The best credit cards for everyday spending
On $15,000 a year of everything else, Bilt Palladium pays back the most: 2x, about $615 a year (4.1%) at AwardHack's value for its points. Capital One Venture (4.1%) and Capital One Venture X (4.1%) come next. With no annual fee, Chase Freedom Unlimited is best at 3.0%.
Everything that isn't a bonus category: the card's base rate on all other purchases.
Top 10 cards for everything else
Ranked by what $15,000 a year pays back, after any cap.
- 1Bilt Palladium2x 路 $495 annual fee4.1%$615 a year
- 2Capital One Venture2x 路 $95 annual fee4.1%$612 a year
- 3Capital One Venture X2x 路 $395 annual fee4.1%$612 a year
- 4Citi Strata Elite1.5x 路 $595 annual fee3.4%$515 a year
- 5Chase Freedom Unlimited1.5x 路 no annual fee3.0%$450 a year
- 6Bank of America Air France KLM1.5x 路 $89 annual fee3.0%$448 a year
- 7Capital One VentureOne1.3x 路 no annual fee2.5%$383 a year
- 8Amtrak Guest Rewards1x 路 no annual fee2.5%$375 a year
- 9Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred1x 路 $99 annual fee2.5%$375 a year
- 10Wells Fargo Autograph1x 路 no annual fee2.4%$357 a year
Best with no annual fee
- 1Chase Freedom Unlimited1.5x 路 no annual fee3.0%$450 a year
- 2Capital One VentureOne1.3x 路 no annual fee2.5%$383 a year
- 3Amtrak Guest Rewards1x 路 no annual fee2.5%$375 a year
- 4Wells Fargo Autograph1x 路 no annual fee2.4%$357 a year
- 5Citi AAdvantage MileUp1x 路 no annual fee2.3%$344 a year
Best business cards
- 1Capital One Venture Business2x 路 $95 annual fee4.1%$612 a year
- 2Capital One Venture X Business2x 路 $395 annual fee4.1%$612 a year
- 3Amex Blue Business Plus2x 路 no annual fee4.0%$597 a year
- 4Capital One VentureOne Business1.5x 路 no annual fee3.1%$459 a year
- 5Chase Ink Business Unlimited1.5x 路 no annual fee3.0%$450 a year
How these cards are ranked
Each open US card in AwardHack's catalog is scored on $15,000 a year of everything else, which is a round $15,000 a year of purchases outside bonus categories. Points are valued at AwardHack's value per point for each program, with airline and hotel points at no more than the bank points that transfer to them; cash back counts at face value.
Spending caps are applied: once a card's bonus rate hits its limit, the rest of the year's spending earns the rate after the cap. Cards with a pick-your-category or rotating bonus are scored at the bonus rate and marked, since you only get it in the category you choose. Caps last checked November 11, 2026. Annual fees are shown but not subtracted, since a fee pays for a card's other benefits too.
Common questions
What is the best credit card for everything else?
By what it pays back on $15,000 a year, Bilt Palladium: 2x, about $615 a year at AwardHack's value for its points. The best card for you also depends on its annual fee and whether you'll use its points well.
What is the best no-annual-fee card for everything else?
Chase Freedom Unlimited, at 1.5x: about 3.0% back on $15,000 a year. Capital One VentureOne is next at 2.5%.
What is the best business card for everything else?
Capital One Venture Business, at 2x: about 4.1% back on $15,000 a year.
How are points valued?
At AwardHack's value per point for each program, the same values as the Points Valuator, for example 2.00垄 for Chase Ultimate Rewards and 1.99垄 for Amex Membership Rewards. Airline and hotel points count at no more than the bank points that transfer to them, since a point you can transfer is worth at least the points it becomes. Cash back counts at face value. Points can be worth more or less depending on how you redeem them.