Best Rewards Credit Card

Up-to-date as of: May 23, 2013

Credit card rewards differ greatly. They are issued by different companies, are accrued in different forms and can be redeemed in different ways for different things. However, the best rewards credit cards all have one thing in common: they provide better rewards than the standard programs offering one point/mile per dollar spent or 1% cash back. While, the majority of the best rewards credit cards require excellent credit for approval, it's not a prerequisite and options with less stringent requirements do exist, though they are likely to be limited in both number and associated benefit. Read more about our Editor's Picks for the Best Rewards Credit Card.

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Excellent Credit

Capital One® Venture^SM Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee: $0 for 1st yr, $59 after
Rewards: Miles
- Initial Bonus: 10,000 miles
- Base Earn: 2 miles / $1
- Max Earn: 2 miles / $1
Editor's Notes: The Venture Card has long been one of the most popular and rewarding credit cards for travel enthusiasts. As long as you redeem for travel-related expenses, it will provide you with the equivalent of 2% cash back across all purchases, and spending $1,000 during the first three months will score you a $100 initial rewards bonus. Its $59 annual fee doesn’t take effect until the second year either. The Venture Card is an especially good option if you travel a lot but don’t have a go-to travel provider. Otherwise, a generic cash back credit card or a card tied to a particular hotel or airline might be more appropriate.…more
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Annual Fee: None 1st yr, $95 after
Rewards: Points
- Initial Bonus: 40,000 points
- Base Earn: 1 point / $1
- Max Earn: 2 points / $1
Editor's Notes: While you might be able to find an initial bonus that offers more points/miles than the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, it’s hard to argue against this card being the best given the ultimate value and versatility of its rewards. The 40,000 bonus points you get after spending $3,000 during the first three months can be redeemed for a $400 statement credit, which is clearly more useful to the average consumer than a free flight or a couple of complimentary hotel nights. However, it’s important to note that you should only apply for this card if you would ordinarily spend $3,000 within a three-month period.…more
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Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard® - Earn 2X on All Purchases

Annual Fee: None 1st yr, $89 after
Rewards: Miles
- Initial Bonus: 40,000 miles
- Base Earn: 2 miles/$1
- Max Earn: 2 miles/$1
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Good Credit

Capital One® VentureOne^SM Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Miles
- Initial Bonus: 10,000 miles
- Base Earn: 1.25 miles / $1
- Max Earn: 1.25 miles / $1
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Capital One® Venture^SM Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee: $0 for 1st yr, $59 after
Rewards: Miles
- Initial Bonus: 10,000 miles
- Base Earn: 2 miles / $1
- Max Earn: 2 miles / $1
Editor's Notes: The Venture Card has long been one of the most popular and rewarding credit cards for travel enthusiasts. As long as you redeem for travel-related expenses, it will provide you with the equivalent of 2% cash back across all purchases, and spending $1,000 during the first three months will score you a $100 initial rewards bonus. Its $59 annual fee doesn’t take effect until the second year either. The Venture Card is an especially good option if you travel a lot but don’t have a go-to travel provider. Otherwise, a generic cash back credit card or a card tied to a particular hotel or airline might be more appropriate.…more
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Fair Credit

Capital One® Cash Rewards for Newcomers

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1%
- Max Earn: 2%
Editor's Notes: Finding a card with no annual fee should be the biggest concern for inexperienced consumers, as issuers often like to use fixed costs to offset the risk posed by this unproven demographic. If a card happens to offer any rewards or low rates to speak of, that’s just gravy. The Capital One Cash Rewards Card for Newcomers is therefore ideal as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and offers 2% cash back on travel as well as 1% on everything else.…more
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Capital One® Cash Rewards

Annual Fee: $39
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1.5%
- Max Earn: 1.5%
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Limited History

College Students

Citi Forward® Card for College Students

Annual Fee: $0*
Rewards: Points
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1 point / $1
- Max Earn: 5 points / $1
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Non-College Students

Capital One® Cash Rewards for Newcomers

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1%
- Max Earn: 2%
Editor's Notes: Finding a card with no annual fee should be the biggest concern for inexperienced consumers, as issuers often like to use fixed costs to offset the risk posed by this unproven demographic. If a card happens to offer any rewards or low rates to speak of, that’s just gravy. The Capital One Cash Rewards Card for Newcomers is therefore ideal as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and offers 2% cash back on travel as well as 1% on everything else.…more
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Capital One® Cash Rewards

Annual Fee: $39
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1.5%
- Max Earn: 1.5%
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Bad Credit

Secured Card

Unfortunately, there are no rewards credit cards for people with bad credit. Below is the best secured credit card for people with bad credit.

Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

Min Deposit: $49 - $200
Annual Fee: $29
Monthly Fee: None
One-time Setup Fees: None
Regular APR: 22.9% (V)
Editor's Notes: While the Capital One Secured MasterCard charges a higher annual fee than certain other cards in its class, the fact that it can be a partially-secured card makes it quite an attractive option for many consumers. With a partially-secured credit card, your credit line may exceed the amount of your security deposit, thereby providing you with an emergency line of credit, if needed, and enabling you to maximize your available credit. The more credit you have available, the faster your credit standing will improve. The Capital One Secured MasterCard Credit Card is therefore an option that at least merits consideration if you have bad or limited credit.…more
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Unsecured Card

Unfortunately, there are no rewards credit cards for people with bad credit. Below is the best unsecured credit card for people with bad credit.

VISA® Platinum from Credit One Bank®

Annual Fee: $75 1st yr, $99 after
Monthly Fee: None
One-time Setup Fees: None
Regular APR: 23.9% (V)
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Help others find the Best Rewards Credit Card for their needs by providing recommendations, cautions, and insider tips.

Anonymous User: The Chase Freedom Visa Card is, without a doubt, one of the best rewards out there. I had done a great job of paying down my balance on my previous card and then decided to transfer what I had left when I opened an account with Chase. The balance transfer interest was only three percent, which was hardly anything, especially in light of the rewards offered. I spent a couple hundred on stuff for school and then was given $100 back almost right away! The rewards are fantastic. I get a MINIMUM of 1% back on everything, and up to 5% on other categories. It really doesn't get any better. Rewards never expire either, which is nice for people who don't spend a lot constantly.
May 7 at 12:24pm
Anonymous User: If you are looking for a card strictly for rewards, consider the Capital One Venture Card. It has an annual fee, but with it you get 2% back on every single purchase you make with no limit to the amount of rewards you can earn. You can then exchange your points for rewards such as gift cards to maximize your cash back. There are also opportunities to earn more rewards, such as signing up for offers at certain stores (like additional cash back at Star Bucks), or shopping through their online portal which can give up to 20% back at places like Restaurant.com. So while others might give you 5% cash back on certain categories that change every quarter with caps to how much you can earn, you can guarantee that you'll get 2% back on every purchase with this card.
April 29 at 2:59pm
Anonymous User: The best credit card when it comes to rewards is the Visa card offered by Chase Freedom. With the Visa card, users can accrue points on different types of purchases, and then use these points towards redeeming different types of gifts and even money. The Visa credit card even allows users to accrue up to five percent on different purchases, such as gas, groceries, and entertainment just simply by activating the rewards system with the click of a mouse. The different types of gifts offered to users includes airline mileage, gift cards to different restaurants and movie theaters, or even skiing gear that you could use on your next vacation.
April 29 at 2:30pm
Anonymous User: One of the best rewards card that I personally know and use is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. The rewards on this card are much better than most, you can really save with a card such as this. You just need to be a semi big spender for this card to shine, after you spend over $3k you get 40,000 bonus points which is equal to $500. Another major plus is the low 15% APR, sure it isn't the best I've seen but it's much better than most. You also get 1% points per dollar spent which can be used to purchase many things. Only complaint is the annual fee, but its no big deal especially if you use this card right.
April 29 at 1:54pm
Dan Mcgarity: I will NEVER pay a fee for a credit card.
April 27 at 10:53pm
Anonymous User: I travel on business three or four times a month and use the CAPITAL ONE VentureOne Rewards card every chance I get. When my company-issued credit card was taken away, I needed a card that wouldn't charge me any fees and that would give me maximum flexibility. My credit history was spotty but clean, and I was happy to get this as my first credit card. The credit limit was enough for the necessary expenses of any trip I've been on in the last year. Capital One actually increases the limit for customers who use the card and make regular payments. Because of this, and the lack of fees, I cancelled my other card with my last limit raise. Thank you for being there with the extra rewards that make the hassle of flying a little more palatable.
April 22 at 2:11pm
Michael Lamb: This is a really hard question to answer definitively because I have a number of reward cards I use for a variety of shopping occasions: I like Discover More card when the quarterly 5% promotion is in a category I am interested in at that moment. The More card can also be combined with ShopDiscover.com for another 5%-20% reward by shopping online through the ShopDiscover link to that retailer. Another favorite reward card is ChaseFreedom. It has a similar system as Discover but often the quarterly categories overlap. But when they alternate it is a bonus! For example last quarter Discover was doing 5% reward on restaurants and that ended April 1. Then ChaseFreedom started their 5% reward on restaurants! So I get 6 months of 5% rebates anywhere I eat! Awesome!
April 15 at 3:51pm
