Monkey Miles Favorite Credit Cards
Monkey Miles Favorite Credit Cards
Miles
Here at Monkey Miles we strive to provide you the best credit card offers available, whether we make a commission or not. With that being said, we appreciate when you use our affiliate links when they are the best available since this is a source of income for our site, and how we keep Miles the Monkey happy.
How it Works
We break credit cards into two broad categories as if we were casting a TV Show: Main Cast and Supporting Cast. We also keep a spreadsheet of the best available offers.
- Main Cast are the stars of your wallet. They are for your everyday purchases.
- Supporting Cast cards assist and aid your wallet. They yield more perks than their annual fee. These are mainly hotel and airline cards.
- Spreadsheet – we compiled a list of the current best offers as well as the all time best offers on a ton of cards. If you see something better, email us!
- Best Super Premium Card
Non- Affiliate Link
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
If you’re looking to add a super premium card to your wallet without having to calculate whether you’re recouping the annual fee every year… the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card may very well be the best fit for you. 2x miles everywhere, lounge perks, and great travel partners make this a killer card
Welcome Offer
90k Capital One Miles after $4k in 3 months
Annual Fee
$395
Points Earned
Transferrable Capital One Miles
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers 2x miles on every single purchase you make, a $300 annual credit when booking in Capital One Travel, 10k Miles every year you keep the card ( worth a minimum of $100 in portal ), Priority Pass, Cap1 Lounge Access + when booking via the Capital One Travel Portal you’ll earn 10x miles on hotels and car rentals + 5x miles on flights.
The travel credit and 10k anniversary bonus miles alone recoup the $395 annual fee and they have a great list of transfer partners.
It’s an absolutely killer offer from Capital One.
- 2x miles on every single purchase without limit
- 10x miles hotels and rentals cars in Capital One Travel Portal
- 5x miles flights in Capital One Travel Portal
- $300 Annual Credit within the Capital One Travel Portal
- 10k bonus miles after each anniversary
- Lounge access
- Capital One Lounge Access
- 1 location currently and 2 more scheduled for 2022
- 2 guests allowed and $45 for every guest after that
- Authorized Users get access as well
- Add 4 Authorized Users free of charge
- Priority Pass Select access
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Plaza Premium lounges
- Capital One Lounge Access
- Up to $100 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
- Credit valid every 4 years
- Complimentary Cell Phone Insurance
- Hertz President’s Circle Status
- No fee for up to 4 authorized users
- $395 Annual
The best ever offer was 100k after $10k spend in 6 months when the card first debuted, but 75k has been the offer ever since.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® is one of my favorite small business credit cards that earns 3x on travel, cable, phone, and social media marketing, up to $150k yearly spend.
Add in mobile phone insurance and you’ve got a killer card that earns transferrable Ultimate Rewards for $95 a year.
Welcome Offer
100k points after $8k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Ultimate Rewards
- 100k point welcome bonus after $8k spend in 3 months
- 3x on first $150k of yearly spend on
- Travel
- Phone, Cable, Internet
- Social Media/Search advertising
- Shipping
- 1x on all other purchases
- Cell Phone Insurance
- No Foreign Transaction fees
- Add additional employee cards
- Redeem at 1.25c for travel with Chase Travel
- $95 annual fee
- Member FDIC
100k after $15k spend in 3 months is the highest we’ve ever seen
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® can serve as the premium Chase card in your wallet that you can merge your points into to make them transferrable.
It earns 3x on travel, cable, your phone bill, and if you do an social media marketing, you’ll get 3x there as well.
It also comes with competitive mobile phone insurance. I end up paying with this card quite often when I’m traveling for hotels, airfare, etc because the travel category is quite broad compared to other cards. It also has no foreign transaction fees.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
In Chase branch: 70k Points after $4k spend in 3 months ( make appt with banker –Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.)
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x on dining
- including eligible delivery services for takeout
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards – Chase Travel Portal
- $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased via Ultimate Rewards/Chase Travel
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel Portal and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including primary rental car insurance, purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 13 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in the Chase Travel center for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Primary rental car coverage is my favorite
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
Earn Bilt Points with the Bilt Mastercard® : the only credit card that earn points on rent ( up to 100k a year ) without transaction fees Terms and conditions .
It’s the only 1:1 program where you can transfer points to both American and United!
