Choosing the perfect bank cards so as to add to your pockets may be difficult since every card affords completely different perks — that is very true for premium playing cards.
Plus, issuers maintain upping the ante by refreshing common playing cards, including advantages and growing the playing cards’ annual charges, so there’s extra competitors on this area than ever.
Let’s evaluate the advantages and worth propositions of among the greatest premium bank cards obtainable for brand spanking new candidates. We’ll give attention to eight premium rewards playing cards:
Methodology for evaluating the perfect premium bank cards
For this comparability, we’ll evaluate these playing cards throughout seven classes:
- Annual payment
- Present welcome provide
- Level-earning potential
- Redemption choices
- Assertion credit and notable perks
- Lounge entry
- Journey and buy protections
This evaluation relies on a generic traveler making an attempt to determine which considered one of these playing cards is correct for them. When selecting which one is the perfect, premium bank cards have various perks and advantages, so the one which’s proper on your pockets will rely in your particular needs and wishes.
Comparability of the perfect premium playing cards
| Card | Annual payment | Further cardholder payment | Welcome provide | Welcome provide worth* | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Platinum | $695 (see charges and charges) | $195 for every extra cardmember (see charges and charges) | Discover out your provide and see in case you are 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 affords differ and also you might not be eligible for a proposal. | As much as $3,500 |
|
| Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card | $395 | $0 for as much as 4 licensed customers | Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. | $1,388 |
|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve** | $795 | $195 for every extra cardholder | Earn 100,000 bonus factors and a $500 Chase Journey℠ credit score after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Observe the promotional credit score is legitimate for a one-time use solely, in case you apply the promotional credit score to a transaction lower than $500, you’ll forfeit the remaining steadiness. |
As much as $2,550, together with the Chase Journey credit score |
Purchases that qualify for the $300 annual journey credit score is not going to earn factors. |
| Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard | $595 | $175 annual payment for the primary three licensed customers, $175 for every licensed person after that | Earn 70,000 miles after spending $7,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening. | $1,085 |
|
| Delta Reserve | $650 (see charges and charges) | $175 per extra cardmember (see charges and charges) | Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. | $840 |
|
| Hilton Honors Aspire Card | $550 (see charges and charges) | $0 for every extra cardmember (see charges and charges) | Earn 150,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. | $750 |
|
| Marriott Bonvoy Good | $650 (see Charges & Charges) | $0 (see Charges & Charges) | Earn 185,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. | $1,295 |
|
| United Membership Card | $695 | $0 for every extra cardholder | Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | $1,040 |
|
*Welcome provide worth is an estimated worth based mostly on TPG’s August 2025 valuations and isn’t supplied by the issuer.
**It is necessary to notice that for Sapphire Reserve cardholders who utilized earlier than June 23, 2025, new advantages and incomes charges take impact October 26.
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Annual payment
Whether or not or not a card costs a payment for added cardholders additionally issues. Half of the playing cards on our listing do not cost a payment for added cardholders (although some restrict the variety of complimentary customers you’ll be able to add).
The Hilton Honors American Categorical Aspire Card permits licensed customers to get pleasure from an up-to-$100 property credit score for eligible two-night stays at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties.
In the meantime, licensed customers on the Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard obtain Admirals Membership entry for themselves and their rapid relations or as much as two touring companions with a same-day boarding move for an eligible flight.
Nonetheless, the Enterprise X is the winner of this class. At the beginning, its $395 annual payment is way decrease than the remainder of the group. Plus, you’ll be able to add as much as 4 licensed customers for no extra cost.
Associated: Have good credit score? Share it with a certified person
Welcome provide
All of the premium playing cards listed above include profitable welcome affords that may assist get you nearer to your subsequent large journey.
Playing cards that earn transferable rewards and welcome affords are price greater than their cobranded counterparts. With the Amex Platinum, discover out your provide and see in case you are 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 affords differ and also you might not be eligible for a proposal. The Amex Platinum welcome provide is price as much as $3,500 based mostly on TPG’s August 2025 valuations.
Associated: The perfect welcome affords of the month
Factors-earning potential
One other necessary facet when evaluating premium bank cards is the points-earning potential and the rewards you’ll be able to earn.
The Sapphire Reserve comes out on prime right here. It some of the priceless currencies on all kinds of purchases. Final Rewards are price 2.05 cents apiece, in keeping with TPG’s August 2025 valuations.
Just like the Enterprise X, the Sapphire Reserve racks up extra bonus factors on journey booked by way of the issuer’s journey portal. Nonetheless, the cardboard pulls forward of Enterprise X by incomes extra factors on eating and flights and accommodations booked immediately, plus bonus earnings with a number of companions.
That mentioned, the Enterprise X earns a stable 2 miles per greenback on on a regular basis spending, which is fairly simple to maximise without having to trace spending classes.
