The best credit cards, according to TPG spokesperson Clint Henderson

Admin August 4, 2025

Points, miles and credit card bonuses are what lit the travel flame for me once I entered my mid-30s and decided to prioritize travel in my life.

I have more than two dozen credit card accounts on my credit report, which have fed my travel addiction and enabled me to fly in the front of the plane all over the world. Since I started at TPG more than five years ago, my credit card habit has only grown.

But the biggest transformation for me has been in seeing how credit card bonuses can unlock the world of travel for everyone.

No matter if you want to fly business class to Asia or are eager to see your loved ones for Christmas for free, there is a credit card that can empower you, too.

These are my picks for the best credit cards that unlock amazing travel experiences thanks to points and miles.

Card	Best for	Welcome offer	Earning rates	Annual fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred	Beginner travelers	Earn 75,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.	Earn 5 points per dollar spent on travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠. Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs). Earn 2 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases. Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.	$95
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	Premium travel	Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.	Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.	$395
Amex Gold	Groceries and dining at restaurants	Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.	Earn 4 points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). Earn 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). Earn 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. Earn 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on amextravel.com. Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.	$325 (see rates and fees)
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Nonbonus spending	Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.	Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.	$95
Amex Platinum	Luxury benefits	Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.	Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). Earn 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel. Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.	$695 (see rates and fees)
Amex Business Platinum	Luxury perks for small-business owners	Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership.	Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights, prepaid hotels, short-term rentals and prepaid flight-and-hotel packages booked at amextravel.com. Earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on each eligible purchase in the U.S. with: construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million in purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.	$695 (see rates and fees)
Ink Business Preferred	Bonus-earning	Earn 90,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.	Earn 3 points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.	$95
Bilt Mastercard	Renters	N/A	Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining. Earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel. Earn 1 point per dollar spent on rent without the transaction fee (see rates and fees; on up to 100,000 points in a calendar year). Earn 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases. You must use your Bilt card five times each statement period to earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases.	$0 (see rates and fees)
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex	Frequent Delta Air Lines flyers	Earn 70,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.	Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases. Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases.	$650 (see rates and fees)
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire	Frequent Hilton guests	Earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.	Earn 14 points per dollar spent at hotels in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly through airlines or on amextravel.com Earn 3 points per dollar on other purchases.	$550

Sapphire Preferred offers lucrative earning rates and valuable perks like 2 points per dollar spent on travel and 3 points per dollar spent on dining purchases. It’s one of the best beginner credit cards, and I tell newbies to go with this card first when they’re ready to get into the world of credit card rewards.

THE POINTS GUY

That being said, the Sapphire Preferred isn’t just for beginners. I consider myself an expert, and it’s a card I use again and again because of its lucrative earnings and — the best part — its roster of more than a dozen stellar Chase transfer partners.

If you’re looking for a product that offers several lifestyle credits, excellent travel perks and is still within the Chase family, consider the recently refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).

Both Chase Sapphire cards let you transfer points directly to World of Hyatt and Air France-KLM Flying Blue, where you can book hotel rooms and flights that provide maximum value. Over the years, I’ve used Chase points to book stays at some of the nicest hotels in the world, including the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome.

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome suite. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

I’ve also used my Chase points to transfer to Air France for some amazing redemptions in business class. This allows me to get even higher value when redeeming my points.

Of course, leveraging transfer partners may not be for everyone. If this is you, the easiest way to use your stash of points may very well be through Chase Travel.

I love the points-earning power of my Chase Sapphire Preferred. I also manage to use the $50 Chase Travel hotel credit every year, which helps offset more than half of the $95 annual fee. If you are looking for a great card with a low annual fee and lots of perks, the Sapphire Preferred is an excellent place to start.

This card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

For more information, check out our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Capital One Travel, which equates to a pretty sweet deal.

The Venture X has a $395 annual fee, but that’s easily offset by a $300 annual Capital One Travel credit and an extra 10,000 bonus miles received each account anniversary.

Remember that Capital One also has 15-plus transfer partners, so you can send your miles to airlines and hotel partners to really maximize your redemptions. This card also gets you access to Capital One Lounges and lounges in Capital One’s partner network.

This card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

For more information, check out our review of the Capital One Venture X.

Learn more: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Amex Gold (aside from the welcome bonus, of course) is that you get bonus miles in two huge categories: dining and groceries.

THE POINTS GUY

Cardholders earn 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). This is a generous earning bonus for these two categories, which make up a big chunk of my budget. I also love that cardholders can earn 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.The plethora of statement credits almost entirely offsets the card’s annual fee. This includes up to $120 in Uber Cash (up to $10 per month, valid for rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. after using any Amex card when adding the Amex Gold to your Uber account) and up to $120 in dining statement credits with eligible dining partners (up to $10 per month). Enrollment is required.