A complete no brainer for renters in the USA
Welcome Offer
None
Annual Fee
$0
Points Earned
Bilt Points
Finally you can earn points on one of your biggest monthly expenses, RENT, without any processing fees Terms and Conditions. Just make sure you make 5 non-rent transactions every month, no minimum purchase, to earn points.
Bilt Rewards has a great list of transfer partners and will mail your landlord a check, process via ACH, Paypal, or Venmo.
Bilt “Rent Day”
- on the first of every month, all non-rent expenses earn double points.
- 0 Annual fee See terms
- Earn Structure:
- 1x on rent
- 2x on travel
- booked direct with airlines, hotels, cruises, or car rentals
- 3x on dining
- this includes delivery like Grubhub, Uber Eats, etc
- You only earn points when making 5 non-rent transactions in a month
- Transfer points 1:1 to over a dozen partners, including American, United, and Hyatt
- Redeem points for Rent, Mortgage Downpayment, Amazon
- Redeem at 1.25c in the Bilt Rewards Travel Center (powered by Expedia)
- Mastercard World Elite benefits
- Mobile Phone Insurance
- Up to $800 per claim, subject to a $25 deductible
- Primary Rental Car Coverage
- Mobile Phone Insurance
Some people have received targeted 10k sign up bonuses, but those are few and far between
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
- Earn 2x everywhere
Non-Affiliate Link
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a fantastic go-to that earns 2x miles everywhere. It’s simple, straight forward, and earns great rewards.
Welcome Offer
75k Miles + $200 Avelo Statement Credit after $4k in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Capital One Miles
Every wallet needs a card that you use when you can’t get a big category bonus. You know, the every day card. And that is where the The Capital One Venture Rewards credit card shines.
Earn unlimited 2x Capital One Miles on every single dollar you spend and have the ability to transfer them to 18 partners. There are some fringe benefits as well like Global Entry/TSA Pre credit every 4 years, travel protections, and limited lounge access.
Personally, I carry the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, but this is a great card for a lower annual fee.
- 2x miles on every purchase
- up to a $100 credit for Global Entry and TSA Pre
- Earn 5X miles
- on hotels booked via Capital One Travel
- rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- Enjoy two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or
- to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through our Partner Lounge Network
- Transfer miles to 18+ partners
- $95 annual fee
There have been 100k offers that require $20k spend over 12 months, but personally I think the 75k offer is more attractive and allows you to allocate that spend elsewhere.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The Chase Ink Business Cash® has no annual fee, gives you access to some great 5x bonus categories, and has a stunning welcome offer
Welcome Offer
$900 ( 90k Ultimate Rewards ) after spending $6k in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
Points Earned
Cash Back in the form of Ultimate Rewards.
- 5x Bonus points at
- Office Supply stores
- Internet, Cable, and Phone Services
- capped at $25k
- 2x Bonus points at
- Gas Stations
- Restaurants
- capped at $25k
- .No Annual Fee
90k is the best offer we’ve seen on this card with a $6k spend requirement in 3 months
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Ink Business Cash® gives you the ability to earn 5x points on purchases at office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services up to $25k total a year. That’s 125k points if maxed out.
I know a lot of businesses incentivize their employees with gift cards as contest prizes, when they hit sales, thresholds, sign a new lease, renew contracts, etc. Many Office Supply stores sell gift cards and this gives you the ability to earn 5x points on office supply purchases. Pretty awesome if you ask me.
Also, if you carry a I’d highly recommend pairing this card with a Chase premium card so you can combine points and transfer them.
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a no annual fee card that earns an unlimited 1.5x on every single purchase without cap.
Welcome Offer
$900 (90k Ultimate Rewards) after spending $6k in 3 motnhs
Annual Fee
$0
Points Earned
Cashback in the form of Ultimate Rewards
- 1.5x everywhere
- No Annual fee
- Cashback can be combined with a Premium Chase card and then transferred to partners.
90k is the best offer we’ve seen on this card with a $6k spend requirement in 3 months.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
Earn unlimited 1.5x on purchases.
I’d highly recommend pairing this card with a Chase premium card so you can combine points and transfer them.
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best of 2023
Non- Affiliate Link
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
American Express® Green Card
The American Express® Green Card is an absolute sleeper. It earns 3x on travel, transit, restaurants worldwide, $189 Clear Plus credit, $100 Lounge Buddy credit, and currently has an all time best ever offer…annual fee is $150.
