Simply put, the best credit cards are the products that best suit your needs. If you are looking for a card to help you pay off a balance from a previous card without having to pay interest, a balance transfer card may work.
If you love the idea of rewards without complex rules, a cashback card may suit. And for the traveler, whether avid or occasional, a travel, airline or hotel credit card might be ideal.
Keep in mind that you may actually want to look at more than one card for your purposes. For example, some cardholders use a cash back card for shopping at grocery stores, and one or two others for flight travel and hotel stays.
When you are looking at credit cards, you’ll want to study not only the card’s purpose, but such features as sign-up bonuses; ongoing rewards; benefits such as airport lounge access, fees waived on checked bags and auto rental insurance; balance transfer, annual and foreign transaction fees; and APR rates.
Keep in mind that you don’t want to apply for multiple cards at once because your credit score will take a small, temporary hit each time. Choose your card wisely and make sure you have the right score to improve your chances of getting what you want.
- What are the Credit Cards with the Best Options?
- What are the most Difficult Credit Cards to get?
- What is the best Airline to get a Credit Card with?
What are the Credit Cards with the Best Options?
One of the best credit cards in November 2020 is none other than the Discover it Cash Back. Why? To be frank, it’s perfect for holiday shopping during a pandemic.
Read Also: Credit Card Mistakes you Might be Making
From October through December 2020, you can earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Target.com for up to $1,500 spend for the quarter (then it’s 1%) after a required quarterly sign-up. That means you can buy holiday gifts for the kids, Grandma, and the honey without walking into a store.
And the fun doesn’t end there, because your cash back is matched at the end of your first year. So, if you earn $75 a quarter, coming to $300 for the year, that $300 is matched at the end of the first year, bringing your bounty to $600. Boom.
There are other reasons to love the Discover it Cash Back. For example, you can get 0% intro APR on purchases for 14 months or 0% for 14 months on balance transfers, then it’s 11.99% – 22.99% Variable.
We rate the Discover it Cash Back with an overall 4.3 out of 5.0, partly due to this card’s excellent cashback match feature, as well as a strong 4.5 for rewards. Also, this card gets a perfect 5.0 for issuer customer experience.
1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Cash back cards are some of the simplest rewards credit cards out there. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express lets cardholders earn as much as 6% cash back in two rare categories: U.S. supermarkets and U.S. streaming services. Most cards only grant such high amounts in one. This gives the Blue Cash Preferred the edge in the battle of the cash-back credit cards if you have regular expenses in these categories.
Rewards: Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 of spending per year (then 1% back afterwards); 6% cash back on selected U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% cash back on transit (including taxis, rideshares, parking, tolls, trains and more); 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and 1% cash back on everything else. Cash back is redeemed in the form of a statement credit.
Annual fee: Limited Time Offer: $0 introductory annual fee for one year, then $95. Offer Expires 12/10/2020
Welcome Bonus: Earn a $300 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Offer Expires 12/10/2020..
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The cash back rates on this card are generous and offered in a wide range of categories. However, one major drawback of this card is the cash back can only be redeemed as a statement credit. Other popular cash back cards, including the Discover it® Cash Back Credit Card*, let cardholders redeem cash back in a variety of ways, such as direct deposit into a checking or savings account.
2. Citi® Double Cash Card
If you want a simple cash back card, the Citi® Double Cash Card is a great choice. You’ll earn a flat rate of cash back on each purchase with no limits or categories to keep track of. With this card, it’s also possible to convert your rewards to ThankYou points, which can be transferred to airline miles if you also hold a Citi Premier℠ Card* or Citi Prestige® Card*.
Rewards: Earn 1% cash back on all purchases and 1% cash back when you pay your bill. That’s effectively 2% cash back (hence the name double cash) on every swipe, tap, dip or online purchase.
Annual Fee: $0
Welcome Offer: None.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The more you use the Double Cash by Citi card, the more you earn. There are no limits, caps or restrictions on how much cash back you can earn. As long as you pay your card off every month and avoid fee-bearing activities like cash advances and balance transfers, you can use the Citi Double Cash card for your daily purchases and earn a generous amount of cash back without paying any fees or interest.
This Citi Double Cash gives new cardholders a 0% intro for 18 months on Balance Transfers completed within the first four months of opening a new account, and a variable APR after, based on your credit worthiness (currently 13.99% – 23.99% Variable). Balance transfers are subject to a fee of $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards: Earn 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and dining and 1 Chase Ultimate Reward point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Annual Fee: $95
Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®..
