16 Best Rewards Credit Cards of February 2023

FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST REWARDS CREDIT CARDS

Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.

Citi® Double Cash Card

Our pick for: Cash back — high flat rate

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Our pick for: Cash back — 5% categories tailored to your spending

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Our pick for: Cash back — high flat rate + incentives

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Our pick for: Cash back — up to 5% in multiple categories + cash bonus

Discover it® Cash Back

Our pick for: Cash back — bonus categories + cashback match

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Our pick for: Cash back — bonus categories + high ongoing rate

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Our pick for: Cash back — families (groceries, gas, commuting, streaming)

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Our pick for: Dining and groceries + no annual fee

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: Cash back — customizable rewards

U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: Flexible food rewards + no annual fee

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Our pick for: Travel rewards — flat-rate rewards

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Our pick for: Travel rewards — bonus categories

Discover it® Student chrome

Our pick for: College students

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Our pick for: Airline credit card

Not a Delta flyer? See our best airline cards for other options.

World of Hyatt Credit Card

Our pick for: Hotel credit card

Not a Hyatt customer? See our best hotel cards for other options.

U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: Road trips

• • •

OTHER RESOURCES

By Kimberly Palmer, NerdWallet

UNDERSTANDING CASH-BACK REWARDS CARDS

How cash-back rewards work

With a cash-back credit card, you earn rewards equal to a percentage of the amount you spend. Cash-back rates range from 1% to 6% — that is, 1 cent to 6 cents per dollar spent — depending on the card you use and where you use it. Your monthly statement will show you the rewards you've earned to date; you can also track your rewards online.

Cash-back cards come in three main varieties: flat-rate, tiered and bonus-category.

Flat-rate cards

The simplest cash back cards earn the same percentage on every purchase, no matter where you use your card. Examples include:

• The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns 1.5% cash back on purchases.

• The Citi® Double Cash Card, which earns 2% on purchases — 1% for every dollar you spend and 1% for every dollar you pay back.

Tiered cards

These cards pay a higher rate in certain categories and 1% back on everything else. Every card has its own structure, designed to appeal to a specific type of consumer. For example:

• The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a good card for families. It earns 6% back on up to $6,000 in spending per year at U.S. supermarkets (1% after that); 6% back on select U.S. streaming services; 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit expenses like taxis, tolls, trains and buses; and 1% everywhere else (terms apply).

• The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a nice option for people who like a night out. It pays 3% cash back on dining and entertainment, as well as popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target). It pays 1% on all other purchases

Cards with rotating or customizable categories

Cards with bonus categories that change from time to time require more effort from you. You have to have to "opt in" or "activate" the bonus categories online. Some cards even let you (or make you, depending on your perspective) choose your own categories. Once you've opted in, spending in the bonus categories earns a higher rate, although the amount of spending eligible for the bonus rate is typically capped. Examples:

• The Discover it® Cash Back pays 5% cash back in bonus categories that change every three months, on up to $1,500 in spending per quarter. (Category activation required.) All other spending earns 1%. Common quarterly categories include grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants.

• The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card lets you customize your categories. You earn 5% back on up to $2,000 in combined quarterly spending on two categories you choose from a pretty extensive list, plus 2% back in one “everyday” category you choose, such as gas stations or grocery stores. All other purchases earn 1% back. Category options are subject to change, and you must make your choices each quarter.

What determines your bonus rewards?

When a card pays bonus cash back in specific categories, you earn those higher rewards based on where you use your card, not what you buy. If the category is "grocery stores," for example, then anything you buy at a supermarket will count — not just groceries. Conversely, groceries bought somewhere else, such as at a drugstore, wouldn't qualify for grocery store rewards.

Each merchant that accepts credit cards is assigned a category code by credit card networks like Visa. The code identifies the type of merchant it is, and these codes are what trigger your bonus rewards.

