Wayloft Picks · 2026

Best Credit Cards for Points & Miles

Flexible points, outsized value.

Cards that earn transferable points (Chase UR, Amex MR, Citi TYP, Capital One) let you move rewards to airlines and hotels for 2–3x the value. These are the cards serious travel hackers build around.

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DiningTravelCash BackNo Annual FeeHotelsGroceriesGasStreamingPoints Transfer

At a Glance

#CardAnnual FeeSignup Bonus
1Chase Sapphire Preferred

Chase

$9575,000 pts
2The Platinum Card from American Express

Amex

$895175,000 pts
3Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase

$795125,000 pts
4American Express Gold Card

Amex

$32575,000 pts
5Capital One Venture X

Capital One

$39575,000 pts
6Capital One Venture Rewards

Capital One

$9575,000 pts
7Citi Strata Premier

Citi

$9560,000 pts
8American Express Green Card

Amex

$15040,000 pts
chase
CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED
visa
Top Pick#1

Chase Sapphire Preferred

$95/year · 75,000 pts after $5,000 in 3mo

dining

3x

streaming

3x

online shopping

3x

travel

2x

$50 annual hotel credit (Chase portal)
5x on Chase travel
Best card for general travel earning (2x)
Apply NowFull Review
amex
THE PLATINUM CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
amex
#2

The Platinum Card from American Express

$895/year · 175,000 pts after $12,000 in 6mo

flights

5x

dining

1x

groceries

1x

gas

1x

$600 hotel credit (FHR/THC)
$400 annual Resy dining credit ($100/qtr)
$300 digital entertainment credit ($25/mo)
Apply NowFull Review
chase
CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE
visa
#3

Chase Sapphire Reserve

$795/year · 125,000 pts after $6,000 in 3mo

flights

4x

hotels

4x

dining

3x

travel

1x

$300 annual travel credit
8x on flights, hotels, car rentals via Chase Travel
4x on flights and hotels booked directly
Apply NowFull Review
amex
AMERICAN EXPRESS GOLD CARD
amex
#4

American Express Gold Card

$325/year · 75,000 pts after $6,000 in 6mo

dining

4x

groceries

4x

flights

3x

travel

2x

$120 dining credit ($10/mo at select restaurants)
$120 Uber Cash ($10/mo)
$100 annual Resy dining credit ($50 semi-annually)
Apply NowFull Review
capital one
CAPITAL ONE VENTURE X
visa
#5

Capital One Venture X

$395/year · 75,000 pts after $4,000 in 3mo

flights

2x

hotels

2x

car rentals

2x

dining

2x

$300 annual travel credit (portal bookings)
10,000 anniversary miles (worth $100)
Capital One Lounge access
Apply NowFull Review
capital one
CAPITAL ONE VENTURE REWARDS
visa
#6

Capital One Venture Rewards

$95/year · 75,000 pts after $4,000 in 3mo

dining

2x

travel

2x

groceries

2x

gas

2x

2x on everything
5x on hotels/car rentals via portal
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck
Apply NowFull Review
citi
CITI STRATA PREMIER
mastercard
#7

Citi Strata Premier

$95/year · 60,000 pts after $4,000 in 3mo

travel

3x

dining

3x

groceries

3x

gas

3x

10x on hotels, car rentals, attractions via Citi Travel
3x on travel, dining, groceries, gas, EV charging
$100 annual hotel credit
Apply NowFull Review
amex
AMERICAN EXPRESS GREEN CARD
amex
#8

American Express Green Card

$150/year · 40,000 pts after $3,000 in 6mo

travel

3x

dining

3x

transit

3x

groceries

1x

3x on travel, dining, transit
$209 CLEAR Plus credit
No foreign transaction fees
Apply NowFull Review

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