We live at an amazing age when it comes to credit card options. Choice has never been better, with competitive choices across a wide range of price points and reward types. Choosing the right credit card for your specific lifestyle and travel goals can have a huge impact on the speed of rewards and income you receive. With so many strong competitors, it’s hard to narrow down the list to find the most suitable list.
To get you started, I’ve compiled four top choices. Any of these cards will be a great addition to your wallet. They all solidified my position.
Methodology
Choosing the best credit card is not an exact science. So many factors (your spending habits, preferred rewards and travel goals) take this as well, so it is impossible to point out a universal “best card”. Instead, due to their earning rates, benefits, welcome bonuses and later, I chose a handful of attractive attractions.
As the Director of Points, Miles and Credit Card Content for TPG, I keep monitoring the card landscape. This is also a key part of my personal opinion and mileage strategy, which helped me compile this list based on my first-hand experience with these cards.
These are the homework in my wallet and also helped me accumulate points to fly business class to Tahiti, stay in a watered-level room in the Maldives, and other close-up trips. If you get used to their full potential, I believe they will do the same for you.
Best Credit Cards for September 2025
*TPG founder Brian Kelly is a BILT consultant and investor.
| card | The best | Welcome offer | Income rate | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilt Mastercard | Comprehensive | N/A. |
You must use five cards during each statement period to earn rental points and qualified net purchases. |
$0 (see Rates and fees) |
| Chase Sapphire’s preferred card | beginner | Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases The first three months of the account The opening. |
|
$95 |
| Platinum card for American Express | Luxury goods | Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for up to 175,000 membership reward points after spending $8,000 in 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 | Spend $6,000 in the first six months of card membership to earn 150,000 points on qualified purchases. |
|
$550 (see rates and fees) |
Best Overall Credit Card: BILT MasterCard
If I refuse to use a card, it is Bilt MasterCard. While it is known for its ability to earn rent points (I absolutely love a feature as a renter), I think it’s a worthwhile choice for anyone, thanks to anyone’s earning rate and an unparalleled list of transfer partners. It won’t bring a welcome offer, but it also lacks annual fees, so you can add this card to your wallet regardless of whether you slice it thinly.
Why we like it
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First-hand experience
After initially retaining the BILT card for rent payments, I handed over most of the other expenses once I realized the value of Bilt Bilt Rewards points. I’ve transferred them to top airlines and hotel partners like Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, United Mileageplus and Hyatt World, as well as taking advantage of Bilt’s frequent and profitable transfer bonuses that hit as high as 100%. Another advantage: Once you charge a fee, the BILT point will appear in your account. This unique feature helped me encounter limited award space on off-road flights last summer, and then it disappeared.
For more information, check out our review of Bilt MasterCard.
Apply here: Bilt Mastercard
The best credit card for beginners: Chase Sapphire’s first choice
If you are looking for the first credit card or are still familiar with travel rewards, Chase Sapphire’s first choice It’s a good starting point. This is a great option for getting reward points in the popular spending category and considering its relatively low annual fee, it brings some very valuable perks. By incorporating the card’s current welcome quote, you will start cashing on a good basis to start improving the balance of the final reward points, a very valuable and transferable reward currency.
Why we like it
First-hand experience
My personal favorite of Chase Sapphire preference is every dollar it gets in online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target and Wholesale Club). I’m a huge advocate of online grocery shopping and putting my weekly fees in my sapphire preferences can help me get points quickly. One of my favorite ways to use them is to transfer them to the World of Hyatt. Whether I’m booking a cheap Hyatt hotel, going to a concert at a cheap price, or being at a high-end Hyatt Regency or Andaz as the heart of a big trip, I’ll find using my point of view this way. I also made good use of the main car rental insurance when renting a car in Ireland, Scotland and the Azores.
For more information, check out our review of Chase Sapphire’s preferred choice.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire’s first choice
Best Luxury Card: Platinum Card for American Express
To get a premium card experience, it’s hard to top the Amex Platinum top. It comes with benefits and statement points that add a variety of luxury to your travel experience, including a golden status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (requires registration), airline fee credit and abundant lounge access. But even if you are not traveling, Amex Platinum has many privileges to use. Declaration credit for transit costs, shopping and entertainment activities, and shopping benefits and protection measures.
Why we like it
- Global lounge collection access for qualified card members, including Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, flights on qualified Delta flights**
- Statement credit, including a $200 airline fee statement credit of up to $200 and a digital entertainment statement credit of up to $240 (the above two description credits required for registration)
- Healthy income rate is 5 points per dollar Healthy income rate is directly on flights purchased by airline†
**When traveling on the Delta flight on that day; qualified Amex Platinum cardmembers have 10 eligible Amex Platinum cards each year to visit the Delta Sky Club or grab and grab while traveling on the same day’s Delta operation flight.
†You will also earn 5 points per dollar for tickets purchased through American ExpressTraver®. There is a cap of $500,000 for these purchases for each calendar year; you will earn 1 point per dollar thereafter.
First-hand experience
Amex Platinum earned a high income rate on tickets purchased directly with airlines seven years ago, but it was the lounge access and stated credit that made me pay the $695 annual fee for this card year after year.
Since I often drive itinerary through the connection, I appreciate you getting into the Centurion Lounge on the stopover even if I only jump in for a few minutes to grab some food or change into some food in a clean bathroom after red-eye. And, thanks to all the stated credits that come with this card, I find it easy to offset the annual fee even on the higher side. I especially like airline fees, which I use for baggage fees on Alaska Airlines checks as well as digital entertainment credit, which covers my subscription to The New York Times cooking.
For more information, check out our review of the Amex Platinum card.
Apply here: Amex Platinum
Best Credit Cards for Hotel Rewards: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
I hate playing with favorites, but I will go anyway: Hilton Honors Aspire is my favorite card ever. I’ve owned it since it was launched, and I still can’t overcome it’s top elite status, a large number of resort statement credits and, most importantly, a free nighttime certificate every year that can be used at nearly any Hilton hotel around the world. If you are on a tropical vacation, this card can save you thousands of dollars a year.
Why we like it
- Automatic Hilton Honor Diamond Elite Identity
- Free night certificate for card anniversary year
- Up to credits for bills for Hilton Resorts per calendar year ($200 per biennium)
First-hand experience
Aspire became my ideal vacation companion in 2018 when I realized I could make the most of its allowance when traveling to the Maldives. Since then, I have lived in some of the world’s top luxury beach properties with the annual free night certificate, including Conrad Bora Bora Nui, Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal and Maui’s Grand Wailea.
The best part? The credit at the resort offsets many of my internal expenses, allowing me to turn any resort into an all-inclusive for a few days. Next is mine: Free stay in Conrad Algarve, Portugal, and received a free night certificate and earned points with the card.
For more information, check out our review of the Hilton Aspire Card.
Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
For Amex Platinum rates and fees, click here.
For rates and fees on Hilton Aspire Cards, click here.
See BILT Mastercard Rates and Fees, click here.
See BILT Mastercard Rewards and Benefits here.
