OUR TOP THREE CARD RECOMMENDATIONS

BEST STARTER TRAVEL CARD

The best starter travel card for beginners looking to get the top all-around travel card which earns our #1 favorite points! This card earns 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and 1x points on everything else. While there is a $95 annual fee, it is easily offset by $170 in credits, including a $50 yearly hotel credit for any booking in the Chase Travel Portal and a $10 per month credit to DoorDash for convenience stores, which can be used on pickup orders to avoid fees.

$95 annual fee

CURRENT ELEVATED OFFER: 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in 3 months

Commissioned link below

TOP PREMIUM TRAVEL CARD

The best premium travel card on the market! Easy earning structure: 2x points on every purchase, every day. While there is a $395 annual fee, it is easily offset by a yearly $300 travel credit for any booking in the Capital One Travel Portal, plus 10,000 anniversary points per year (worth a minimum of $100). This card also comes with AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS to all Capital One Lounges and over 1,300 Priority Pass and Plaza Premium airport lounges worldwide. It also includes a benefit for free Global Entry/TSA Pre-check.

$395 annual fee

Current offer: 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in 3 months

Commissioned link below

BEST CARD FOR FAMILIES: 

4X DINING AND GROCERIES

A card designed for foodies and families alike! You get 4x points at all restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 spend per year), plus 4x points at all U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spend per year). Plus, you get 3x points on all flights booked directly with an airline. While there is a $325 annual fee, it is offset by $424 value in credits, including $10 per month to Uber/Uber Eats ($120 value per year), $10 per month to a selection of restaurants (including Grubhub) ($120 value per year), $7 per month to Dunkin Donuts ($84 value per year), and $50 every six months to restaurants within the Resy network ($100 value per year). The Uber Eats and Grubhub benefits can be used on pickup orders to avoid fees.

$325 annual fee

Current offer: 60,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 in 6 months

Commissioned link below

BEST STARTER TRAVEL CARD

The best starter travel card for beginners looking to get the top all-around travel card which earns our #1 favorite points! This card earns 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and 1x points on everything else. While there is a $95 annual fee, it is easily offset by $170 in credits, including a $50 yearly hotel credit for any booking in the Chase Travel Portal and a $10 per month to DoorDash for convenience stores, which can be used on pickup orders to avoid fees.

$95 annual fee

CURRENT ELEVATED OFFER: 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in 3 months

Commissioned link below

2X POINTS ON EVERYTHING

A great entry-level card to get into the Capital One system. Easy earning structure: 2x points on every purchase, every day. A word of warning: despite their similar names, this card is not the Capital One Venture X and does not come with lounge access.

$95 annual fee

Current offer: 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in 3 months

Link below

3X POINTS AT RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORES, GAS, AND AIR TRAVEL

Although Citi Bank is considered outside of the "big three" for flexible points currencies, this card earns a solid 3x flexible points at restaurants, grocery stores, gas, and air travel, plus 10x points on bookings through the Citi travel portal and a yearly credit for $100 off of a $500 hotel stay booked through the Citi travel portal.

$95 annual fee

Current offer: 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in 3 months

Link below

TOP PREMIUM TRAVEL CARD

The best premium travel card on the market! Easy earning structure: 2x points on every purchase, every day. While there is a $395 annual fee, it is easily offset by a yearly $300 travel credit for any booking in the Capital One Travel Portal, plus 10,000 anniversary points per year (worth a minimum of $100). This card also comes with AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS to all Capital One Lounges and over 1,300 Priority Pass and Plaza Premium airport lounges worldwide. It also includes a benefit for free Global Entry/TSA Pre-check. 

$395 annual fee

Current offer: 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in 3 months

Commissioned link below

LOUNGE ACCESS PLUS OUR         #1 FAVORITE POINTS

A premium all-around travel card which earns our #1 favorite points! This card earns 3x points on dining, 3x points on travel, and 1x points on everything else. While there is a $550 annual fee, more than half of that is easily offset by an annual $300 travel credit that can be used on a variety of travel expenses, including airlines, hotels, rideshare, EZPass tolls, and even parking. This card also comes with AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS to all Chase Sapphire Lounges and over 1,300 Priority Pass and Plaza Premium airport lounges worldwide. It also includes a benefit for free Global Entry/TSA Pre-check, plus two $10 credits per month to DoorDash for convenience stores (up to a $240 value per year), which can be used on pickup orders to avoid fees.