How to redeem cash-back rewards

Despite the term "cash back," most people don't actually take their cash-back rewards in the form of, well, cash back. The easiest and most common thing to do is to apply your rewards to your account as a statement credit. This directly reduces the amount you owe. (If your balance is $80, for example, and you redeem $30 in cash back, your balance becomes $50.) You're not getting literal cash back from the issuer, but less cash will be coming out of your pocket to pay the bill, so the effect is the same.

Depending on the card, you could also get your rewards deposited directly into your bank account or receive them as a check in the mail. Some cards set a minimum amount to redeem, usually $20 or $25. Other cards have no minimum for redemption.

» MORE: For cash-back options beyond those featured on this page, see our best cash-back credit cards.

UNDERSTANDING TRAVEL REWARDS CARDS

How travel rewards work

By Sam Kemmis, NerdWallet point and miles expert

With a travel rewards credit card, you earn points or miles every time you use the card, but you can often earn more points per dollar in select categories. For example, some travel rewards cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, offer bonus points on any travel spending, while others grant bonus points only when you use the card with a specific airline or hotel chain.

Not all points and miles earned on travel cards are the same:

• General-purpose travel cards — including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the American Express® Gold Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — give you rewards that can be used like cash to pay for travel or that can be exchanged for points in airline or hotel loyalty programs.

• Airline- and hotel-specific cards — such as the United℠ Explorer Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Card — give points and miles that can be used only with the brand on the card. (Although it's possible in some cases to transfer hotel points to airlines, we recommend against it because you get a poor value.)

What is a credit card point or mile worth?

How do we value points and miles? With the rewards earned on general travel cards, it's simple: They have a fixed value, usually between 1 and 1.5 cents per point, and you can spend them like cash. With airline miles and hotel points, finding the true value is more difficult. How much value you get depends on how you redeem them.

To better understand what miles are worth, NerdWallet researched the cash prices and reward-redemption values for hundreds of flights. Our results:

Keep in mind that the airline values are based on main cabin economy tickets and exclude premium cabin redemptions. See our valuations page for business class valuations and details about our methodology.

Our valuations are different from many others you may find. That’s because we looked at the average value of a point based on reasonable price searches that anyone can perform, not a maximized value that only travel rewards experts can expect to reach.

You should therefore use these values as a baseline for your own redemptions. If you can redeem your points for the values listed on our valuations page, you are doing well. Of course, if you are able to get higher value out of your miles, that’s even better.

How to redeem travel rewards

How you go about cashing in your travel rewards depends on the type of card you earned them on and what you want to do with them. In most cases, you'll be redeeming either through your card issuer or through the loyalty program tied to the card.

Redeeming rewards on general-purpose travel cards

With a general-purpose travel card, you can usually use your points to pay for travel ahead of time by going through your card issuer's booking portal, which operates much like Orbitz or Expedia. Many cards also allow you to turn your points into statement credit for travel expenses already incurred. With this option, you use your card to book travel however you want, and then wipe out the cost on your statement by applying your points to your balance. You'll also go through your issuer's rewards portal to transfer points to airline or hotel programs.

You might have other options for using your points on general travel cards, such as for cash back or gift cards, but be careful with these options. You'll often get a lower value per point for non-travel redemptions.

Redeeming airline or hotel rewards

When your rewards are airline miles or hotel points, you typically redeem them for free flights or stays by signing in to your account in the associated loyalty program, such as Delta SkyMiles, American AAdvantage, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. Enter your desired booking dates, then choose to see the price expressed in miles or points. Depending on the program, there may be limits and restrictions. An airline may have "blackout dates" when you can't get a free flight, for example, or a hotel may make only a certain number of rooms available for reward redemptions on a first-come, first-served basis.

DETERMINING THE RIGHT KIND OF REWARDS CARD FOR YOU

There are so many options among rewards credit cards that picking the right one for you can be daunting. Make the process easier by approaching it systematically.

Rewards cards aren't for everyone

The first step is determining whether a rewards card is right for you at all. The best rewards credit cards require good to excellent credit — generally defined as a credit score of 690 or above — although there are a handful of options for fair or even bad credit.

