It doesn't have to be expensive to apply for a premium credit card Some of the top travel rewards credit cards give generous account bonuses in the first year.
We are going to take a look at cards you can test drive for a year before deciding if they deserve a spot in your wallet.
The market for travel rewards cards is very competitive, with new cards and improved offers often appearing on these pages. Premium rewards cards have a business model that charges a yearly fee to recover some of the costs of the rewards and benefits.
You don't always know how much value you can get from an offer. It will not be until you try it. I have held many rewards cards over the years. I opened an account with other cards, expecting it to deliver long-term value, but was disappointed.
If you apply for a card without an annual fee, you have a year to take it for a test drive and see if it's a good fit. The rewards program is supposed to deliver. The benefits might be easy to use. Does the customer service work? You might not be able to answer these questions until you use a card.
It is possible to cut in half the average fee you pay during your first two years if you waive the first year of the card.
Credit card annual fees are included in the guide.
If you use your card to make $3,000 in purchases in the first six months, you'll get a $250 statement credit.
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The introductory annual fee is $0.
Blue Cash Preferred card members can earn 6 percent back on the first $6,000 of purchases at U.S. supermarkets each year. You can redeem the reward dollars for a statement credit.
You can get a statement credit of $7 per month for your Disney bundle subscription, and $10 per month for your Equinox+ membership. It's necessary to enroll in advance for these benefits.
The full review of the Amex Blue Cash preferred card can be found here.
The Blue Cash preferred card is from American Express.
If you use your card to make $2,500 in purchases in the first three months from account opening, you'll get 50,000 bonus miles. The bonus is valued by the company at $875.
The introductory annual fee is free.
As a cardmember, you will receive a free first checked bag for you and up to four companions on your same reservation and can receive a $125 American Airlines flight voucher after spending $20,000 or more on your card during your cardmember year. You can save 25% on inflight purchases when you pay with your card.
You can earn 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar at gas stations and restaurants, and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases with the AAdvantage Platinum Select card. You can earn 1 Loyalty Point for every dollar you spend on the card.
The full review of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card can be found here.
The application link is for a Mastercard.
If you make $2,000 of purchases on your card in the first six months, you'll get 40,000 bonus SkyMiles. This bonus is worth $564
There is an annual fee of $0 and a fee of $299.
This is a mid tier option for Delta's credit cards. Priority boarding and a free first checked bag are perks you will enjoy. If you make $10,000 or more in purchases using your card, you will receive a $100 Delta flight credit toward future travel. Cardholders receive a 20% discount for inflight purchases of food, beverages and headsets when using this card.
You can earn 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, 2 miles per dollar on dining at restaurants worldwide and 2 miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets with the Delta Gold card.
The full review of the Delta Gold card can be found here.
You can apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.
You can earn 60,000 bonus points and a $100 companion flight voucher after spending $1,000 on your card in the first 90 days. This bonus is worth $760
The introductory annual fee is $29.
Don't count this card out until you know the details of the new program. You will receive a $100 companion flight voucher after each account anniversary if you have made at least $5,000 in purchases on your card within the previous year. If you're a card holder, you're exempt from the points expiration policy.
Zone 2 shortcut boarding on all flights is one of the benefits of your card. You'll get 3 points per dollar on Spirit Airlines purchases, 2 points per dollar on dining and grocery store purchases, and 1 point per dollar on other purchases if you use the Free Spirit Travel More card.
The Points Guy collected the information for the free spirit travel more world elite Mastercard The card issuer did not review or provide the card details on this page.
The full review of the Free Spirit Travel More card can be found here.
You can earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on your card in the first three months. The bonus is valued at $726 by the company.
The introductory fee is $0.
Priority boarding, a free first checked bag for you and a companion on the same reservation, 25% back on inflight and United Club premium drink purchases, and two United Club one-time passes are what we like about it. There is a rare benefit for cards without an annual fee in the first year, which is up to $100 reimbursement for your application fee to Global Entry.
You'll get 2 miles per dollar on United Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on dining, 2 miles per dollar on hotel reservations, and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases. You will earn 500 points for every $12,000 of purchases on your card. You can earn a maximum of 1,000 PQPs in a year and apply them to your United Airlines status. Access to more United award flight availability is one of the benefits.
The full review of the United Explorer Card can be found here.
The United Explorer Card application is official.
You can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on your card in the first 120 days. The points can be redeemed for a bonus of $500.
The introductory fee is $0.