Annual Fee
Points Earned
Transferrable Membership Rewards
A lot of people overlook the Amex Green card as it falls in the shadow of its premium siblings the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum. But this is a bad mammajamma earning 3x on travel, transit, dining, and has a very liberal interpretation of travel compared to other Amex cards.
Travel with the Amex Green card is defined as the following:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Tours
- Vacation Rentals
- Rideshares like Uber and Lyft
- Busses
- Taxi
- Subways and Metros
- Tolls
- Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards(R) Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards(R)
- points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
- transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
- eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
- Up to $189 CLEAR Plus Credit:
- Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express(R) Green Card.
- Up to $100 LoungeBuddy
- Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express(R) Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: No matter where you’re traveling, when you use your American Express(R) Green Card there are no foreign transaction fees.
- $150 annual fee.
- *Rates and Fees; terms apply
Yes, 60k Membership Rewards + 20% back on travel and transit, up to $200, after $3k spend in the the first 6 months is best ever
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
- Best of 2023
Non-Affiliate
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
This may be the most underrated credit card in the market. If you’re looking for a card that will earn bonus points across many of the categories you spend the most money on…this may be it. You’ll earn 3x points on Air Travel, Others Hotel, Supermarkets, Dining, and Gas.
Welcome Offer
60k after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
Points Earned
Transferrable Citi Thank You points
There isn’t another card on the market that earns 3x points on Air Travel, Hotel, Supermarkets, Dining, and Gas for $95 and has transferrable points
Speaking of transfer partners, it has a great list of air and hotel partners that fills in some gaps if you already have Amex or Chase cards in your wallet.
It has access to smaller programs like EVA and Turkish which opens up great business class opportunities to Europe and Asia. It also has a 1:2 transfer ratio to Choice which is great for using points at Preferred Hotels.
The only downside to the card is it doesn’t have many US parter programs like Amex, Bilt, or Chase.
- 3x points on
- Air Travel
- Hotel
- Supermarkets
- Dining
- Gas
- Access to Mastercard World Elite benefits
- No foreign Transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- This has a 24 months rule in effect, meaning if you’ve gotten the bonus in the past 24 months, or closed the card in the past 24 months, you’re ineligible.
- For a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou(R) Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel(SM) portal through June 30, 2024.
We have seen the offer pop up to $80k after $4k spend in 3 months in the past.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
- Best of 2023
Reader Referral Link: up to 90k after $4k spend in 6 months
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy
Resy Link 75k after $4k in 6 months + up to $250 dining credit
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
American Express® Gold Card
This is point earning powerhouse. American Express® Gold Card Earns 4x on dining and U.S. Supermarkets ( up to $25k, then 1x ) making it one of the best for those categories on the market.
I’ve had this card since 2018 and it gets a ton of swipes
Welcome Offer
Up to 90k after $4k spend in 6 months
Points Earned
Transferrable American Express Membership Rewards
American Express revamped their Gold card in 2018 and we named it THE MOST compelling card of the year.
I’d argue it’s still one the most compelling card in 2023 as well. Earning 4x points on restaurants, 4x on U.S. supermarkets ( up to $25k, then 1x ), 3x points on airfare purchased via Amex Travel and directly with airlines,
up to $10 monthly dining credit at select restaurants (enrollment required), up to $10 monthly credit on Uber/Uber Eats (enrollment required), let’s just say my Amex Gold card gets a ton of swipes every month.
The Amex Gold card also earns Membership Rewards and I love using their points to transfer to programs like Aeroplan, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Emirates, Avianca, Qantas, and many, many more to access those super fancy cabins everyone loves. This is one of the absolute workhorses of my wallet.
- Annual Fee is $250 *Rates and Fees; terms apply
- 4x points at restaurants
- 4x points at U.S. supermarkets ( up to $25k a year, then 1x )
- 3x points on flights purchased directly with the airline or Amex Travel
- up to $10 per month Uber Cash credit valid in US only (enrollment required)
- up to $120 Dining Credit at select restaurants (enrollment required)
- Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 1x everywhere else
- Access to The Hotel Collection
- *Rates and Fees; terms apply
The best ever public has been 90k after $4k spend in 6 months + the $250 dining credit ( this was on Resy ); however, some people have gotten targeted 100k offers, but those are extremely rare.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
- Best of 2023
Via Resy: 100k after $8k spend in 6 months + 10x Dining (up to $25k max in 6 months)
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
Reader Referral: 150k after $8k in 6 months
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express is a heavy hitter, and not just because it’s made of metal.