Anonymous User: Although there are a lot of great rewards cards out there, I strongly recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for anyone with an excellent credit history. I've been using this card for just over three years and, so far, have no complaints at all. It gives out 2 rewards points for every dollar you spend on dining and travel and gives 1 rewards point for all other purchases. In the first 2 months with the card I was able to get 40,000 bonus rewards points by spending over $3,000. My wife and I have been able to use my bonus points for amazing travel experiences we would not have been able to afford otherwise. The only downside of the card is the annual fee. Prior to using the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card I had a policy of only using credit cards with no annual fee. After the first year this rewards card charges a yearly annual fee of $95.
April 15 at 3:24pm
Anonymous User: I like the travel rewards on the Capital One Venture card. It gives users double miles and 2 percent cash back when you redeem the miles for travel expenses. My husband travels often and this card helps us wrack up points for vacations. WIth four children, airline tickets are prohibitively expensive. When we get even a few free tickets from the Capital One card, we open up travel options that would not otherwise be available. The $59 fee is worth it to us, especially since my husband gets a stipend for fees from his company. Since the balance is always paid in a timely manner, we reap even more benefits. We also get travel discounts.
April 15 at 1:51pm
Al Roker: We've been Amex Gold Card Customers for manay years, and just converted from Rewards Plus to this new Premiere Rewards Card. The previous card had a one-year double-points offer on gas & groceries, so we used that instead of paying cash or using a debit card, and always pay our balance in full before due date. We simply switched to this card to keep the double rewards going on gas & groceries, and the points really do add up quickly. The $175 fee is well worth it, not only for the rewards points (which I either redeem for gift cards at Crate & Barrel or Williams-Sonoma, or use to pay for airfare) - but also for the buyer protection plan and return protection plan. I've used that to get full credit on items that were damaged after purchase (within 90 days) or where the seller refused to accept a return. Also, any dispute over an over-charge is handled instantly. I don't know of any other credit card company that provides that safety net.
April 15 at 1:47pm
Mike Basile: The best rewards card I have right now is the Blue Cash Preferred card from American Express. I highly recommend this card if you have a decent size family and purchase a lot of groceries. This is because the card gives you 6% back on groceries (up to $6000 a year). I usually save about $300-$400 a year on groceries using this card. You also get 3% back on gas purchases, which is great with gas prices being so high. Like most other cards, you also get 1% back on all other purchases. The only downside is the card is $75 a year. I easy make my money back on groceries so for me, the card completely worth it.
April 15 at 1:35pm
Mike Brandt: The best reward cards that I have ever encountered are the ones that simply reward you for making smart decisions. A lot of card companies make money based on high interest rates. That's a somewhat immoral way of making money. Instead, some cards, like one I have through Chase, basically rewards you for paying off your bill in a timely manner. Because I always pay off my bill, I am rewarded with a larger amount of cash back than I would receive if I just carried a huge balance on my card. In the end, I think a company that wants your business will treat you like a logical individual that doesn’t want to pay +15% a year on interest!
April 8 at 2:48pm
Sheryl Papageorgio: This is one of my go to rewards cards whenever I need to use American Express. The deciding factor for me was all the small bonuses you get by using AMEX that they offer their customers. I also found out that AMEX has tons of deals that you can get for doing things like syncing your AMEX card up with your twitter account. The other day they had a deal where you could buy a $25 AMEX prepaid card for $15. I can't argue with free money. Small Business Saturday is also a favorite where you spend $25 at a local business and they give you a $25 statement credit. They also have a Facebook App where they've had deals before like get a $50 statement credit when you spend $100 at Ticket Master. If these are all places I plan to spend money anyway, why not get the biggest bonus and use my AMEX card?
April 8 at 1:7pm
Stephanie Breaux: I really like the Capital One Cash Rewards card. I like that there is a set amount of 1.5% cash back, so that means no matter where I shop, I can get cash back on my purchases. I also have a Chase Freedom card, but the Capital One card is much better. With Chase, I have to activate my cash back every quarter, but I do not need to with this card because it is set to a base rate of 1.5%. I like that I can earn on purchases I make online, because I do a majority of my shopping with credit cards on the internet. The interface on the website is also really easy to use. I don't think reward redemption could be easier. Also, customer service for this card is top-notch and every time I've had a problem, it only took a quick phone call to solve it.
April 8 at 12:49pm
Anonymous User: As far as rewards cards go the Capital One Venture One Rewards Credit Card is definitely one of the best. You have to have pretty good credit to qualify for this and if you do qualify you will be happy you went with this card. You earn 2 miles on every dollar purchase seven days a week, you can redeem your miles for all travel expenses and you earn a bonus of 10,000 miles if you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months. You can also redeem any amount of your rewards whenever you would like without restrictions. The first year there is no fee and after that it is $59, which is actually a better deal compared to what some other card companies charge.
April 1 at 1:42pm
