The very best bank cards, in keeping with TPG founder Brian Kelly

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

An enormous a part of that includes leveraging high 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 in your summer season travels. Maybe you are simply out there for an enormous welcome bonus.

No matter you are seeking to do, listed below are my picks for the very best bank cards of 2025.

The very best bank cards

*I’m a Bilt adviser and investor.

Evaluating the very best bank cards

Listed here are my high suggestions for the very best bank cards.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

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

Annual payment: $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 payment.

For those who journey as usually as I do, the Sapphire Reserve can give you a ton of worth because of 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, International 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 means of June 22, 2027) and a $300 annual StubHub credit score (break up up into $150 from January by means of June and one other $150 from July by means of December; activation required; legitimate by means of Dec. 31, 2027).

For extra data, try our assessment of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

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Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

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Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card

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

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked provides profitable incomes charges and precious perks like 3 factors per greenback spent on eating and a $50 annual resort credit score, simply to call a couple of, making it probably the greatest journey playing cards, in keeping with TPG consultants. It is also a go-to card for each learners 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 comprehend even greater worth when redeeming my factors.

For those who’d quite use this card’s welcome bonus in a extra easy method, you may at all times redeem your factors through Chase Journey.

I additionally love this card for its journey protections and insurance coverage, even for those who use it to guide an award ticket. Simply pay the taxes and charges with the Sapphire Most well-liked Card, and your journey is roofed.

Total, my Chase factors are tremendous precious as a part of my general factors and miles technique, so if you’re searching for a card with a low annual payment, a stable bonus supply and nice perks, the Sapphire Most well-liked is a no brainer.

For extra data, try our assessment of the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked.

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Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked

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Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card

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

Annual payment: $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 onerous when most playing cards solely supply bonus rewards in key classes like eating, groceries and fuel.

Fortunately, the bottom incomes price on the Capital One Enterprise X is 2 miles per greenback spent, so an enormous portion of my private spending goes on this card. Once I’m searching 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 payment, do not let that scare you. It is simple to offset that annual payment 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 data, try our assessment of the Capital One Enterprise X.

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Study extra: Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card

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American Specific Gold Card

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

Annual payment: $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 strategy to ramp up your earnings on two large spending classes, whether or not you are eating out or entertaining at residence.

You additionally get varied assertion credit, which just about fully offset the cardboard’s annual payment. This contains as much as $120 in Uber Money ($10 per 30 days, 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 per 30 days). 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 data, try our assessment of the Amex Gold Card.

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Apply right here: Amex Gold

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Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card

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

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: It is a nice card it doesn’t matter what your targets are — whether or not you are newer to factors and miles, desire an easy 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 important card for transactions that do not match into frequent bonus classes.

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

For instance, you may redeem these miles at 1 cent apiece towards any journey fees you placed on the cardboard. Alternatively, you may guide flights, rental vehicles or resorts by means 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 may switch these miles to any of the 15-plus resort and airline packages that accomplice with Capital One.

For instance, you possibly can 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 charges every method. Or, switch to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, the place you will discover lie-flat Higher Class seats to the U.Ok. for as little as 29,000 factors plus taxes and charges every method.

For extra data, try our assessment of the Capital One Enterprise Rewards.

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Study extra: Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card

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The Platinum Card from American Specific

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

Annual payment: $695.

Standout advantages: Regardless of its excessive value, the Amex Platinum stays a favourite of mine — and plenty 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) after I guide straight with an airline or through Amex Journey. And whereas the annual payment is steep, the advantages embrace an as much as $200 annual payment assertion credit score for airline incidentals and an as much as $200 assertion credit score for pay as you go bookings with American Specific Effective Lodges + Resorts and The Resort Assortment. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages.)

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

For extra data, try our assessment of the Amex Platinum Card.

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Apply right here: Amex Platinum

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The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific

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

Annual payment: $695.

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

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

• Centurion Lounge entry and Precedence Go membership
• A press release credit score of $120 for International Entry each 4 years or a press release credit score of as much as $85 for TSA PreCheck each 4 ½ years
• An airline credit score payment of as much as $200 yearly
• Gold elite standing with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
• Entry to Amex Effective Lodges + Resorts and The Resort Assortment

Regardless that the annual payment is $695, the annual assertion credit and advantages greater than offset that. For instance, The Enterprise Platinum card provides:

• An as much as $150 in assertion credit on U.S. purchases made straight with Dell and an extra 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 straight 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 per 30 days)
• 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 payment credit score per calendar 12 months on fees made with an airline of your selecting
• The aforementioned as much as $120 International Entry/TSA PreCheck credit score

Enrollment is required for choose advantages.

