We Calculated the Real First-Year Return of 271 Credit Cards on Average U.S. Spending
Most "best credit card" lists are really ranked by which card pays the site the biggest commission. We did the opposite here. We took every one of the 271 major U.S. credit cards in our database, ran them all through the same realistic spending profile, and ranked them by the dollars they would actually put back in your pocket, counting every point as a flat 1 cent.
We split the results into two tables. The main ranking covers the 191 everyday cards, the cash-back and flexible-points cards you can use anywhere. The 80 co-branded airline and hotel cards are ranked in a separate table, because their welcome bonuses are paid in miles or hotel points that we value at a flat 1 cent. That makes their one-time first-year figure look huge, but it is locked to one airline or hotel brand and is not comparable to a flexible card you can redeem against any purchase.
$554
average first-year return across 191 everyday cards
$1,750
best first-year card (Crypto.com Obsidian)
19
cards that lose money on rewards alone after the fee
$1,750
best $0-annual-fee card first year
Methodology. We modeled an average U.S. household spending $29,160 per year on a card ($6,000 groceries, $3,000 dining, $2,160 gas, $1,800 travel, $600 streaming, $720 transit, $480 pharmacy, and $14,400 everything else). Every point and mile is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard for every card, with no inflated airline or hotel valuations. First-year value = category earnings + the welcome bonus you would realistically hit at this spend, minus the annual fee. Ongoing value strips out the one-time bonus to show recurring earning power.
The welcome bonus does most of the work in year one
The single biggest driver of first-year value is the sign-up bonus, not the everyday earn rate. That is why a card can top the list one year and fall back to the middle the next. Compare the two right-hand columns in the table below: the gap between a card's first-year and ongoing value is almost entirely its welcome bonus.
19 premium cards lose money on rewards alone
This is the part most "best card" roundups skip over. Counting only rewards minus the annual fee, 19 cards finish the year in the red, led by The Centurion® Card from American Express, American Express® Platinum, American Express® Platinum for Morgan Stanley, American Express® Platinum for Schwab. That does not make them bad cards. It just means they only pay off if you use their credits and perks, the lounge access, the travel and dining credits, the free hotel nights. If those are not things you will actually use, you are paying a fee to earn less than a free card would hand you.
No-annual-fee cards hold up better than you would think
The best $0-fee card returns $1,750 in year one, and there is no fee to dig out of first, so all of it is yours. Several no-fee cards even out-earn premium cards once the welcome bonus is spent. If you are not going to use a premium card's perks, a no-fee card is the smarter one to keep for the long haul.
Full results: all 191 everyday cards, ranked by first-year value
Run these numbers against your own spending in the Cardocrat calculator. Your personal ranking shifts based on where you actually spend.
| # | Card | Annual fee | Annual earn | Welcome bonus | First-year | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crypto.com Obsidian | $0 | $1,750 | $0 | $1,750 | $1,750 |
| 2 | Crypto.com Icy White / Frosted Rose Gold | $0 | $1,458 | $0 | $1,458 | $1,458 |
| 3 | Ink Business Unlimited® | $0 | $437 | $1,000 | $1,437 | $437 |
| 4 | Ink Business Cash® | $0 | $343 | $1,000 | $1,343 | $343 |
| 5 | American Express® Gold | $325 | $598 | $1,000 | $1,273 | $273 |