David Kauffman: If you are big on rewards and that's all you care about, get the Capital One Venture card. It has a $59 annual fee, but it's waived within the first year. You get 2% back on everything, no limits, no signing up for categories, it's just simple to use. On top of that, they do have an online mall you can click through to get bonus points at places like Best Buy, and they have rotating stores every quarter with places like AMC and Starbucks that give you additional cash back. Just make sure you figure out what your "Break Even" point is with the annual fee, and if you spent well beyond that on your card in a year you are golden.
April 1 at 1:11pm
Gregory Hays: The Capital One Cash Reward card is my favorite card when it comes to credit card rewards. You get 1% back standard on every purchase, but the end of the year 50% bonus essentially makes this a 1.5% card with no annual fee. That's pretty good, considering the Venture card by Capital One gives you 2% back, but with a $59 annual fee (meaning you have to spend $8,000 on the card just to break even with your fee). The rewards are also pretty good. They have some options such as "Purchase Eraser" where you can apply it to any purchase and count as basically a statement credit, use it towards travel, or gift cards. I always go with Gift Cards, because then it forces me to buy something fun for myself!
March 18 at 3:35pm
Anonymous User: The Capital One Cash Rewards for Newcomers Credit Card is one awesome card for people just getting started with credit or trying to rebuild bad credit. One of the best benefits is when making purchases/payments it automatically reports to the three major credit bureaus. They also offer rewards such as 2% cash back on travel purchases and 1% cash back on all other purchases. When you really look at it that is very good considering you may not have a strong credit history. The interest rates are a bit high, but that is to be expected considering what credit situation you may be in. What I also like is that there is no annual fee, so you can use your money for making payments to build your credit.
March 7 at 3:16pm
Anonymous User: I am always on the market trying to find the best cards that offer the most rewards for doing business with them. One that is ahead of the competition is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. You just need to have decent credit to get approved and once you do you can start earning those travel miles. For example if I spend around. $1, 500 a month that will roughly earn me 40,000 bonus miles each year and. As you can tell this is the kind of card that will encourage you to spend more so you can accumulate points quickly and be able to take those vacations you have always dreamed of. The annual fee is not bad at $59, which you will get back many times over with what you will redeem. If you are looking for a great travel reward card this is one of the best around.
March 7 at 2:56pm
Justine Edmonds: I have had the Capital One Cash Rewards card for about 7 months now. It is by far one of my favorites among the cards I have. While many cards give rewards in the form of miles, since I do not travel often I have no use for those, and I would much rather have the cash back. I use my credit cards often, so accumulating cash back rewards is easy and comes in very handy for me. Apart from the rewards, I have found that the customer service from this company is very satisfactory. I have called a few times with questions and the representatives have always been very friendly and helpful. I have received prompt service and responses to any concerns. The only downside to this card is that there is an annual fee, but I can deal with that. My credit is not that great, so I do not mind paying the small annual fee. This card was easy to get and my credit limit has already been raised due to my prompt monthly payments. I let my cash rewards accumulate, although they may be redeemed at any time. I would recommend this card to anyone who uses their credit card to make frequent purchases because of the cash back rewards offered.
March 7 at 2:49pm
Sean Forde: I love to fly so I need a credit card that has great rewards program. I was skeptical at first believing that you need a lot of travel to build up miles but then I found out that you can get double miles on just purchases. needless to say I signed up very quickly. I love this card because I can purchase my everyday expenses and still earn miles. Miles on miles on miles. This is great. The capital one venture card is definitely the way to go. Sure it has its annual fee but its waived in the first year and I've already got to fly for free 3 times. I'm working on my third. Can't beat that at all. Other cards are great but the fact that you can get double miles and fly on any airline that you want makes this the best card out of the bunch. I'd say try it for yourself and see and if you don't like it get rid of it before you have to pay the annual fee but I'm guessing that you wont.
March 7 at 2:30pm
Lisa Baer: THIS IS THE BEST CREDIT CARD THAT I HAVE HAD TO DATE! Seriously, it's wonderful. I got this card when they were doing the "Double Miles Promotion" so I got double miles on everything (and I got a starting miles amount, too!) that I did PLUS miles on the highest credit card total from my previous year from another card! How amazing is that when a credit card company tells you "tell me your total balance that you put on another credit card so I can give you miles on your current card with me?" I love this card and the rewards are mainly for travel, so it works perfectly with my lifestyle. I highly recommend this card and it's especially nice because I didn't have to have a minimum balance on my card in order to get the rewards simply applying and getting accepted with enough to get all these benefits! Hope my comments help you with choosing the right card. good luck!
December 27 at 3:39pm
Naomi Kovar: The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express really rewards you for your purchases. It gives 3% cash-back rewards at most supermarkets, 2% at most gas stations and many department stores, and 1% on other purchases. If you make $1000 of purchases within three months of signing up for the card, you get a reward dollar bonus of $100. You can also get cash back on payments you make with Automatic Bill Pay. There is no annual fee, and the APR is 0% for the first 12 months. You can get access to great deals offered by partner merchants of American Express, such as The Apple Store, Targert.com, and Hertz Car Rental.