This is a card I carry and is jam packed with benefits including lounge access, VIP travel benefits, and a ton of statement credits.
Welcome Offer
Two offers listed
Annual Fee
Points Earned
Transferrable American Express Membership Rewards
A card we carry and love. The Platinum Card® from American Express is chock full of benefits
You’ll also have access to Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Amex’s own uber lux Centurion Clubs, earn 5x points on airfare purchased directly with the airlines or Amex Travel, access to Amex’s own Fine Hotels and Resorts program for upgrades, breakfast, and credits, earn $15 a month in Uber credits (enrollment required), and their Membership Rewards are some of the best points you can possibly earn.
I love using their points to transfer to programs like Aeroplan, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Emirates, Avianca, Qantas, and many, many more.
- $695 annual fee *Rates and Fees; terms apply
- Up to $200 Hotel credit
- You must pre-book via Amex FHR or The Hotel Collection, which requires a two night minimum stay, via Amex Travel
- Up to $200 Uber Cash yearly credit valid US only (enrollment required )
- $15 a month towards Uber, $35 in December, must link your account
- Up to $300 Equinox credit (enrollment required )
- Up to $240 Digital Entertainment Credit (enrollment required )
- Get up to $20 per month at Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal.
- Up to $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit (enrollment required )
- Up to $200 airline incidental credit (enrollment required )
- Up to $100 global entry or $85 TSA Pre credit (enrollment required )
- Up to $12.95 + tax / month Walmart+ membership
- Walmart+ members receive unlimited free shipping with no order minimum on items shipped by Walmart.com, free delivery from stores, as well as mobile and contactless check-out to make shopping faster.
- Up to $25 Soul Cycle monthly credit
- Platinum Card Members will receive a $300 statement credit every time they purchase a SoulCycle At-Home Bike, up to 15x per calendar year.
- An Equinox+ membership is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content.
- Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only.
- This stacks on top of the $25/month Equinox+ statement credit.
- Centurion lounge access
- Priority Pass select membership (enrollment required )
- Rental Car Status
- Hertz President’s Circle
- Avis Preferred Plus
- National Executive
- Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts, The Hotel Collection
- 5x on airfare purchased via Amex Travel or with your selected airline
- *Rates and Fees; terms apply
150k after $6k spend in 6 months along with 15x worldwide dining ( up to $25k ) was the best we ever have seen publicly through Resy. However, the 150k referral without the dining is pretty hard to beat imo.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
- Best of 2023
Non Affiliate Link
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the grandaddy of all Chase cards. It’s a super premium card that comes with a bevy of benefits, travel credits, increased earn rates, and points worth 1.5c in Chase Travel.
Welcome Offer
70,000 Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$550
Points Earned
Transferrable Ultimate Rewards
- 1.5c valuation for Ultimate Rewards in portal
-
- Or via Pay Yourself back categories which rotate
- $550 Annual Fee
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- Each anniversary Year
- 3x Dining
- 3x Travel
- hotels, car rentals, flights
- Note this begin after the annual $300 travel credit has been spent
- Ultimate Rewards Portal earn rates:
- Travel:
- 10x on Hotels and Car Rentals
- 5x on Flights total points on flights when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Note the bonus points begin after the annual $300 travel credit has been spent
- Dining
- 10x on Dining Purchases made via Ultimate Rewards portal
- Travel:
- Chase Sapphire lounge access once they are open
- Priority Pass membership with dining access for 2 guests
- $100 application fee credit every four years for
- Global Entry,
- NEXUS,
- or TSA PreCheck(R)
- Free Instacart+ for one year.
- Instacart+ members earn up to $15 in statement credits each month through July 2024.
- Free DashPass (DoorDash and Caviar) for one year
- activate by December 31, 2024.
- GoPuff: $10/month statement credit
- expires 12/31/23
- No Fx fees
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and mor
When the Chase Sapphire Reserve® first hit the market in 2016 it had a 100k offer, but the highest in recent years has been 80k after $4k spend in 3 months.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has perks like a $300 annual travel credit, full Priority Pass membership with access to great lounges + restaurants all around the world for you and 2 guests, 3x points on dining and travel worldwide, and points that are worth 1.5c in the Chase Travel Center.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash , Ink Business Unlimited you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners.