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Ultimate Rewards are both flexible and valuable, which is why the Sapphire Preferred card is our top travel card. You have the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards to a variety of airline frequent flyer programs and hotel chains, such United Airlines and Hyatt.
An Ultimate Rewards point from your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is worth 1.25 cents per point when redeemed through the Chase travel portal, but if you are going to use the travel portal we would recommend considering the higher annual fee Chase Sapphire Reserve® instead because your points will be worth 1.5 cents each.
The Chase Ultimate Reward cards are best taken as a family: partnering a Chase Sapphire Preferred with a Chase Freedom® card* and a Chase Ink business card allows you to earn Ultimate Rewards quickly. Rewards can also be combined between family members to really speed up the pace.
4. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is interesting because you can earn Membership Rewards points without an annual fee. You can also save money on interest with 0% APR on purchases for 12 months, followed by a variable APR, 13.24% – 19.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
Rewards: Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on the first $50,000 you spend each year, then 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee: $0
Bonus Offer: Earn up to $300 back to boost your business. You can earn up to $100 in the form of statement credits at each of the following merchants: Dell Technologies, DocuSign or FedEx after you make an eligible purchase on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership..
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: This card’s 0% APR offer can be enticing if you want to save money on interest at a lower APR. Another downside of this card is the fact that you won’t earn any kind of welcome bonus for applying and meeting a minimum spending requirement.
We do like the fact you can earn 2 Membership Rewards points for each dollar you spend up to $50,000 each year, and 1 point per dollar after that. Considering this card doesn’t have an annual fee, we think this makes it a good option to pair with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to use for all your non-bonus spending.
5. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
For ease of use and flexibility, the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program beats the other airlines hands down. The airline also offers two free checked bags per passenger on flights, even without carrying a credit card, making Southwest a great choice for families.
Rewards: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card earns 2 Southwest Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on Southwest flight and related purchases and 1 Southwest Rapid Reward point per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee: $149
Welcome Offer: Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: You could choose another airline card, but we like Southwest Airlines’ card because of its straightforward method of redemption: the cost of flights on points is pegged to the cost of flights in cash, with 1 Rapid Reward point being worth around 1.6 cents. This means you are not desperately searching for award flight availability on peak dates. You might pay more, but you can always find a flight on points.
Southwest also doesn’t charge change fees and allows you to rebook your flights if the price goes down. However, Southwest’s lack of assigned seating is a turn-off for some.
The Southwest Priority Card also offers a $75 Southwest annual travel credit each year, 7,500 bonus Southwest points each year on your cardmember anniversary, four upgraded boarding opportunities per year and 20% back on inflight purchases.
If you can combine this card with a business card, you would be well on your way to earning the 125,000 Rapid Rewards point total needed to earn a Southwest Companion Pass. The ability to take someone with you free of charge on every flight you take could save you thousands of dollars.
If you are not a Southwest Flyer, check out the United℠ TravelBank Card*. The Travelbank card offers a lucrative 1.5% United Travelbank cash return on all purchases. A United credit card might also be a better choice if you do a lot of International travel due to United’s larger network.
6. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Many trips have non-refundable elements that are tied to specific dates such as hotel or prepaid tour reservations. If you are interrupted or have to cancel your trip, you could be out a tremendous amount of money.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $10,000 per covered trip and a maximum limit of $20,000 per occurrence and a maximum benefit amount per 12-month period of $40,000. The trip must be charged to the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card in order to be eligible. This is one of the reasons why it’s our top pick for best premium travel card.
Rewards: Earn 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on dining and travel purchases (after earning the $300 travel credit) and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee: $550
Welcome Offer: Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The high $550 annual fee of this premium rewards card is partially offset by $300 in travel credits. The Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits include Priority Pass airport lounge membership that includes airport restaurant locations, which the American Express versions of Priority Pass do not include. This means that when you fly, you’ll be able to eat and drink at over 1,200 airport lounge locations worldwide, which could save your family a nice chunk of change.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are transferable to a large number of travel partners including United Airline MileagePlus and World of Hyatt. Points are redeemable on Chase’s travel portal where they’re worth 1.5 cents each.
7. Savor® Rewards from Capital One® *
Many cards offer bonuses for dining, but very few offer rewards for entertainment. The Capital One Savor is marketed to Millenials, who studies show prefer spending their money on experiences rather than stuff.
Rewards: Earn 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% cash back on purchases at grocery stores, and 1% cash back on everything else.