| 6 | Capital One Venture | $95 | $583 | $750 | $1,238 | $488 |
| 7 | American Express® Platinum | $895 | $364 | $1,750 | $1,219 | -$531 |
| 8 | Chase Sapphire Preferred® | $95 | $545 | $750 | $1,200 | $450 |
| 9 | Capital One Spark Cash Select | $0 | $437 | $750 | $1,187 | $437 |
| 10 | GM Rewards™ Mastercard® | $0 | $875 | $300 | $1,175 | $875 |
| 11 | U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Business Card | $0 | $395 | $750 | $1,145 | $395 |
| 12 | U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® | $95 | $440 | $750 | $1,095 | $345 |
| 13 | Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ | $0 | $583 | $500 | $1,083 | $583 |
| 14 | Citi Strata Premier℠ | $95 | $551 | $600 | $1,056 | $456 |
| 15 | Crypto.com Royal Indigo / Jade Green | $300 | $1,312 | $0 | $1,012 | $1,012 |
| 16 | TD Business Solutions Credit Card | $0 | $583 | $400 | $983 | $583 |
| 17 | Crypto.com Ruby Steel | $50 | $1,021 | $0 | $971 | $971 |
| 18 | Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card | $95 | $461 | $600 | $966 | $366 |
| 19 | One Key+™ Card | $99 | $713 | $350 | $964 | $614 |
| 20 | U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® | $95 | $434 | $600 | $939 | $339 |
| 21 | Capital One Venture X | $395 | $583 | $750 | $938 | $188 |
| 22 | Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® | $0 | $437 | $500 | $937 | $437 |
| 23 | Capital One VentureOne Business | $0 | $437 | $500 | $937 | $437 |
| 24 | Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ | $95 | $424 | $600 | $929 | $329 |
| 25 | Royal ONE Plus™ Visa Signature® | $99 | $403 | $600 | $904 | $304 |
| 26 | Navy Federal Flagship Rewards Visa Signature® | $49 | $601 | $350 | $902 | $552 |
| 27 | Bilt Palladium | $495 | $583 | $800 | $888 | $88 |
| 28 | PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card | $95 | $482 | $500 | $887 | $387 |
| 29 | American Express® Blue Cash Preferred | $95 | $679 | $300 | $884 | $584 |
| 30 | One Key™ Card | $0 | $632 | $250 | $882 | $632 |
| 31 | HSBC Premier World Mastercard® | $95 | $473 | $500 | $878 | $378 |
| 32 | Discover it® Miles | $0 | $437 | $437 | $875 | $437 |
| 33 | Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® | $0 | $365 | $500 | $865 | $365 |
| 34 | Navy Federal cashRewards Credit Card | $0 | $583 | $250 | $833 | $583 |
| 35 | American Express Blue Business Cash Card | $0 | $583 | $250 | $833 | $583 |
| 36 | PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card | $0 | $583 | $250 | $833 | $583 |
| 37 | Verizon Visa® Card | $0 | $626 | $200 | $826 | $626 |
| 38 | Robinhood Gold Card | $50 | $875 | $0 | $825 | $825 |
| 39 | USAA Eagle Navigator® Visa Signature® | $95 | $601 | $300 | $806 | $506 |
| 40 | Citi Custom Cash℠ | $0 | $791 | $0 | $791 | $791 |
| 41 | Citi Double Cash® | $0 | $583 | $200 | $783 | $583 |
| 42 | TD Double Up Credit Card | $0 | $583 | $200 | $783 | $583 |
| 43 | Credit One Bank® Omni Rewards American Express® Card | $0 | $583 | $200 | $783 | $583 |
| 44 | Wells Fargo Active Cash® | $0 | $583 | $200 | $783 | $583 |
| 45 | Evergreen® Credit Card | $0 | $583 | $200 | $783 | $583 |
| 46 | SDFCU Premium Cash Back+ Visa Signature® Card | $0 | $583 | $200 | $783 | $583 |
| 47 | Disney® Inspire Visa® Card | $149 | $425 | $500 | $776 | $276 |
| 48 | Shell Performance Elite World Mastercard® | $0 | $716 | $50 | $766 | $716 |
| 49 | USAA Eagle Adapt™ Credit Card | $0 | $563 | $200 | $763 | $563 |
| 50 | Disney® Premier Visa® Card | $49 | $403 | $400 | $754 | $354 |
| 51 | U.S. Bank Cash+® | $0 | $492 | $250 | $742 | $492 |
| 52 | Prime Visa | $0 | $590 | $150 | $740 | $590 |
| 53 | Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards | $0 | $437 | $300 | $737 | $437 |
| 54 | Capital One Savor | $0 | $484 | $250 | $734 | $484 |
| 55 | American Express® Blue Business Plus | $0 | $583 | $150 | $733 | $583 |
| 56 | Navy Federal More Rewards American Express® Card | $0 | $529 | $200 | $729 | $529 |
| 57 | PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card | $0 | $570 | $150 | $720 | $570 |
| 58 | Citi Strata℠ | $0 | $511 | $200 | $711 | $511 |
| 59 | U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® | $0 | $506 | $200 | $706 | $506 |
| 60 | AAA Travel Advantage Visa Signature® | $0 | $594 | $100 | $694 | $594 |
| 61 | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards | $0 | $491 | $200 | $691 | $491 |
| 62 | Chase Freedom Unlimited® | $0 | $490 | $200 | $690 | $490 |
| 63 | USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® | $0 | $437 | $250 | $687 | $437 |
| 64 | Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card | $0 | $437 | $250 | $687 | $437 |
| 65 | AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® | $0 | $587 | $100 | $687 | $587 |
| 66 | Discover it® Secured Credit Card | $0 | $343 | $343 | $686 | $343 |
| 67 | Discover it® Chrome | $0 | $343 | $343 | $686 | $343 |
| 68 | PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card | $0 | $583 | $100 | $683 | $583 |
| 69 | PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card | $0 | $476 | $200 | $676 | $476 |
| 70 | Royal ONE™ Visa Signature® | $0 | $373 | $300 | $673 | $373 |
| 71 | U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® | $0 | $469 | $200 | $669 | $469 |
| 72 | Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card | $550 | $461 | $750 | $661 | -$89 |
| 73 | Wells Fargo Autograph℠ | $0 | $457 | $200 | $657 | $457 |
| 74 | American Express® Blue Cash Everyday | $0 | $455 | $200 | $655 | $455 |
| 75 | American Express® Green | $150 | $402 | $400 | $652 | $252 |
| 76 | Capital One Quicksilver | $0 | $437 | $200 | $637 | $437 |
| 77 | Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card | $0 | $437 | $200 | $637 | $437 |
| 78 | Regions Cash Rewards Visa® Signature® Credit Card | $0 | $437 | $200 | $637 | $437 |
| 79 | Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® | $0 | $437 | $200 | $637 | $437 |
| 80 | Regions Prestige Visa® Signature® Credit Card | $0 | $433 | $200 | $633 | $433 |
| 81 | Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard® | $99 | $329 | $400 | $630 | $230 |
| 82 | Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card | $0 | $415 | $200 | $615 | $415 |
| 83 | TD Cash Credit Card | $0 | $412 | $200 | $612 | $412 |
| 84 | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | $795 | $406 | $1,000 | $611 | -$389 |
| 85 | Bilt Obsidian | $95 | $490 | $200 | $595 | $395 |
| 86 | AT&T Points Plus® Card from Citi | $0 | $395 | $200 | $595 | $395 |
| 87 | Citi Strata Elite℠ | $595 | $439 | $750 | $594 | -$156 |
| 88 | SoFi Credit Card (Unlimited 2%) | $0 | $583 | $0 | $583 | $583 |
| 89 | Discover it® Cash Back | $0 | $292 | $292 | $583 | $292 |
| 90 | Discover it® Student Cash Back | $0 | $292 | $292 | $583 | $292 |
| 91 | U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® | $0 | $583 | $0 | $583 | $583 |
| 92 | Apple Card | $0 | $583 | $0 | $583 | $583 |
| 93 | Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card | $0 | $583 | $0 | $583 | $583 |
| 94 | Fifth Third Preferred Cash/Back Card | $0 | $583 | $0 | $583 | $583 |
| 95 | Key Cashback Credit Card | $0 | $583 | $0 | $583 | $583 |
| 96 | T-Mobile Visa® Signature Card | $0 | $583 | $0 | $583 | $583 |
| 97 | Carnival® World Mastercard® | $0 | $382 | $200 | $582 | $382 |
| 98 | Citizens Summit® World Mastercard® | $0 | $572 | $0 | $572 | $572 |
| 99 | Capital One VentureOne Rewards | $0 | $364 | $200 | $564 | $364 |
| 100 | Truist Enjoy Beyond Visa® Credit Card | $95 | $358 | $300 | $563 | $263 |
