Top Credit Cards In 2025 and Who Should Consider Them

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BILT Mastercard

Best For Renters ⭐️

The BILT Mastercard allows you to earn points towards rent payments, making it ideal for renters wanting to be rewarded for their largest monthly expense. The unique rewards structure is tailored specifically to renters’ spending habits.

Why We Love BILT

• Earn Points on Rent: 1x points per dollar on rent payments, no transaction fees, up to 100,000 points yearly
• Extra Points on Everyday Spending: 3x points on dining and 2x on travel, with 1x on everything else.
• Transfer Points for Travel: Points transfer 1:1 to a range of airlines (like American Airlines, United) and hotels, so they’re super versatile.
• Build Credit with Rent: Reports rent payments to all three credit bureaus to help build credit
• $0 annual fee

Discover It® Card

Best For Students

Why We Love The Discover It Card

• Cash Back Rewards: The Discover it® Card offers generous cash back on everyday purchases, such as 5% cash back on rotating categories each quarter, like gas stations, grocery stores, and Amazon. Plus, unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases automatically. (up to the quarterly maximum when you activate)
• No Annual Fee: $0 annual fee, making it cost-effective for students and beginners who are mindful of saving money.
• Good Grade Reward: Students can benefit from the Good Grade Reward program, which gives a $20 statement credit each school year your GPA is 3.0 or higher for up to the next five years.
• Free FICO® Credit Score: Cardholders can access their FICO® Credit Score for free on monthly statements and online, which is great if you are looking to build and monitor your credit score.

Overall, the Discover It Card is a great option for anyone who wants to maximize cashback rewards. The 5% bonus categories combined with the cashback match make it easy to earn a nice return. It’s a simple card with no annual fee, so it’s good for consumers who want cash back without needing to pay a high annual cost.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Overall best for beginners who want a lower annual fee

Why we love The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is my top recommendation for anyone seeking a beginner-friendly travel rewards credit card. With a reasonable annual fee, excellent points-earning potential, and strong travel insurance benefits, it covers all the essentials. This is my go-to suggestion for friends, family, and anyone looking to dip their toes into travel rewards.

• Valuable Sign On Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• Airline and Hotel Loyalty Programs: You have the ability to redeem and transfer points to different airlines and hotel, so you aren’t locked into one or the other.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees: Makes it a good option for international travelers as it does not charge any fees on purchases made abroad.
• Generous Earning Categories: 2x points on every $1 spent on travel, 3x points on every $1 spent on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
• Travel Protections: One of the best perks is the peace of mind that comes with being covered for any unexpected surprises while traveling.

If you’re looking to compare cards and find the best fit for your needs, I recommend using this tool.

The Platinum Card® From American Express

Best For Frequent Flyers & Travelers (also a plus if you love airport lounges)

Why we love the amex platinum card

• Travel In Style: This card is loaded with top-tier perks. You’ll enjoy access to an extensive airport lounge network (including Centurion Lounges), up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $200 Uber Cash, a $199 CLEAR Plus credit. (Enrollment required for all benefits)
• Hotel Aficionados: Offers complimentary Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, enhancing stays with room upgrades and bonus points. (Enrollment required for all benefits)
• Comprehensive Travel Insurance: Comes with travel insurance coverages including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage insurance, and car rental loss and damage insurance.
• Concierge Service: 24/7 Platinum Concierge service available to help with travel arrangements, reservations, and more, providing a personalized touch to your planning.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees: Comes in clutch for international travelers
• Point Transfer to Travel Partners: Points can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs, allowing for flexible use of accumulated points.
• Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees) Terms Apply.

*Each Benefit requires enrollment via their website, terms apply to American Express Benefits and offers. visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

My Favorite Travel Card With a Reasonable Annual Fee

Why we love the Venture Rewards Credit Card

• Easy Earning: Collect 2x miles on every dollar spent, no confusing categories to track. Just swipe, earn, repeat!
• Generous Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months—that’s worth $750 in travel! Talk about a solid head start.
• TSA PreCheck/Global Entry Credit: Get up to $120 to cover TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees, making airport lines less painful.
• Flexible Redemptions: Redeem miles for statement credits, book trips through Capital One, or even transfer miles to over 15 travel partners.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees: Travel abroad without worrying about those pesky foreign transaction fees.
• Annual Fee: Just $95 a year—pretty reasonable for the perks you get!

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