Annual Fee: $95.
Welcome Offer: Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: If you don’t want to pay an annual fee after the first year, you could also consider the Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card*, which offers 3% cash rewards on dining and entertainment as opposed to 4%, but has $0 annual fee.
8. Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express
The Hilton Honors Aspire Card is the only card that offers top tier elite status by holding a credit card alone. The Aspire Card comes with Hilton Diamond status, which offers upgrades, breakfast, late checkout and other benefits.
Rewards: Earn 14 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar spent on card purchases at participating Hilton hotels and resorts, 7 Hilton Honors points per dollar on eligible purchases for flights booked directly with American Express Travel, U.S. restaurants and car rentals through select rental companies, and 3 Hilton Honors points per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee: $450
Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The hefty $450 fee is more than offset with $250 in Hilton resort credit and $250 in airline incidental credit—provided you use the credits. The Aspire is the only hotel card that confers automatic top-tier status, which makes it worth holding for that reason alone if you stay at Hilton hotels often but not enough to earn status.
9. Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card has always been a good card. The recent increase in our reliance on Amazon for daily needs makes it a great one. If you’re spending most of your shopping budget with Amazon, you might as well get rewarded for it.
Rewards: Earn 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market 2% at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; and 1% on all other purchases
Annual Fee: $0 with Prime Membership, but requires $119 per year Amazon Prime membership to earn 5% reward rate listed above
Welcome Offer: Get a $70 Amazon.com Gift Card upon approval.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: If you’re not an Amazon or Whole Foods shopper, this card probably doesn’t make sense for you. The $119 cost of prime membership effectively acts as an annual fee. If you’re already spending it, then the card has no additional cost to carry.
You can redeem rewards as an Amazon credit with no minimum. However, you can also redeem your cash back as a statement credit or direct deposit to a checking or savings account once your rewards balance reaches $20 or more.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card has a number of benefits making it great for travel including no foreign transaction fees, travel accident insurance and baggage delay insurance. It also has perks like Visa Signature’s Luxury Hotel Collection and Concierge Service.
If you are not an Amazon shopper, you might do better with either the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Card* or the Target REDcard™ Credit Card*. Both the Walmart Rewards and the RedCard credit card offer rewards at their respective outlets, but neither offers the perks of the Amazon Prime Card.
10. Target REDcard™ Credit Card
The Target RedCard saves cardholders money every time they spend at Target—plain and simple. That’s valuable for any consumer, but particularly for a family of four or more that might, depending on their shopping habits, be spending hundreds of dollars a month at Target. No matter how much you spend, if you’re a regular Target customer, it makes no sense to use any other payment option at Target.
Rewards: Earn 5% off all qualifying Target store purchases for RedCard holders in-store and online. Free shipping on all online orders—no minimum purchase required. This includes free 2-day shipping on most items. Any items purchased using the Red Card as your payment method can be returned for an additional 30 days past the normal return period for that item.
Welcome Offer: Get a coupon for $40 off a $40+ qualifying purchase when you are approved for a debit or credit RedCard in-stores and at Target.com between 9/13/20-10/10/20..
Annual Fee: $0
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Cardholders receive additional benefits online such as free shipping. Therefore, on the shipping front, this card is akin to Amazon Prime. But it has no annual fee (Amazon Prime now costs $119 per year or $12.99 per month) and gives you access to brick-and-mortar stores. You do not have to live near a Target, however, to enjoy the benefits as Target treats in-store and online purchases essentially the same for RedCard benefits.
Additionally, pairing this card with universal Target savings options such as Cartwheel allows cardholders to increase their savings even more when shopping in-store. All of these savings options are also stored in the Target app, so you can shop at your local Target store with only your phone.
11. Discover it® Cash Back Card *
Discover it® Cash Back Card offers both a standard and student credit card with similar benefits. Any full-time student at a two-year or four-year college is eligible to apply for the student card. After graduation, the cardholder can transition to the standard card with a higher credit limit, while still enjoying the same benefits.
Other credit cards may offer that type of transition, but this card’s welcome offer gives it a clear edge. The first year bonus puts the Discover It Student at the top of the student credit cards list.
Rewards: Earn 1% cash back on all purchases; 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter in a special category (such as restaurants or gas stations) that changes each quarter when activated.
