The most effective bank cards, in response to TPG founder Brian Kelly

Since beginning The Factors Man in 2010, one in every of my favourite issues is listening to from readers who share unbelievable tales of how they’ve maximized factors through the years. It actually jogs my memory of simply how precious the knowledge we share is and that it actually unlocks superb experiences.

An enormous a part of that entails leveraging prime journey rewards bank cards.

Perhaps you are seeking to get a jump-start in your incomes technique forward of an enormous journey, or perhaps there are some new perks you wish to leverage on your summer time travels. Maybe you are simply out there for an enormous welcome bonus.

No matter you are seeking to do, listed here are my picks for the most effective bank cards of 2025.

The most effective bank cards

*I’m a Bilt adviser and investor.

Evaluating the most effective bank cards

Listed here are my prime suggestions for the most effective bank cards.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Welcome provide: Earn 100,000 factors plus a $500 Chase Journey credit score after spending $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.

Annual charge: $795.

Standout advantages: The Sapphire Reserve is providing a superb welcome bonus and options new credit — along with acquainted ones just like the broad use $300 journey credit score — which cardholders can make the most of to assist offset the price of its $795 annual charge.

When you journey as usually as I do, the Sapphire Reserve can give you a ton of worth due to perks like entry to Chase Sapphire Lounges by the Membership, the issuer’s top-tier airport lounges, and an as much as $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for TSA PreCheck, World Entry or Nexus.

Associated: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve for Enterprise — which is best for you?

The Sapphire Reserve is not only a premium journey card, although. It is also a life-style product designed to fit your day-to-day with issues like complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music memberships (as much as $250 worth yearly; one-time activation required per service; subscriptions run by way of June 22, 2027) and a $300 annual StubHub credit score (cut up up into $150 from January by way of June and one other $150 from July by way of December; activation required; legitimate by way of Dec. 31, 2027).

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Most popular Card

Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 factors after spending $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.

Annual charge: $95.

Standout advantages: The Chase Sapphire Most popular presents profitable incomes charges and precious perks like 3 factors per greenback spent on eating and a $50 annual lodge credit score, simply to call a couple of, making it top-of-the-line journey playing cards, in response to TPG consultants. It is also a go-to card for each newcomers and consultants.

I virtually completely use my Chase Final Rewards factors to switch to greater than a dozen of Chase’s switch companions and guide award tickets, which permits me to appreciate even greater worth when redeeming my factors.

When you’d quite use this card’s welcome bonus in a extra easy manner, you’ll be able to at all times redeem your factors by way of Chase Journey.

I additionally love this card for its journey protections and insurance coverage, even if you happen to use it to guide an award ticket. Simply pay the taxes and costs with the Sapphire Most popular Card, and your journey is roofed.

General, my Chase factors are tremendous precious as a part of my general factors and miles technique, so if you’re on the lookout for a card with a low annual charge, a stable bonus provide and nice perks, the Sapphire Most popular is a no brainer.

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Chase Sapphire Most popular.

Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most popular

Capital One Enterprise X Rewards {Credit Card}

Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.

Annual charge: $395.

Standout advantages: If you wish to maximize factors and miles in the case of bank cards, your purpose needs to be to earn greater than 1 level per greenback spent on all purchases. This may be exhausting when most playing cards solely provide bonus rewards in key classes like eating, groceries and fuel.

Fortunately, the bottom incomes fee on the Capital One Enterprise X is 2 miles per greenback spent, so an enormous portion of my private spending goes on this card. After I’m looking for clothes, child provides or paying for insurance coverage — all classes the place I am unable to earn 3, 4 or 5 miles per greenback — I put these on my Enterprise X.

Whereas it has a $395 annual charge, do not let that scare you. It is easy to offset that annual charge with advantages just like the $300 annual Capital One Journey credit score and the ten,000 bonus miles earned every account anniversary. The latter turns into much more precious whenever you switch to airline loyalty packages, which I do usually.

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Capital One Enterprise X.

Study extra: Capital One Enterprise X Rewards {Credit Card}

American Specific Gold Card

Welcome provide: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $6,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome presents range and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion.

Annual charge: $325.

Standout advantages: If there’s one factor I do virtually every single day, it is dine out or order in — so maximizing my factors earnings from eating and groceries is large. Since turning into a dad, my grocery invoice has gone up dramatically, so that is the place the Amex Gold is a no brainer.

For starters, you will earn 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 every calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback) and 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide (as much as $50,000 every calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback). It is a nice method to ramp up your earnings on two big spending classes, whether or not you are eating out or entertaining at residence.

You additionally get numerous assertion credit, which just about utterly offset the cardboard’s annual charge. This contains as much as $120 in Uber Money ($10 monthly, legitimate for rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. after utilizing any Amex card when including the Amex Gold to your Uber account) and as much as $120 in eating assertion credit with eligible eating companions (as much as $10 monthly). Enrollment is required.

I load my Amex Gold Card into all my supply apps: Caviar, Seamless and Uber Eats. These factors actually add up shortly. Then, to make these factors much more precious, I look ahead to switch bonuses that Amex runs with journey companions so I can flip my factors into miles and guide airfare.