| 101 | Chase Freedom Flex℠ | $0 | $361 | $200 | $561 | $361 |
| 102 | Affinity Cash Rewards Visa® Signature Card | $0 | $409 | $150 | $559 | $409 |
| 103 | TD First Class℠ Visa Signature® Credit Card | $89 | $388 | $250 | $549 | $299 |
| 104 | Capital One Quicksilver Student | $0 | $437 | $100 | $537 | $437 |
| 105 | REI Co-op Mastercard | $0 | $437 | $100 | $537 | $437 |
| 106 | Blue Cash® Card from American Express | $0 | $535 | $0 | $535 | $535 |
| 107 | Coinbase One Card | $50 | $583 | $0 | $533 | $533 |
| 108 | Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard® | $0 | $322 | $200 | $522 | $322 |
| 109 | Amazon Visa | $0 | $470 | $50 | $520 | $470 |
| 110 | Truist Enjoy Travel Visa® Credit Card | $0 | $310 | $200 | $510 | $310 |
| 111 | HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard® | $495 | $394 | $600 | $499 | -$101 |
| 112 | Samsung Galaxy Card | $0 | $298 | $200 | $498 | $298 |
| 113 | PlayStation® Visa® Credit Card | $0 | $394 | $100 | $494 | $394 |
| 114 | Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard® | $0 | $292 | $200 | $492 | $292 |
| 115 | Key2More Rewards Credit Card | $0 | $292 | $200 | $492 | $292 |
| 116 | Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® | $0 | $292 | $200 | $492 | $292 |
| 117 | Capital One Venture Business | $95 | $583 | $0 | $488 | $488 |
| 118 | Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card | $0 | $487 | $0 | $487 | $487 |
| 119 | Rakuten American Express® Card | $0 | $382 | $100 | $482 | $382 |
| 120 | Gemini Credit Card | $0 | $476 | $0 | $476 | $476 |
| 121 | BJ's One+™ Mastercard® | $110 | $583 | $0 | $473 | $473 |
| 122 | bp rewards Visa® | $0 | $472 | $0 | $472 | $472 |
| 123 | OnePay CashRewards Mastercard | $0 | $437 | $35 | $472 | $437 |
| 124 | Sam's Club® Mastercard® | $0 | $438 | $30 | $468 | $438 |
| 125 | Chase Freedom Rise® | $0 | $437 | $25 | $462 | $437 |
| 126 | AARP® Travel Rewards Mastercard® | $0 | $358 | $100 | $458 | $358 |
| 127 | Ollo Everyday Rewards Mastercard® | $0 | $455 | $0 | $455 | $455 |
| 128 | Wells Fargo Attune℠ | $0 | $450 | $0 | $450 | $450 |
| 129 | Capital One SavorOne | $39 | $484 | $0 | $445 | $445 |
| 130 | Venmo Visa® Signature Credit Card | $0 | $442 | $0 | $442 | $442 |
| 131 | Disney® Visa® Card | $0 | $292 | $150 | $442 | $292 |
| 132 | USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card | $0 | $438 | $0 | $438 | $438 |
| 133 | Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards | $0 | $437 | $0 | $437 | $437 |
| 134 | PayPal Cashback Mastercard | $0 | $437 | $0 | $437 | $437 |
| 135 | Crypto.com Midnight Blue | $0 | $437 | $0 | $437 | $437 |
| 136 | Huntington Cashback Credit Card | $0 | $437 | $0 | $437 | $437 |
| 137 | AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® | $0 | $335 | $100 | $435 | $335 |
| 138 | Capital One Spark Cash Plus | $150 | $583 | $0 | $433 | $433 |
| 139 | PNC points® Visa® Credit Card | $0 | $233 | $200 | $433 | $233 |
| 140 | Capital One Savor (Legacy $95) | $95 | $520 | $0 | $425 | $425 |
| 141 | My Best Buy Visa® Card | $0 | $425 | $0 | $425 | $425 |
| 142 | Xbox Mastercard® | $0 | $364 | $60 | $424 | $364 |
| 143 | Caesars Rewards® Visa Signature® | $0 | $322 | $100 | $422 | $322 |
| 144 | Chime Credit Builder Visa® | $0 | $421 | $0 | $421 | $421 |
| 145 | SoFi Everyday Cash Rewards Credit Card | $0 | $412 | $0 | $412 | $412 |
| 146 | DoorDash Rewards Mastercard® | $0 | $412 | $0 | $412 | $412 |
| 147 | Bilt Blue | $0 | $310 | $100 | $410 | $310 |
| 148 | Instacart Mastercard® | $0 | $349 | $50 | $399 | $349 |
| 149 | Capital One QuicksilverOne | $39 | $437 | $0 | $398 | $398 |
| 150 | Truist Enjoy Cash Visa® Credit Card | $0 | $395 | $0 | $395 | $395 |
