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Dec 28, 2023

The CNN Underscored team’s favorite credit cards of 2023

CNN Underscored reviews financial products based on their overall value. We may

CNN Underscored reviews financial products based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through our affiliate partners if you apply and are approved for a product, but our reporting is always independent and objective. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Having the right credit card can make your travel less expensive and more enjoyable. Likewise, credit cards can make your everyday expenses more rewarding, since many cards offer cash back or travel rewards on all purchases.

But there's no one best credit card for everyone. Frequent travelers will have different needs than someone who just wants the most cash back on groceries. Even within each type of credit card, there are different features, spending categories and benefits. So what card is right for another person may not be the right one for you.

Regardless, if you’re in the market for a credit card, having some inspiration can be helpful. So in this article, the CNN Underscored team will show you some of its favorite credit cards, from premium travel cards to cash back and everything else in between.

Here at CNN Underscored, we’re big fans of Amazon. There's something to be said for its huge variety of products and fast shipping with Amazon Prime. So naturally, many of our staffers use the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card to earn 5% back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. Just note that you must be an Amazon Prime member to get these cash back rates.

Chelsea Stone — a Senior Editor at CNN Underscored — loves her Amazon Prime Rewards card:

As a frequent Amazon shopper, I love the Amazon Prime Visa. It allows you to earn 5% back on all Amazon and Whole Foods purchases (of which I make many) and is especially useful when I’m stocking up on groceries.

Chelsea Stone, Senior Editor

The Amazon Prime Rewards card earns bonus cash back on other categories too. You’ll earn 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase, and 2% cash back at gas stations, restaurants, local transit, and other commuting expenses. All other purchases earn 1% cash back. If you’re an Amazon Prime member and want cash back rewards, this could be a great credit card to add to your wallet.

Welcome offer: Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval and earn 5% back everywhere on up to $2,500 in spending for the first 3 months after account opening. An eligible Prime membership is required.

Annual fee: $0.

Learn more and apply for the Amazon Prime Rewards card.

Related: These are the 8 best credit cards to use for Amazon purchases .

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a favorite of Hunter Capobianco, CNN Underscored's Director of Business Development. It's a cash back credit card that offers up to 6% cash back on some popular everyday purchase categories, like U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%, select streaming services and transit. Plus, it earns 3% cash back on gas.

Here's what Capobianco said about the Blue Cash Preferred:

"Since moving to the suburbs, this card has taken on a whole new meaning for me. I get 6% cash back on groceries and 6% back on streaming services, of which we have a lot these days…also I’ve had to use my car more, so the 3% cash back on gas has been a nice add-on. Amex also has a pretty strong Offers platform, so if you do a lot of shopping online, there's plenty of bonus cash back opportunities available."

Hunter Capobianco, Director of Business Development

The Blue Cash Preferred can be a great option for those who simply want a high cash back return on their everyday expenses. However, it's not the best option for those looking for travel rewards, as you can only redeem for statement credits.

Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.

Annual fee: $95, waived the first year (see rates and fees).

Learn more and apply for the Blue Cash Preferred card.

Read CNN Underscored's full review of the Blue Cash Preferred card.

The American Express® Gold Card is one of my personal favorites. It's geared toward foodies, as it earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar on dining and at U.S. supermarkets. Plus, frequent travelers will enjoy earning 3 points per dollar on airfare booked through American Express Travel or directly with an airline.

This is why the Amex Gold has a permanent place in my wallet:

The Amex Gold card has been in my wallet for years, and it's not leaving any time soon. My girlfriend and I use this as our shared card as we spend a lot of money on dining and groceries. Earning 4 points per dollar on these purchases adds up, and the Amex Membership Rewards points we’ve earned has subsidized airfare on a number of trips over the years.

Andrew Kunesh, Senior Money Editor

On top of stellar points earning rates, the Amex Gold gives $10 in monthly Uber Cash credits that can be used toward Uber rides and Uber Eats orders. Plus, it also gives $10 in monthly dining statement credits that can be used at one of these merchants: Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. This almost completely offsets the card's $250 annual fee (see rates and fees), giving the Amex Gold a permanent place in my wallet.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership.

Annual fee: $250.

Learn more and apply for the Amex Gold card.

Read CNN Underscored's full review of the Amex Gold card.

