The best premium credit cards of November 2022

Insider’s specialists select the best services to assist make sensible choices together with your cash (here’s how). In some circumstances, we obtain a fee from our our partners, nonetheless, our opinions are our personal. Terms apply to affords listed on this web page.

Some of the top rewards credit cards — together with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — have average annual charges and embrace a powerful combine of rewards and journey/buy protections. If you need perks like annual assertion credit and airport lounge entry, although, you will be premium cards within the $250 to $550-a-year vary.

Paying a whole lot of {dollars} for a premium credit card will not make sense for everybody, however when you take benefit of sufficient advantages, it may be well worth the money. Premium cards can provide perks like journey or merchandise assertion credit, elite standing or elite-like advantages, and credit for trusted traveler applications like Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, NEXUS, or CLEAR®.

And as a rule, you will discover higher journey and buy protections on premium cards, together with primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage insurance coverage, and prolonged guarantee protection. 

We’re centered right here on the rewards and perks that include every card. These cards will not be value it when you’re paying curiosity or late charges. When utilizing a credit card, it is necessary to pay your stability in full every month, make funds on time, and solely spend what you possibly can afford to pay.

Compare the best premium credit cards

The best premium credit card evaluations

Best for incomes journey rewards: Chase Sapphire Reserve

If your primary criterion for choosing a premium credit card is rewards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a good possibility. Not solely does it earn 5x complete factors on air journey and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals bought by Chase Ultimate Rewards (after incomes the $300 journey credit) and 3x factors on different journey and eating, but it surely additionally has further limited-time bonus classes. 

While different premium credit cards might have larger factors multipliers on choose spending classes, the Chase Sapphire Reserve stands out for providing some of probably the most useful redemption choices. Each of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points from this card is value 1.5 cents towards journey booked by the Chase Travel Portal, or towards eligible purchases with Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature. That’s a 50% bonus over the standard value of Chase points (1 cent apiece). 

The card has a Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual charge, however its annual travel statement credit of up to $300 is simple to make use of (nearly any kind of journey buy is eligible, from airplane tickets to Uber rides to freeway tolls). So when you spend not less than $300 on journey in a yr — which you completely ought to when you’re contemplating this card within the first place — you possibly can successfully subtract that from the charge for a complete of $250 spent out of pocket.

The card additionally affords Priority Pass lounge membership and Chase airport lounge access, the latter of which is able to open in 2023 at New York-LaGuardia (LGA), Boston (BOS), San Diego (SAN), Phoenix (PHX), Las Vegas (LAS), and Washington Dulles (IAD). The first Chase Sapphire Lounge opened at Hong Kong airport (HKG) in October 2022.

In addition, cardholders obtain a complimentary DashPass membership, which waives supply charges and affords decrease service charges on orders of $12 or extra. Chase recently extended the DashPass benefit and added $5 per thirty days in DoorDash in-app credit (beginning April 2022 by December 31, 2024). Cardholders also can take benefit of one year of Instacart+ free and as much as $15 per thirty days in assertion credit on Instacart.com purchases (activation required by July 31, 2024).

Read the Chase Sapphire Reserve review to study extra.

Best journey and luxurious advantages: The Platinum Card® from American Express

It’s laborious to beat the Platinum Card in terms of the sheer quantity of perks it affords. In addition to incomes a decent 5x factors on flights booked straight by the airline or by Amex Travel (beginning January 1, 2021, the 5x factors will apply as much as $500,000 on these purchases per calendar yr), the cardboard comes with a whole host of benefits, each for journey and shopping.

On the journey facet, you get up to a $200 annual airline fee credit**, more airport lounge access options than every other card, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott**, and up to $200 in Uber credits** every year. Other advantages embrace up to $100 in Saks credits** every year (damaged up as as much as $50 semi-annually), and Amex Offers** for money again or bonus factors while you store with particular retailers. 

The Platinum Card‘s The Platinum Card® from American Express annual charge is nothing to sneeze at, however when you take advantage of all its benefits, you will get a price that far exceeds your yearly value.

Read our Amex Platinum card review to study extra.

Best worth for the annual charge: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital One launched the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card in late 2021, and since then it is grow to be a fixture within the wallets of frequent vacationers. It affords a welcome bonus of Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

The annual charge of Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is way decrease than comparable cards, but it surely’s nonetheless filled with premium advantages that may greater than offset the yearly value.