Personally, I think the Chase Sapphire Preferred® may offer more value for the annual fee, and if you want the super premium benefits, take a look at the Capital One Venture X to pair with it.
- Best of 2023
*Reader Referral
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
Chase Freedom Flex(SM)
The Chase Freedom Flex(SM) is an all out beast of card. Hands down, it’s one of the best on the market and offers a rotating 5x category bonus that allows helps you earn a ton of points.
Make sure you pair this card with a Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Ink Business Preferred® for max value
Welcome Offer
$200 or 20k Ultimate Rewards
Note this is a non-affiliate reader referral offer
Annual Fee
$0
Points Earned
Cash Back or non-transferrable Ultimate Rewards unless paired with a premium Chase card
- No Annual Fee
- Earn $200 or 20k Ultimate Rewards after $500 spend in 3 months
- 5x on Bonus Quarterly Categories – each quarter members can activate a 5x category bonus on purchases up to $1500 per quarter on the selected categories
- 5x on Travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 3x on Dining including take out/eligible delivery services.
- 3x on Drugstore
- 1x unlimited cash back on all other purchases.
- 0% interest for 15 month on new purchases
Additionally, you’ll get World Elite Mastercard benefits, including
- Mobile Phone Insurance – Up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year on mobile phone protection
- theft and damage on users listed on the phone bill paid by the cardholder
- Lyft – $10 in credit for every five rides taken in a calendar month
- This gets applied to the next ride
- 1x per month
- ShopRunner – free membership
- 2 day shipping at over 100 stores
- Fandango – 2x VIP+ points on movie tickets bought on the Fandango app or Fandango.com
- Mobile Phone Insurance – Up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year on mobile phone protection
The best offer we’ve consistently seen is via reader referral= $200 after $500 spend in 3 months + an additional 5x category for 12 months
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
When you carry a Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the The Chase Freedom Flex (SM) works exceptionally well in tandem.
It gives you the ability to earn 5x on rotating category bonuses each quarter which really expands your ability to earn points faster.
The base rate on the card is 1x though, so I’d recommend using this for the rotating category bonuses, but using a card that earns 1.5x or 2x for all your non-bonus spend. Like a Capital One Venture X, Venture Rewards, or Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Best of 2023
Affiliate Link
Reader Referral
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no annual fee card that earns an unlimited 1.5x on all purchases and is a great everyday card in the USA.
It’s a fantastic card for those who prefer cash-back, OR to pair with either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Welcome Offer
See Card Benefits
Annual Fee
$0
Points Earned
Cashback/ Non-transferrable Ultimate Rewards
CardRatings ( affiliate offer )
- Earn an extra 1.5x on all categories, up to $20k, in the first 12 months of new cardmembership
Reader Referral Offer
- Earn $200 ( 20k Ultimate Rewards ) after $500 spend in 3 months
- No Annual Fee
- 5x on Travel booked through Chase Travel
- 3x at Dining
- 3x Pharmacies
- 1.5% or 1.5x points on every purchase
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
Everyone needs a credit card that earns more than 1 point per dollar. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns an unlimited 1.5x on all purchases + has bonus categories for dining, pharmacies, and travel.
Points that you earn from this card can be combined with those from a Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Ink Business Preferred® and then transferred to partner programs. You can read more about that here.
Chase Ink Business Premier(SM) Credit Card
If cashback is your cup of tea, you’ll earn unlimited 2% cashback and 2.5% cashback on purchases of $5k or more with the Chase Ink Business Premier(SM) Credit Card
Note: These points are not capable of being merged with other Ultimate Rewards like some other Chase cashback cards.
Welcome Offer
$1000 after $10k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$195
Points Earned
Non-transferrable Ultimate Rewards
- 2% cash back on all business purchases
- 2.5% total cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more with no cap
- 5% total cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Center
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance.
- Fraud Protection, Zero Liability Protection, Purchase Protection, Cell Phone Protection, and Extended Warranty Protection.
- There’s no additional cost for employee cards.
- Annual fee is $195
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
This would be a main cast card if you’re looking to earn cashback vs transferrable points.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
Who is this card right for?
- You want cashback
- You make a lot of big purchases and spend over $50k a year
Those who make a lot purchases over $5000 and appreciate cashback are the prime customer for this card.