$550 annual fee.

Current offer: 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in 3 months

Commissioned link below

A TON OF ANNUAL CREDITS BUT THE HIGHEST ANNUAL FEE

A flashy card with premium benefits with a high annual fee which can be offset by a series of credits, if you use them. This card only makes sense if you will be diligent about using all of its annual credits. You get 5x points on flights and hotels booked through the American Express portal, but only 1x points on all other purchases. The annual fee is high but can be offset by approximately $1,894 value in credits, including a $200 annual airline incidental credit for checked bag fees, a $200 annual credit to Uber/Uber Eats ($15 per month Jan-Nov then $35 in Dec), $240 annual digital entertainment credit for streaming services, $199 annual credit for Clear, $100 annual credit to Saks Fifth Avenue, a free Walmart+ membership ($155 value), $200 annual hotel credit for 2-night stays in the Hotel Collection when booked through Amex Travel, $300 annual credit to Equinox, and $300 annual credit to SoulCycle. This card also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold status, Hilton Honors Gold status, and AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS to all Centurion Lounges and over 1,300 Priority Pass and Plaza Premium airport lounges worldwide. It also includes a benefit for free Global Entry/TSA Pre-check.

$695 annual fee

Current offer: 80,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 in 6 months

Commissioned link below

AUTOMATIC ANNUAL FREE NIGHT UP TO 35,000 POINTS

Here at The Points Podcast, we only like hotel cards that come with an automatic free night with no spending requirements. Of the three Marriott cards (Bold, Bountiful, and Boundless), only the Boundless comes with an automatic free night every year, so that's the card we like. The free night can be used at any property with available nights up to 35,000 points, plus you can "top off" by adding up to 15,000 of your own Marriott points (can be transferred from a bank) on top of the certificate, which means the certificate could then be used for a free night of up to 50,000 points. When you consider that the free night is almost always worth more than $95 annual fee, this card is a fan favorite. While Marriott points are not the most valuable points out there, the Boundless offers 6x points on any Marriott purchase, which, when you consider that you'll also get an additional 1x points with the automatic Marriott Silver status you get with this card, plus the 10x points all Marriott Bonvoy loyalty guests get, is like getting 17x total points at Marriott. The card also gets 3x points on the first $6,000 spent each year on grocery, dining, and gas stations, and then 2x points on everything else.

The three card names are similar, so be careful to select the correct one!

"Bold"

$0 annual fee

Current offer: 30,000 points if you spend $1,000 in the first three months

"Boundless"

$95 annual fee

Current offer: 3 free night awards (up to 50,000 points per night each) if you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months

THE "BOUNDLESS" IS THE CARD WITH AN AUTOMATIC FREE NIGHT WORTH UP TO 35,000 POINTS EVERY YEAR ON YOUR CARD ANNIVERSARY

"Bountiful"

$250 annual fee

Current offer: 85,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months

Commissioned link for all three cards below below

THREE GREAT CARD OPTIONS THAT ALL HELP YOUR PATH TO SOUTHWEST COMPANION PASS, OUR #1 CO-BRANDED BENEFIT

Even with the recently announced changes at Southwest, the Southwest credit cards maintain their value! There are three options with annual fees ranging from $69-$149, but each come with credits and points that offset those fees. Best of all, the sign-up bonus counts towards Southwest Companion Pass, our #1 benefit related to a co-branded card! Plus, just for holding one of these cards, it takes 10,000 fewer points to earn Companion Pass. And, Southwest recently announced that cardholders will get one free bag when Southwest starts charging for bags!

The three card names are similar, so be careful to select the correct one! Here at The Points Podcast, we like the "Priority Card." While it has the highest fee ($149), its fee is most easily offset, including a $75 annual Southwest travel credit which automatically comes off of any Southwest purchase, 7,500 anniversary points (valued at approximately $97), plus four upgrades per year to boarding position A1-15 (these upgrades normally sell for $30-$80 each).