The Bilt Mastercard® was launched in 2021 as the first credit card to directly earn travel rewards points on rent payments. Plus, the card earns bonus points on dining and select travel purchases, and the points you earn can be transferred to various travel loyalty programs, like American Airlines AAdvantage, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt, among others.

The Bilt Mastercard is one of my favorite credit cards — here's why:

The Bilt Mastercard is one of the best no annual fee credit cards on the market, with earning multipliers for some travel purchases and all dining. Plus, I can earn points with the Bilt card when I pay my rent. The points are useful too, as Bilt is partners with some of the world's most popular airlines and hotel loyalty programs.

Andrew Kunesh, Senior Money Editor

The Bilt Mastercard is a great starter rewards credit card for anyone that wants to earn points one everyday purchases and pays rent. Card members earn 1 point per dollar on rent payments, up to 100,000 points per year. And if your building doesn't participate in the Bilt Alliance, Bilt will send a check or ACH transfer to your landlord free of charge. So not only is the Bilt Mastercard rewarding, it's convenient too.

Welcome offer: None.

Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees).

Learn more and apply for the Bilt Mastercard .

Read CNN Underscored's full review of the Bilt Mastercard.

Another one of my favorite cards is the Citi® Double Cash Card. This is our benchmark card at CNN Underscored, and that's largely because it offers 2% cash back on all purchases awarded in the form of Citi ThankYou points. This is awarded in two steps: 1% when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay your credit card bill. Plus, if you have a Citi Premier® Card, you can transfer them to Citi's airline and hotel transfer partners.

Here's why I use the Citi Double Cash for most of my non-bonus spending:

When I can't get more than 2 points per dollar on a purchase with another credit card, I generally put it on my Citi Double Cash card. This ensures I’m always getting a high return on my spending. Plus, I have a Citi Premier, so I use the points I earn with this card for transfers to Citi's various transfer partners to fund my frequent travel. My favorites are Avianca LifeMiles and Choice Privileges.

Andrew Kunesh, Senior Money Editor

Another big benefit of the Citi Double Cash? It has no annual fee, so you can keep it in your wallet indefinitely and pay no fees so long as you pay your bill in full every month. Just don't use the card when traveling abroad as it charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. Use one of our favorite credit cards for international travel for purchases made in currencies other than US dollars.

Welcome offer: None.

Annual fee: $0.

Learn more and apply for the Citi Double Cash card.

Read CNN Underscored's full review of the Citi Double Cash card.

The Platinum Card® from American Express is a classic travel rewards credit card that focuses on high-end benefits like airport lounge access, complimentary hotel elite status and a slew of travel and retail statement credits. If you can make use of these benefits, you’ll quickly offset the card's high $695 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Here's why CNN Underscored's Senior Travel Editor, Emily McNutt, keeps the Amex Platinum in her wallet:

I solely keep this card in my wallet for its luxury travel perks. Really, it's all you need to travel better on just about every trip. It comes with lounge access (Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs when flying with Delta, a Priority Pass membership and more), $200 to use on Uber rides or Uber Eats orders each year, complimentary hotel elite status with Marriott and Hilton, complimentary car rental elite status with Avis, National and Hertz, an annual $200 to use toward airline incidental fees, $200 to use annually on prepaid hotels through American Express Travel and much more. Although it's got a higher annual fee at $695, I feel like I get more than enough value out of the card to offset that fee every year.

Emily McNutt, Senior Travel Editor

Likewise, Richa Srivastava — a Business Development Coordinator at CNN Underscored — recently used the Amex Platinum and its various perks and welcome offer on a trip to Greece:

Just came back from my trip to Greece and I utilized my Amex Platinum card with lounge perks to work and relax in the Air France Lounge in Canada for 2 hours during my layover. I also used the monthly Uber Credit to pay for my Uber ride to the airport. Plus, I signed up for the Amex Platinum card when it offered 80,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 or more in purchases within the first 6 months. These bonus points covered my return ticket!

Richa Srivastava, Business Development Coordinator

I’ve also had the Amex Platinum in my wallet for years because — like my colleagues — I use the card's benefits and find that I get more value than what I pay for the $695 annual fee. This is especially true as a Delta frequent flyer, as I can access airport Delta Sky Club lounges before flights. Plus, the included car rental elite status has also given me numerous upgrades over the years.

That said, it's only worth opening the Amex Platinum if you travel enough to use the benefits, as the card has lackluster bonus earning categories. It earns 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and on prepaid hotel bookings made through American Express Travel. All other purchases earn just 1 point per dollar.

Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of card membership

Annual fee: $695.

Learn more and apply for the Amex Platinum card.

Read CNN Underscored's full review of the Amex Platinum card.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is another classic travel credit card. Unlike the Amex Platinum, however, it focuses on earning bonus points on dining and travel. And if you’re a frequent Lyft rider, you’ll enjoy earning 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 2025. Plus, the Sapphire Preferred has some interesting special perks like an annual hotel discount and a host of travel protections.

This is another one of McNutt's favorite cards — here's why it's earned a permanent place in her wallet:

This was my first true travel rewards credit card, and it's one that I don't ever see myself getting rid of. The Sapphire Preferred was made with all kinds of travelers in mind — from luxury travelers to those jet-setting on a budget. It offers a lucrative welcome bonus and return on spending in a number of categories from travel to dining, streaming services and more. Because travel and dining are two of my biggest spend categories, this card gets a lot of use — plus, since it's a Visa, I find that it's accepted in more places than Amex, especially when traveling abroad. The Chase Ultimate Rewards points I earn are some of the most useful and lucrative out there, thanks to the variety of transfer programs like World of Hyatt, my hotel program of choice. I love that you also get a $50 statement credit on hotels booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel every year, which goes a long way to offset the already-reasonable $95 annual fee.

Emily McNutt, Senior Travel Editor

Another big reason to sign up for the Sapphire Preferred as one of your first travel credit cards is its welcome offer. The card offers consistently large bonuses, with the current offer being 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on the card in the first three months of account opening. This is worth $750 if you redeem through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, but can be worth much more if you leverage transfer partners to book first or business class airfare.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95.

Learn more and apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Read CNN Underscored's full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is the more premium version of the Sapphire Preferred, with increased points earning and a slew of premium benefits. These include Priority Pass airport lounge access, unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounges, a $300 travel credit and increased redemption rates through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

This is another one of Hunter Capobianco's favorite cards:

This is the only way I will pay for travel and dining. Even though there's a high annual fee, it easily pays for itself with through an annual travel credit and the points I earn from dining and travel. I travel quite a bit, when booking through Chase Travel, I’m getting 50% more for my points. I also pair this card with a Chase Freedom Flex for other spending to accelerate my points earning and transferring points.

Hunter Capobianco, Director of Business Development

I agree with Capobianco that the Sapphire Reserve is a great card for travel and dining. I personally use the card for the majority of my travel expenses, as it earns 3 points per dollar on all travel and 10 points per dollar on Lyft through March 2025. Plus, the Sapphire Reserve includes many excellent travel protections, like travel delay protection that kicks in if your travel is delayed 6+ hours or requires an overnight stay. If this happens, you’ll be reimbursed for expenses like lodging, food and transportation.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $550.

Learn more and apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Read CNN Underscored's full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is a newcomer to the rewards credit card world, and it's largely an upgrade to the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card which is no longer open to new applicants. It earns 3 points per dollar on a variety of everyday purchase categories: restaurants, gas and EV charging, transit, travel, popular streaming services and phone plans. You can redeem rewards for cash back, travel and gift cards to popular merchants.

Here's why Editorial Coordinator Joe Bloss keeps the card in his wallet:

I love that it has 3x points in several of my big categories: dining, travel, transit, gas and streaming — all without an annual fee or foreign transaction fee. It's been a great option for me to maximize cash back without making the leap into more complicated rewards programs that come with the heavy hitters like Chase and Amex.

Joe Bloss, Editorial Coordinator

The Wells Fargo Autograph card is a great credit card for those who spend in the supported bonus categories and want to keep things simple. The card provides an effective 3% return on these purchases, which you can use to reduce your costs and stretch your money further.

Welcome offer: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first three months.

Annual fee: $0.

There are a lot of great credit card out there — but there's not one best credit card for everyone. Here, the CNN Underscored staff showed you their favorite credit cards. Use their favorites as inspiration for finding a credit card or two for your wallet.

So whether you’re looking for cash back or travel rewards, chances are there's a card that will reward for your purchases. And if you’re looking for travel benefits, there are a variety of credit cards that will give you top-notch benefits like airport lounge access, free checked bags and other interesting perks.

Click here for rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Gold card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card.

Looking for a credit card that earns travel rewards? Check out CNN Underscored's list of the best travel credit cards currently available.

Get all the latest personal finance deals, news and advice at CNN Underscored Money.