| 151 | Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® | $0 | $292 | $100 | $392 | $292 |
| 152 | Ink Business Premier | $195 | $583 | $0 | $388 | $388 |
| 153 | U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Power Visa Signature® | $195 | $583 | $0 | $388 | $388 |
| 154 | Costco Anywhere Visa® | $65 | $452 | $0 | $387 | $387 |
| 155 | Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card | $65 | $452 | $0 | $387 | $387 |
| 156 | Navy Federal GO REWARDS® Credit Card | $0 | $373 | $0 | $373 | $373 |
| 157 | Caesars Rewards® Prestige Visa Signature® | $149 | $322 | $200 | $373 | $173 |
| 158 | American Express EveryDay® | $0 | $352 | $0 | $352 | $352 |
| 159 | Bass Pro Shops CLUB / Cabela's CLUB Mastercard | $0 | $292 | $60 | $352 | $292 |
| 160 | American Express Business Green Rewards Card | $95 | $292 | $150 | $347 | $197 |
| 161 | Target Circle™ Card | $0 | $292 | $50 | $342 | $292 |
| 162 | American Express EveryDay® Preferred | $95 | $433 | $0 | $338 | $338 |
| 163 | Citi Dividend® Card | $0 | $292 | $0 | $292 | $292 |
| 164 | ExxonMobil™ Smart Card+™ | $0 | $292 | $0 | $292 | $292 |
| 165 | Techron Advantage® Visa® Card | $0 | $292 | $0 | $292 | $292 |
| 166 | Huntington Voice Rewards Credit Card | $0 | $292 | $0 | $292 | $292 |
| 167 | Amex Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card | $295 | $583 | $0 | $288 | $288 |
| 168 | Citizens Summit Reserve® World Elite Mastercard® | $295 | $581 | $0 | $286 | $286 |
| 169 | American Express® Platinum for Morgan Stanley | $895 | $364 | $800 | $269 | -$531 |
| 170 | American Express® Platinum for Schwab | $895 | $364 | $800 | $269 | -$531 |
| 171 | Fortiva® Mastercard® | $49 | $292 | $0 | $243 | $243 |
| 172 | Ink Business Preferred® | $95 | $328 | $0 | $233 | $233 |
| 173 | Alibaba.com Business Edge Credit Card | $199 | $322 | $100 | $223 | $123 |
| 174 | Surge® Platinum Mastercard® | $96 | $292 | $0 | $196 | $196 |
| 175 | Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® | $99 | $292 | $0 | $193 | $193 |
| 176 | Capital One Venture X Business | $395 | $583 | $0 | $188 | $188 |
| 177 | American Express® Business Gold | $375 | $500 | $0 | $125 | $125 |
| 178 | Capital One Platinum Secured | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 179 | Citi® Secured Mastercard® | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 180 | Citi Prestige® Card | $495 | $484 | $0 | -$11 | -$11 |
| 181 | First PREMIER® Bank Mastercard® | $45 | $0 | $0 | -$45 | -$45 |
| 182 | Total Visa® Card | $48 | $0 | $0 | -$48 | -$48 |
| 183 | U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® | $400 | $328 | $0 | -$72 | -$72 |
| 184 | Milestone® Mastercard® | $99 | $0 | $0 | -$99 | -$99 |
| 185 | Indigo® Mastercard® | $99 | $0 | $0 | -$99 | -$99 |
| 186 | Destiny® Mastercard® | $99 | $0 | $0 | -$99 | -$99 |
| 187 | Robinhood Platinum Card | $695 | $412 | $0 | -$283 | -$283 |
| 188 | Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ | $795 | $436 | $0 | -$359 | -$359 |
| 189 | J.P. Morgan Reserve Card | $795 | $388 | $0 | -$407 | -$407 |
| 190 | American Express® Business Platinum | $895 | $364 | $0 | -$531 | -$531 |
| 191 | The Centurion® Card from American Express | $5,000 | $292 | $0 | -$4,708 | -$4,708 |
Co-branded airline and hotel cards, ranked separately
These 80 cards are tied to a single airline or hotel program. Their welcome bonuses are large hauls of miles or points, which we value at a flat 1 cent each, so their first-year figures average $974, well above the everyday cards. Treat that with caution: the bonus is worth that much only if you can use it with that one brand, and the ongoing earn rate is what matters once the bonus is gone. We keep them in their own table so a one-time point bonus does not crowd a flexible cash-back card off the main list.