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Amex Gold Card.

Apply right here: Amex Gold

Capital One Enterprise Rewards {Credit Card}

Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.

Annual charge: $95.

Standout advantages: It is a nice card it doesn’t matter what your objectives are — whether or not you are newer to factors and miles, favor a simple incomes construction or use it as a part of a wider incomes technique, like me.

Much like the Enterprise X, it means that you can earn 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases, making it an incredible card for transactions that do not match into widespread bonus classes.

Nevertheless it’s particularly precious due to the pliability it presents to cowl all types of journey with these miles.

For instance, you’ll be able to redeem these miles at 1 cent apiece towards any journey costs you placed on the cardboard. Alternatively, you’ll be able to guide flights, rental automobiles or resorts by way of Capital One Journey together with your miles — additionally at a worth of 1 cent apiece.

But when, like me, you wish to stretch the worth of these miles even additional, you’ll be able to switch these miles to any of the 15-plus lodge and airline packages that companion with Capital One.

For instance, you may switch the miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue and guide bougie business-class seats from the U.S. to Europe beginning at 60,000 miles plus taxes and costs every manner. Or, switch to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, the place you will discover lie-flat Higher Class seats to the U.Okay. for as little as 29,000 factors plus taxes and costs every manner.

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Capital One Enterprise Rewards.

Study extra: Capital One Enterprise Rewards {Credit Card}

The Platinum Card from American Specific

Welcome provide: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $8,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome presents range and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion.

Annual charge: $695.

Standout advantages: Regardless of its excessive value, the Amex Platinum stays a favourite of mine — and lots of TPG staffers as properly.

I put all airfare on my Amex Platinum as a result of I earn 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare (on as much as $500,000 per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback) once I guide instantly with an airline or by way of Amex Journey. And whereas the annual charge is steep, the advantages embody an as much as $200 annual charge assertion credit score for airline incidentals and an as much as $200 assertion credit score for pay as you go bookings with American Specific High quality Inns + Resorts and The Resort Assortment. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages.)

Amex continues to be a pacesetter within the card lounge house, and this premium journey card gives entry to its Centurion Lounges, plus Precedence Go lounges and Delta Sky Golf equipment when flying Delta Air Strains. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages.)

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Amex Platinum Card.

Apply right here: Amex Platinum

The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific

Welcome provide: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases inside the first three months of card membership.

Annual charge: $695.

Standout advantages: One among my favourite perks on this card is Pay with Factors — cardholders obtain a 35% bonus once they Pay with Factors on first- or business-class tickets by way of Amex Journey (as much as 1 million factors per calendar 12 months).

Despite the fact that this can be a enterprise card, it comes with premium journey perks and enterprise assertion credit:

• Centurion Lounge entry and Precedence Go membership
• An announcement credit score of $120 for World Entry each 4 years or an announcement credit score of as much as $85 for TSA PreCheck each 4 ½ years
• An airline credit score charge of as much as $200 yearly
• Gold elite standing with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
• Entry to Amex High quality Inns + Resorts and The Resort Assortment

Despite the fact that the annual charge is $695, the annual assertion credit and advantages greater than offset that. For instance, The Enterprise Platinum card presents:

• An as much as $150 in assertion credit on U.S. purchases made instantly with Dell and a further as much as $1,000 assertion credit score after spending $5,000 per calendar 12 months
• An as much as $360 Certainly assertion credit score per calendar 12 months (as much as $90 per quarter)
• An as much as $250 Adobe assertion credit score after spending $600 or extra on U.S. purchases made instantly with Adobe per calendar 12 months (topic to auto-renewal)
• As much as $200 in Hilton credit per calendar 12 months (as much as $50 per quarter; Hilton for Enterprise membership required)
• As much as $120 per calendar 12 months for U.S. wi-fi phone suppliers (as much as $10 monthly)
• An as much as $209 Clear Plus membership assertion credit score per calendar 12 months (topic to auto-renewal)
• The aforementioned as much as $200 airline charge credit score per calendar 12 months on costs made with an airline of your selecting
• The aforementioned as much as $120 World Entry/TSA PreCheck credit score

Enrollment is required for choose advantages.

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Amex Enterprise Platinum.

Apply right here: Amex Enterprise Platinum

Ink Enterprise Most popular {Credit Card}

Welcome provide: Earn 90,000 factors after spending $8,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.

Annual charge: $95.

Standout advantages: I really like my Ink Enterprise Most popular card and its bonus classes — particularly the net web promoting class, which earns 3 factors per greenback spent on as much as $150,000 a 12 months (then 1 level after that). When you max out this annual bonus, these 450,000 factors you earn can be utilized for journey bookings by way of Chase Journey for as much as 1.75 cents every (relying on the particular redemption; see your rewards program settlement for full particulars).

Associated: The ability of the Chase trifecta

Chase factors are very versatile, and I take advantage of mine as shortly as I earn them. When you personal a small enterprise or also have a enterprise concept, you’ll be able to apply utilizing your Social Safety quantity; take a look at our posts to see who may be eligible for a enterprise bank card (you may be shocked!) and tips on how to apply.

