When it comes to credit card options, we’re living in an amazing age. Selection has never been better, with competitive options across a wide range of price points and reward types. Choosing the right credit card for your specific lifestyle and travel goals can make a huge difference in how many rewards you earn and how quickly you earn them. With so many strong contenders out there, it can be tough to narrow down the list to find your best fit.
To get you started, I’ve rounded up four of my top picks. Any of these cards would be a great addition to your wallet; they’ve all cemented a place in mine.
Methodology
Picking the best credit card isn’t an exact science. So many factors go into it (your spending habits, preferred rewards and travel goals, to name a few) that it’s impossible to point to a universal “best card.” Instead, I’ve selected a handful with broad appeal thanks to their earning rates, benefits, welcome bonuses and beyond.
As TPG’s director of points, miles and credit card content, I continuously monitor the card landscape. This is also a crucial part of my personal points and miles strategy, which helped me compile this list based on my firsthand experience with these cards.
These are the workhorses in my wallet and the products that have helped me amass the points to fly business class to Tahiti, stay in an overwater bungalow in the Maldives and take countless other trips both near and far. If used to their full potential, I’m confident they’ll do the same for you.
The best credit cards of September 2025
*TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.
| Card | Best for | Welcome offer | Earning rates | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilt Mastercard | Overall | N/A. |
You must use the card five times each statement period to earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases. |
$0 (see rates and fees) |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Beginners | Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
| The Platinum Card from American Express | Luxury perks | 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. |
|
$695 (see rates and fees) |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Hotel rewards | Earn 150,000 points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. |
|
$550 (see rates and fees) |
Best overall credit card: Bilt Mastercard
If there’s one card I refuse to part with, it’s the Bilt Mastercard. While it’s best known for its ability to earn points on rent (a feature I absolutely love as a renter), I’d argue it’s a worthwhile pickup for anyone thanks to its strong earning rates and unbeatable list of transfer partners. It doesn’t come with a welcome offer, but it also lacks an annual fee, so any way you slice it, you’ll come out ahead by adding this card to your wallet.
Why we love it
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Firsthand experience
After initially reserving the Bilt card for my rent payments, I moved much of my other spending over once I realized how valuable Bilt Rewards Points can be. I’ve transferred them to top-tier airline and hotel partners like Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt, and leveraged Bilt’s frequent and lucrative transfer bonuses, which have reached as high as 100%. Another plus: Bilt points appear in your account as soon as you make a charge. This unique feature helped me snag limited award space on a cross-country flight last summer before it disappeared.
For more, check out our review of the Bilt Mastercard.
Apply here: Bilt Mastercard
Best credit card for beginners: Chase Sapphire Preferred
If you’re looking for your first credit card or still getting acquainted with travel rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent place to start. It’s a great go-to for earning bonus points in popular spending categories, and considering its relatively low annual fee, it packs some seriously valuable perks. By nabbing the card’s current welcome offer, you’ll be well on your way to your first redemption with a great base to start growing your balance of Ultimate Rewards points, a highly valuable and transferable reward currency.
Why we love it
Firsthand experience
My personal favorite perk on the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the 3 points per dollar it earns on online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs). I’m a huge advocate for online grocery shopping, and putting that weekly expense on my Sapphire Preferred helps me accrue points quickly. One of my favorite ways to use them is to transfer them to World of Hyatt. Whether I’m booking a no-frills Hyatt Place to cheaply travel to a concert or a high-end international Park Hyatt or Andaz as the centerpiece of a big trip, I’ve found tons of value in using my points this way. I’ve also made great use of the primary rental car coverage when renting cars in Ireland, Scotland and the Azores.
For more, check out our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Best card for luxury perks: The Platinum Card from American Express
For a premium card experience, it’s hard to top the Amex Platinum. It comes loaded with benefits and statement credits to add a touch of luxury to your travel experience, including Gold status with both Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (Enrollment is required), airline fee credits, and plentiful lounge access. But the Amex Platinum also comes with plenty of perks you can use even when you’re not traveling; think statement credits for transit charges, shopping and entertainment, plus shopping benefits and protections.
Why we love it
- Global Lounge Collection access for eligible cardmembers, including Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs when flying on an eligible Delta flight**
- Statement credits, including up to $200 airline fee statement credit and up-to-$240 digital entertainment statement credit (enrollment required for both statement credits mentioned)
- Healthy earning rate of 5 points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with an airline†
**When traveling on same-day Delta flights; eligible Amex Platinum cardmembers will receive 10 visits per eligible Amex Platinum card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight.
†You will also earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased through American Express Travel®. There is a $500,000 cap on these purchases per calendar year; you will earn 1 point per dollar thereafter.
Firsthand experience
The Amex Platinum’s high earning rate on airfare purchased directly with an airline initially drew me to the card seven years ago, but it’s the lounge access and statement credits that have kept me paying this card’s $695 annual fee year after year.
Since I often fly itineraries with connections, I appreciate having access to Centurion Lounges on my layovers, even when I’m only popping in for a few minutes to grab some food or change in a clean bathroom after a red-eye. And with all the statement credits that come with this card, I’ve found it easy to offset the annual fee, even though it’s on the higher side. I particularly love the airline fee credit, which I use for checked baggage fees on Alaska Airlines, and the digital entertainment credit, which covers my subscription to New York Times Cooking.
For more, check out our review of the Amex Platinum Card.
Apply here: Amex Platinum
Best credit card for hotel rewards: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
I hate to play favorites, but I’m going to anyway: The Hilton Honors Aspire is my favorite card of all time. I’ve had it since it launched, and I still can’t get over the fact that it comes with top-tier elite status, massive resort statement credits and, best of all, an annual free night certificate that can be used at almost any Hilton property worldwide. If tropical vacations are your thing, this card can save you thousands of dollars each year.
Why we love it
- Automatic Hilton Honors Diamond elite status
- A free night certificate on your cardmember anniversary each year
- Up to $400 in Hilton resort statement credits each calendar year (disbursed as up to $200 biannually)
Firsthand experience
The Aspire became my ideal vacation companion in 2018, when I realized just how many of its perks I could maximize on a trip to the Maldives. Since then, I’ve used the annual free night certificate to stay at some of the world’s top luxury beach properties, including the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal and Maui’s Grand Wailea.
The best part? The resort credits offset many of my on-property expenses, allowing me to essentially turn any resort into an all-inclusive for a couple of days. Next up for me: a free stay at Portugal’s Conrad Algarve, booked with a free night certificate and points earned using the card.
For more, check out our review of the Hilton Aspire Card.
Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, click here.
See Bilt Mastercard rates and fees click here.
See Bilt Mastercard rewards and benefits here.