Pro tip: Remember to look for transfer bonuses that Amex runs with travel partners so you can turn your points into miles and book airfare.

Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. This card features a $325 annual fee.

For more information, check out our review of the Amex Gold Card.

Apply here: Amex Gold

review of the Capital One Venture Rewards.

Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Amex Platinum remains my favorite card because it offers an impressive number of benefits, perks and statement credits, plus stellar lounge access.

THE POINTS GUY

While I find the $695 annual fee outrageous, the statement credits alone more than make up for it, so much so that I wrote a whole article about why I’ll never close it.These are among the benefits that, to me, justify the annual fee:

Complimentary Gold status with Marriott and Hilton
Up to $200 per calendar year in airline fee statement credits with an airline of my choosing
Complimentary car rental status: Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Preferred Plus and National Emerald Club Executive
Up to $200 in Uber Cash per calendar year, valid on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. (this credit is divvied into monthly up to $15 credits, plus an up to $20 bonus in December; Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Platinum as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card)
Up to $200 statement credit per calendar year for prepaid bookings with American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection when you pay with your Amex Platinum (note that Hotel Collection stays require a two-night minimum)

Select benefits require enrollment.

I also put all my airfare purchases on my Amex Platinum because I earn 5 points per dollar spent on airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) when I book directly with an airline or via Amex Travel.

I love getting access to Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges and Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta, too. (Enrollment is required for select benefits.)

Centurion Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

Additionally, I’ve had amazing success using my American Express Membership Rewards points several times in the past few years to transfer Amex points to Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program. This allowed me to fly business class from New York to Paris and back for as few as 60,000 miles.

This remains my favorite card, even if I don’t typically use it for everyday spending. Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

For more information, check out our review of the Amex Platinum Card.

Apply here: Amex Platinum

Amex Business Platinum comes with premium travel perks and business statement credits similar to the consumer Platinum Card, including Centurion Lounge access, a Priority Pass membership, an airline credit fee of up to $200 annually and Gold elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (as outlined above for the consumer Platinum Card; enrollment may be required).

Several perks are also unique to the Business Platinum Card (enrollment required for select benefits; terms apply):

Dell: Up to $150 in statement credits on U.S. Dell purchases each calendar year, and an additional $1,000 in statement credits after spending $5,000 on the same card each calendar year
Indeed: An up to $360 statement credit per calendar year (up to $90 per quarter)
Adobe: A $250 statement credit after spending $600 on U.S. Adobe purchases each calendar year
Up to $200 in Hilton statement credits per calendar year (up to $50 per quarter; Hilton for Business membership required)
Up to $120 in statement credits per calendar year for U.S. wireless telephone providers (up to $10 per month)

While I haven’t gotten the Business Platinum Card myself, it’s high on my wish list. I’ll try my luck at applying when I know I have some big purchases in the pipeline and can earn its massive welcome bonus.

With the Amex Business Platinum, you can earn 150,000 points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. This card charges a $695 annual fee.

For more information, check out our review of the Amex Business Platinum.

Apply here: Amex Business Platinum

Ink Business Preferred card and its bonus categories — especially the online internet advertising category, which earns 3 points per dollar spent on up to $150,000 a year (then 1 point after that).

THE POINTS GUY

If you max out this annual bonus, those 450,000 points you earn can be used for travel bookings via Chase Travel for up to 1.75 cents, depending on the specific redemption (see your rewards program agreement for full details). You can leverage Chase’s network of airline and hotel transfer partners and transfer bonuses (when available).

Chase points are very versatile, and I use mine as quickly as I earn them. If you own a small business or even have a business idea, you can apply using your Social Security number. If you’re looking for a solid business card, the Ink Business Preferred is a heavyweight, especially for the low annual fee of $95.

New applicants can earn 90,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

For more information, check out our review of the Ink Business Preferred.

Apply here: Ink Business Preferred

Bilt card is the ability to earn points on paying rent without a transaction fee (see rates and fees).

THE POINTS GUY

As long as you make at least five purchases with the card each statement period, you can earn reward points on your rent payments — an incredible proposition for renters (since rent is typically a person’s largest monthly bill).

As a renter in New York City, the Bilt card is a must-have in my wallet. What’s even better is that this card offers the ability to make transaction fee-free rent payments without charging cardholders an annual fee (see rates and fees). Even if your landlord only takes checks, Bilt can send checks and automated clearing house direct deposits so you can earn points on the transactions (up to 100,000 points per year).

But that’s not the card’s only selling point. I also earn a large number of points on dining and pharmacy purchases every month. I use my Bilt card at Walgreens, where Bilt Rewards members can earn extra Bilt Points on purchases, no matter what credit card they use.

I earn 1 point per dollar spent on all Walgreens purchases, 2 points per dollar spent on Walgreens-branded items and 100 points per prescription refill (subject to certain exclusions). This specific perk alone has netted me thousands of points.

