You may hear this advert nauseam at TPG: In the case of the most effective bank card, there is not one. And by that, I imply there is no single card that magically matches each particular person’s particular wants.
In reality, the most effective card you will get depends upon myriad elements, together with what reward forex you wish to earn, how usually you journey, your typical bills, whether or not you are keen to pay an annual payment and extra.
For those who’re contemplating your first — or subsequent — card, check out 4 which might be absolute powerhouses and ones I ceaselessly advocate.
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Evaluating my high picks for the most effective bank cards
My high 4 bank cards earn factors and money again, the reward currencies I at present discover most respected. Here is how they stack up.
| Card identify | Welcome supply | Incomes charges | Annual payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Freedom Limitless® (see charges and costs) | Earn $200 money again after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
|
$0 |
| Blue Money Most popular® Card from American Specific | Earn a $250 assertion credit score after spending $3,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. |
Money again is acquired within the type of Reward {Dollars} that may be redeemed as an announcement credit score and at amazon.com checkout. |
$0 introductory annual payment for the primary 12 months, then $95 (see charges and costs) |
| Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card | Earn 175,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. |
|
$550 (see charges and costs) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) | Earn 125,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. |
|
$795 |
Chase Freedom Limitless
This card is strongest when paired with a Chase Sapphire card, just like the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and costs) or the Chase Sapphire Reserve as a result of you possibly can convert your money again to priceless — and transferable — Chase Final Rewards factors.
Along with being an excellent starter card, the Freedom Limitless earns strong reward charges in common classes that so many people already spend in (assume eating and drugstore purchases). Moreover, it provides an honest welcome bonus and earns a flat fee of 1.5% money again on all nonbonus spending.
Better of all? The Freedom Limitless would not cost an annual payment, however nonetheless provides perks like buy safety, prolonged guarantee safety, rental automobile protection and journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage. I additionally like that there is no minimal quantity requirement to redeem your money again and money again would not expire so long as your account stays open.
For extra data, take a look at our assessment of the Chase Freedom Limitless.
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Apply right here: Chase Freedom Limitless
Blue Money Most popular Card from American Specific
For those who’re a fan of a multipurpose card, you may simply love the Amex Blue Money Most popular as a lot as I do.
Actually, this is likely one of the playing cards I most frequently advocate to these seeking to get into bank card rewards in the event that they’re keen to pay an annual payment. It helps that the Blue Money Most popular options an introductory $0 annual payment for the primary 12 months, which provides you loads of time to determine if this card is an efficient match for you earlier than you incur its $95 annual payment in 12 months two.
Moreover incomes strong reward charges in common classes like U.S. streaming (6% money again), transit (3% money again) and at U.S. fuel stations (3% money again), this card earns a whopping 6% money again at U.S. supermarkets till you hit a $6,000 spend cap annually. If this occurs, you go from 6% to a 1% cash-back fee for subsequent purchases.
This was one in every of my first playing cards and stays one in every of my oldest bank card accounts. I initially obtained it once I realized I may earn greater than a flat 1% cash-back fee on grocery retailer runs.
I nonetheless use this card for smaller grocery store purchases, and yearly, because of the elevated reward charges talked about above, it nets me about $200 in money again. When this was my grocery retailer go-to (earlier than my Amex Gold), I simply earned no less than $400 in money again with this card.
Word: Money again is acquired within the type of Reward {Dollars} that may be redeemed as an announcement credit score and at amazon.com checkout.
Associated: 2 grocery playing cards, twice the rewards: Why I double up at supermarkets
And that is not even the most effective half. The cherry on high is the as much as $120 Disney Streaming assertion credit score every calendar 12 months (as much as $10 every month; legitimate for U.S. web sites solely; enrollment is required; topic to auto-renewal). This contains Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu.
For those who max this credit score out, it utterly offsets the cardboard’s annual payment after which some. That is a giant win in my guide, particularly if you happen to already pay a subscription to stream content material on any of those platforms, like I do.
For extra data, take a look at our assessment of the Blue Money Most popular.
Apply right here: Blue Money Most popular Card from American Specific
Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card
For those who’re contemplating making use of for a cobranded lodge card, let it’s the Hilton Aspire.
Along with glorious incomes charges on Hilton lodge stays, this card is loaded with advantages that offset the $550 annual payment and are straightforward to maximise.