A rewards card makes sense if you pay your bill in full every month. If you carry a balance from month to month, the interest you'll pay can quickly wipe out the value of your rewards; you'd be better off with a low-interest credit card, or a balance-transfer credit card that would allow you to pay down your debt over a defined period of time with 0% interest.

Look at both 'earn' and 'burn'

You'll want a rewards credit card that makes sense on both the "earn" side and the "burn" side. That means a card that rewards you for the kind of spending you do (earn) and that gives you rewards you can use (burn). For example, earning 5% cash back on home improvement stores might not do much for someone who lives in a small studio apartment. And if you never travel, airline miles are pretty much worthless.

The right choice also will depend on how much effort you’re willing to put into learning a rewards program and understanding a card’s built-in perks. Annual fees and sign-up bonuses can also sway your decision.

'Best' is a personal matter

Because of those factors, there’s no single “best” rewards card for everybody. Best might be a simple, flat-rate cash-back card, a premium travel card laden with benefits, or something in between. If you’re having trouble deciding on a type of rewards card, give special consideration to cash back. A NerdWallet study has shown cash-back credit cards are better for most people than travel cards.

» MORE: Our guide to choosing a rewards credit card.

HOW TO COMPARE REWARDS CARDS

We've discussed how to evaluate a credit card's rewards structure. But rewards rates aren't the only factor to consider when choosing a rewards credit card.

Annual fee

The credit cards with the richest rewards often charge annual fees. This is especially the case with travel credit cards. Typical annual fees range from around $90 to more than $500. Although some people are dead-set against paying them, annual fees can be worth it (or even a bargain) if the rewards and perks you earn outweigh the cost, and some cards waive the annual fee for the first year.

Most cash-back cards don't charge an annual fee. You can find good travel cards without an annual fee, although their rewards rates and sign-up bonuses tend to be small than those offered by their full-fee siblings.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best no annual fee credit cards

Sign-up bonus

Also known as welcome offers, sign-up bonuses can give you a nice wad of cash or hundreds or thousands of points or miles for spending a certain amount in the first few months you have the card. But don't just look at the windfall you stand to receive. Pay attention also to the spending requirement. In general, the bigger the bonus, the more you'll have to spend to earn it. Avoid overspending to get a bonus.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best offers for new cardholders

0% intro APR period

You don’t normally want to carry a balance from month to month with rewards cards, but some of them offer 0% introductory APR periods on new purchases, balance transfers or both. A 0% period can be helpful if you have a big purchase coming up that you'd like a little time to pay off (which could also help you earn the sign-up bonus).

» MORE: NerdWallet's best 0% and low-interest credit cards

Foreign transaction fees

If you travel abroad, or plan to, look for a card that doesn't slap a surcharge on purchases made outside the U.S. Foreign transaction fees typically run about 3% of the purchase amount. A good travel card won't charge these fees, but many cash-back cards do.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best credit cards with no foreign transaction fee

Perks

Rewards are what you get for using a credit card. Perks are what you get simply for carrying the card — and depending on the card, perks can deliver even more value than rewards. Travel cards, in particular, are known for their perks. Examples include:

• Automatic credit for travel expenses. Several general travel cards will reimburse hundreds of dollars a year in travel expenses. This might apply to any travel purchase, or to specific expenses such as airline fees or Uber rides. Learn more about travel credits.

• Reimbursement for TSA Precheck and Global Entry. More and more cards are paying you back for the application fee for these trusted traveler programs, which help you get through airport security and customs more quickly. Learn more about trusted traveler programs, and see which cards offer reimbursement.

• Airport lounge access. The biggest airlines (American, Delta, United) all offer high-end, high-annual-fee credit cards that get you into their airport lounges when you travel, and some lower-fee airline cards offer discounted or limited access. Several general travel cards get you into lounges in worldwide networks such as Priority Pass. American Express even has its own lounge network. Learn more about cards with lounge access.

