Hotels

A no-fee Chase card offering 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points on everything, except as noted below. It's best combined with a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Chase Ink Business Preferred to unlock the power of transfer partners.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Rate:

• 5X on travel when purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal*
• 5X on Lyft until March 2022
• 3X on dining (including takeout and delivery)
• 3X at drugstores
• 1.5X on everything else

NOTE: This card can be used as cash back or as an Ultimate Rewards points card. In valuing your rewards, we assume you also have a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Chase Ink Business Preferred. You can then transfer points from this card to one of those to unlock the power of transfer partners. If you have this card without one of the above cards, your rewards value will be lower with each point worth exactly 1 cent.

0% Interest APR Intro Offer:

Get a 0% Intro APR for 15 months (Terms Apply)

Note: Our rewards optimization calculator will count all travel on this card at 5X, but please note the limitations around that above. 

The Platinum Card is full of caché and its heavy metal design will catch more than a few looks. While the fee isn't small, you get a lot back in the form of monthly credits.

The benefits include a $200 in yearly Uber credits and Uber VIP status as well as $200 in annual incidental airline credits for your chosen airline, $100 in annual Saks Fifth Ave credits, access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which includes the Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Delta SkyClubs when you are flying Delta.

New: for January to June 2021 only, the Amex Platinum has a $30 monthly PayPal credit as well.

NOTE: This card earns 5x on airfare and hotels, however, the airfare must be booked direct with the airline or at Amex Travel and the hotels must be prepaid at Amex Travel to earn 5x. This site's Estimated Rewards Values will calculate all airfare and hotels at 5x points, so if your hotels are booked directly (which you generally need to do to earn hotel points and status/benefits) please note that they will not earn 5x and your actual rewards value will vary accordingly.

Get complimentary top-tier Hilton Diamond status, an annual $250 Hilton Resort credit, an annual $250 airline incidental fee credit, and a Free Weekend Night Award.

Also includes Priority Pass Select Airport Lounge Access for you and up to 2 guests per visit at no additional charge. (Enrollment required).

Earn Rate:

14x Hilton Honors points at Hiltons; 7x points on flights booked directly with airlines, car rentals booked direct, and US restaurants; and 3x points everywhere else.

Only in 2021 - Additional Hilton Aspire Benefits 

• Bonus points earned through eligible purchases, if they post to the card member’s Hilton Honors account by Dec. 31, 2021, will be classified as base points and will count toward elite tier qualification and lifetime Diamond status.
• Unexpired and newly issued free weekend night certificates can temporarily be used on any night of the week.
• All newly issued Free Weekend Night Reward certificates issued after Jan 1, 2021 will be valid through December 31, 2022.

NOTE: For the purposes of calculating your expected rewards for this card, we are assuming that the spend you put in "Hotels" is all spent at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts. If some is spent at other hotels, your actual rewards will be slightly lower.

Earn 4x World of Hyatt points at Hyatt, 2x at restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly, local transit and commuting, and fitness club and gym memberships.

The Hyatt card gives you a Category 1 - 4 night every card year at renewal and you can earn a second one with $15,000 spend. Additional benefits include automatic Discoverist status and 5 elite nights credited each calendar year as well as the ability to earn 2 elite nights for every $5,000 in purchases.

Keep in mind that all points earned on a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred can also be transferred to World of Hyatt at a 1 to 1 ratio.

NOTE: In calculating your rewards for this card, we are making the assumption that all Hotel spend entered is spent on Hyatt. If part of that spend is on other hotel chains, that spend will earn only 1x on this card, reducing the value of your rewards.

This mid-tier Hilton card comes with complimentary Hilton Gold status.

It will allow you to earn 12x Hilton Honors points at Hilton; 6x at US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations; and 3x everywhere else.

There is also an opportunity to earn Diamond status and a free weekend night via card spend.

American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)

Note: Estimated Rewards Values shown throughout this site assume your hotel spend will be at Hilton brand hotels and resorts. If you have additional hotel spend not associated with Hilton, your actual return will be lower.

The card that re-revolutionized points-earning credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a high-end travel rewards card that unlocks transfers from this and any linked Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card to airline and hotel partners and offers rich benefits for a frequent traveler.

It offers 3x Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining. It provides a 50% boost in point value within the Chase portal and you get an annual $300 travel credit each card year which greatly offsets the card's annual fee.

New Lyft and DoorDash Benefits:

• Earn 10X Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides
• Get a one-time complimentary Lyft Pink (15% Lyft discounts, free bike/scooter rentals each month, and better cancellation rules). ($19.99 / month value)
• Get $60 in DoorDash credits each year (2020 and 2021).
• Get free DashPass to get free DoorDash deliveries at select restaurants with $12 or more in your order and decreased service charges.

Chase Will Let you “Pay Yourself Back”

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers can always use their points to book travel via the travel portal where they get 1.5 cents per point.

Now, you can redeem in the same manner for grocery stores, home improvement stores and dining, including restaurants, takeout and eligible delivery services. Instead of using a “portal” to make the purchases, you just pay as you normally would and then go into the Chase website to “pay” for that purchase with points. You will get the same 1.5 cents per point in value as you get booking travel. The feature is branded “Pay Yourself Back^SM“. 

The biggest feature of this card is 3X American Express Membership Rewards points on Travel, Transit and Dining.

