The best credit cards, according to TPG founder Brian Kelly

Since beginning The Factors Man in 2010, one in every of my favourite issues is listening to from readers who share unimaginable tales of how they’ve maximized factors over time. It actually jogs my memory of simply how worthwhile the data we share is and that it actually unlocks superb experiences.

An enormous a part of that entails leveraging prime journey rewards bank cards.

Possibly you are trying to get a jump-start in your incomes technique forward of an enormous journey, or possibly there are some new perks you need to leverage in your summer time travels. Maybe you are simply available in the market for an enormous welcome bonus.

No matter you are trying to do, listed below are my picks for the perfect bank cards of 2025.

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Standout advantages: The Sapphire Reserve is providing a superb welcome bonus and options new credit — along with acquainted ones just like the broad use $300 journey credit score — which cardholders can make the most of to assist offset the price of its $795 annual payment.

When you journey as typically as I do, the Sapphire Reserve can give you a ton of worth due to perks like entry to Chase Sapphire Lounges by the Club, the issuer’s top-tier airport lounges, and an as much as $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for TSA PreCheck, International Entry or Nexus.

Associated: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business — which is right for you?

The Sapphire Reserve is not only a premium journey card, although. It is also a way of life product designed to fit your day-to-day with issues like complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music memberships (as much as $250 worth yearly; one-time activation required per service; subscriptions run by means of June 22, 2027) and a $300 annual StubHub credit score (break up up into $150 from January by means of June and one other $150 from July by means of December; activation required; legitimate by means of Dec. 31, 2027).

For extra data, try our review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card

Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 factors after spending $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: The Chase Sapphire Preferred affords profitable incomes charges and worthwhile perks like 3 factors per greenback spent on eating and a $50 annual resort credit score, simply to call a number of, making it one of many best travel cards, in line with TPG specialists. It is also a go-to card for each novices and specialists.

I virtually solely use my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to switch to greater than a dozen of Chase’s transfer partners and e book award tickets, which permits me to appreciate even larger worth when redeeming my factors.

When you’d slightly use this card’s welcome bonus in a extra easy approach, you’ll be able to all the time redeem your factors through Chase Journey.

I additionally love this card for its journey protections and insurance coverage, even in case you use it to e book an award ticket. Simply pay the taxes and costs with the Sapphire Most well-liked Card, and your journey is roofed.

Total, my Chase factors are tremendous worthwhile as a part of my total factors and miles technique, so in case you are searching for a card with a low annual payment, a stable bonus provide and nice perks, the Sapphire Most well-liked is a no brainer.

For extra data, try our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card

Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.

Annual payment: $395.

Standout advantages: If you wish to maximize factors and miles in relation to bank cards, your purpose needs to be to earn greater than 1 level per greenback spent on all purchases. This may be laborious when most playing cards solely provide bonus rewards in key classes like eating, groceries and fuel.

Fortunately, the bottom incomes price on the Capital One Enterprise X is 2 miles per greenback spent, so an enormous portion of my private spending goes on this card. Once I’m searching for clothes, child provides or paying for insurance coverage — all classes the place I can not earn 3, 4 or 5 miles per greenback — I put these on my Enterprise X.

Whereas it has a $395 annual payment, do not let that scare you. It is simple to offset that annual payment with advantages just like the $300 annual Capital One Journey credit score and the ten,000 bonus miles earned every account anniversary. The latter turns into much more worthwhile if you switch to airline loyalty applications, which I do typically.

For extra data, try our review of the Capital One Venture X.

Study extra: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

American Specific Gold Card

Welcome provide: Discover out your provide and see in case you are eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion.

Annual payment: $325.

Standout advantages: If there’s one factor I do virtually each day, it is dine out or order in — so maximizing my factors earnings from eating and groceries is large. Since changing into a dad, my grocery invoice has gone up dramatically, so that is the place the Amex Gold is a no brainer.

For starters, you will earn 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) and 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide (as much as $50,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback). This can be a nice approach to ramp up your earnings on two enormous spending classes, whether or not you are eating out or entertaining at dwelling.

You additionally get numerous assertion credit, which nearly fully offset the cardboard’s annual payment. This contains as much as $120 in Uber Money ($10 monthly, legitimate for rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. after utilizing any Amex card when including the Amex Gold to your Uber account) and as much as $120 in eating assertion credit with eligible eating companions (as much as $10 monthly). Enrollment is required.

I load my Amex Gold Card into all my supply apps: Caviar, Seamless and Uber Eats. These factors actually add up rapidly. Then, to make these factors much more worthwhile, I look ahead to transfer bonuses that Amex runs with journey companions so I can flip my factors into miles and e book airfare.