| # | Card | Annual fee | Annual earn | Welcome bonus | First-year | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® | $95 | $671 | $1,750 | $2,326 | $576 |
| 2 | Hilton Honors Surpass® | $150 | $1,174 | $1,300 | $2,324 | $1,024 |
| 3 | IHG One Rewards Premier | $99 | $1,014 | $1,400 | $2,315 | $915 |
| 4 | IHG One Rewards Premier Business | $99 | $1,014 | $1,400 | $2,315 | $915 |
| 5 | Hilton Honors Aspire | $550 | $1,067 | $1,750 | $2,267 | $517 |
| 6 | Hilton Honors American Express Business Card | $195 | $1,014 | $1,300 | $2,119 | $819 |
| 7 | Hilton Honors | $0 | $1,062 | $1,000 | $2,062 | $1,062 |
| 8 | Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card | $125 | $686 | $1,500 | $2,061 | $561 |
| 9 | Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card | $250 | $763 | $1,350 | $1,863 | $513 |
| 10 | Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card | $75 | $680 | $1,000 | $1,605 | $605 |
| 11 | Wyndham Rewards Earner® Premier Card | $395 | $680 | $1,200 | $1,485 | $285 |
| 12 | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® | $650 | $544 | $1,500 | $1,394 | -$106 |
| 13 | Marriott Bonvoy Bold® | $0 | $763 | $600 | $1,363 | $763 |
| 14 | Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® | $250 | $763 | $850 | $1,363 | $513 |
| 15 | IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | $0 | $431 | $800 | $1,231 | $431 |
| 16 | Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card | $149 | $378 | $1,000 | $1,229 | $229 |
| 17 | United℠ Business Card | $150 | $368 | $1,000 | $1,218 | $218 |
| 18 | Aeroplan® Credit Card | $95 | $508 | $750 | $1,163 | $413 |
| 19 | Best Western Rewards® Premium Visa Signature® Card | $89 | $746 | $480 | $1,137 | $657 |
| 20 | Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business | $195 | $328 | $1,000 | $1,133 | $133 |
| 21 | Delta SkyMiles® Gold | $150 | $382 | $900 | $1,132 | $232 |
| 22 | Choice Privileges® Mastercard® | $0 | $527 | $600 | $1,127 | $527 |
| 23 | Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® | $95 | $618 | $600 | $1,123 | $523 |
| 24 | JetBlue Business Card | $99 | $412 | $800 | $1,113 | $313 |
| 25 | Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business | $150 | $340 | $900 | $1,090 | $190 |
| 26 | Atmos Rewards Visa Business | $70 | $356 | $800 | $1,086 | $286 |
| 27 | British Airways Visa Signature® Card | $95 | $328 | $850 | $1,083 | $233 |
| 28 | Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card | $95 | $328 | $850 | $1,083 | $233 |
| 29 | Iberia Visa Signature® Card | $95 | $328 | $850 | $1,083 | $233 |
| 30 | Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® | $99 | $343 | $800 | $1,044 | $244 |
| 31 | Delta SkyMiles® Platinum | $350 | $382 | $1,000 | $1,032 | $32 |
| 32 | Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard® | $99 | $403 | $700 | $1,004 | $304 |
| 33 | World of Hyatt | $95 | $340 | $750 | $995 | $245 |
| 34 | JetBlue Plus | $99 | $382 | $700 | $983 | $283 |
| 35 | Atmos Rewards Summit | $395 | $352 | $1,000 | $957 | -$43 |
| 36 | Atmos Rewards Ascent | $95 | $326 | $700 | $931 | $231 |
| 37 | Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® | $99 | $424 | $600 | $925 | $325 |
| 38 | Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® | $350 | $365 | $900 | $915 | $15 |
| 39 | Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® | $99 | $361 | $650 | $912 | $262 |
| 40 | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business | $299 | $404 | $800 | $905 | $105 |
| 41 | Air France KLM Visa Signature® Card | $89 | $482 | $500 | $893 | $393 |
| 42 | Virgin Red Rewards World Elite Mastercard® | $99 | $388 | $600 | $889 | $289 |
| 43 | JetBlue Premier | $499 | $382 | $1,000 | $883 | -$117 |
