The best credit cards to earn and redeem points and miles

When friends and family ask me for a recommendation on the best credit card, I never have a definitive answer.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Your personal preferences, spending habits, desired rewards and travel goals all play a role, and these factors will prompt a unique response for every person.

There are several cards that I often recommend, from products for points and miles enthusiasts to award travel beginners who are daydreaming about their next trip. Here’s a collection of some of the best all-around options.

Comparing my top picks for the best credit cards

These four top picks offer valuable points and miles that can power some fantastic redemptions. Here’s what to know.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

The Hilton Surpass is a fantastic mid-tier option for anyone who stays with the brand semiregularly.

If you plan to make a purchase with Hilton at least quarterly (whether it’s a room rate, dining or spa service charge, for instance), it’s easy to end up ahead of this card’s modest $150 annual fee. You can earn up to $200 back every calendar year on eligible Hilton purchases (up to $50 in statement credits each quarter).

I highly recommend the Surpass to anyone who places value in the card’s automatic Gold elite status perk. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the complimentary breakfast or daily food-and-beverage credit and the space-available room upgrades that Gold status provides me.

And the bonus points certainly don’t hurt, either. I’m working up to another redemption as fantastic as my 130,000-point stay at the Canopy by Hilton London City last spring.

To learn more, read our full review of the Hilton Surpass.

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Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

There isn’t a premium rewards card out there doing it quite like the Capital One Venture X right now.

With its valuable base earning rates, easy-to-use annual benefits and solid airport lounge access, you don’t have to fret over complicated statement credits and a swath of bonus categories like with other premium travel cards.

This is another card where the math just works. For a $395 annual fee, I receive a $300 annual travel credit to use in the Capital One Travel portal and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, which TPG’s November 2025 valuations deem are worth $185. If I maximize those two benefits alone each year, I’ll already come out ahead of the annual fee by $90.

Plus, the card is offering its highest welcome offer in nearly four years, making now an excellent time to add it to your wallet and collect 100,000 valuable Capital One miles.

For more information, read our full review of the Venture X.

Learn more: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Citi Strata Elite Card

The Strata Elite provides some of the most valuable earning rates in popular bonus categories out there for travelers and those who like to dine out.

This card provides a stellar return on travel booked through the Citi Travel portal and at restaurants during its weekendlong CitiNights promotions. Since Citi ThankYou Rewards points now transfer to the highly valuable American Airlines AAdvantage program, the rewards on this one can take you a long way.

If you’re into airport lounges, the Strata Elite includes four American Airlines Admirals Club passes per year, each valid for 24 hours, which is an interesting addition for those who don’t need a full Admirals Club membership but could find value in this level of access.

I’ve also come to appreciate the card’s unique statement credits, which include an up to $300 annual hotel credit for booking through the Citi Travel portal (a minimum stay of two nights is required), an up to $200 annual Splurge statement credit (choose two merchants) and an up to $200 Blacklane statement credit ($100 biannually).

To learn more, read our full review of the Strata Elite.

Apply here: Citi Strata Elite Card

The Business Platinum Card from American Express

I’ve long admired the Amex Business Platinum as the top-tier card for business travelers who value luxury, statement credits and all the premium perks that matter.

To start, few cards even come close to rivaling the lounge access benefits you’ll find on the Business Platinum. If Amex Centurion Lounges, 10 annual visits to Delta Sky Club lounges* and Priority Pass Select lounges fit your travel style, you’ll certainly be pleased here. (Enrollment is required.)

*The annual Delta Sky Club visits must occur when traveling on eligible same-day Delta Air Lines flights.

A bounty of statement credits helps offset the card’s higher annual fee. These include highly valuable travel-related statement credits for prepaid bookings through American Express Travel® that are part of American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay) and an airline fee statement credit — just to name a couple.

To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express

How I chose my top cards

The Hilton Honors Surpass and the Venture X are mainstays in my wallet. When I maximize the perks on both of these cards, I actually find that they provide more value than they charge in annual fees, which puts me ahead.

I’ve been taking a look at the Strata Elite since it was introduced earlier this year, mainly because I frequently fly out of an American Airlines hub and love the fact that Citi recently added American Airlines as a transfer partner.

As I’ve factored in the Strata Elite’s Admirals Club passes and Splurge credit, it’s moved near the top of my list.

While the Amex Business Platinum may not be a perfect fit for my lifestyle (I’m not a high-spending business owner), I’d highly recommend it to a business traveler who has the regular expenses to hit the welcome offer’s minimum spending requirement and would find value in the card’s bevy of benefits.

I am, notably, a very happy cardmember of the Business Platinum’s personal counterpart: the American Express Platinum Card®. So, I can vouch that these cards’ overlapping premium travel perks (such as the prepaid hotel credit and the elite status privileges) are second to none.

If you’re interested in learning more about how I compiled this list and TPG’s rigorous guidelines applied to each card we review and rate, read up on our methodology.

Bottom line

While there isn’t one “best credit card,” there are many that stand above the others in terms of earning rates, premium perks and useful benefits.

Any card that makes your travel experience a little sweeter — whether with lounge access, savings via statement credits or the ability to unlock fantastic redemptions — is a card worth your application.

I’ll firmly stand behind any of my recommendations above. Every card may not work for every type of traveler, but it’s likely you’ll find something to love about the rewards and benefits of at least one of them. Take inventory of your wallet to see which of these fantastic cards can add something new to your next trip.

Related: The best rewards credit cards to maximize everyday spending

For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.