For extra data, try our review of the Amex Gold Card.

Apply right here: Amex Gold

Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card

Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: This can be a nice card it doesn’t matter what your targets are — whether or not you are newer to factors and miles, desire a simple incomes construction or use it as a part of a wider incomes technique, like me.

Just like the Enterprise X, it permits you to earn 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases, making it a fantastic card for transactions that do not match into frequent bonus classes.

Nevertheless it’s particularly worthwhile due to the flexibleness it affords to cowl all types of journey with these miles.

For instance, you’ll be able to redeem these miles at 1 cent apiece in opposition to any journey prices you placed on the cardboard. Alternatively, you’ll be able to e book flights, rental automobiles or motels by means of Capital One Journey together with your miles — additionally at a price of 1 cent apiece.

But when, like me, you need to stretch the worth of these miles even additional, you’ll be able to switch these miles to any of the 15-plus hotel and airline programs that accomplice with Capital One.

For instance, you may switch the miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue and e book bougie business-class seats from the U.S. to Europe beginning at 60,000 miles plus taxes and costs every approach. Or, switch to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, the place yow will discover lie-flat Higher Class seats to the U.Okay. for as little as 29,000 factors plus taxes and costs every approach.

For extra data, try our review of the Capital One Venture Rewards.

Study extra: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Platinum Card from American Specific

Welcome provide: Discover out your provide and see in case you are eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords range and also you will not be eligible for a suggestion.

Annual payment: $695.

Standout advantages: Regardless of its excessive value, the Amex Platinum stays a favourite of mine — and lots of TPG staffers as properly.

I put all airfare on my Amex Platinum as a result of I earn 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare (on as much as $500,000 per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) once I e book instantly with an airline or through Amex Journey. And whereas the annual payment is steep, the advantages embrace an as much as $200 annual payment assertion credit score for airline incidentals and an as much as $200 assertion credit score for pay as you go bookings with American Specific High-quality Motels + Resorts and The Lodge Assortment. (The Lodge Assortment requires a minimal two-night keep; enrollment is required for choose advantages.)

Amex continues to be a pacesetter within the card lounge house, and this premium journey card supplies entry to its Centurion Lounges, plus Precedence Move lounges and Delta Sky Golf equipment when flying Delta Air Strains. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages.)

For extra data, try our review of the Amex Platinum Card.

Apply right here: Amex Platinum

The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific

Welcome provide: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases throughout the first three months of card membership.

Annual payment: $695.

Standout advantages: One among my favourite perks on this card is Pay with Points — cardholders obtain a 35% bonus after they Pay with Factors on first- or business-class tickets by means of Amex Journey (as much as 1 million factors per calendar yr).

Regardless that it is a enterprise card, it comes with premium journey perks and enterprise assertion credit:

• Centurion Lounge entry and Precedence Move membership
• An announcement credit score of $120 for International Entry each 4 years or a press release credit score of as much as $85 for TSA PreCheck each 4 ½ years
• An airline credit score payment of as much as $200 yearly
• Gold elite standing with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
• Entry to Amex High-quality Motels + Resorts and The Lodge Assortment

Regardless that the annual payment is $695, the annual assertion credit and advantages greater than offset that. For instance, The Enterprise Platinum card affords:

• An as much as $150 in assertion credit on U.S. purchases made instantly with Dell and a further as much as $1,000 assertion credit score after spending $5,000 per calendar yr
• An as much as $360 Certainly assertion credit score per calendar yr (as much as $90 per quarter)
• A $250 Adobe assertion credit score after spending $600 or extra on U.S. purchases made instantly with Adobe per calendar yr (topic to auto-renewal)
• As much as $200 in Hilton credit per calendar yr (as much as $50 per quarter; Hilton for Enterprise membership required)
• As much as $120 per calendar yr for U.S. wi-fi phone suppliers (as much as $10 monthly)
• An as much as $209 Clear Plus membership assertion credit score per calendar yr (topic to auto-renewal)
• The aforementioned as much as $200 airline payment credit score per calendar yr on prices made with an airline of your selecting
• The aforementioned as much as $120 International Entry/TSA PreCheck credit score

Enrollment is required for choose advantages.

For extra data, try our review of the Amex Business Platinum.

