Best Credit Cards For Excellent Credit Of January 2025

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers similar benefits to other premium travel rewards cards but with a lower annual fee—making this card a top-tier option for even the occasional traveler (rates & fees).

Why We Like It

In addition to the ability to earn solid rewards, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers $300 back annually as credit for bookings through Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles—worth $100 toward travel—on each card anniversary. Capital One Rewards can be redeemed for travel through Capital One Travel or transferred to several transfer partners.

Cardholders receive a Priority Pass Select lounge membership with enrollment, Plaza Premium lounge access, entry to Capital One Lounges and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit after paying for the application fee with the card. You’ll also get cellphone protection when you pay your bill with the card.

What We Don’t Like

The Venture X has a significant annual fee, although it is lower than most other premium travel cards. However, for a fee of that size, we’d expect to see higher earning potential for charges outside the issuer’s travel portal. While the rewards program is valuable, it has no domestic airlines as transfer partners and no high-end hotels.

Who It’s Best For

This card is best for discerning travelers who enjoy premium travel benefits but want to avoid the exorbitant annual fees other premium cards charge. It also doesn’t require cardholders to jump through many hoops to get value from card benefits, like monthly use-or-lose-it credits available on competitor cards.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® continues to be a favorite among travel enthusiasts. Though the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also earns flexible rewards, many people find Chase Ultimate Rewards® to be more accessible when compared to Capital One Rewards.

Why We Like It

The card includes a $300 annual travel credit for qualifying travel purchases. This covers almost any type of travel, making this credit a breeze to use for most.

The Sapphire Reserve also includes a credit every four years toward the application fees for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS. It offers some of the best travel insurance protections available on the market, and cardholders also qualify for vast lounge access with a Priority Pass Select membership after enrollment and access to the expanding network of Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations.

Ultimate Rewards points earned from the Sapphire Reserve can be redeemed through Chase Travel℠ for 1.5 cents each or transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Chase’s travel partners like United and Hyatt.

What We Don’t Like

The Sapphire Reserve has one of the highest annual fees out there for a premium credit card. Beyond the travel and dining bonus spend categories, all other purchases only earn 1 Ultimate Rewards point per dollar spent.

Who It’s Best For

Travelers who prioritize excellent transfer partners to multiple airline and hotel programs to maximize award travel will see the most value in this card. It’s also handy for those who want travel protections when they hit the road and enjoy access to a large network of airport lounges.

Those looking for lounge access from a card won’t find a better option than The Platinum Card® from American Express (Terms apply, see rates & fees). This card offers access to Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium lounges, American Express Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta same-day and more (terms apply, effective February 1, 2025, American Express Platinum card members will receive 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year—unlimited visits can be earned when total purchases exceed $75,000 in 2024 and each calendar year thereafter).

Why We Like It

Cardholders receive up to $200 in airline incidental statement credits with a selected qualifying airline each year (enrollment required). This credit is valid for incidentals such as seat selection and checked bags. Cardholders also receive a statement credit to cover a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry application fee and annual CLEAR® Plus membership, plus up to $200 annually in Uber Cash ($15 per month, plus a $20 bonus in December. Effective 11/8/24, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem this benefit). The Platinum Card also offers Gold status with both Hilton Honors™ and Marriott Bonvoy with enrollment.

The Platinum Card also offers a number of additional lifestyle benefits, such as credit toward eligible digital entertainment subscriptions, monthly Walmart+ and Equinox fitness club credits, and more. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

What We Don’t Like

The card comes packed with a variety of statement credits that can help offset the sky-high annual fee, but those credits must be used before they expire in order to cash in on their value. For the high sticker price, we’d expect better earning potential.

Who It’s Best For

Avid travelers who like doing it in style will see the allure of the Amex Platinum card. With unlimited access to the largest collection of lounges, including Centurion, Priority Pass and Premium Plaza lounges, along with automatic status for hotels and rental car companies, this card deserves a slot in your wallet as long as you can stomach its annual fee.

If you’re looking for a lower annual fee to start earning flexible rewards points, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card may be just the ticket.

Why We Like It

The Sapphire Preferred earns the same ultra-flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards® as its higher annual fee sibling, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. It also earns more on daily purchases. Ultimate Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 rate to many airline frequent flyer programs and hotel chains, including Southwest, United Airlines and Hyatt.

Ultimate Rewards from your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are worth 1.25 cents per point when redeemed through Chase Travel℠—but if you plan to redeem this way, we recommend considering the higher annual fee Sapphire Reserve instead because your points will be worth 1.5 cents each. The Sapphire Preferred card also offers best-in-class travel protections, though they’re not quite as good as the Sapphire Reserve’s coverage.