• Free checked bags and priority boarding. Exclusive to airline cards, these perks make travel a lot easier because you don't have to stuff everything into a carry-on to avoid a bag fee, and you don't have to fight for overhead-bin space because you're among the first to board the plane. The checked-bag perk alone can easily pay the annual fee on some cards. Learn more about free checked bags.

• Free nights and other amenities. Credit cards issued by hotel chains offer perks that general travel cards can't match. Some of them give you one free night a year, which can make up the cost of the card immediately. Other benefits include free breakfast, free internet and early check-in or late check-out.

PROS AND CONS OF REWARDS CARDS

Pros

• Rewards cards make purchases work harder for you. Earning rewards on every dollar you spend is like finding change in your couch cushions every day. Save up that change, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.

• They allow you to travel more often, or more luxuriously, at a discount. Travel rewards credit cards can make it possible to sit in first class, upgrade to a suite or skip the long security line. Even if you don’t cash in points to travel like an Instagram influencer, they can help you travel for less money.

• They can help protect you if your vacation falls apart. Many travel cards will compensate you if your bags get lost, your flight gets significantly delayed or canceled, or you have to cut your trip short because of a family emergency or illness. Many also offer coverage for your rental car. This all comes at no additional cost to you.

Cons

• Rewards cards typically have higher APRs. That means credit card debt will cost you more over time. For a major purchase you’d like to pay back over time, look into a card with a 0% introductory APR offer. In general, use a rewards card only for purchases you’ll be able to pay in full when your statement comes.

• Annual fees add up, especially if you carry multiple rewards cards.

• They require a fair amount of mental energy. Some people relish the challenge of maximizing every purchase and piecing together a complicated, yet heavily subsidized, vacation itinerary. Others have zero interest in memorizing which card to use at gas stations, which to use at grocery stores, and which to use at restaurants. If you want rewards with little effort, a flat-rate cash back card or a travel card with a straightforward rewards program (no fancy transfers to airline partners or complicated redemptions) will make jumping into the pool of rewards cards warm and inviting.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR REWARDS CARD

Use the card for the bulk of your spending

Put all your ordinary expenses on the card, including monthly bills, to rack up rewards more quickly. That’s the power of a rewards card: getting extra value from your regular spending. Before applying for a card, make sure you’ll be able to meet the spending minimum required to earn the sign-up bonus. Be careful to never overspend just for rewards.

Pair cards to earn even more

Consider using complementary cards to extract maximum rewards for your spending. For example, one card might offer high rewards for restaurant spending, while an airline card gives you free checked bags and a third card gives you a nice rate on all other spending. If you have a card with a sign-up bonus, consolidate spending on that card until you earn that bonus.

Redeem rewards thoughtfully

Redeem your rewards in the way that delivers maximum value. With travel cards, you usually get a better redemption rate when you redeem for travel expenses than you would if you opted for cash back. Cash-back cards, meanwhile, may give you the highest redemption rate for statement credit, but a lower rate if you redeem points for gift cards. Some rewards can be transferred to travel partners, such as airlines and hotels, at a valuable rate. Learn what the options are and what your rewards are worth.

Use the freebies

A free checked bag can save you $60 on a roundtrip domestic flight. Access to airport lounges means free snacks and a more relaxing space in which to wait for your flight. Global Entry reimbursement is worth $100, and you’ll be spared having to remove your shoes to go through a metal detector at the airport. Take advantage of all the perks you’re offered, especially if you’re paying an annual fee.

OTHER CARDS TO CONSIDER

Rewards cards come in a variety of flavors to fit different consumer preferences and spending patterns. This roundup highlights the best cards in each particular category, but there may be a better card for you. Find other great cards in our specialized roundups:

• Best cash-back credit cards

• Best general travel credit cards

• Best airline credit cards

• Best hotel credit cards

• Best premium credit cards

• Best cards for restaurant rewards

• Best cards for grocery rewards

• Best cards for gas rewards