11 Best Rewards Credit Cards in December 2024

A rewards credit card gives you cash back, points or miles as a reward for making purchases with the card. For many consumers, cash back is king. However, frequent travelers may find that a travel card’s points or miles are more valuable. Credit cards with good rewards come with flexible redemption options, sign-up bonuses and other valuable perks.

• What type of rewards do you want to earn?

  First, determine if you want to earn cash back, points or miles. If you prefer a simple approach to earning and redeeming rewards, you’ll likely be better off with a cash back card. But if you travel regularly, miles or points may provide the most value.

• What spending are you already doing?

  Find a card that offers accelerated rewards in the categories you spend the most in each month. For example, if you typically dine out or order in, look for a dining rewards credit card. But if you cook most of your meals at home, a grocery rewards credit card might be a better choice.

  According to a LendingTree study on grocery spending, a family that spends around $100 a week on groceries can earn more than $300 per year in grocery rewards.

• Which cards can you qualify for?

  Knowing your credit score allows you to focus on the rewards credit cards you’re most likely to get approved for. The best rewards credit cards require good to excellent credit (a FICO Score of 670 or higher or VantageScore of 661 or higher), but there are great options for every type of credit. Even people with fair credit or those who are rebuilding their credit can qualify for cards with valuable rewards and benefits.

  Check your credit score for free with LendingTree Spring.

• How much time do you want to spend managing your credit card?

  Consider how much effort you’re willing to put into maximizing your credit card rewards. As mentioned, cash back cards offer the simplest redemption options. However, some cash back cards are simpler than others. For example, the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card offers the same rewards on every purchase. Meanwhile, the Discover it^® Cash Back offers a really high rewards rate on some purchases — if you’re able to track and enroll in its categories each quarter.

  If you travel and you’re willing to invest some time into getting more value out of your rewards, you should strongly consider a travel rewards card. You can get a much better value with a travel card than a cash back card by strategically redeeming your points.

• Which card will earn you the most rewards?

  After narrowing down your choices, compare how much you’ll likely earn from each rewards card during the first year. Factor in the sign-up bonus, rewards earned from spending and annual credits. Then, subtract the annual fee to determine your net benefit from each card.

  Tip

  While cash back rewards are typically valued at 1 cent each, the value of points and miles can vary dramatically depending on how you redeem them. For example, Chase Sapphire Reserve^® points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash or gift cards, but worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel portal.

1. Use multiple cards to maximize category bonuses. You can increase the amount of cash back, points or miles that you earn by rotating cards with different bonus categories. On that note, using cards that earn the same rewards currency (e.g., Chase Ultimate Rewards®) can help you maximize your points or miles in that program.
   How many credit cards should I have? When it comes to how many credit cards you should have, know that there’s no specific number to fit every person. To determine the right number for you, it’s important to look at your financial and lifestyle needs. According to Experian, the average American has 3.9 active credit cards in their wallets as of Q3 2024.
2. Use shopping portals to earn additional rewards on online shopping. When you shop through your card’s shopping portal, you can earn additional rewards on top of the rewards from your credit card. Some programs offer additional incentives during holidays and other sale events, like back-to-school.
   According to a LendingTree loyalty program survey, 8 in 10 Americans are members of at least one loyalty program.
3. Register all your credit cards for shopping or dining rewards programs. Programs like Dosh, Bumped and Rewards Network provide extra rewards when shopping or eating at participating retailers and restaurants.
4. Get your spouse or partner involved as your “Player 2.” When your spouse gets involved, you can double up on rewards by getting the same cards or diversify your points by applying for cards that you’re not eligible for.
   Learn more about being an authorized user on a credit card.
5. Use credit cards for your business or side hustle. Earn extra rewards by applying for a credit card in the name of your business. Examples of businesses that may qualify for a business credit card include rideshare driver, rental property owner or Etsy shop owner. In most cases, the rewards earned from your business credit card can be combined with your linked personal rewards program accounts.
   Learn more about how to get a business credit card.
6. Don’t transfer points until you’ve verified that there’s award space available. Once you’ve transferred points, you can’t transfer them back to your credit card’s rewards currency.
7. Take advantage of transfer bonuses to loyalty programs. Periodically, different airline and hotel partners offer transfer bonuses to get even more value for your points.