Dining is another solid Bilt reward-earning category. I earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining and 2 points per dollar spent on travel purchases. But on the first day of every month (aka “Rent Day”), these earnings double (excluding rent, up to 1,000 points).

Here’s an example of how those earnings can add up. On May 1, I spent $7.65 at the Chicago Athletic Association, $24.31 at Shake Shack and $20 at Starbucks. Because it was a Bilt Rent Day, I earned 22 points for dining on that $7 purchase, plus another 22 points for Rent Day. Shake Shack earned me 144 points, and Starbucks got me 60 points. That’s 248 points on just $51 in purchases.

With Bilt Rewards, the points really add up. The best feature, I think, is that Bilt often runs transfer bonuses to one or more of its 21 transfer partners. For example, back in January 2024, Bilt ran a 100% transfer bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue. I transferred 32,000 Bilt points to Air France, and, thanks to that transfer bonus, 32,000 points became 64,000 miles in my Flying Blue account — a truly stellar deal.

The Bilt card doesn’t currently feature a welcome bonus, but it is still worth getting if you’re a renter like me.

For more information, check out our review of the Bilt Mastercard.

Apply here: Bilt Mastercard

Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex over the years, and while the benefits have changed, it continues to hold a place in my wallet despite a high $650 annual fee.

THE POINTS GUY

The card gives some valuable statement credits (several of which require enrollment), including an up to $20 monthly Resy credit (up to $240 each calendar year) to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants. I’ve been able to use this credit at local Upper West Side neighborhood restaurants.

I’ve also been able to maximize the up to $10 per month credit for ride-hailing services (up to $120 each calendar year) with eligible providers within the U.S. I usually use it to get a Revel car service ride at least once a month.

The card also comes with an up to $200 annual Delta Stays statement credit. Last year, I was able to use it to save some cash on an Atlanta hotel reservation.

I like the annual companion certificate benefit as well. It lets you bring a companion with you on a round-trip ticket within the continental U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America for the cost of taxes and fees. This can even be used for domestic first-class tickets.

Then there’s the TakeOff 15 benefit, which I think is one of the Delta Reserve’s standout features, as it gives you a 15% discount on all Delta award tickets.

New applicants can earn 70,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.

For more information, check out our review of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve.

Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex

Hilton resort credits (broken up as up to $200 semiannually).

Finally, and potentially most lucratively, the card gets you a free night award that can be used at almost any Hilton property in the world. I’ve used mine over the years at the Niepce Paris Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton; the Waldorf Astoria Chicago; and the incredible Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The Aspire card currently features a welcome bonus of 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening and charges a $550 annual fee.

Learn more: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

cash-back card may be a great option since you generally have few limitations on how those rewards can be used. On the other hand, if you’re after free travel or want to really maximize your spending, you may be better off with a transferable rewards currency like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Welcome bonus

Earning a big haul of points or miles as a welcome bonus is typically the best way to quickly boost your rewards balance. This is particularly lucrative if one of the cards you’re considering has a limited-time offer. Just be sure to review each issuer’s eligibility requirements, and consider checking your credit score in advance of your application so you have an idea of whether you’ll be approved.

Spending habits

Before opening any credit card (or opening a new one), take some time to analyze your spending habits over the last year, along with how you’re earning rewards on any cards currently in your wallet.

If you spend a ton at restaurants, be sure you have a card that rewards you when making dining purchases. If you have a significant commute, pick up a card that rewards you for gas or transit expenses. It’s easy to double or even triple your earning rates for many purchases with the right combination of cards.

Annual fee

Finally, you should consider the out-of-pocket cost of any new card on your radar. While some have no annual fee (or skip the annual fee for the first year), others have hefty ones, as you saw in the list above.

In the first year, almost every card with a solid welcome offer will pay for itself (and then some), but you should take some time before you apply to make sure you can truly take advantage of that card’s benefits, both now and in the future.

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transferable points or miles — and that’s no coincidence. These rewards are incredibly valuable because of the flexibility they offer.

In most cases, you’re not locked into one airline and its partners or one hotel program and its participating brands. You are in the driver’s seat when it comes time to redeem.

Virgin Atlantic plane at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

For example, I want to fly business class on Virgin Atlantic from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) home to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in the carrier’s Upper Class on July 28.

The one-way flight I need is $10,185. I could use more than a million American Express Membership Rewards points to book it through American Express Travel. However, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has prices as low as 66,000 points (plus $898 in taxes and fees), and it, too, partners with Amex.

That means I can transfer 66,000 points from Amex to Virgin to book a seat that would have cost more than $10,000 in cash. That’s the power of points and miles.

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For the rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click termsConditions pid=”22504813″ overridetext=”here”).
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.