in statement credits for hotel bookings made through Chase Ultimate Rewards each account anniversary year.

• You earn 5X points per dollar on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards; on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out); on online grocery purchases (excluding wholesale clubs, Target and Walmart); and on select streaming services.
• Travel purchases made outside of Chase Ultimate Rewards earn 2X points per dollar.
• All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar.

Cardholders get 25% more value for their points when they redeem them through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Transferring your points to various popular airline and hotel loyalty programs is an option. This card comes with no foreign transaction fees. You may also benefit through your card’s comprehensive travel insurance coverage.

U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature - Perfect for U.S. Bank Altitude Rewards Program members
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature waives its $95 annual fee for the first year.

• Spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 120 days brings with it 50,000 bonus points.
• You get 5x points per dollar on prepaid hotel and car rental bookings made directly through the Altitude Rewards Center.
• Travel, gas station and EV charging station purchases earn 4X points per dollar.
• You earn 2X points per dollar at grocery stores and on grocery delivery, dining and streaming services.
• All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar.

If you use your card to pay for an eligible streaming service, you get a $30 annual credit. You also get up to $100 in statement credits for payments made toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees once every four years. This card does away with foreign transaction fees, making it perfect to use outside of the U.S.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card - Best for international travelers
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is our top pick for the best overall travel rewards credit card. You earn 20,000 bonus miles by spending $500 on purchases in the first three months. This card offers** 5X miles per dollar** on hotel and rental car bookings made through Capital One Travel. You get 1.25X miles per dollar on all other purchases. Transferring your miles to over 15 airline and hotel loyalty programs is simple. Using this card outside of the U.S. is perfect because it charges no foreign transaction fees. It also has a 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. Besides, this card comes with no annual fees.

U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Ideal for earning rewards on dining, at grocery stores and more
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card does not charge annual fees, and it does away with foreign transaction fees as well. New cardholders earn 20,000 bonus points if they spend $1,000 within the first 90 days.

• You get 4X points per dollar on dining (including takeout and restaurant delivery).
• Grocery store, grocery delivery, gas station, EV charging station and streaming service purchases earn 2X points per dollar.
• You get 1X points per dollar on all other purchases.

You also stand to get a $15 annual streaming service credit. In addition, this card comes with a 0% intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles.

Compare more travel cards on our Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards page.

Comparing credit card rewards programs is an art form of sorts. Think of each reward system as currencies in different countries. You wouldn’t compare one U.S. dollar to one Mexican peso and say they are the same. The same can be said for travel rewards credit cards. Each currency has its unique value and shouldn’t be weighed against another reward program.

Similarly, each rewards credit card is created differently, targeting different types of consumers. So it isn’t realistic to compare them to say one is better than the other. However, you can compare them side by side to see how each card would work best for your needs, your spending habits and the rewards you want to earn.

• Annual fees: Most of the top rewards and cash back cards we've selected come with no annual fees. For those cards that do charge annual fees, you can often offset those fees by fully taking advantage of the added perks that the card issuers offer.
• APR: It is common for cash back/travel rewards credit cards to come with higher APRs than regular cards. However, there may be noticeable differences in APRs from one card to the next.

  >> More: APR vs. APY

• Rewards/cash back: The best rewards/cash back cards either offer tiered earn rates on bonus categories or let you earn a flat high rate on all purchases. For example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card lets you earn up to 5% cash back through category-based spending but offers just 1% cash back on categories that don't fit the bill. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, on the other hand, offers flat 2% cash back on all purchases.
• Introductory offers: Most of the top rewards/cash back cards we've selected give new cardholders the ability to earn welcome bonuses by meeting spend-based requirements. In this case, you need to spend at least a predetermined amount within a stipulated time frame.
• Foreign transaction fees: This aspect requires your attention if you plan to use your card outside of the U.S. because you might need to pay foreign transaction fees of 3% or more on every international transaction. Some of the cards on this page that do away with this fee include the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
• Additional features: Additional features and benefits may vary considerably depending on the card you select. Examples of added perks include cell phone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, travel and emergency assistance, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver and trip delay reimbursement.

For example, here are two rewards cards that are designed for two very different consumers.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is best suited for people who wish to make the most of their grocery spending and also want to earn high cash back on gas and transit purchases. While Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card’s cash back rate on grocery purchases is not as high as that of the Blue Cash Preferred Card, it does not come with a maximum spending limit that qualifies for the high cash back rate. Besides, it works better for international use because it does away with foreign transaction fees.

Credit card rewards are an extremely lucrative incentive for both credit card issuers and consumers to earn rewards on their spending. There is ample opportunity to earn credit card rewards for your spending, but it can get complicated.

In short, credit card issuers give rewards in the form of hotel points, airline points or issuer-specific rewards that can be redeemed or transferred to your preferred rewards programs. The amount of points they give is based on your spending, along with a potential sign-up bonus.