Apply right here: Amex Business Platinum

Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card

Welcome provide: Earn 90,000 factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: I really like my Ink Enterprise Most well-liked card and its bonus classes — particularly the web web promoting class, which earns 3 factors per greenback spent on as much as $150,000 a yr (then 1 level after that). When you max out this annual bonus, these 450,000 factors you earn can be utilized for journey bookings through Chase Journey for as much as 1.75 cents every (relying on the precise redemption; see your rewards program settlement for full particulars).

Associated: The power of the Chase trifecta

Chase factors are very versatile, and I take advantage of mine as rapidly as I earn them. When you personal a small enterprise or actually have a enterprise thought, you’ll be able to apply utilizing your Social Safety quantity; try our posts to see who might be eligible for a enterprise bank card (you may be stunned!) and how to apply.

For my part, this card is a heavyweight, particularly for the low annual payment of $95.

For extra data, try our review of the Ink Business Preferred.

Apply right here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Annual payment: $0 (see rates and fees).

Standout advantages: For thus many individuals, hire is their greatest month-to-month expense. But for years, the one approach to pay for hire was to offer landlords checks or Venmo funds. When you wished to pay by bank card, you’ll incur a payment.

The Bilt Mastercard has fully revolutionized this method. So long as you make a minimum of 5 purchases with the cardboard every assertion interval, you’ll be able to earn factors on hire funds and different qualifying internet purchases. Even when your landlord solely takes a test, Bilt can ship checks and automatic clearing home direct deposits so you’ll be able to earn factors on the transactions (as much as 100,000 factors per yr).

Since you are paying hire through a bank card, you can even assist construct your credit score historical past with every cost. It is an absolute no-brainer, particularly since there is no annual payment (see rates and fees).

For extra data, try our review of the Bilt Mastercard.

Apply right here: Bilt Mastercard

First, contemplate the kind of rewards you need to earn in your purchases. In order for you simplicity, a cash-back card could also be a fantastic possibility because you typically have few limitations on how these rewards can be utilized. Alternatively, in case you’re after free journey or need to actually maximize your spending, you could be higher off with a transferable rewards foreign money like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Welcome bonus

Incomes an enormous haul of factors or miles as a welcome bonus is usually one of the best ways to rapidly enhance your rewards steadiness. That is significantly profitable if one of many playing cards you are contemplating has a limited-time provide. Simply you’ll want to assessment every issuer’s eligibility requirements, and contemplate checking your credit score upfront of your software so you might have an thought of whether or not you will be accredited.

Associated: 21 ways to use 100K Ultimate Rewards points

Spending habits

Earlier than opening a bank card account, analyze your spending habits during the last yr, together with the way you’re incomes rewards on any playing cards at the moment in your pockets. Many TPG readers begin with a easy, no-annual-fee card that earns 1 level, 1 mile or 1% money again on all purchases, however, as I’ve mentioned in my weekly e-newsletter earlier than, “Associates do not let buddies earn only one level per greenback.”

When you spend a ton at eating places, be certain you might have a card that rewards you when making eating purchases. When you have a major commute, choose up a card that rewards you for gas or transit bills. It is simple to double and even triple your incomes charges for a lot of purchases with the appropriate mixture of playing cards.

Annual payment

Lastly, it is best to contemplate the out-of-pocket value of any new card in your radar. Whereas some don’t have any annual payment (or waive the payment for the primary yr), others have hefty ones, as you noticed within the record above.

Within the first yr, virtually each card with a stable welcome provide pays for itself (after which some), however it is best to take a while earlier than you apply to be sure you can actually benefit from that card’s advantages, each now and sooner or later.

You possibly can be taught extra about how we analyze playing cards right here at TPG on our methodology page.

Savvy vacationers will acknowledge that every one the playing cards I record above have one thing in frequent: Every one earns transferable points or miles. These rewards are extremely worthwhile due to their flexibility. You are not locked into one airline and its companions or one resort program and its taking part manufacturers. You’re within the driver’s seat when it comes time to redeem.

For instance, as an example I need to fly Virgin Atlantic to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) within the service’s Higher Class, and the one-way flight I would like is $4,000. I might use 400,000 Amex factors to e book by means of American Specific Journey, however that very same flight may be 235,000 miles utilizing Delta SkyMiles, which is a 1:1 switch accomplice of Amex. Nevertheless, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership has costs as little as 29,000 factors — and it, too, companions with Amex.

In fact, in case you do get into the world of travel credit cards, be certain you do not spend past your means and pay your balances in full and on time each month.

Associated: Best travel credit cards of 2025

For charges and costs of the Amex Gold, click on here.
For the charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Enterprise Platinum, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Bilt Mastercard, click on here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on here.