Cardholders obtain as much as $300 per year in statement credits towards journey booked by Capital One, Priority Pass and Capital One airport lounge access (even for licensed customers), a ten,000-mile bonus on every account anniversary (value $100 in journey), and Visa Infinite journey and buy advantages.

Like different cards that earn Capital One miles, you possibly can switch rewards from the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to over a dozen airline and hotel partners, together with the just lately added Virgin Red.

Read our Capital One Venture X card review to study extra.

Best perks for eating out and ordering in: American Express® Gold Card

The Amex Gold Card is one of the most rewarding options for those who like to dine out and order in. It affords as much as $120 in annual statement credits (up to $10 per month credit) for dining** with GrubHub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Milk Bar, Wine.com, Goldbelly, and taking part Shake Shack areas. It additionally affords as much as $120 Uber Cash (as much as $10 per thirty days) every calendar yr (that is solely relevant to U.S. Eats orders and Rides, and the Gold Card must be added to the Uber app to obtain the Uber Cash profit).

You’ll additionally earn 4x factors at eating places (together with food-delivery companies) and 4x factors on as much as $25,000 spent at US supermarkets every calendar yr (and 1 level per greenback if that cap is met).

The Amex Gold Card is probably the most reasonably priced card on this record, with an annual charge of $250. Plus, the annual charge is successfully even decrease while you issue within the month-to-month eating credit.

Learn extra in our American Express Gold Card review.

The best premium airline credit card: United Club℠ Infinite Card

The best premium airline credit card for you’ll rely upon what airways fly out of your private home airport. But if any of the key US airways are a handy possibility for you, the United Club℠ Infinite Card has a couple of benefits that make it the best premium airline card.

This card has an annual charge of United Club℠ Infinite Card. As a cardholder you will get a United Club membership, so you possibly can access the airline’s airport lounges and its accomplice lounges around the globe. It presently affords a welcome bonus of United Club℠ Infinite Card.

The United Club℠ Infinite Card additionally stands out on the rewards entrance. Unlike different airline credit cards that solely provide bonus miles on purchases with the affiliated airline, this card earns 2x miles on all journey purchases and on eating at eating places, plus 4x miles on United purchases (and 1 mile per greenback on the whole lot else). 

You additionally get two free checked bags on United flights while you pay with the cardboard, plus priority check-in and early boarding.

Read our United Club Infinite credit card review for extra particulars.

The best premium lodge credit card: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Just because the best premium airline credit card for you relies on which airline you favor, the fitting premium hotel credit card for you’ll be the cardboard that provides advantages the place you are probably to remain. If you have already got standing with a specific lodge chain, you will most likely wish to get a card related to that loyalty program so you possibly can proceed constructing rewards and even probably earn larger standing.

But if you do not have a favourite lodge chain and easily need the cardboard that may get you probably the most advantages and prevent probably the most cash, there is a sturdy argument to be made for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card. In trade for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card annual charge, you get the best stage of elite standing within the Hilton program: Hilton Honors Diamond, which will get you a 100% factors bonus on stays, room upgrades, and complimentary breakfast (presently awarded as a meals and beverage credit).

The Hilton Honors Aspire Card is the one lodge credit card to supply the highest level of elite status outright; with different cards, it’s important to spend your solution to top-tier standing, and the annual spending necessities are within the hundreds of {dollars}.

Other card advantages embrace a free reward night reward each year after your account renewal, and as much as $250 in assertion credit every year for purchases made at taking part Hilton resorts. You can use this assertion credit to successfully get $250 off of a Hilton lodge room fee. In addition to that, you additionally get up to $250 in annual statement credits for airline fees.

Read the Amex Hilton Aspire credit card review to study extra.

Other premium credit cards that simply missed the reduce

Our closing record of the best premium credit cards consists of six choices, however we thought-about a number of different cards as properly. Here’s a have a look at the opposite premium credit cards that did not make the ultimate reduce.

