American Express® Gold Card

Card Details

• Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of card membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
• Annual Fee: $325
• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
• See Rates And Fees

Reward Rates

• 4x at Restaurants (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X)
• 4x at U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X)
• 3x on Flights (booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com)
• 2x on prepaid Hotels and Other Eligible Purchases (booked on amextravel.com)
• 1x on All Other purchases

Other Benefits

• Up to $120 Uber Cash ($10 per month credit)
  • You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex benefit may only be used in United States.
• Up to $120 Dining Credit ($10 per month credit)
• Up to $100 Resy Credit ($50 semi-annually)
• Up to $84 Dunkin’ Donuts Credit ($7 per month credit)
• Get up to a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel
• Choose the color that suits your style: Gold, Rose Gold, or White Gold (new)

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card [Elevated Offer]

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards on the market and has long been the standard as one of the best travel rewards cards for beginners. The value of the card comes from the ability to earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, a relatively low annual fee, and a host of benefits. In addition, cardholders can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 1.25 cents when booking travel through Chase Travel℠ or transfer the points to one of the many airline and hotel transfer partners.

Credit. The Points Guy. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Credit Card Details

• Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That is worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.
• Annual Fee: $95
• APR: 20.99% – 27.99% Variable
• Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*

Reward Rates

• 5x on Travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 5x on Lyft purchases (through March 31st, 2025)
• 3x on Dining, select Streaming Services, and Online Groceries
• 2x on All Other Travel purchases
• 1x on All Other purchases

Other Benefits

• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠
• Premium travel protection benefits including trip cancellation insurance, primary car rental insurance, and lost luggage insurance
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024

The BILT Mastercard® is one of the most unique, and potentially valuable, travel rewards cards on the market. The card is unique in that it allows cardholders to earn rewards on rent payments without being charged a transaction fee. However, the card also comes with a host of impressive point earning opportunities in key spend categories. In addition, the BILT Rewards program offers numerous promotions (i.e. double points on “Rent Day”), an impressive list of transfer partners, and transfer bonus multipliers (up to 150%) based on status. These benefits are what make the BILT Mastercard® attractive to beginners, even if they do not pay rent each month. 

Credit. The Points Guy. Bilt Mastercard®.

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is an ideal cash-back credit card for beginners looking for a solid rewards structure and no annual fee. Unlike other cash-back cards, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers high value bonus categories in key spend areas such as Dining, Entertainment, and Groceries. However, there are fewer redemption options with a cash back credit card versus one which provides travel rewards. To truly unleash the earning power of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, combine it with either the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to convert the cash back to transferable Capital One Miles.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.

• Intro Offer: Earn a one-time $250 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• Annual Fee: $0
• APR: 19.74% – 29.74% Variable
• Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*

Reward Rates

• 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 5% Cash Back on Hotels booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
• 5% Cash Back on Rental Cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
• 3% Cash Back on Dining
• 3% Cash Back on Entertainment
• 3% Cash Back on popular Streaming Services
• 3% Cash Back at Grocery Stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
• 1% Cash Back on All Other purchases

Other Benefits

• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 19.74% – 29.74% (balance transfer fee applies)

Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Custom Cash® Card is a solid cash-back credit card with no annual fee. This card differentiates itself from other options on the market by providing a unique earning opportunity: 5% back on your top spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spend). The Citi Custom Cash® Card is the perfect credit card to help you maximize purchase which do not fit into other traditional bonus categories (i.e. Home Improvement). While the cash back comes in the form of Citi ThankYou points, which you can redeem for statement credits, pairing the Citi Custom Cash® Card with either the Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants) unlocks higher value redemptions through various transfer partners. 

Citi Custom Cash® Card.

Credit Card Details

• Intro Offer: Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening
• Annual Fee: $0
• APR: 19.24% – 29.24% Variable
• Recommended Credit: 580-740 (Fair / Good)*

Reward Rates

• 5% Cash Back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent (1% cash back thereafter)
• 1% Cash Back on All Other purchases
• Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025

Other Benefits

• 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months, then a variable APR of 19.24% – 29.24%

Final Thoughts