Welcome Offer: Get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, automatically.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: If you don’t qualify for the Discover It Student, the Discover It Secured offers similar benefits, with the exception of needing a cash deposit in order to open the account. The Discover it Secured Credit Card will help you up to your credit score so that you can qualify for a more lucrative reward card in the future, as long as you make your credit card payment on time each month.
12. QuicksilverOne® from Capital One®
Rewards: Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no maximum.
Current Welcome Offer: None.
Annual Fee: $39
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The Capital One® QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card* provides a family with the ability to amass a large cache of cash back to divvy up as needed. The 1.5% cash back rate is higher than the baseline 1% cash back rate available for many other cards for those with average credit.
And—this is key—the card comes with the unique benefit of None foreign transaction fees. The same benefit is currently not available on comparable cards that offer at least 1.5% cash back with no annual fee, namely the American Express Cash Magnet® Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card.
A word of caution about the Quicksilver card: Capital One offers two versions. Make sure not to confuse the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card* with the Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card option.
The latter offers similar benefits but requires a $39 annual fee as a security for riskier cardholders (meaning those with lower credit scores). The Quicksilver Rewards card—the one without an annual fee— requires an excellent credit score.
What are the most Difficult Credit Cards to get?
For many people, credit cards may simply be a means to an end, used for the occasional purchase. But for a select group of people with strong credit scores and a lot of spending money, a variety of exclusive credit cards may be available — sometimes by invitation only.
These exclusive credit cards come with larger-than-life perks, such as personalized concierge service and luxurious gifts, but they also come at a cost. Many of these exclusive credit cards have high annual fees, and they may not even be available to the general public.
Mastercard® Gold Card™
What makes it special
The card is plated in real gold. The Mastercard® Gold Card™ is not just any credit card as it’s plated in 24-karat gold (yes, really).
The card comes with the following perks:
- A concierge service
- $100 Global Entry application fee credit
- Up to $200 in annual airline credits toward qualifying purchases
- 2% value when redeeming for airfare
- 2% value for cash back redemptions
- A subscription to Luxury magazine
The downside? The card has a steep annual fee of $995; $295 for each additional user.
Platinum Card® from American Express
What makes it special
Platinum Card® from American Express offers great travel perks, invite-only events and Uber rides.
American Express is known for offering some of the most exclusive credit cards on the market. Aside from its “black card,” it also offers the Platinum Card® from American Express, which provides cardholders access to an array of perks.
Members can use the American Express Global Lounge Collection℠, which includes access to more than 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries. Cardholders also receive up to $200 in airline credits annually for baggage and other incidental travel fees at a qualifying airline of their choice.
Other benefits include …
- Up to $200 in Uber credits each year for Basic Card Members
- Five Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel, and on prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com
But it has a high annual fee ($550).
Centurion® Card from American Express
What makes it special
It offers cardholders luxurious perks and benefits.
Centurion® Card from American Express, also known as the “black card,” has started some of the greatest urban legends in credit card history. And to this day, it’s still shrouded in mystery. The American Express website provides little information about the eligibility requirements or the card benefits.
The perks of the card come at a hefty cost — currently, there’s a $10,000 initiation fee and an annual fee of $5,000.
Dubai First Royale MasterCard
What makes it special
Dubai First Royale MasterCard is one of the most elite credit cards in the world. According to its website, the card is “Desired by many but attainable by only a select few…”
The card isn’t available to the general public and is by invitation only.
To emphasize its commitment to luxury, the card has an embedded diamond crest and comes with a dedicated relationship manager for each card member as well as “Royale lifestyle management.”
The annual fee and interest rates are unlisted on the website but rates tend to run high with luxury cards. In order to get this card, you must be personally invited.
What is the best Airline to get a Credit Card with?
Airline credit cards can be an excellent addition to your wallet if you fly frequently with a certain airline. However, you might wonder why anyone would get an airline card while we’re all staying at home.
While you can get a more general travel credit card that still provides value on airline purchases, this guide covers the top airline credit cards — both cobranded cards and travel credit cards that earn transferable point currencies — to help you decide which ones might be right for you.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Sign-up bonus: 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months — worth $1,600, according to TPG valuations
Rewards: Earn 5x on Lyft through March 2022, 2x on travel and dining.
Why it’s the best airline card for total value: We’ve long suggested the Chase Sapphire Preferred for those who are new to earning travel rewards because it lets you earn valuable, transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points with strong bonus categories and a reasonable annual fee.
It’s particularly useful as an airline credit card, since the points earned on this card can transfer to United, Southwest, British Airways and seven other airlines, along with three hotel chains — Marriott Bonvoy, The World of Hyatt and IHG Rewards Club.