• New United Quest℠ Card — The latest addition to Chase’s lineup of United credit cards comes with as much as $125 in assertion credit every year towards United purchases (like airfare and incidental charges) and a free first and second checked bag while you use the cardboard to pay in your ticket. Cardholders additionally rise up to 2 5,000-mile rebates on award flights every year beginning after the primary card anniversary, wonderful journey protections, and a NEXUS/Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit. Read our United Quest card review.
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card — The top-of-the-line Marriott credit card has some nice advantages, together with as much as $300 in assertion credit per calendar yr (as much as $25 per thirty days) for eligible purchases at eating places worldwide. It falls only a bit quick of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card in phrases of the worth it will probably provide, since that card affords top-tier Hilton standing, and each a Hilton assertion credit and an airline charge assertion credit. Here’s our review of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card — This premium Delta credit card has some sturdy advantages, reminiscent of a Status Boost that earns you Medallion® Qualification Miles towards Delta standing while you meet annual spending necessities. It additionally comes with an annual companion certificates every year upon your account renewal. That mentioned, it has a Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card annual charge, which is the best amongst premium airline cards. Read our review of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card.
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® — It was a decent race between this card and the United Club℠ Infinite Card. Unlike United’s card, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® affords airline lounge membership (for American Airlines’ Admirals Clubs) to each the first cardholder and as much as 10 licensed customers that may be added to the cardboard totally free. Those 11 cardholders can every herald two friends, so that you’re getting 33 folks free lounge entry from one card. The United Club℠ Infinite Card finally received as a result of it affords extra miles on on a regular basis purchases — and never everybody will care about airport lounge entry. See our Citi AAdvantage Executive card review.
• U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card — With a U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card annual charge and an extended advantages record together with as much as $325 in annual credit for journey, this card is a lesser-known gem. However, it did not make the reduce as a result of you should be a U.S. Bank buyer to use, and there are fewer choices for redeeming your factors in comparison with different premium cards from Amex, Chase, and Capital One. Here’s our US Bank Altitude Reserve review.

How our record compares to different publications

No matter what kind of credit card you are seeking to open, doing all of your analysis is vital. That means digging into the choices and evaluating them, and seeing what varied specialists suggest.

To assist streamline the method of discovering the fitting premium card for you, we made this chart that exhibits how our suggestions align with two different high publications.

Premium credit cards incessantly requested questions (FAQ)

How did we select the best premium credit cards?

Our record of the best premium credit cards does not embrace each possibility beneath the solar — Personal Finance Insider narrowed down our record to the highest choices. To accomplish that, we used the next standards:

• Annual charge — It’s a on condition that premium credit cards cost excessive annual charges, however some charges are decrease than others, and some cards are able to justify the higher fees with advantages like annual assertion credit that provide you with a reimbursement.
• Welcome bonus provide — A welcome offer of bonus points or miles for brand new cardholders who meet a minimal spending requirement is a good incentive to enroll, and it will probably assist jumpstart your subsequent journey booked with rewards. It’s not a very powerful think about deciding whether or not a premium credit card is smart for you in the long term, however we did give some weight to how a card’s welcome bonus provide stacked up in opposition to the competitors.
• Ongoing rewards — How many factors or miles per greenback does the cardboard provide on on a regular basis spending? The stronger the earnings on purchases, the higher.
• Benefits — Beyond incomes factors and miles, what varieties of advantages does the cardboard provide? Ideally, cardholders will get a powerful mixture of assertion credit that cut back their out-of-pocket spending, journey protections, and extras like airport lounge entry.

From there, we regarded on the total worth every card affords based mostly on these varied options.

Is a premium credit card value it?

A premium credit card is value it for some folks, however not for others. To resolve whether or not a premium card is value it for you, you will wish to have a look at the cardboard’s advantages and decide what number of of them you will use. Premium credit cards justify their excessive annual charges by providing high-end advantages you possibly can’t get with less-expensive cards, however they will solely be value it when you can truly put these advantages to make use of.

Another necessary step in figuring out whether or not a premium credit card is value it for you is to evaluate your spending and see if the cardboard will give you sturdy rewards on the purchases you make. Some premium cards solely provide bonus factors while you spend with a specific airline or lodge, whereas others, just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Citi Prestige® Credit Card (not out there to new candidates), have a number of bonus classes that embody a wider array of buy classes.

What is the best premium credit card?

Just as a premium credit card could possibly be value it for one particular person however not make sense for one more, the best premium credit card relies upon very a lot on the particular person. Some of the most well-liked premium cards are the Platinum Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve, however they don’t seem to be essentially the best possibility for you.

Which is healthier — the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Amex Platinum? 

The Platinum Card is healthier in order for you as many journey perks as doable, from airport lounge entry to annual Uber credit to complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott**. If you desire a card with bells and whistles however need perks you should utilize even when you do not hit the street usually, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is probably going a greater decide.

Its annual assertion credit of as much as $300 applies to all types of journey purchases, together with these you make near residence like parking, freeway tolls, and subway fares. It additionally earns bonus factors on eating, and you will get nice worth out of your factors for non-travel purchases like groceries and residential enchancment.