Which credit card is best for rewards points?

The best Visa rewards card is Chase Freedom Unlimited® because it has a $0 annual fee, offers great rewards and is on the Visa card network. Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards cardholders with 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases (plus an additional 1.5% cash back on everything, up to $20,000 spent the first year).… read full answer

That said, choosing the right Visa rewards card for you depends on how you plan to use the card and redeem your rewards. People who travel a lot will want different cards than people who mainly charge gas and groceries, for example. Similarly, students will want cards that cater to their specific needs, as will business owners. Your choice of cards is limited by your creditworthiness, too. Luckily, there are options for everyone.

Popular Visa Rewards Cards

The best Visa rewards cards provide the most value if you pay your monthly bill in full. If you carry a balance from month to month, interest charges could negate, if not wipe out completely, any rewards earned.

Yes, rewards credit cards are worth if you won't have to spend extra to earn the rewards. 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. But you need good or excellent credit to get the most worthwhile rewards cards.… read full answer

Things aren’t as clear-cut for people with lower scores. In addition, rewards credit cards are only worth it for purchases that you can afford to pay off fully by the due date each month. Credit card interest rates are much higher than credit card rewards rates, so it’s best to use a low interest card for balances that you’ll carry from month to month.

Here’s how to choose a 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.

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.

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard has the best airline credit card bonus: 70,000 bonus miles (worth $700 in travel) when you spend $5,000 in the first 90 days. The Capital One Venture Rewards and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards offer 50,000 bonus miles (worth $500+ in travel) for spending $3,000 in the first few months. The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard offers 40,000 miles for spending $2,000 within three months, plus another 10,000 miles for spending a total of $6,000 in the first 12 months.… read full answer

In addition, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier and United Explorer cards give 40,000 bonus miles when you meet minimum spending requirements. And the Lufthansa Credit Card gives 20,000 bonus miles after you make your first purchase and pay the $89 annual fee.

When searching for the best airline credit card bonus, you should keep in mind that the card offering the bonus may be affiliated with a specific airline. These should only be an option if you frequently fly that airline. You’re only allowed to book flights directly through the airline in order to get full value from any rewards miles you’ve earned.

If you’re not loyal to any particular airline, consider a credit card with bonus points or miles that you can redeem for any travel-related expenses.

Here are the best airline credit card bonuses:

• 70,000 bonus miles for spending $5,000 in the first 90 days: Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard. Miles worth more than $700 when redeemed for travel. No annual fee for first year, $95 after.
• 50,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in the first three months: Capital One Venture Rewards. Miles worth $500 when redeemed for travel purchases. No annual fee for first year, $95 after.
• 40,000 bonus miles for spending $2,000 in the first three months: Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard. Miles worth around $500 in American Airlines Airfare when redeemed. . No annual fee for first year, $99 after.
• 50,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first three months: Chase Sapphire Preferred. Points worth $625 toward travel redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. No annual fee for first year, $95 after.
• 40,000 bonus miles when you spend $2,000 in the first three months: United Explorer Card. Earn an additional 5,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months. No annual fee for first year, $95 after.
• 40,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 in the first three months: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card. Miles worth around $616 when redeemed for Southwest airfare. $99 annual fee.
• 20,000 bonus miles after you make a purchase and pay the $89 annual fee: Lufthansa Credit Card. Earn an additional 30,000 miles when spending $5,000 in the first 90 days.

The Chase Ink Preferred Business card offers a great airline card bonus for small business owners. For a $95 annual fee, you’ll earn 80,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in the first three months. Points are worth $1,000 when redeemed for travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards.