Mastercard credit cards
This card is for travelers who want one flat earning rate instead of category charts. Every purchase earns 2X miles, and Capital One Travel hotel and car bookings earn 5X. The annual fee is $95. The main caveat: top value from miles requires redeeming for travel or transferring to partners, not cash.
This card is for people who want maximum cash back with zero maintenance. Every purchase earns 1% up front and another 1% as you pay, with no caps or categories. There is no annual fee, and balance transfers get 0% for 18 months. The caveat: a 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor travel companion abroad.
This card rewards people who will activate and chase quarterly categories. Up to $1,500 in combined purchases earns 5% each quarter you activate, with 3% on dining and drugstores year round. New cardmembers get a $200 bonus after $500 in spend and 15 months of 0% intro APR on purchases and transfers. Category caps mean the ceiling on 5% earnings is $75 per quarter.
This card is for people whose spending lives in everyday categories but who redeem for travel. Restaurants, supermarkets, gas, EV charging, air travel and hotels all earn 3X, with 10X on Citi Travel bookings. The $100 annual hotel benefit can offset the $95 fee by itself. The caveat: the 10X rate requires booking through Citi's portal.
This card is for paying down a balance, not for earning. Transfers made within 4 months of opening get 0% for 21 months; purchases get 0% for 12 months. There is no annual fee. The caveat: no rewards program, so once the balance hits zero this becomes a backup card.
This card is for renters and homeowners who want their biggest monthly bill to earn rewards. Housing payments earn up to 1.25 points per $1 with no transaction fee, and on-time rent payments are reported to credit bureaus free. Dining at Bilt partner restaurants earns up to 4x, and Bilt Travel Portal hotels and flights up to 3x. The caveat: outside partners and housing, everyday spend earns 1 point per $1.
This card is for people who fly American a few times a year. It earns 2X miles on American Airlines purchases, restaurants and gas stations, and the free first checked bag can pay for the card in two round trips. The annual fee is $0 the first year, then $99. The caveat: outside its bonus categories it earns 1X, so it works best paired with an everyday card.
A strong everyday earner for Air Canada flyers. You get 3x Aeroplan points on grocery stores, dining and Air Canada purchases, free first checked bags on Air Canada itineraries, and Aeroplan 25K status through your first full calendar year. The annual fee is $95. Status renewal after that requires $15,000 in yearly card spend.
This card is for frequent American Airlines flyers who live in Admirals Clubs. It earns 4X on AA purchases, rising to 5X after $150,000 in a year, and 12X on AAdvantage Hotels and Cars bookings. Lounge membership covers the primary cardmember with guests. The caveat: at $695, casual AA flyers cannot make the math work.
Built for travelers who use Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Kimpton and other IHG brands. It earns up to 10X points per $1 at IHG hotels plus 5X on travel, dining and gas and 3X on everything else. The $99 fee buys an anniversary night capped at 40,000 points, automatic Platinum Elite and a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS credit. Redeem 3 reward nights and the 4th is free, which stretches the big point balances this card creates.
The Traveler brings IHG's most useful redemption perk, the fourth reward night free, to a card with no annual fee. It earns 5X at IHG hotels, 3X on dining, utilities, select streaming services and gas stations, and 2X on everything else. Silver Elite status is automatic, Gold arrives after $20,000 in annual purchases, and $10,000 in yearly spend adds 10,000 bonus points. There is no anniversary free night at this tier.
The Palladium is for renters and homeowners who want premium-card treatment on top of housing rewards. Everyday purchases earn 2 points per $1, partner restaurants up to 5 points per $1, and rent and mortgage up to 1.25 points per $1 with no transaction fee. Yearly credits ($400 hotel, $200 Bilt Cash) plus Priority Pass lounge access answer the $495 fee. The caveat: the credits require using Bilt's travel ecosystem to cash out fully.