For extra data, try our assessment of the Amex Enterprise Platinum.

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Apply right here: Amex Enterprise Platinum

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Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card

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

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: I really like my Ink Enterprise Most well-liked card and its bonus classes — particularly the web web promoting class, which earns 3 factors per greenback spent on as much as $150,000 a 12 months (then 1 level after that). For those who max out this annual bonus, these 450,000 factors you earn can be utilized for journey bookings through Chase Journey for as much as 1.75 cents every (relying on the precise 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. For those who personal a small enterprise or actually have a enterprise concept, you may apply utilizing your Social Safety quantity; try our posts to see who is perhaps eligible for a enterprise bank card (you is perhaps shocked!) and methods to apply.

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

For extra data, try our assessment of the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked.

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Apply right here: Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card

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Bilt Mastercard

Welcome supply: N/A.

Annual payment: $0 (see charges and charges).

Standout advantages: For thus many individuals, hire is their largest month-to-month expense. But for years, the one strategy to pay for hire was to provide landlords checks or Venmo funds. For those who needed to pay by bank card, you’ll incur a payment.

The Bilt Mastercard has fully revolutionized this technique. So long as you make at the very least 5 purchases with the cardboard every assertion interval, you may earn factors on hire funds and different qualifying web purchases. Even when your landlord solely takes a examine, Bilt can ship checks and automatic clearing home direct deposits so you may earn factors on the transactions (as much as 100,000 factors per 12 months).

Since you are paying hire through a bank card, you too can assist construct your credit score historical past with every cost. It is an absolute no-brainer, particularly since there is no annual payment (see charges and charges).

For extra data, try our assessment of the Bilt Mastercard.

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Apply right here: Bilt Mastercard

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What to think about when selecting the very best card

There is not a one-size-fits-all technique for choosing the very best bank cards. There are a number of components it is best to analyze earlier than choosing which of them deserve a spot in your pockets.

Most well-liked rewards

First, think about the kind of rewards you wish to earn in your purchases. If you’d like simplicity, a cash-back card could also be an important possibility because you usually have few limitations on how these rewards can be utilized. However, for those who’re after free journey or wish to actually maximize your spending, you might be higher off with a transferable rewards forex 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 one of the best ways to shortly increase your rewards steadiness. That is significantly profitable if one of many playing cards you are contemplating has a limited-time supply. Simply make sure to assessment every issuer’s eligibility necessities, and think about checking your credit score rating prematurely of your utility so you may have 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 research your spending habits during the last 12 months, together with the way you’re incomes rewards on any playing cards at the moment 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 publication earlier than, “Mates do not let pals earn only one level per greenback.”

For those who spend a ton at eating places, ensure you may have a card that rewards you when making eating purchases. In case you have a big commute, decide up a card that rewards you for fuel or transit bills. It is simple to double and even triple your incomes charges for a lot of purchases with the proper mixture of playing cards.

Annual payment

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 payment (or waive the payment for the primary 12 months), others have hefty ones, as you noticed within the record above.

Within the first 12 months, virtually each card with a stable welcome supply 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 very best bank cards

Many components go into our choice of the very best bank cards, together with incomes charges, welcome provides, advantages and perks. The playing cards I record above have personally allowed me to earn tens of hundreds of {dollars} price of rewards over time.

You possibly can be taught extra about how we analyze playing cards right here at TPG on our methodology web page.

Redemption choices for the very best bank cards

Savvy vacationers will acknowledge that every one the playing cards I record above have one thing in frequent: Every one earns transferable factors or miles — and that is no coincidence. These rewards are extremely precious due to the flexibleness they provide. You are not locked into one airline and its companions, or one resort program and its collaborating manufacturers. You’re within the driver’s seat when it comes time to redeem.

For instance, as an example I wish to fly Virgin Atlantic to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) within the service’s Higher Class, and the one-way flight I would like is $4,000. I may use 400,000 Amex factors to guide by means of American Specific Journey, however that very same flight is also 235,000 miles utilizing Delta SkyMiles, which is a 1:1 switch accomplice of Amex. Nevertheless, 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 significant function in unlocking rewards for purchases you are already going to make, however there is no one excellent card that works for everybody. The above choices are only a few decisions that’ve labored properly for me over time, however it’s crucial so that you can analyze which one is smart in your particular person scenario.

After all, for those who do get into the world of journey bank cards, ensure you do not spend past your means and pay your balances in full and on time each month.

Associated: Finest journey bank cards of 2025

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