What are the best rewards programs?

The best rewards programs are Delta SkyMiles for free flights, Wyndham Rewards for free hotel nights, Capital One Rewards for credit cards with a lot of cash back or miles, and apps like Swagbucks and Shopkick for online shopping rewards and discounts. There are roughly 4 billion U.S. consumers enrolled in customer rewards programs. But you can’t just join them all. It would be too difficult to manage.

The best approach is to find a select number of standout options that suit your spending habits, shopping preferences, travel plans, etc. Fortunately, WalletHub has done a lot of research to help identify the top options in the most popular categories.

For example, WalletHub’s latest Frequent Flyer Program Report concluded that Delta SkyMiles is the best airline rewards program because of notable features like 5 SkyMiles per $1 spent on Delta flights, flexible redemption options and miles that never expire. It’s also free to join, as is the case with all major frequent flyer programs. The main downside is that the value of SkyMiles changes frequently.

Similarly, Wyndham Rewards is the best hotel rewards program because it enables members to quickly earn free nights at more than 9,000 properties in over 80 countries. After joining for free, members earn either 10 points per $1 spent directly on room costs or 1,000 points per hotel stay, whichever is higher. In addition, points redeemed for hotel stays cover taxes and fees. The main downside of Wyndham Rewards is that points expire four years after they post to your account.

There are lots of different types of rewards programs, though. You can check out some of the best, most popular options listed by category below. All of these rewards programs are free to join.

Best Airline Rewards Programs:

• Delta SkyMiles
• United MileagePlus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• Hawaiian Miles
• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Frontier Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• Spirit Airlines

Best Hotel Rewards Programs:

• Wyndham Rewards
• Radisson Rewards
• Best Western Rewards
• Choice Privileges
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Hilton Honors
• World of Hyatt
• Drury Rewards
• IHG Rewards Club

Best Credit Card Rewards Programs:

• Capital One Rewards
• Barclays Rewards
• U.S. Bank Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Points
• Navy Federal Credit Union
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Pentagon Federal Credit Union
• Bank of America Preferred Rewards
• PNC Bank Rewards
• Discover Cash Back Rewards
• Wells Fargo Rewards
• American Express Membership Rewards

Retailer Rewards Programs:

• Barnes & Noble Membership
• CVS ExtraCare
• Office Depot Rewards
• Target Circle
• My Best Buy Rewards
• Starbucks Rewards

Rewards Apps:

• MyPoints
• SwagBucks
• Belly
• Fronto
• Shopkick
• Checkout 51

Rewards Programs for Online Shopping:

• Rakuten Rewards (formerly Ebates)
• Mr. Rebates
• Coupon Cactus
• Drop

We clearly have a long list of free rewards programs available to us these days. But it’s important to remember that not all rewards programs are equal. In some cases, you’ll earn points with every dollar spent and redeem those points for future purchases. Other businesses may offer free or discounted items when you make purchases either in-store or from their website. Be aware also that not all rewards programs are free. A handful of rewards programs such as Amazon Prime change with a membership fee.

You should always read the fine print before you sign up for any rewards program. Familiarize yourself with earning rates, redemption rates and costs, if any, to make sure the program you’re signing up for is worth it. You don’t want to find a surprise membership fee or other hidden charges among your bills.