Once you earn the points, they can be redeemed for a number of items or experiences. Keep in mind that not all redemptions are created equal.

Before you redeem your points, look into the cash price of the redemption. This will give you an idea if the redemption is a valuable one or not. Issuers will provide you with options to use your points efficiently and non-efficiently. The efficient manners are likely to be travel, while the not-so-efficient redemptions are statement credit, gift cards and merchandise.

Cash back credit cards are a simple yet efficient way to save on your daily purchases. Because cash back credit cards don’t have any complicated redemption processes like some travel rewards credit cards, it is preferred by many.

When using a cash back credit card, you earn cash back based on how much you spend in specific categories. There are also cash back credit cards that award a flat rate for cash back on all spending. One is not better than the other — it simply depends on if you spend more in the categories or if your spending is less predictable. In addition, there are cards that have rotating categories each quarter, so someone with less predictive spending could benefit from a card like this.

Nearly all consumers can benefit from a cash back credit card. Saving money on your day-to-day purchases is universal. However, if you enjoy traveling, consider that those same purchases could earn you more valuable rewards on a travel rewards credit card. If simplicity and saving money are your largest priorities, a cash back credit card will serve you well.

Cash rewards cards are a very popular tool to save money on your day-to-day purchases. They are much less complicated than travel rewards credit cards because cash back is based on your purchases.

Find more information about how the various cash back cards work and our pick of the top cash rewards cards on our best cash back credit cards page.

Travel credit cards work by rewarding cardholders with travel rewards for spending money on their credit cards. The rewards come in many forms, including hotel points, airline points or points specific to the card issuers like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards. Each of these points has different values and varied opportunities to redeem them.

Travel credit cards aren’t always the best solution for every consumer. If you rarely travel or don't anticipate traveling much, you may have better opportunities with a cash back credit card. But even if you travel a few times per year, a travel credit card can help you save on hotels, flights, rental cars and other expenses. In addition, several travel credit cards come with complimentary travel insurance, protecting your trip in the event things go awry.

>> MORE: HOW TO TRAVEL HACK RESPONSIBLY: USING CREDIT CARDS & OTHER METHODS

Travel rewards cards are a very popular tool to save money on flights, hotels and other travel-related expenses. However, because the rewards programs are so varied, it can be complicated to grasp at first. The answers to these common questions can help you decide which travel rewards card best fits your travel habits and goals.

For more information and our take on the best travel credit cards check our page about the best travel credit cards of 2023.

Business rewards credit cards work nearly identical to other rewards credit cards. The only difference is that business rewards credit cards typically have spending categories geared towards business owners, such as office supply stores and travel.

Generally speaking, a business credit card would be a great idea for any business owner. And the best part is that you don’t need to own a multi-million dollar business. Even if you have a side hustle or occasionally resell items online, you are considered a business. And if you incur any expenses from your business, a business credit card can provide you with additional working capital and, at the same time, give you the opportunity to earn rewards to save your business money.

However, there are a few downsides of business rewards cards to be aware of. First, the card issuer will likely require a personal guarantee, meaning you will need to give your Social Security number when you apply. Also, business credit cards tend to have high interest rates. So using a business credit card to float debt is not an advantageous idea. If you need a loan, applying for a small business loan might be a better route.

Business rewards cards can be very beneficial for business owners. But while they work similarly to personal rewards cards, there are a few nuances to be aware of.

Choosing the best rewards credit card may be daunting, as there are dozens to choose from. To simplify the process, there is one question to keep in mind: What is my goal? Is it earning travel rewards, or do you simply want to earn cash back to save on your purchases? From there, you can reverse engineer to the right rewards card.

If a travel credit card is for you, think about these factors as you sort through different travel credit cards:

• Do you want luxurious travel benefits? Or are you more focused on budget/efficient travel?
• Where do you spend mostly?
• Do you prefer airline miles? Hotel points? Or rewards that can be used for either?
• Do you travel mostly alone? Or do you travel with a partner/family?
• Are you open to paying an annual fee for a rewards card?

These questions, along with understanding your motive for getting a travel rewards credit card, can help you select a card that is right for you, your travel habits and spending patterns.

If a cash back credit card suits your needs, the vetting process is simpler.

• Is your spending specific to one or two categories (i.e., groceries, gas, etc.)?

If the answer is yes, find a credit card that will reward you most for those categories.

If the answer is no, find a credit card that will reward you for your generalized spending habits.

We compile and rank our lists of suggested credit cards based on publicly available data from card issuers and other reputable sources like the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.

We analyze and compare over 55 data points for approximately 2,500 cards to assign a rating for each card feature. These data points include annual fees, interest rates, rewards, benefits, and more.

These ratings are stack ranked and weighted based on the most relevant features for each card category (cash back, business, etc.). These rankings determine the top suggestions for each type of user or card category.

Having a rewards credit card in your wallet can be very lucrative. But to maximize your earning potential, it’s important to understand how rewards programs work, what the rewards are worth, redemption options and more.