Best cards/Ranked

Best credit cards, ranked by net value

Every card’s credits added up at face value, minus the annual fee. A positive number means the card pays out more than it costs.

#	CARD	ANNUAL FEE	CREDITS/YR	FEE AS SHARE	NET VALUE
1	Chase Sapphire ReserveChase · 13 credits	$795	$3,143	25% GOES TO THE FEE	+$2,348
2	American Express PlatinumAmerican Express · 12 credits	$895	$3,004	30% GOES TO THE FEE	+$2,109
3	American Express Platinum (Charles Schwab)American Express · 11 credits	$895	$2,974	30% GOES TO THE FEE	+$2,079
4	American Express Platinum (Morgan Stanley)American Express · 11 credits	$895	$2,974	30% GOES TO THE FEE	+$2,079
5	American Express Business PlatinumAmerican Express · 9 credits	$895	$2,179	41% GOES TO THE FEE	+$1,284
6	Chase Sapphire Reserve for BusinessChase · 8 credits	$795	$1,950	41% GOES TO THE FEE	+$1,155
7	American Express Business GoldAmerican Express · 4 credits	$375	$845	44% GOES TO THE FEE	+$470
8	Chase United QuestChase · 6 credits	$350	$806	43% GOES TO THE FEE	+$456
9	Chase Sapphire PreferredChase · 5 credits	$95	$550	17% GOES TO THE FEE	+$455
10	United Business CardChase · 5 credits	$150	$441	34% GOES TO THE FEE	+$291
11	IHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardChase · 5 credits	$150	$420	36% GOES TO THE FEE	+$270
12	IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit CardChase · 5 credits	$350	$620	56% GOES TO THE FEE	+$270
13	American Express Hilton Honors AspireAmerican Express · 3 credits	$550	$819	67% GOES TO THE FEE	+$269
14	Chase United ExplorerChase · 4 credits	$150	$380	39% GOES TO THE FEE	+$230
15	United Club Business CardChase · 6 credits	$695	$864	80% GOES TO THE FEE	+$169
16	Citi Strata EliteCiti · 4 credits	$595	$730	82% GOES TO THE FEE	+$135
17	Chase United ClubChase · 5 credits	$695	$814	85% GOES TO THE FEE	+$119
18	American Express GoldAmerican Express · 4 credits	$325	$424	77% GOES TO THE FEE	+$99
19	Delta SkyMiles Platinum BusinessAmerican Express · 3 credits	$350	$440	80% GOES TO THE FEE	+$90
20	American Express GreenAmerican Express · 1 credit	$150	$209	72% GOES TO THE FEE	+$59
21	Citi AAdvantage ExecutiveCiti · 4 credits	$695	$750	93% GOES TO THE FEE	+$55
22	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardAmerican Express · 1 credit	$150	$200	75% GOES TO THE FEE	+$50
23	Hilton Honors American Express Business CardAmerican Express · 1 credit	$195	$240	81% GOES TO THE FEE	+$45
24	Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express CardAmerican Express · 3 credits	$350	$390	90% GOES TO THE FEE	+$40
25	Bank of America Premium RewardsBank of America · 2 credits	$95	$125	76% GOES TO THE FEE	+$30
26	Delta SkyMiles Gold BusinessAmerican Express · 1 credit	$150	$150	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	+$0
27	American Express Delta SkyMiles Reserve BusinessAmerican Express · 4 credits	$650	$640	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$10
28	U.S. Bank Altitude ReserveU.S. Bank · 2 credits	$400	$355	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$45
29	Wells Fargo Autograph JourneyWells Fargo · 1 credit	$95	$50	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$45
30	Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express CardAmerican Express · 1 credit	$150	$100	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$50
31	American Express Delta SkyMiles ReserveAmerican Express · 4 credits	$650	$590	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$60
32	Capital One Venture X BusinessCapital One · 2 credits	$395	$330	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$65
33	Capital One Venture XCapital One · 2 credits	$395	$330	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$65
34	Bank of America Premium Rewards EliteBank of America · 3 credits	$550	$480	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$70
35	IHG One Rewards Business Credit CardChase · 2 credits	$200	$130	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$70
36	The Ritz-Carlton Credit CardChase · 2 credits	$450	$330	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$120
37	American Express Marriott Bonvoy BrilliantAmerican Express · 2 credits	$650	$330	FEE EXCEEDS CREDITS	-$320