The new Amex Green card also comes with a few annual credits:

• $100 credit towards a CLEAR membership for expedited airport security lines.
• $100 credit to Lounge Buddy (airport lounges - a competitor to Priority Pass lounge access

This card is an excellent general travel and entertainment card with a low annual fee. It has some powerful bonus category earnings

• 3X Points at Dining
• 3X Points at Grocery Stores / Supermarkets
• 3X Points on Gas
• 3X Points on Flights and Hotels
• 1X Points on All Other Purchases

Thank You points can be transferred to a variety of airline frequent flyer programs, such as Avianca, Etihad, Turkish and Cathay Pacific.

The IHG credit card offers an annual anniversary free night, the fourth reward night free whenever you redeem for 4 or more nights, and Platinum status.

Earn 10x at IHG and 2x at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. Also earn 10,000 bonus points when you spend $20,000 plus one additional purchase each card year.

NOTE: In calculating your rewards values for this card, we are making the assumption that all Hotel spend entered is spent on IHG. If part of that spend is on other hotels, that spend will earn only 1x on this card, reducing the value of your rewards.

Receive Marriott Gold status and 15 elite nights credits every year.

This card earns Marriott Bonvoy points for purchases: 6x points at Marriott hotels, 3x points at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2x points everywhere else.

Comes with an annual free night award (up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in value) at renewal and a $300 credit towards Marriott hotel and resort stays.

NOTE: Our rewards calculator is assuming that your total entered in "Hotels" is spend at Marriott properties for the purposes of calculating this card's value to you. If part of your hotel spend is at non-Marriott properties, that spend will earn less than our estimate.

Get an annual main cabin "Buy One, Get One" companion certificate, plus your first checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta.

Earn bonus Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) and bonus miles at tiered spending thresholds. Spending $25,000 in a year on this card will waive the MQDs requirement for Medallion qualification up to Platinum status.

Delta Platinum Bonus Categories

• Earn 3X miles on Delta purchases
• Earn 3X miles on hotels (purchased directly with the hotel - much better than when you have to use a booking portal!)
• Earn 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets
• Earn 2X miles at restaurants, worldwide

Additional Delta Platinum Benefits

• $100 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry or an $85 credit for TSA Pre✓^® every 4.5 years.
• Buy One, Get One Companion Certificate on select fares.

NOTE: Our rewards calculator and Estimated Rewards Values assume all "Airfare" is on Delta and is therefore counted at 3x points. If you also fly another carrier, you will only earn 1x points for those purchases and your Reward Values would be lower than indicated.

Earn Marriott points for purchases. Earn 6x at Marriott and SPG and 2x everywhere else. Get a Free Night Award, 15 elite credits, and Silver status every year.

NOTE: In valuing your potential rewards from this card, we assumed that all spend from Hotels is at Marriott brands, which earn 6x points. If some of your hotel spend is at other hotel brands, your actual rewards will be somewhat lower.

This no-annual fee Hilton card comes with complimentary Hilton Silver status, earns bonus Hilton points on Hilton stays, US restaurants, US gas stations, and US supermarkets*.

*American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)

NOTE: For the purposes of calculating your expected rewards, we are assuming that the spend you put in "Hotels" is all spent at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts. If some is spent at other hotels, your actual rewards will be slightly lower.

Perhaps the best "starting out card" in miles and points.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a low annual fee, unlocks transfers from this and any linked Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card to airline and hotel partners, comes with excellent built-in trip delay insurance, primary car rental CDW coverage and earns 2x points on travel and dining.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Earn Rate:

• 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides though March 2022
• 2X Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining
• 1X Ultimate Rewards on all other purchases

Also:

• You'll get 2x total points on grocery store purchases - up to $1,000 per month - from November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021. (Includes most pick-up and delivery services.)

Chase Will Let you “Pay Yourself Back”

Chase Sapphire Preferred cardmembers can always use their points to book travel via the travel portal where they get 1.25 cents per point.

Now, you can redeem in the same manner for grocery stores, home improvement stores and dining, including restaurants, takeout and eligible delivery services. Instead of using a “portal” to make the purchases, you just pay as you normally would and then go into the Chase website to “pay” for that purchase with points. You will get the same 1.25 cents per point in value as you get booking travel. The feature is branded “Pay Yourself Back^SM“. 

The only requirement is that the merchant category be in one of the specified categories and you must “Pay yourself back” within 90 days of purchase. This feature will be on the card until at least April 2021.

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers get the same opportunity, but at a higher 1.5 cents per point cash-out rate.

If you apply for a Chase credit card and don't get an instant approval, you may want to call the Chase reconsideration line.

The Wells Fargo Propel offers 3x on gas stations, rideshares, transit, flights, hotels, car rentals, and some streaming services.

It earns 1x elsewhere.

These points can be used in their travel portal to purchase travel of almost any kind.

The Wells Fargo Propel credit card also provides complimentary cell phone insurance. There are no foreign transaction fees, either.

New cardholders will get a 12 month introductory 0% intro APR period on both purchases and balance transfers. 14.49%-24.99% Variable thereafter. See Terms.

This Costco-branded card earns 2% cash back at Costco. It also earns an incredible 4% cash back at gas stations, both Costco and otherwise, for the first $7,000 per year. Additionally, it earns 3% cash back at restaurants and on travel.

You must have a Costco membership to be eligible for this card.