We like the fact that there are more perks in this card. If you pay your monthly wireless bill with this card, you will receive a $30 statement credit after 11 months if you make streaming purchases, up to $600 of reimbursement via cellphone protection. Up to $100 in statement credits will be given to you to reimburse your application fee.
5 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals, 4 points per dollar on travel, 4 points per dollar at gas stations and EV charging stations, and 2 points per dollar at grocery stores are earned by U.S. Bank Altitude Connect cards.
See our full review of the U.S. Bank Altitude connect card.
After spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of amembership card, you'll get 25,000 bonus Membership rewards points. The bonus is worth 500 dollars.
The introductory annual fee is $0.
The Business Green card gives you access to important benefits, such as Amex offers and Membership rewards points, and we like it. The card has no preset spending limit, meaning how much you can spend on the card changes with your spending habits, payment history and other factors, as well as the ability to enroll in pay over time. Even if you never use it to carry a balance on your card, you will still get a targeted offer of bonus points.
2 points per dollar are earned on flights, and 1 point per dollar on other purchases, for cardmembers. The return on spending is based on our latest valuations.
The Points Guy collected the information for the Business Green rewards card. The card issuer did not review or provide the card details on this page.
The full review of the Amex Business Green Card can be found here.
If you spend $2,000 in the first three months of yourmembership card, you'll get 50,000 bonus Delta SkyMiles. The bonus is valued at $700 by the company.
There is an annual fee of $0 and a fee of $299.
If you hold the Delta Business card you can enjoy many of Delta's benefits without having to earn elite status. You'll get a free first checked bag, priority boarding on Delta flights, and a 20% savings on inflight purchases, if you sign up for the program. A $100 Delta flight voucher can be earned by cardmembers if they spend $10,000 on purchases in a year.
2 miles per dollar is earned on Delta Air Lines purchases and 2 miles per dollar on US purchases. One mile per dollar is earned by all other purchases.
The full review of the Amex Delta Skymiles Gold Business card can be found here.
The official application link is for the Delta Skymiles Gold Business American Express card.
In the first three months from account opening, you can earn 50,000 bonus miles. The bonus is valued at $925 by the company.
The introductory fee is $0.
Some people like simplicity, and that's what the card has to offer. You can earn 5 miles for every dollar you spend on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. New transfer partners have increased the value of Capital One miles.
Cardholders can get up to $100 in statement credits to reimburse the application fee for Global Entry and can use virtual card numbers for extra security.
The full review of the Capital One Spark Miles for Business can be found here.
Capital One has a program for business.
If you spend $4,000 in the first four months of your account opening, you'll get a 65,000 bonus AAdvantage miles. The bonus is valued at $1,150.
The introductory annual fee is free.
If you don't need to earn American Airlines elite status to get perks like priority boarding and a free first checked bag, you can use the Citi Business AAdvantage Platinum card. You will get a 25% savings for inflight purchases of food and drinks on AA flights. You can earn an American Airlines companion certificate for domestic travel on American Airlines if you spend $30,000 or more on your card within a cardmember year and pay an annual fee to keep your card. There are taxes and fees for the ticket.
2 miles per dollar is earned on American Airlines purchases and 2 miles per dollar on cable and satellite providers. You'll get 1 mile for every dollar you spend. You will earn 1 loyalty point for every dollar you spend, which will help you get to A elite status.
The Points Guy did not collect the information for the AAdvantage Platinum Select card. The card issuer did not review or provide the card details on this page.
See our full review of the Citi Business AAdvantage Platinum card.
After spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months, you can earn 75,000 bonus United Airlines miles. The bonus is valued at $902.50.
The introductory annual fee is free.
The United Business card gives two United Club one-time passes each year, a free first checked bag, priority boarding on United flights, and 25% on United inflight. If you have both a personal and small business United credit card, you'll get 5,000 bonus United miles on account anniversary. Cardholders who make seven flight purchases of $100 or more from United will receive a $100 United flight credit. Saver award availability for mileage redemptions has been increased by cardholders.
2 miles per dollar is earned on purchases with United Airlines, 2 miles per dollar on dining, 2 miles per dollar at gas stations, and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
The review of the United Business Card can be found here.
The United Business Card application is official.
Credit issuers allow you to try their products before you buy them. These are the best credit cards that don't have an annual fee. You may be interested in one of them if you read through the details. You have a year to decide if you want to pay an annual fee.
The additional reporting was done by Steele.
Click here to find the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card's rates and fees. Click here if you want to find the Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex card's rates and fees. Click here to find the Amex Business Green card's rates and fees. Click here to find the Delta Skymiles Gold Business Amex card's rates and fees.
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