Chase Sapphire ReserveChase · 13 credits

$3,143 credits$795 fee, 25% of it

+$2,348 2

American Express PlatinumAmerican Express · 12 credits

$3,004 credits$895 fee, 30% of it

+$2,109 3

American Express Platinum (Charles Schwab)American Express · 11 credits

$2,974 credits$895 fee, 30% of it

+$2,079 4

American Express Platinum (Morgan Stanley)American Express · 11 credits

$2,974 credits$895 fee, 30% of it

+$2,079 5

American Express Business PlatinumAmerican Express · 9 credits

$2,179 credits$895 fee, 41% of it

+$1,284 6

Chase Sapphire Reserve for BusinessChase · 8 credits

$1,950 credits$795 fee, 41% of it

+$1,155 7

American Express Business GoldAmerican Express · 4 credits

$845 credits$375 fee, 44% of it

+$470 8

Chase United QuestChase · 6 credits

$806 credits$350 fee, 43% of it

+$456 9

Chase Sapphire PreferredChase · 5 credits

$550 credits$95 fee, 17% of it

+$455 10

United Business CardChase · 5 credits

$441 credits$150 fee, 34% of it

+$291 11

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardChase · 5 credits

$420 credits$150 fee, 36% of it

+$270 12

IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit CardChase · 5 credits

$620 credits$350 fee, 56% of it

+$270 13

American Express Hilton Honors AspireAmerican Express · 3 credits

$819 credits$550 fee, 67% of it

+$269 14

Chase United ExplorerChase · 4 credits

$380 credits$150 fee, 39% of it

+$230 15

United Club Business CardChase · 6 credits

$864 credits$695 fee, 80% of it

+$169 16

Citi Strata EliteCiti · 4 credits

$730 credits$595 fee, 82% of it

+$135 17

Chase United ClubChase · 5 credits

$814 credits$695 fee, 85% of it

+$119 18

American Express GoldAmerican Express · 4 credits

$424 credits$325 fee, 77% of it

+$99 19

Delta SkyMiles Platinum BusinessAmerican Express · 3 credits

$440 credits$350 fee, 80% of it

+$90 20

American Express GreenAmerican Express · 1 credit

$209 credits$150 fee, 72% of it

+$59 21

Citi AAdvantage ExecutiveCiti · 4 credits

$750 credits$695 fee, 93% of it

+$55 22

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardAmerican Express · 1 credit

$200 credits$150 fee, 75% of it

+$50 23

Hilton Honors American Express Business CardAmerican Express · 1 credit

$240 credits$195 fee, 81% of it

+$45 24

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express CardAmerican Express · 3 credits

$390 credits$350 fee, 90% of it

+$40 25

Bank of America Premium RewardsBank of America · 2 credits

$125 credits$95 fee, 76% of it

+$30 26

Delta SkyMiles Gold BusinessAmerican Express · 1 credit

$150 credits$150 fee

+$0 27

American Express Delta SkyMiles Reserve BusinessAmerican Express · 4 credits

$640 credits$650 fee

-$10 28

U.S. Bank Altitude ReserveU.S. Bank · 2 credits

$355 credits$400 fee

-$45 29

Wells Fargo Autograph JourneyWells Fargo · 1 credit

$50 credits$95 fee

-$45 30

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express CardAmerican Express · 1 credit

$100 credits$150 fee

-$50 31

American Express Delta SkyMiles ReserveAmerican Express · 4 credits

$590 credits$650 fee

-$60 32

Capital One Venture X BusinessCapital One · 2 credits

$330 credits$395 fee

-$65 33

Capital One Venture XCapital One · 2 credits

$330 credits$395 fee

-$65 34

Bank of America Premium Rewards EliteBank of America · 3 credits

$480 credits$550 fee

-$70 35

IHG One Rewards Business Credit CardChase · 2 credits

$130 credits$200 fee

-$70 36

The Ritz-Carlton Credit CardChase · 2 credits

$330 credits$450 fee

-$120 37

American Express Marriott Bonvoy BrilliantAmerican Express · 2 credits

$330 credits$650 fee

-$320

WHAT’S COUNTED

Credits only. Lounge access, elite status, free night certificates and travel insurance are listed on each card’s page but left out of the total, because putting a dollar figure on them would be us guessing. Credits that reset more than once a year are counted at their full annual amount.

BEST CARDS BY CATEGORY

Each page ranks cards on the credits in that category, with total net value alongside.

Travel Food & Dining Entertainment & Media Business Lifestyle Transportation