It’s also a Chase credit card that provides some great built-in protections if you use it to purchase your travel. If you apply for this card now, you can earn the bonus in time to book your travel in late 2020 or early 2021. When those points hit your account after three months, it will be like an early Christmas present to yourself.
Keep in mind, too, that the Chase Sapphire Preferred has added a number of temporary benefits to help cardholders best utilize the card now while many of us aren’t traveling. This is a card you can apply for now to use on purchases such as takeout and streaming, and continue using on travel once you’re back in the air in the future.
Annual fee: $95
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Sign-up bonus: 65,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first four months of account opening — worth $910, according to TPG valuations.
Rewards: 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, cable and satellite providers, gas stations, telecommunications merchants and car rentals; 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else
Why it’s the best airline card for American Airlines business flyers: For a low $99 annual fee (that’s waived the first year), you’re getting a card that earns bonus miles across multiple categories and provides a few elite-type perks, such as a free checked bag, inflight discounts and priority boarding.
You can also earn a companion certificate for domestic travel after $30,000 or more in purchases each card membership year and renewing the card (account must remain open at least 45 days after account anniversary date). And now that American Airlines has joined other top U.S. airlines in eliminating most change fees, there’s even more reason to rack up on American Airlines miles.
Although you aren’t getting any luxury benefits such as Admirals Club access, this is a great option for anyone who travels on American Airlines for business.
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
Sign-up bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $20,000 on purchases within the first 12 months from account opening. Or still earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. This bonus is worth up to $1,400, according to TPG valuations
Rewards: Earn 5x on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, plus 2x miles on all other purchases.
Why it’s the best airline card for simple rewards earning: Airline credit cards tend to offer a limited number of bonus categories. That can make it hard to justify using an airline credit card for everyday expenses. That’s where the Venture differs from airline cards — and it’s the card’s biggest strength. You’re earning a flat 2x miles across all purchases, which is great for anyone looking for a simple, one-and-done rewards credit card for all spending.
You can then use the miles earned to “pay” for any past travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent per mile or you can transfer miles to one of Capital One’s transfer partners, which includes 13 airlines and two hotel partners.
Cardholders also get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application-fee credit every four years (up to $100), which is a rare benefit for a card with a $95 annual fee. Capital One also has non-travel redemption options and temporary bonus categories to help make the card more valuable while people are putting travel on hold.
Annual fee: $95
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Welcome offer: Earn 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
Rewards: 2x miles on eligible Delta purchases, restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and 1x on everything else
Why it’s the best airline card for occasional Delta flyers: The Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex card is the airline’s entry-level premium card, with a $99 annual fee; waived for the first year. With this card, you’ll get a free checked bag, priority boarding, no foreign transaction fees and 20% in savings on inflight purchases.
A January 2020 refresh of the card added expanded earning categories and added a $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 in a calendar year (although a couple of perks from the old card were removed). If you’re an occasional Delta flyer who wants a way to earn bonus miles while enjoying a few elite-status-like perks, this might be the card for you.
Keep in mind that there are currently Amex Offers available on the Delta Gold that allows cardholders to earn 5x on Delta and 4x at restaurants through the end of the year.
Annual fee: $99, waived the first year
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Welcome offer: Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.
Rewards: 3x miles on eligible Delta flights and Delta Vacations and purchases made directly with hotels, 2x miles on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and 1x on everything else.
Why it’s the best airline card for regular Delta flyers: The early 2020 changes to the card mean a higher annual fee, but you’re also getting a few added benefits — enhanced spending categories and a (long-overdue) TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application-fee credit (up to $100).
Read Also: Ways to Earn More Credit Card Points
For those starting from scratch for elite status, you will still be able to use this card as a way to get Delta’s Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) requirement for elite status waived (up to the Platinum level) when you spend $25,000 on it in a calendar year.
You can also earn 10,000 MQMs when you spend $25,000 in a year and another 10,000 MQMs if you spend $50,000 in a year (although you will no longer get the bonus miles that used to accompany the MQMs). So if you need a little help hitting your desired Medallion status, this card can help you get it.
Like the Delta Gold, the Delta Platinum also has added benefits through the end of the year, including 5x miles on eligible Delta purchases and the ability to earn 500 Bonus Miles and 500 MQMs after spending $1,000 in purchases on your enrolled card (up to 25K miles and 25K MQMs).
Annual fee: $250
