What's the best double points credit card?

The best double points credit card has got to be Chase Sapphire Preferred, which offers double points on all travel and dining purchases. Quite a few cards allow you to earn 2 points per $1 spent on some or all purchases, but Preferred has the extra benefit of its points being worth 25% more when redeemed for travel. So you get the equivalent of 1.25% cash back on Sapphire Preferred’s double-points purchases when you redeem for travel. And the card’s massive 50,000-point initial bonus is worth up to $625.

There are plenty of other interesting double points credit cards, though. Amex Everyday and Citi ThankYou Preferred are two notable options. And you shouldn’t rule out Citi Double Cash or Capital One Venture’s double miles, either.

HERE ARE THE BEST DOUBLE POINTS CREDIT CARDS:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred: Double points on travel and dining
  You also get 1 point per $1 spent on everything else. Points are worth 1.25 cents each when used for travel. 50,000 point initial bonus when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. Multiple types of travel insurance included. $95 annual fee waived the first year. Excellent credit required.
• Amex Everyday: Double points on $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each year
  You also get 1 per $1 on everything else, plus 20% more points when you use your card 20 times in a billing cycle. 10,000 point bonus for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. Points worth 1 cent each toward travel. No annual fee. Good credit required.
• Citi ThankYou Preferred: Double points on dining and entertainment
  You also get 1 per $1 on everything else. Points worth 1 cent each toward gift cards. 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. No annual fee. Excellent credit required.
• Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card: Double points at SPG and Marriott hotels
  You also get 1 point per $1 on everything else. 25,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Points worth around 2 cents each toward hotel stays. $95 annual fee waived the first year. Good credit required.
• Capital One Venture: Double miles on all purchases
  You also get 10 miles per $1 at hotels.com/venture. 50,000 miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Miles worth 1 cent each toward travel. $95 annual fee waived the first year. Good credit required.
• Citi Double Cash: Double cash back on all purchases
  You get 1% cash back when you buy something and 1% when you pay it off. 18-month 0% balance transfer offer. No annual fee. Good credit required.

Double points credit cards can give you an excellent return on your spending. And believe it or not, some cards, like Chase Sapphire Reserve, even offer 3 or more points per $1 spent on certain purchases. But the better a card’s rewards are, the more demanding its approval requirements will usually be.

It depends on what your buying habits are. Cap One Venture and Citi Double Cash are good all-rounders, simply because you get double on whatever you use them with. That being said, Sapphire Preferred gets you double on travel, and Reserve even gets you triple!

It's Citi Double Cash. You get points both for spending & for paying your bill. That's the only "double points" that matters in my books.