Credit Card Reward Programs of today go above and beyond just points and miles. And finding the right one for you can be a daunting task- but use this guide to find the perfect program that fits your unique spending style.
1. American Express Gold Card
Best for: Groceries and Takeout
Annual Fee: $250
Rewards Rate: Earn 4x at restaurants and supermarkets, 3x on flights and 1x on all other purchases.
The American Express Gold Card is the ultimate way to rack up points. With reward incentives on groceries, restaurants and travel, you’ll be getting the best bang for your buck- literally!
2. Southwest Rapid Rewards
Best for: Travel
Annual Fee: $149
Rewards Rate: Earn 2x on flights and car rentals and 1x on all other purchases. Earn 20% cash back on all inflight purchases and 65,000 points for signing up.
This is my all-time favorite credit card to use because it makes traveling seem like its free, well almost! There are a ton of additional perks that come with this card like 4 free upgrades every year, 7,500 annual points and a $75 annual travel credit. Traveling quickly becomes easy when you join the Southwest Rapid Rewards Program.
3. Citi Double Cash Card
Best for: Everyday Use
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards Rate: Earn 2% on every purchase.
Two percent on every single purchase. Yes, you heard that right- every single one. And there’s no annual fee, so really this program is perfect for turning your money spent into money earned.
4. Chase Freedom
Best for: The Careful Spender
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards Rate: Earn 5% back on the first $1,500 spent on quarterly rotating categories and 1% on everything else. Plus a sign up bonus of $200 after you spend $500 in the first 3 months.
If you’re wanting to take advantage of some serious cash back by keeping up with rotating categories, this is the cardfor you. The last quarterly categories consisted of grocery stores, streaming services and gym memberships. The categories change quarterly and are often easy to utilize so keeping up with them can make spending exciting and interesting.
5. Apple Card
Best for: The Tech Lover
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards Rate: Earn 2% cash back on all purchases made through Apple Pay and 3% cash back on purchases from Apple and their partner companies.
The Apple Card is a gorgeous, titanium, minimalistic cardthat hooks right up to your iPhone for the most user-friendly credit card experience. The Apple Card rewards you for using Apple Pay which already makes life more convenient and earn 3% when purchasing your Apple products or buying from their partners which include Nike, Uber Eats, Exxon, Mobil etc.
In Summary:
Picking a credit card is all about finding the program that fits your lifestyle and priorities. There’s no one-size-fits all card so do some research on where you spend your money (or would like to) and try to utilize that Credit Card Reward Program.