The Hilton Honors Aspire Card takes the third spot, because of an unbelievable 14 factors per greenback at Hilton properties and seven factors per greenback on airfare (booked immediately or although Amex Journey), automobile leases (booked immediately with choose corporations) and U.S. eating places. Primarily based on our August 2025 valuations, these bonuses characterize 7% and three.5% returns on spending, respectively.
Associated: Maximizing bank cards to turn into points-rich with out spending a ton
Redemption choices
One other necessary facet when evaluating premium playing cards is the redemption choices, and the one that gives most worth is using switch companions.
| Card | Redemption/switch choices |
|---|---|
| Amex Platinum | You may redeem factors for an announcement credit score (at 0.6 cents per level), journey or switch them to considered one of 17 airways and three lodge companions. |
| Capital One Enterprise X | You may redeem miles for money again (at 0.5 cents per mile), journey purchases in your assertion (at 1 cent per mile), reward playing cards, PayPal, Amazon, tickets by way of Capital One Leisure or switch them to considered one of 15-plus airline and lodge companions. |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | You may redeem factors to guide journey immediately by way of Chase Journey, and with the brand new Factors Enhance redemption acceleration, your factors may be price as much as 2 cents apiece, relying on the precise redemption (see your rewards program settlement for full particulars).
You can too offset some purchases by way of Chase’s Pay Your self Again or switch them to considered one of 11 airways and three lodge companions. |
| Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard | You may redeem miles for flights on American Airways and its varied Oneworld alliance companions and nonalliance companions like Etihad Airways, upgrades, accommodations, rental automobiles, experiences and Admirals Membership passes. |
| Delta Reserve | You may redeem miles for flights on Delta and its varied SkyTeam or nonalliance companions like WestJet, seat upgrades, Delta Holidays, Delta Stays, automobile leases, SkyMiles experiences and magazines. |
| Hilton Honors Aspire Card | You may redeem factors for stays at accommodations within the Hilton Honors portfolio of manufacturers or switch to considered one of 26 airline companions. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Good | You may redeem factors for lodge stays within the Marriott Bonvoy program or switch them to considered one of 39 airline companions. |
| United Membership Card | You may redeem miles for flights on United and its varied Star Alliance companions. |
Evaluation
The perfect premium bank cards on this listing are the Sapphire Reserve, the Amex Platinum and the Enterprise X, and so they’ve earned their spots because of the pliability of transferable factors or miles that will not lock you into a selected set of airways or accommodations.
Although the Chase Sapphire Reserve has fewer switch companions than the Amex Platinum, Sapphire Reserve cardholders can redeem factors for journey immediately by way of Chase Journey at a price of as much as 2 cents per level, relying on the precise redemption (see your rewards program settlement for full particulars). In the meantime, Amex Platinum has 20 airline and lodge switch companions in whole and diverse redemption choices.
The Enterprise X takes third place by providing 15-plus airline and lodge switch companions. When you can switch to most packages at a 1:1 ratio, there are some exceptions: Accor Reside Limitless (2:1), JetBlue TrueBlue (5:3) and EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (2:1.5).
The cobranded premium airline playing cards usually provide extra redemption choices, however they do not have switch companions, and the miles can solely be used to guide flights on their companion airways (each alliance and nonalliance).
Which of those three is greatest for you? That can rely in your most popular switch companions and their alignment together with your journey objectives.
Associated: Learn how to switch bank card rewards to companion packages
Assertion credit and notable perks
All these premium card choices have many assertion credit and perks meant to supply worth to cardholders. In some instances, in case you make the most of the complete worth of the credit and perks, you’ll be able to recuperate your annual payment and even obtain optimistic worth.
| Card | Assertion credit and advantages |
|---|---|
| Amex Platinum |
Enrollment is required for choose advantages. |
| Capital One Enterprise X |
|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve |
|
| Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard |
|
| Delta Reserve |
Enrollment is required for choose advantages. |
| Hilton Honors Aspire |
Enrollment is required for choose advantages. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Good |
Enrollment is required for choose advantages. |
| United Membership Card |
|
**Upon enrollment, accessible by way of the Capital One web site or cellular app, eligible cardholders will stay at that standing stage by way of the period of the provide. Please word, enrolling by way of the traditional Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment course of (e.g. at Hertz.com) is not going to robotically detect a cardholder as being eligible for this system and cardholders is not going to be robotically upgraded to the relevant standing tier. Further phrases apply
Evaluation
After its refesh, the Chase Sapphire Reserve affords essentially the most worth to be discovered with the credit. For starters, the $300 journey credit score is larger than most rivals and applies to any journey buy (versus simply charges or airfare, like a few of its competitors).