What We Don’t Like

For those who spend a lot on travel, the earning rates are generally lackluster compared to other travel rewards cards offering transferable points.

Who It’s Best For

Perfect for those who want some of the perks of a credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards but shy away from high annual fees.

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a well-rounded card with a low annual fee, transferable points, generous earning categories and built-in travel protections.

Why We Like It

It earns 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com, 3 points per dollar on restaurants, supermarkets, gas & EV stations, air travel and other hotel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Those points are accumulated within the ThankYou® Points program, which means you can redeem them in various ways, including gift cards and cash back. If you want to obtain outsized value, you can transfer them to multiple travel partners like Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines or JetBlue.

The Citi Strata Premier comes with a $100 annual hotel benefit for a single hotel stay of more than $500 or more when booked through CitiTravel.com (excluding taxes and fees). The card includes travel protection benefits like trip delay protection, trip cancellation and interruption protection, lost and damaged luggage protection and rental car insurance. Plus, it charges no foreign transaction fee, so it’s the perfect international travel companion.

What We Don’t Like

The highest earning rate on travel only kicks in when booking through CitiTravel.com, which can sometimes be pricier. Because many of these bookings are considered third-party, it prevents you from leveraging elite status benefits you may have with loyalty programs, particularly hotels. The $100 hotel benefit requires reservations of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees), which may be more than many people want to spend on a single hotel night.

Who It’s Best For

This card works well for anyone looking for a low annual fee card that lets them earn flexible points they can transfer to their preferred loyalty programs, and it comes with a host of protections.

If dining out is a regular expense for you, getting a card dedicated to food could make sense. The American Express® Gold Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) is centered around rewards and credits for dining and groceries, with a few extra rewards categories in flights and prepaid hotels.

Why We Like It

The earning rate for food purchases is strong. The card also offers up to $120 in annual statement credits at eligible dining establishments, payable in $10 monthly increments and up to $7 per month at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. The card offers up to $120 in Uber Cash benefits annually (for U.S. services), also payable in $10 monthly increments when you add and select your card as the payment method. Its $100 annual Resy credit (doled out as two $50 semi-annual earnings) is slightly easier to use and a nice subsidy for when you eat out. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

American Express Membership Rewards® can be transferred to travel partners including Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM and Singapore Airlines. The American Express® Gold Card offers secondary rental car insurance coverage¹ and insurance for lost, damaged or stolen baggage².

What We Don’t Like

The coupon book nature of this card’s statement credits tends to overwhelm those who do not have the time or energy to remember to use them before losing them. Plus, this card doesn’t offer access to airport lounges despite straddling the line of being a travel card.

Who It’s Best For

Cardholders spending a lot in the grocery and restaurant categories who can use the majority of the card’s generous dining credits and want to earn Membership Rewards for the purpose of transferring them to travel partners can come out ahead with this card.

As one of the latest cards to make a splash in the market, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card has huge potential for those seeking transferable points. With competitive bonus categories, useful transfer partners and a low annual fee, the card is proving a worthy adversary for many veteran travel cards.

Why We Like It

The card offers a valuable earning structure with bonuses for travel and restaurant purchases, and offers a few decent options for transfer partners that can help you maximize the value of your points. The card has a relatively low annual fee but offers a few travel protections like travel accident insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, lost baggage reimbursement and trip cancellation and interruption insurance—benefits generally reserved for premium travel credit cards with higher annual fees.

What We Don’t Like

While we love a flexible rewards-earning credit card that lets you transfer the points you earn to airline and hotel loyalty programs, Wells Fargo is in its infancy when it comes to partner transfers, currently offering few options.

Who It’s Best For

The card can help those who spend a lot on travel or dining increase point balances faster. These bonus earnings can get them closer to dream destinations for less, especially when transferring rewards to Wells Fargo’s travel partners for redemptions.

There’s a wide gap between premium and midtier travel credit cards, both in terms of benefits and annual fees. With the American Express® Green Card*, you can get some of the perks of a premium travel card without the exorbitant annual fee. The card also offers strong rewards on dining, transit and travel.

Why We Like It

The Amex Green card offers an annual credit toward CLEAR® Plus membership, which can speed up identity verification at the airport—though it doesn’t include statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® like higher-end cards. You’ll also get up to $100 in annual credits each year toward airport lounge access with LoungeBuddy until Amex sunsets this benefit as of January 13, 2025.

If you’re a frequent flyer, these benefits can greatly enhance what might normally be a hectic airport experience. As with other American Express cards, this one lets you redeem rewards in a variety of ways, including transfers to various airline and hotel rewards programs.

What We Don’t Like

Once you’re done with your lounge benefit, there aren’t a lot of other redeeming qualities with this card. For only a slightly higher annual fee, other cards offer lasting benefits. If you’re not in it for Membership Rewards®, you could also earn similar rewards on the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card for no annual fee.