| 44 | United Club℠ Business Card | $695 | $446 | $1,100 | $851 | -$249 |
| 45 | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business | $149 | $379 | $600 | $830 | $230 |
| 46 | Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® | $89 | $310 | $600 | $821 | $221 |
| 47 | Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card | $0 | $515 | $300 | $815 | $515 |
| 48 | World of Hyatt Business Credit Card | $199 | $404 | $600 | $805 | $205 |
| 49 | Breeze Easy™ Visa Signature® Card | $89 | $382 | $500 | $793 | $293 |
| 50 | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier | $149 | $382 | $550 | $783 | $233 |
| 51 | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus | $99 | $373 | $500 | $774 | $274 |
| 52 | United℠ Explorer | $150 | $322 | $600 | $772 | $172 |
| 53 | Best Western Rewards® Visa Signature® Card | $0 | $583 | $180 | $763 | $583 |
| 54 | Allegiant Allways Rewards Visa® | $59 | $358 | $450 | $749 | $299 |
| 55 | Avelo Airlines World Elite Mastercard® | $99 | $583 | $250 | $734 | $484 |
| 56 | United℠ Gateway | $0 | $320 | $400 | $720 | $320 |
| 57 | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority | $229 | $343 | $600 | $714 | $114 |
| 58 | United℠ Quest | $350 | $346 | $700 | $696 | -$4 |
| 59 | Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Elite Card | $249 | $340 | $600 | $691 | $91 |
| 60 | Avianca LifeMiles American Express® Card | $99 | $382 | $400 | $683 | $283 |
| 61 | LATAM Airlines World Elite Mastercard® | $99 | $366 | $400 | $667 | $267 |
| 62 | Qatar Airways Privilege Club Signature Credit Card | $99 | $322 | $400 | $623 | $223 |
| 63 | TAP Miles&Go American Express® Credit Card | $79 | $299 | $400 | $620 | $220 |
| 64 | Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard® | $99 | $310 | $400 | $611 | $211 |
| 65 | Cathay World Elite Mastercard® | $99 | $322 | $380 | $603 | $223 |
| 66 | Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card | $89 | $409 | $250 | $570 | $320 |
| 67 | United℠ Club | $695 | $340 | $900 | $545 | -$355 |
| 68 | Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard® | $499 | $310 | $700 | $511 | -$189 |
| 69 | Citi® / AAdvantage® MileUp® | $0 | $352 | $150 | $502 | $352 |
| 70 | JetBlue Card | $0 | $382 | $100 | $482 | $382 |
| 71 | LATAM Airlines Mastercard® | $0 | $329 | $150 | $479 | $329 |
| 72 | Delta SkyMiles® Blue | $0 | $322 | $100 | $422 | $322 |
| 73 | Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive | $595 | $292 | $700 | $397 | -$303 |
| 74 | Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite Credit Card | $499 | $352 | $500 | $353 | -$147 |
| 75 | JAL USA CARD (Premium) | $85 | $310 | $100 | $325 | $225 |
| 76 | Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature® Card | $99 | $400 | $0 | $301 | $301 |
| 77 | Marriott Bonvoy Premier® Credit Card | $85 | $340 | $0 | $255 | $255 |
| 78 | The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card | $450 | $544 | $0 | $94 | $94 |
| 79 | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business | $550 | $328 | $0 | -$222 | -$222 |
| 80 | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve | $650 | $292 | $0 | -$358 | -$358 |
Caveats. This is a model, not a guarantee. It values all points at 1 cent (generous for some hotel programs, conservative for premium-cabin airline redemptions), assumes you hit each welcome bonus, and does not count the dollar value of perks like lounge access, travel credits, or insurance, which can be substantial. It is meant to isolate one question honestly: what do these cards return in pure rewards on typical spending?
Data and calculations by Cardocrat. Card offers verified against issuer sources as of August 2026. Free to cite with a link to this page.
