Credit cards are the best way to accumulate points in the US. The welcome bonuses offered by cards, the points offered for spending on cards, and other offers can be included. In the past, I have written about the credit cards I use. Many of the things we spend the most on are now possible to earn points on. There are some things where you can't get bonus points for spending. This can include things like paying taxes by credit card, buying points through points.com, and so on. I will be sharing personal and business cards that I think are the best for everyday spending. I will rank the cards based on the return on spending they offer, but in all cases these cards offer a return of 2% or more. There are many credit cards that can be used to maximize your spending. From a straightforward 2% cash back card, to cards that could potentially get you a lot more value with a few tricks, you are most likely leaving money on the table. Some of my favorites are listed here. The Capital One Venture Card has a fee. I value 2x miles on the Capital One Venture Card.Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X card is the best card for everyday spending because it has no foreign transaction fees and 2x Venture miles per dollar spent. Each mile can be redeemed for one cent towards a travel purchase or transferred to an airline or hotel partner. This card gives 2x airline miles per dollar spent. Capital One miles are valued at 1.7 cents each, which equates to a 3.4% return.
The card offers a $300 annual travel credit, 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, a Priority Pass membership, and access to Capital One Lounges, so it's a good idea for most people to have this card.
Interested in applying for the Capital One Venture X?
The Capital One Venture Card has a fee.
I value 2x miles on the Capital One Venture Card.
The Venture is equivalent to the Venture X in terms of miles per dollar spent. The perks of the Venture X make it cheaper to hold onto.
Interested in applying for the Capital One Venture?
The annual fee is $0.
The Citi Double Cash return on spending is 2x points.
When it comes to personal no annual fee credit cards, the Citi Double Cash is one of the best. When you pay for purchases on the card, you'll get an additional 1x ThankYou point. Points can be redeemed for one cent cash back, if you have the card in conjunction with the Citi Premier ® Card, then points can be transferred to Citi ThankYou airline and hotel partners at a1:1 ratio, meaning you can earn 2x transferable points per dollar spent.
Interested in applying for the Citi Double Cash?
The premium rewards card has an annual fee.
I value the premium rewards card at up to 2.625′′
There is a trick to maximize value with the Bank of America Premium rewards card, and it won't be for everyone. The Bank of America has a program where you can get bonuses for depositing certain amounts into the program. If you have a $100,000 balance with Bank of America, you'll get a 75% bonus, for an amazing 2.625% back on all purchases.
You can learn more about the Bank of America premium rewards card.
Chase Freedom unlimited fee is free.
The return on spending is 1.5x points.
The Chase Freedom unlimited earns 1.5x points per dollar spent, and those points can be converted into Ultimate rewards points if you have it in conjunction with a Chase credit card I value Ultimate rewards points at 1.7 cents per point, which is how I came up with this valuation.
Apply for the Chase Freedom unlimited if you know more about it.
There is an annual fee for the Amex EveryDay preferred card.
I value 2.55% on the return on the Amex EveryDay preferred card.
You can earn 3x points at U.S. supermarkets, 2x points at U.S. gas stations, and 1x points per dollar spent on everything else. You earn 1.5x points on your non-bonused spending if you make at least 30 transactions per cycle. I value Membership rewards points at 1.7 cents per point, which is how I came up with this valuation.
Apply for the Amex EveryDay preferred
I think the best credit cards for everyday spending are the ones above, but what about the best business cards? Even if you don't want to earn cash back rewards or points, getting a business card with a good return on non-bonused spending is still worth it. Some of my favorites are listed here.
The Blue Business Plus Card has an annual fee.
The Blue Business Plus Card returns 2x points.
The Amex Blue Business Plus card offers 2x Membership rewards points on the first $50,000 spent each year, and then 1x points on the next $50,000 spent. You can use this card for your first $50,000 of non-bonused spending each year. I value Membership rewards points at 1.7 cents per point, which is how I came up with this valuation.
Apply for the Amex Blue Business Plus if you want to learn more.
The first year is free of the capital one spark miles card annual fee.
You need to know that the Capital One Spark miles can be redeemed for one cent toward the cost of a travel purchase, or they can be transferred to airline and hotel partners. 2x airline miles per dollar spent is what the card offers. Capital One miles are valued at 1.7 cents each, which equates to a 3.4% return.
You can learn more about the business and apply for it.
The annual fee for the ink business card is $0.
The return on the card is 1.5x points.
If you have the card in conjunction with one of the Chase cards, you can convert 1.5x points per dollar spent into Ultimate rewards points. I value Ultimate rewards points at 1.7 cents per point, which is how I came up with this valuation.
You can learn more about the Ink Business unlimited.
The annual fee for Capital One is $150.
Capital One has a 2% cash back on their card.
One of the best cash back business cards is the Capital One Spark Cash Card, which offers 2% cash back and a $200 bonus when you spend $200,000 in an anniversary year. This is a great option if you want no foreign transaction fees and no cap on rewards.
Apply for the Spark Cash Plus if you want to learn more about it.
The Amex Blue Business Cash Card is free.
The Amex Blue Business Cash Card gives 2% cash back.
One of the best cash back business credit cards is the Amex Blue Business Cash Card, which offers 2% cash back on the first $50,000 spent every year. The card doesn't have an annual fee, so it's not restrictive for some businesses.
Apply for the Amex Blue Business Cash if you want to learn more.
There is an annual fee for the Amex Business Platinum Card.
1.5x points on purchases of $5,000 or more is what the Amex Business Plus Card returns.
If you have a business that makes a lot of purchases, the Amex Business Platinum bonus category is useful. The card offers 1x points on most purchases, but 1.5x points on purchases of $5,000 or more, for a total of up to a million bonus points per year.
Apply for the Amex Business Platinum if you want to learn more.
I want to know which cards I spend the most on for non-bonused personal spending. The Capital One Venture X is the one I use the most. The card offers 2x Capital One miles per dollar spent, which is unbeatable for me.
I earn the equivalent of 2x ThankYou points per dollar spent when using the Citi Double Cash.
It makes sense to pay your taxes by credit card, as shown by these cards. You can pay your taxes for a small fee. It's an incredible value to be able to pick up 2x ThankYou points or 2x Capital One miles for under 2 cents each. You can pick up airline miles for less than a penny per mile.
I have two cards that I use for non-bonused business expenditures. The Amex Blue Business Plus allows me to earn 2x Membership Reward points. The only downside of this card is that you can only earn 2x points on the first $50,000 you spend.
Capital One's 2x Capital One miles with no caps and no foreign transaction fees are what I use for spending beyond that.
Credit card bonus categories are better than ever before, and the value you can get from non-bonus spending has improved considerably.
All of the above cards are perfect. A minimum of 1.5x points per dollar spent in non-bonused categories is a general rule of thumb. You can earn 2x points with cards like the Citi Double Cash, Capital One Venture X, Amex Blue Business Plus, and Capital One SPARK MILES.
What cards do you use on a daily basis?
The rates and fees can be found in the links. The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express, the Business Platinum Card from American Express, and the American Express Blue Business Cash Card are included.
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