Are rewards credit cards worth it?

Yes, rewards credit cards are worth it as long as you don’t overspend just to earn the rewards and you avoid interest charges by paying your bill in full every month. The best rewards credit cards are worth more than $2,000 in savings for the average person over the first two years of use, after annual fees.

You need good or excellent credit to get the most worthwhile rewards cards, however. Things aren’t as clear-cut for people with lower scores.

How to Choose a Worthwhile Rewards Credit Card

When determining if a rewards credit card is worth it or not, you have to weigh the worth of the rewards against the cost of the card. If the rewards card has no annual fee and you plan to pay the bill in full every month, it’s pretty easy to decide the card is worth it.

However, you’ll often get the best rewards and biggest signup bonuses from cards that do have annual fees. In that case, you just have to crunch the numbers to make sure you’ll get your money’s worth.

Popular Rewards Credit Cards to Consider

How to Get the Most Value From Your Rewards Card

Regardless of which rewards card you choose, be sure to understand how you can earn rewards most efficiently. Some cards have higher rewards rates for specific categories, and some give a flat rewards rate that you earn on all purchases. The fastest way to earn credit card rewards is through signup bonuses.

Many of the top rewards cards come with signup bonuses that you can get for meeting a minimum spending requirement in the first three months. The signup bonuses are usually worth several hundred dollars, enough to cover the cards’ annual fees for years. And you can get them for spending money you were already planning on spending.