Every single purchase earns 2% cashback which is on par with cards like the Capital One Spark Cash ( which has a $150 annual fee ), and the Amex Blue Business Plus ( no annual fee ) which caps that earning at $50k in a year.
But, the place where the Ink Business Premier separates itself is on the 2.5% back on any purchase over $5000.
If you’re making a lot of $5000+ purchases, enjoy cashback, and spend more than $50k a year. This is a big earner.
- Best of 2023
Non-Affiliate
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
Citi(R) Double Cash Card
Simply put…earn unlimited 2% cashback
Welcome Offer
None
Annual Fee
$0
Points Earned
Cashback Thank You points, but if held alongside Citi Premier they can be combined and transferred
You’ll earn 1% cashback when you make a purchase, and another 1% when you pay for the purchase = 2%.
There is no cap to the 2% back and it’s paid in the form of Citi Thank You points.
The strategy of holding this card is to pair it with the premium Citi Premier card which earns transferrable Citi Thank You points.
Citi allows you to combine the cashback with the Citi Premier points and transfer into partners. Similar to how the Chase system works.
It’s a great combo set of cards and the Double Cash has no annual fee…making it a no brainer.
This card could serve as your everyday card to use on purchases that don’t have a category bonus and earn a minimum of 2x on every purchase
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% when you pay for those purchases.
- Keep an eye on 0% interest offers as they fluctuate but can offer up to 18 months interest free.
We have seen $200 or 20k Thank You points after $1500 spend in 3 months
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
- Best of 2023
Learn More
Amex Reader Referral
Information about this card has been collected independently by Monkey Miles. Card issuer is not responsible for the information or accuracy.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Earn 2x on purchases up to $50k a year
Welcome Offer
up to 50k on referral
Annual Fee
Points Earned
Transferrable American Express Membership Rewards
Super straight forward business card.
You’ll earn 2x on all your purchases up to $50k spent a year.
I use this in tandem with other Amex cards that have category bonuses, and throw spend on the Blue Business Plus when I can’t earn a higher multiple
- No Annual Fee. (Rates and Fees)
- Earn 2x, on up to $50k a year
- *Rates and Fees; terms apply
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
Earn 4x at Hyatt hotels and 5 elite nights every $10k in spend.
Welcome Offer
Up to 75k Bonus Points:
60k World of Hyatt points after $5k spend in 3 months + Earn an additional 15k World of Hyatt points after $12k in the first 6 months
Annual Fee
$199
Points Earned
World of Hyatt points
- Earn 60k World of Hyatt points after spending $5000 in 3 months
- Earn an additional 15k World of Hyatt points after spending $12k in 6 months
- 4x at Hyatt hotels
- 4x on the credit card spend on qualified Hyatt spend
- 5x as a base member of Hyatt on qualified spend
- 9x total when combining the two on qualified spend
- 2x at fitness clubs and gym memberships
- New Adaptive Accelator – Earn 2x on the categories you spend most each quarter
- Until 12/31/24 you’ll 2x at the top 3 categories
- dining;
- airline tickets purchased directly with the airline;
- car rental agencies;
- local transit and commuting;
- gas stations;
- internet, cable and phone services;
- social media
- search engine advertising;
- shipping
- Starting in 2023 you’ll get 2 bonus points at the top 2 categories
- Until 12/31/24 you’ll 2x at the top 3 categories
- Earning Elite Nights via spend
- Earn 5 Elite nights with every $10k in spend
- Discoverist Status while you hold the card
- World of Hyatt Business Credit cardmembers can gift up to 5 Discoverist statuses to their company employees
- They don’t need to be Authorize Users
- World of Hyatt Business Credit cardmembers can gift up to 5 Discoverist statuses to their company employees
- Spend $50k in a year and get 10% back on all point stays after hitting that spend threshold
- Get $100 statement credit each year at Hyatt hotels
- This is divided into two $50 credits
- No stay requirement needed
- Valid Interanationally
- No fee for employee business cards
- No foreign transaction fees
- Complimentary roadside dispatch
- Primary rental car collision damage waiver
- Extended warranty protection
- Purchase protection
- Trip cancellation/travel interruption insurance
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Access to Hyatt Leverage, Hyatt’s global business travel program that offers special rates to qualifying small and mid-sized enterprises at participating Hyatt hotels worldwide
- $199 annual fee
- Member FDIC
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
If you’re going to have just one World of Hyatt credit card, my choice would be the personal version.