December 18 at 3:29pm
Kyle McCullough: I've had a good handful of credit cards over the years and my Capital One Cash Rewards card is no exception. While my credit score isn't exactly something to boast about, I got approved instantly with this card. The rewards and benefits is what attracted me to this card. With Capital One, I've had top-notch customer service given to me whenever I had a question or issue with my card. While it DOES have an annual fee, I don't mind paying $39 a year for the support I'm getting. Sure, other cards offer no annual fee, but with Capital One, in my experience, the service has been hassle-free, and that is something very hard to find in companies these days. Getting money back on my purchases is also a plus as I am constantly buying items and racking up the reward credit. I do like the website interface as well, as it saves a lot of phone calls and balance checks by just logging on and viewing my account information. Because of the benefits that this card offers, I am consistent with paying it off every chance I get and use it even when I have cash in my pocket, just to benefit from the rewards. Overall, I highly recommend this card to anybody just starting out with a credit card and enjoy the benefits of getting rewarded whenever you use it.
December 18 at 3:28pm
Anonymous User: The best credit card genre is most definitely the rewards card. Whether it gets you cash back, airline miles, hotel points or just points that are redeemable for merchandise, it is great to get rewarded just to spend your money. While the rewards you get to spend are extremely high compared to buying a normally priced item, it is usually an item that you would not buy for yourself that you would likely get. So, by using the rewards credit card, you can actually reward yourself with mileage for a trip, a hotel stay and items (like cameras or ipods) that you might not need but can now get get for just using your accumulated points. Nowadays I only use my credit cards to purchase things because of these rewards. It is a great way to get a little something extra for spending money on a credit card that you were going to spend anyway.
December 3 at 2:49pm
Christopher Phares: I would have to say the best rewards card on the market is the Disney Rewards Visa Card. If you or your family like to go to Walt Disney World in Florida, or Disneyland in California the perks are second to none. When you use your Disney Rewards Visa Card at either park you get 10% off on select merchandise purchases of 50 dollars or more. If you have ever been to a Disney World or Disneyland gift shop you will know that it is very easy to spend more than 50 dollars at a time. You also will earn 1% on everyday card purchases, that's 1 reward dollar for every $100 spent! In our family we use it to buy gas every month and we always have reward dollars when we leave for our yearly trip to Florida. You can get some very neat collectables with those reward dollars, or exchange them for gift cards that can be used anywhere while you are at Disney World.
October 23 at 3:28pm
Anonymous User: American Express Blue for life! I’ve had this card for a long time, I would say probably ten years or so. Now I’m not a high dollar credit card user, on average I am probably charging one to two thousand dollars a year which gets paid off on a monthly basis. There’s not really a whole lot of dollars flowing through this card to build up for frequent rewards but regardless I am still able to get a good cash out every couple of years. When the Xbox 360 launched in 2005 I was able to cash out enough reward gift cards to fund the whole purchase. Since then I’ve paid for half of a new laptop and now have most of the new Wii U funded with rewards points. The ordering system is always easy to use with a lot of great options, which is a credit to American Express more than just the card. My rewards always arrive in a timely matter and I’ve never had a problem with them. No annual fee on the card and I’ve never had points expire. American Express continues to shine!
October 17 at 2:41pm
Shannon Scott Johnson: Capital One Venture One Rewards Credit Card is one of the better cards in my opinion. There are not very many reward cards that actually do not charge you an annual fee... You get an initial bonus of 10,000 miles and the miles per point ratio after that really isn't all the bad. I like dealing with Capital One because they always have top rate service and never try to slide a few through here and there. No need to worry about losing your card because they handle it quickly and efficiently. Definately recommended to everyone for a great rewards card!
October 17 at 2:34pm
Chris Wilson: The Chase Freedom card is my choice for the best credit card currently on the market. With Chase Freedom, you earn 1% cash back on every purchase with no minimum. Each quarter, they rotate bonus categories where you can earn and additional 4% cash back, for a total of 5% cash back in those categories. The categories are always useful, and are for places I find myself spending my money anyways, like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and department stores. When I initially signed up for the card, I was given a $200 bonus for spending $500 in the first three months. I believe they still have that offer, although it has been reduced to a $100 bonus. Either way, that's still free money. Perhaps the best part of all, however, is there is no annual fee to be a cardholder.
October 17 at 2:20pm
Anonymous User: For ever-rising gas prices, I've gotta mention the PenFed VISA Platinum Gas / Cash Rewards Card which pays you 5% cash back on gas and credits your statement every month and has no annual fee (and anyone can join PenFed). Also, to find the best card or best combination of cards for your spending profile, you might be interested in the rewards calculator at www.creditcardtuneup.com. You enter your categorical spending profile and it finds the single best rewards card for you, the best 2-card combo, the best 3-card combo, etc.
October 15 at 1:23pm