You may additionally obtain an as much as $500 annual lodge credit score by way of The Edit, an as much as $300 annual StubHub and Viagogo credit score for reserving tickets and reside leisure and complimentary subscriptions to Apple Music and Apple TV+ (one-time activation required). As well as, the credit score posts in a short time, whereas different playing cards require you to attend a whole assertion interval and even pressure you to name and have customer support manually subject you a credit score.
Amex affords a plethora of life-style and travel-focused credit on the Platinum, making it a detailed second. The overall worth of those credit is over $1,600. If you may get all or a lot of the advantages, you’ll greater than offset the cardboard’s annual payment. Nonetheless, the worth they’ll present in your scenario can differ.
The Enterprise X additionally has a $300 credit score, although it is extra restricted: It solely applies to bookings made by way of the Capital One Journey portal. Plus, with the anniversary 10,000 bonus miles, and in case you make the most of the complete worth of the journey credit score, you’d internet optimistic worth yearly.
The cobranded lodge playing cards provide substantial worth when staying at Hilton or Marriott properties and provide helpful hotel-related assertion credit and advantages like elite standing and free evening awards.
The cobranded airline playing cards present modest assertion credit, however the inflight reductions and free checked baggage may be very helpful in case you often fly on a kind of airways.
Associated: The perfect bank cards to achieve elite standing
Lounge entry
| Card | Lounge entry |
|---|---|
| Amex Platinum |
Enrollment is required for choose advantages. |
| Capital One Enterprise X |
|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | |
| Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard |
|
| Delta Reserve |
|
| Hilton Honors Aspire | None |
| Marriott Bonvoy Good |
Enrollment is required. |
| United Membership Card |
Evaluation
This class is way harder to rank, provided that the worth of lounge entry relies on many elements — out of your typical departure airport(s) and your most popular airline(s) to how often you journey with company.
The Amex Platinum supplies entry to essentially the most lounges for the first account holder; in case you journey with others, the worth adjustments. You could must pay so as to add licensed customers in case you aren’t spending sufficient in your card to earn visitor privileges.
The Enterprise X has Precedence Cross and Capital One Lounge entry. The issuer debuted its first lounge at Dallas-Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) in 2021 and has grown to have six areas (considered one of which is branded as a Touchdown).
The Chase Sapphire Reserve additionally comes with Precedence Cross membership and supplies entry to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Membership, which has eight areas. Moreover, in case you’re flying on a Star Alliance airline, you’ll be able to entry choose Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges.
The three airline playing cards would be the handiest for people who fly one provider frequently and may reap the benefits of its lounges.
Associated: Greatest bank cards for airport lounge entry
Journey and buy protections
All of those playing cards additionally present varied coverages and protections while you’re touring or making purchases, which may make your life simple if issues go awry. All of them have some mixture of the next protections and insurance coverage:
Evaluation
The Sapphire Reserve takes the cake right here as the perfect premium bank card with its slew of protections like main automobile rental insurance coverage, emergency evacuation insurance coverage and journey accident insurance coverage.
The Enterprise X is available in second, because of pretty complete protections that embody cellphone protection.
The Amex Platinum affords important journey insurance coverage protection*, however word that the rental automobile profit supplies secondary protection**, and there’s no baggage delay protection.
In case you’re a United flyer, the United Membership additionally affords a strong slate of protections chances are you’ll wish to contemplate.
*Phrases, situations and limitations apply for journey insurances and protections. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars.
**Eligibility and profit stage varies by card. Not all automobile varieties or leases are lined, and geographic restrictions apply. Phrases, situations and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm. Protection is obtainable by way of American Categorical Journey Associated Companies Firm, Inc.
Whereas many of those advantages look related total, your greatest wager is to look at the variations and gaps after which decide how doubtless these are to have an effect on your journeys. All of those playing cards provide varied protections and insurances, so analyze what’s greatest on your wants.
Associated: Your full information to journey protections on American Categorical playing cards
Backside line
You could assume paying $395 or extra for a card’s annual payment is prohibitive. As you’ll be able to see, nonetheless, the perfect premium bank cards carry quite a few advantages that may simply cowl that annual payment after which some.
As all the time, tailor your alternative based mostly on what’s most necessary to you. This information ought to present a framework for deciding which premium bank cards are good suits on your pockets.
Apply right here: Amex Platinum
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Apply right here: Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard
Apply right here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Categorical Card
Apply right here: Marriott Bonvoy Good American Categorical Card
Apply right here: United Membership Card
Apply right here: Hilton Honors Aspire
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise X
For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, among the advantages could also be supplied by Visa® or Mastercard® and will differ by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.
For charges and charges of The Platinum Card from American Categorical, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Marriott Bonvoy Good American Categorical Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Categorical Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, click on right here.