Who It’s Best For

This card could be a solid addition for the casual traveler who wants to increase their Membership Rewards balance but doesn’t want to be bogged down with all the other bells and whistles that come with higher annual fees.

The Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express* offers some of the most valuable benefits of any hotel credit card, including resort credits, airline fee credits, on-property credits, Diamond elite status and an annual free night award.

Why We Like It

While most hotel credit cards offer elite status and a free annual night stay, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express* goes the extra mile. In addition to Diamond status—the hotel program’s highest elite status level—you’ll also get an annual free night award to use at any participating Hilton property. Other hotel cards typically offer a lower status level and cap the value of their free night.

Each anniversary year, you’ll get up to $400 in statement credits ($200 semiannually) for eligible purchases made at Hilton resort properties. You can also receive up to $200 on eligible flight purchases each calendar year via $50 in quarterly statement credits. And every time you book two or more nights at Waldorf Astoria or Conrad properties, you’ll receive a $100 on-property credit.

What We Don’t Like

The card offers several credits to offset the steep annual fee, but cardholders have to jump through a few hoops to take advantage of them.

Who It’s Best For

Hilton loyalists will appreciate this card because it allows them to enjoy status by owning the card, and they can take advantage of the annual free night award, resort and airline credits in order to make the annual fee more palatable.

If you frequently travel between Canada and the U.S., the Aeroplan® Credit Card may be a no-brainer. Air Canada’s co-branded card offers a solid welcome bonus, high rewards rates and easy access to elite status with the airline.

Why We Like It

When you first get the card, you’ll receive automatic Aeroplan 25K status for the remainder of the calendar year plus all of the following calendar year. Benefits include upgrade credits, two free checked bags, priority airport check-in, two free Maple Leaf Lounge passes and more. You can retain your status when you spend just $15,000 on the card in a calendar year—most airline credit cards require tens of thousands of dollars in additional spending to obtain elite status. You can even upgrade to 35K status with $50,000 in annual spending.

Ongoing card benefits include one free checked bag for you and up to eight others on your reservation, preferred pricing on award flights and an application fee credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS membership.

What We Don’t Like

Rewards earning is limited for those who travel extensively or spend outside of food purchases. You’re also only earning Aeroplan miles when you could be earning a flexible currency that transfers into Aeroplan along with other airlines or hotels instead.

Who It’s Best For

Air Canada flyers who want to take advantage of the card’s automatic status and perks with the airline in exchange for a relatively low annual fee should consider this card. If your highest charges are for dining, groceries and travel with Air Canada, this card may be ideal.

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) packs a lot of punch into a moderate annual fee for Hilton lovers. You’ll be able to get elite status and the chance to earn a free night each year, all while earning a huge points bonus for Hilton spending.

Why We Like It

The card comes with automatic Hilton Honors™ Gold status and, for big spenders, the ability to upgrade to Diamond status by spending $40,000 in a calendar year with your card. Cardholders can also earn a free night reward once they rack up $15,000 on eligible spending within a calendar year. You’ll also receive up to $200 in Hilton credit (doled out as $50 each quarter) for eligible purchases made directly at Hilton portfolio properties.

Extra perks like National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status to upgrade your car rental can add a layer of luxury while on the road (enrollment required). Also, the premium travel and purchase protections like car rental loss and damage insurance¹, baggage insurance plan², purchase protection² and extended warranty² add extra peace of mind.

What We Don’t Like

As a Hilton Honors co-branded card, all the points earned lock you into redemptions within the Hilton portfolio, restricting your travel flexibility. The card has a noticeable annual fee that may not work for infrequent Hilton guests.

Who It’s Best For

This card is best suited for avid Hilton loyalists who enjoy the perks of status and can spend their way to additional perks like free nights and an even higher status level.

If you have excellent credit and are looking for the absolute best international airline card available right now, it’s the British Airways Visa Signature® Card—especially if you fly British Airways.

Why We Like It

For those who fly British Airways regularly, the ability to earn statement credits when booking a reward flight to London with the carrier while using your British Airways Visa Signature® Card to pay for taxes and fees can easily help recoup the annual fee.

Cardholders can earn a Travel Together companion ticket every year after spending $30,000 on the card. This perk is also valid for 50% off British Airways award tickets when you’re traveling solo, making it even more flexible.

What We Don’t Like

While this card offers excellent perks to those who fly with British Airways, earning rates outside of spend with the airline are lackluster. Additionally, the card does not offer any status, access to lounges or even free checked bags.

Who It’s Best For

International travelers who frequently fly with British Airways to London and spend enough to earn the Travel Together companion ticket will squeeze the most value out of this card.