In my view, this card is a heavyweight, particularly for the low annual charge of $95.

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Ink Enterprise Most popular.

Apply right here: Ink Enterprise Most popular {Credit Card}

Bilt Mastercard

Welcome provide: N/A.

Annual charge: $0 (see charges and costs).

Standout advantages: For therefore many individuals, lease is their greatest month-to-month expense. But for years, the one method to pay for lease was to offer landlords checks or Venmo funds. When you needed to pay by bank card, you’d incur a charge.

The Bilt Mastercard has utterly revolutionized this technique. So long as you make not less than 5 purchases with the cardboard every assertion interval, you’ll be able to earn factors on lease funds and different qualifying internet purchases. Even when your landlord solely takes a examine, Bilt can ship checks and automatic clearing home direct deposits so you’ll be able to earn factors on the transactions (as much as 100,000 factors per 12 months).

Since you are paying lease by way of a bank card, you can even assist construct your credit score historical past with every fee. It is an absolute no-brainer, particularly since there isn’t any annual charge (see charges and costs).

For extra info, take a look at our evaluate of the Bilt Mastercard.

Apply right here: Bilt Mastercard

What to contemplate when selecting the most effective card

There is not a one-size-fits-all technique for selecting the most effective bank cards. There are a number of elements it is best to analyze earlier than deciding on which of them deserve a spot in your pockets.

Most popular rewards

First, think about the kind of rewards you wish to earn on your purchases. In order for you simplicity, a cash-back card could also be an incredible choice because you typically have few limitations on how these rewards can be utilized. Then again, if you happen to’re after free journey or wish to actually maximize your spending, it’s possible you’ll be higher off with a transferable rewards foreign money like American Specific Membership Rewards or Chase Final Rewards.

Welcome bonus

Incomes an enormous haul of factors or miles as a welcome bonus is often the easiest way to shortly enhance your rewards steadiness. That is notably profitable if one of many playing cards you are contemplating has a limited-time provide. Simply make sure you evaluate every issuer’s eligibility necessities, and think about checking your credit score rating prematurely of your utility so you’ve got an concept of whether or not you will be accredited.

Associated: 21 methods to make use of 100K Final Rewards factors

Spending habits

Earlier than opening any bank card (or opening a brand new one), take a while to investigate your spending habits during the last 12 months, together with the way you’re incomes rewards on any playing cards presently in your pockets. Many TPG readers begin with a easy, no-annual-fee card that earns 1 level, 1 mile or 1% money again on all purchases, however, as I’ve mentioned in my weekly e-newsletter earlier than, “Associates do not let buddies earn just one level per greenback.”

When you spend a ton at eating places, be certain you’ve got a card that rewards you when making eating purchases. If in case you have a major commute, choose up a card that rewards you for fuel or transit bills. It is easy to double and even triple your incomes charges for a lot of purchases with the proper mixture of playing cards.

Annual charge

Lastly, it is best to think about the out-of-pocket value of any new card in your radar. Whereas some don’t have any annual charge (or waive the charge for the primary 12 months), others have hefty ones, as you noticed within the checklist above.

Within the first 12 months, virtually each card with a stable welcome provide pays for itself (after which some), however it is best to take a while earlier than you apply to ensure you can actually make the most of that card’s advantages, each now and sooner or later.

How we selected the most effective bank cards

Many elements go into our choice of the most effective bank cards, together with incomes charges, welcome presents, advantages and perks. The playing cards I checklist above have personally allowed me to earn tens of 1000’s of {dollars} value of rewards through the years.

You may study extra about how we analyze playing cards right here at TPG on our methodology web page.

Redemption choices for the most effective bank cards

Savvy vacationers will acknowledge that each one the playing cards I checklist above have one thing in widespread: Each earns transferable factors or miles — and that is no coincidence. These rewards are extremely precious due to the pliability they provide. You are not locked into one airline and its companions, or one lodge program and its taking part manufacturers. You might be within the driver’s seat when it comes time to redeem.

For instance, to illustrate I wish to fly Virgin Atlantic to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) within the provider’s Higher Class, and the one-way flight I want is $4,000. I may use 400,000 Amex factors to guide by way of American Specific Journey, however that very same flight may be 235,000 miles utilizing Delta SkyMiles, which is a 1:1 switch companion of Amex. Nonetheless, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership has costs as little as 29,000 factors — and it, too, companions with Amex.

Backside line

Bank cards can play a serious position in unlocking rewards for purchases you are already going to make, however there isn’t any one good card that works for everybody. The above choices are only a few decisions that’ve labored properly for me through the years, but it surely’s crucial so that you can analyze which one is smart on your particular person state of affairs.

After all, if you happen to do get into the world of journey bank cards, be certain you do not spend past your means and pay your balances in full and on time each month.

Associated: Greatest journey bank cards of 2025

For charges and costs of the Amex Gold, click on right here.
For the charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Enterprise Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.