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How are the best reward credit cards selected?
The main criterion that our editors used to pick these products is the amount of rewards (i.e. airline miles, points, cash back, etc.) offered. The best rewards credit cards typically set themselves apart from the pack with one or more of the following features: a significant initial rewards bonus, a high points/miles/cash back earning rate on all purchases and/or extra rewards on certain spending categories.

What is the correlation between credit standing and rewards credit cards?
The lower your credit score, the fewer the options available to you in terms of rewards credit cards as it is only natural that the best credit card rewards programs be found on the cards with the highest credit lines. In addition, it's actually the norm for credit cards geared toward people who have not yet reached good credit standing (FICO score > 660) not to have rewards, so products that do provide such benefits really stand out. However, as rewards credit cards for people with fair or limited credit typically bring high annual fees with them, you should think carefully and evaluate the overall benefit of such a card before opening it.

How do I know what kind of rewards to get?
The best credit card rewards complement your lifestyle. Therefore, before picking a rewards credit card you must evaluate your spending and pinpoint your main expenses (e.g. travel, gas, groceries). The best reward credit card will be the option that provides the most lucrative savings in these areas. If no one spending category sticks out, the best credit card rewards program will be the one that provides the most cash back on all purchases.

Can I have more than one rewards credit card?
Depending on your credit level and monthly spending, having more than one rewards card might be advisable. According to the Card Hub Island Approach, consumers with excellent credit who spend at least $1,000/month should segment their rewards (i.e. open the best rewards credit card for each of their main spending categories) in order to garner the greatest possible savings. If, for example, your main expenses are gas and airfare, the most lucrative rewards will not come from a single general rewards card but instead from a airline credit card used in concert with a gas rewards credit card.

About the Editors' Picks — Best Rewards Credit Card
Our editors' recommendations for the Best Rewards Credit Card are a reflection of their own subjective opinions, and they should not be relied upon as the sole basis for choosing your credit card. Certain offers originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on a card’s details page, when applicable. We work hard to present you with the most accurate credit card information, however, the credit card terms and conditions do not originate from us and thus we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information. Before applying for a credit card we recommend that you verify the credit card terms and conditions on the credit card company's web site. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.