It comes with a more streamlined set of benefits and ability to offset the annual fee.
The big miss on this card to me is the lack of baked in elite nights ( you need to spend $10k to earn 5, but can do so over and over again ), and it doesn’t come with an annual free night award.
Where this card could come in handy is if your business spends a ton of money. You need 60 elite nights to hit Globalist status and you could hit that purely by spending $120k a year on this card.
You’d also get 10% back on all your award redemptions after spending $50k…but honestly, I think there are much better places to throw your spend.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
For the $99 annual fee, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card yields IHG One Rewards Platinum Status, a 4th night free when booking with points, an annual anniversary 40k night, and a $50 United Travel bank credit. Been in my wallet since it was released.
*Note if you have a Chase IHG One Rewards personal card or you’ve received a welcome bonus in the past 24 months you’re ineligible to add this to your wallet
Welcome Offer
140,000 IHG One Rewards after $3k within 3 months of account opening
Annual Fee
$99
Points Earned
IHG One Rewards
- A free night after each account anniversary year
- These are currently valid at properties 40k points and below
- You can now add points to these nights should you want to stay at a pricier property
- 4th night free when redeeming points for a 4 consecutive night stay
- 10x at IHG Hotels & Resorts worldwide ( this is on top of the bonus you get as a IHG Rewards member )
- 5x
- travel
- gas stations
- dining/restaurants
- 3x everywhere else
- 5x
- Spend your way to Diamond with $40k in annual purchases
- Get a 10k bonus points and $100 statement credit when you spend $20k + one additional purchase in a year
- $50 United Travel Bank credit
- Earn up to 26x points at IHG hotels
- 20% off purchased points
- Can’t be stacked with points sales tho
- Platinum status at IHG while holding the card
- No Foreign Transaction
- $99 annual fee
175k after $3k spend in 3 months is the best we’ve seen.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
4 reasons I keep this card in my wallet
- A free anniversary award night every year you keep the card, worth up to 40k IHG One Rewards ( you can add unlimited points to this award night as well ) This easily offsets the annual fee for me.
- 4th night free when redeeming points
- Cardholder award night sales where you get notice to book in advance or exclusively for cardholders
- The United credit offset roughly half the annual fee
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Unlimited 2% cashback – high bonus, but requires a lot of spend quickly.
Welcome Offer
$1200 after $30k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$150
Points Earned
Cash Back, but may be possible to combine with Capital One Miles
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus earns unlimited 2% cashback and is technically considered a “cashback card”
However
Anedotally, and this is an unpublished data point, if you carry a card that earns Capital One Miles like the Capital One Venture X or Capital One Venture Rewards you can combine the cashback into Miles and transfer them into partners.
Either which way, you’d put this card to use on purchases that have no other category bonus so you’re guaranteed a 2x on every purchase
- Earn up to $1200 cash bonus after $30k spend in 3 months
- Earn unlimited 2% cash back
- Everywhere, without limit
- No preset spending limit
- Get your $150 annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000
- Rewards don’t expire as long as you have the card
- Add employee cards without fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- $150 annual fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Earn 2% cashback on purchases up to $50k a year, then 1x
Welcome Offer
This card offers a generous intro APR on purchases
Annual Fee
Points Earned
Cashback
I prefer The Blue Business Plus™ Credit Card from American Express since it earns Membership Rewards and I value them at more than a penny a point…but, if cashback is your jam…this is pretty great at 2% and no fee.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate,
- 2% cashback on all purchases up to $50k throughout the year.
- 2% cashback on all purchases up to $50k a year, then 1%
- No Annual Fee. *Rates and Fees; terms apply
We have seen $250 cashback after $3k spend in 3 months
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists what the highest offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
How it Works
We break credit cards into two broad categories as if we were casting a TV Show: Main Cast and Supporting Cast. We also keep a spreadsheet of the best available offers.
- Main Cast are the stars of your wallet. They are for your everyday purchases.
- Supporting Cast cards assist and aid your wallet. They yield more perks than their annual fee. These are mainly hotel and airline cards.
- Spreadsheet – we compiled a list of the current best offers as well as the all time best offers on a ton of cards. If you see something better, email us!
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.