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Rewards credit cards are popular because they give you extra value for your spending. With these cards, you can earn cash back, points and miles on every purchase, and many rewards cards offer bonus rewards in a wide variety of categories, including groceries, gas and entertainment.
If you have a rewards card (or cards) or are considering opening one, here's what you need to know to ensure you're getting the most out of your card.
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles
Terms apply.
Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
$0
How to use your rewards card
Don't overspend
Rewards credit cards tend to charge higher APRs than other cards, so it's even more important to pay your balance off in full by the end of each billing cycle. You'll get hit with interest charges if you don't, and the added cost will almost certainly wipe out the value of your rewards.
If you're struggling to pay off your card each month, consider setting up a budget or using a budgeting app. This can help you prioritize what you spend your money on and avoid overspending.
You may be able to avoid interest and fast-track your debt payoff by taking advantage of a credit card with a 0%-APR offer. These cards allow you to transfer an existing credit card balance and/or make purchases and pay no interest for a period of time, usually between 6 months and 21 months. If you're looking for a good option, consider the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card, which has an incredibly generous intro-APR offer.
The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card can help you save on interest charges thanks to its extra generous intro-APR offer on purchases and qualifying balance transfers.
- Best-in-class intro-APR for purchases and qualifying balance transfers
- No annual fee
- Cell phone insurance: up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible
- No rewards
- No welcome bonus
- High balance transfer fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate, BT fee of 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Through My Wells Fargo Deals, you can get access to personalized deals from a variety of merchants. It's an easy way to earn cash back as an account credit when you shop, dine, or enjoy an experience simply by using an eligible Wells Fargo credit card.
Balance transfer fee
5%, min: $5
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Use your rewards credit cards optimally
Different rewards cards excel with different types of purchases — some cards earn more for groceries and gas (such as the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express), while others are great for travel purchases (such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve®; see rates and fees). If you have multiple rewards cards, pay attention to the bonus spending categories to ensure you're getting the most value from every swipe.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
If you don't want to juggle multiple rewards cards, you can still get a lot of value from a single card — provided you pick the right one. Cards such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Citi Double Cash® Card offer a high flat rate of return instead of bonuses on specific purchases. While a typical rewards card earns 1% cash back or 1X miles/points on purchases that fall outside of a bonus category, these two heavy hitters earn at least double that on every purchase. For cardmembers of the Citi Double Cash card, you can earn 1% cash back when you buy and 1% cash back when you pay.
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance tranfer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
Maximize rewards redemptions
Depending on your card's rewards program, how you use your rewards impacts how much value you get.
Cash-back credit cards are generally the most simple. If you earn $100 in cash back, you have $100 in rewards. The value of your cash-back rewards usually remains the same regardless of whether you redeem for a statement credit, gift card or direct deposit.
With other types of rewards, especially travel rewards, there is a greater variation in the value of each redemption. Take the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) as an example. You can cash out the points you earn with this card for one cent a point in value, so 75,000 points are worth $750 cash. You can also transfer those points to a partner airline or hotel loyalty program and potentially book hotels or flights worth much more.
However, if you link your Chase account to Amazon and redeem points directly for Amazon purchases, the value drops. You'll receive around 0.8 cents per point in Amazon purchases, which is a 20% loss in value compared to simply redeeming for cash back.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
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