"Plus"

$69 annual fee

2x points on Southwest, internet, cable, and select streaming services

2 annual Early Bird Check-ins

3,000 anniversary points

"Premier"

$99 annual fee

3x points on Southwest

2x points on internet, cable, and select streaming services

2 annual Early Bird Check-ins

6,000 anniversary points

"Priority"

$149 annual fee

3x points on Southwest

2x points on internet, cable, and select streaming services

$75 annual Southwest travel credit

4 annual Upgrades to A1-15 (if available)

7,500 anniversary points

Current offer: 30,000 bonus points plus Companion Pass through 2/28/2026 if you spend $4,000 in three months

Commissioned link below for all three cards

AUTOMATIC ANNUAL NIGHT AT ANY CATEGORY 1-4

Another hotel card that comes with an automatic free night with no spending requirements! To most people in the points and miles community, Hyatt is our #1 favorite hotel brand due to their award chart points prices. Hyatt points are some of the most valuable points on the planet! A hotel that might cost 50,000 Marriott points or 75,000 Hilton points is often only 15,000 Hyatt points. The free night can be used at any Category 1-4 hotel, which includes some great properties like Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort near Disney World. When you consider that the free night is almost always worth more than $95 annual fee, this card is a fan favorite. This card has a somewhat confusing welcome offer: although advertised as 60,000 bonus points, it's really only 30,000 bonus points, plus limited time 2x points on what would otherwise be 1x points up to $15,000 spending during the first six months you hold the card. You'll earn 4x points on any Hyatt purchase, which, when you consider that you'll also get the 5x points all World of Hyatt guests get, is like getting 9x total points at Hyatt. This card also gets 2x points at dining, gyms, and local transit.

$95 annual fee

Current offer: Advertised as 60,000 bonus points, but really 30,000 bonus points, plus 2x earning on what would otherwise be 1x points up to $15,000 spending during the first six months you hold the card

Link below

BEST STARTER NO-FEE CARD TO EARN ULTIMATE REWARDS, WITH ROTATING 5X POINTS CATEGORIES

One of the two great options to get into the Chase ecosystem, the Freedom Unlimited is advertised as earning cash back, it really earns our #1 points currency: Ultimate Rewards! Although initially those points will just remain in your points balance, once you also get either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you will unlock your points' full potential and make them to transferable to amazing transfer partners such as Hyatt. This card earns 5x points on a series of rotating categories which change every quarter, which in the past have included easy-to-earn categories such as PayPal, Amazon, grocery stores, and gas stations. It also earns 3x points on dining, 3x points at drug stores, and 5x points on purchases in the Chase Travel portal. Pretty great for a card with no annual fee!

$0 annual fee

Current offer: $200 back after you spend $500 in the first three months, received in the form of 20,000 points

Commissioned link below

NO FEE PLUS 1.5X ULTIMATE REWARDS ON EVERY PURCHASE

The other of the the two great options to get into the Chase ecosystem, the Freedom Unlimited is advertised as earning cash back, it really earns our #1 points currency: Ultimate Rewards! Although initially those points will just remain in your points balance, once you also get either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you will unlock your points' full potential and make them to transferable to amazing transfer partners such as Hyatt. This card  has a simple earning structure: it earns unlimited 1.5x points on every purchase, every day. It also earns 3x points on dining, 3x points at drug stores, and 5x points on purchases in the Chase Travel portal. Pretty great for a card with no annual fee!

$0 annual fee

Current offer: $200 back after you spend $500 in the first three months, received in the form of 20,000 points

Commissioned link below

1.25 CAPITAL ONE VENTURE MILES ON EVERY PURCHASE

A great way into the Capital One ecosystem! This card earns valuable Capital One Venture miles! Although initially those points will just remain in your points balance, once you also get either the Capital One Venture or Capital One Venture X, you will unlock your points' full potential and make them to transferable to amazing transfer partners such as Air Canada, British Airways, Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic. This card has a simple earning structure: unlimited 1.25x points on every purchase. Pretty great for a card with no annual fee!

$0 annual fee

Current offer: 20,000 miles if you spend $500 in the first three months

Link below