For instance, this card provides one in every of my favourite perks: an as much as $200 annual flight credit score every calendar 12 months. This assertion credit score is disbursed as as much as $50 per quarter for flight purchases made straight with an airline or by amextravel.com.
The Hilton Aspire can also be an excellent journey card as a result of, just like the Sapphire Reserve, it doesn’t cost international transaction charges (see charges and costs), and it comes with an as much as $209 Clear Plus assertion credit score annually if you join a membership and pay with this card (topic to auto-renewal; enrollment required).
One of the best perk of being a Hilton Aspire cardholder, nonetheless, is the as much as $400 Hilton resort assertion credit you get every calendar 12 months (as much as $200 biannually) for eligible purchases at eligible properties.
As somebody who maximizes all three of those assertion credit — at properties like Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World in August 2024 and Hilton Waikiki Seashore Resort & Spa in August 2025— the Hilton Aspire has confirmed its price and greater than earned its spot in my pockets.
I’ve totally maxed out the resort credit score at each properties, and it made an enormous distinction in each journey budgets since I used the credit score to cowl dinners, plus afternoon espresso pick-me-ups after busy morning excursions. Eating out is likely one of the pricier facets of touring, so anytime I can get a break because of an announcement credit score, I make the most of it.
Associated: The right way to use the as much as $400 Hilton Aspire resort credit score annually
For extra data, take a look at our assessment of the Hilton Aspire card.
Apply right here: Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Sapphire Reserve stays my all-time favourite card, even after the annual payment elevated from $550 to $795 earlier this 12 months.
First, this card earns my favourite reward forex: Chase Final Rewards factors. I like that this forex is transferable, and I usually transfer factors from my Sapphire Reserve account to loyalty packages like Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt.
Actually, earlier this 12 months, I used 15,000 Chase Final Rewards factors to fly again house to Pennsylvania after a fast jaunt to Oahu, Hawaii, saving me over $300. Although this redemption was kind of on par with TPG’s October 2025 valuation of Final Rewards factors at 2.05 cents apiece, I all the time want reserving a flight when there is a switch bonus since meaning I get to maintain extra of my factors for future travels.
Sadly, no bonuses have been obtainable once I booked my flight, so I nonetheless used my factors to keep away from paying greater than $300 for a one-way ticket.
Apart from providing high-value factors, the Sapphire Reserve additionally options strong incomes charges in a few of my high spend classes (Lyft, flights, inns and eating) and is the right journey companion because of world-class insurance coverage and protections, together with main rental automobile insurance coverage and journey delay reimbursement. Plus, there are not any international transaction charges if you make purchases overseas.
Then there are the assertion credit, which, if used of their entirety, greater than offset the cardboard’s annual payment.
Three of my favorites embody:
- A beneficiant $300 annual journey credit score (if you happen to’re saving this credit score for a particular buy, understand that it kicks in mechanically for any buy that codes as journey).
- As much as $120 in annual in-app Lyft credit disbursed as as much as $10 every month (by Sept. 30, 2027; excludes Wait & Save, bike and scooter rides).
- As much as $120 for World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus each 4 years.
Associated: 6 lesser-known Chase Sapphire Reserve advantages that repay massive
For extra data, take a look at our assessment of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
How I selected my high playing cards
This record contains three playing cards I take advantage of usually and one I’m wanting so as to add to my pockets within the close to future (the Freedom Limitless). I take advantage of my Sapphire Reserve every day, whereas I take advantage of my Hilton Aspire and Blue Money Most popular with barely much less frequency, however nonetheless sufficient to earn me my most popular reward currencies.
These playing cards present unimaginable worth for my sort of spending — particularly within the journey and eating classes. To be taught extra about how I compiled this record and the way TPG applies rigorous tips to every card we assessment and fee, take a look at our methodology.
Backside line
For me, the most effective bank cards work double-time, netting me transferable factors or money again, and supply perks resembling assertion credit I can simply use. I prefer to diversify my bank card rewards to have varied redemption choices once I’m able to guide a visit (utilizing factors) or full an internet order (utilizing money again).
Whereas the 4 playing cards featured on this record are a few of my present favorites as a result of they supply terrific worth, I do have further playing cards that see much less motion however nonetheless supply advantages I take advantage of usually sufficient to make them price protecting. Whether or not you are beginning out in your bank card journey or are in your tenth software, keep in mind that the most effective playing cards are all the time those that give you perks that fit your spending and funds.
For charges and costs of the Amex Gold, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Hilton Aspire Card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Blue Money Most popular, click on right here.
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