Insider’s experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.
Amex Platinum; Insider
With so many rewards credit cards on the market — especially premium travel credit cards with annual fees of $500 or more — it’s easier than you think to end up with thousands of dollars in annual fees every year.
In some cases, it can be worth paying a high annual fee for a rewards card. For example, if you travel a lot, premium credit card perks like airport lounge access, annual free reward nights, and trip delay insurance are all benefits you can put to use.
Insider’s Featured Rewards Credit Cards
Earn unlimited 3x points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Earn 1x points on other purchases.
Limited time offer of 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (offer expires 01/10/2023)
Earn 3x ThankYou® points at restaurants and supermarkets. Earn 3x ThankYou® points at gas stations, air travel, and hotels. Earn 1x ThankYou® points on all other purchases
80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
But not every credit card annual fee is easy to justify — especially if you can’t use all the benefits. There are plenty of cards with perks worth significantly more than the annual fee, but the key is to take a hard look at the benefits and evaluate how many of them you’ll actually use. If you’re not sure an annual fee is worth it, you do have several great rewards credit card options with no annual fees.
If you’re considering adding a new credit card to your wallet to earn a new cardholder bonus and enjoy ongoing perks, these options can offer a great return on your investment:
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Compare the best credit cards that offset annual fees
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Card Details
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Excellent
Regular APR
19.99% – 26.99% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
On American Express’s website
Card Details
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Annual Fee
$695
See Rates and Fees
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Intro offer
100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
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Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
On American Express’s website
Card Details
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
17.24% – 25.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Intro offer
150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Intro offer
150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
On American Express’s website
Card Details
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
Intro offer
150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
15.74% to 24.74% variable APR on purchases
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Intro offer
150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months
Rewards
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Intro offer
150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months
Rewards
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
On American Express’s website
Card Details
Rewards
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
Intro offer
150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
18.74% – 27.74% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Intro offer
140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Intro offer
140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
If you stay with IHG with any regularity, this card is an excellent choice for earning IHG points. It comes with valuable benefits like a free night after each account anniversary and automatic elite status, along with generous travel and purchase protections, for a modest annual fee. However, if you’re not interested in IHG-specific benefits, a card that earns transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points (which transfer to IHG at a 1:1 ratio) may be a better bet.
Card Details
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
18.99% – 25.99% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $395
Potential value: More than $1,800 in value during your first year
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card currently offers 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. According to Insider’s valuation of Capital One miles, that’s worth $1,275 in travel, on average.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card’s $395 annual fee is one of the easiest fees to justify thanks to its annual benefits:
As you can see, the yearly $300 credit and 10,000-mile anniversary bonus are worth an estimated $470 per year. Add to that the Priority Pass Select airport lounge access (worth more than $400 per year) and the fact that this card has some of the best travel insurance of any credit card, and it’s an easy choice.
You can read our Capital One Venture X card review to see why it’s one of our favorite premium credit cards.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual fee: $695
Potential value: More than $2,000 during your first year
The Platinum Card is loaded with features that are worth more than the $695 annual fee if you take advantage of them.
It offers the following statement credits each year (among other more niche credits):
These benefits alone add up to more than $1,200 in value if you use them to their full extent.
That’s not even counting the welcome bonus offer of 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership. Based on Insider’s valuation of Amex points, that bonus is potentially worth $1,800 toward travel booked with partners like ANA, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines.
Additionally, The Platinum Card® from American Express earns:
- 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year
- 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel (where you can use Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts to get benefits such as property credits, free nights, free breakfast, room upgrades, and more)
- 1 point per dollar for all other eligible purchases
Add in lots of options for airport lounge access — from the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges to Delta Sky Clubs when you’re flying Delta to Priority Pass lounges** — and you’re getting even more bang for your buck when you travel. You can read our Amex Platinum card review for more details.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual fee: $695
Potential value: More than $3,600 during your first year
The Amex Business Platinum Card comes with a welcome bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership. That’s worth around $2,160 in travel, per Insider’s points valuations.
This card has similar statement credits, and also some that are hyper-focused on specific business purchases. Fair enough, as it’s a small business card, after all. Here’s what you’ll get:
- Up to $200 in annual airline fee credits for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline
- Up to $400 in U.S. Dell credits each calendar year**
- Up to $100 to cover the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application every four years
- Up to $120 in credits for U.S. wireless providers each calendar year
- Up to $360 in Indeed credits each calendar year**
- Up to $150 in Adobe credits each calendar year**
- Up to $189 back per year in credits for CLEAR® membership**
That’s about $1,500 in statement credits per year. Even if your small business doesn’t take advantage of Adobe and Indeed credits, you should still be able to get more than $800 in value each year by using the more mainstream credits.
When you factor in all the card’s other benefits — from airport lounge access to free elite status with Hilton and Marriott** to the valuable Amex points you earn — you could get several thousand dollars in value from the Business Platinum card. The card even comes with a 35% points rebate when redeeming points for first or business-class tickets, or for any fare with your selected airline, through Amex Travel — up to 500,000 points back per calendar year.
Read our Amex Business Platinum card review for more information.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Annual fee: $450
Potential value: More than $1,200 during your first year
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card currently offers 150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening. That’s worth $750, per Insider’s valuations.
This card has several great features that make it worth the $450 annual fee. It stands out among other hotel credit cards for offering great value.
For starters, cardholders receive an annual free night award that can be redeemed at nearly any Hilton property worldwide — even the ones that cost up to 150,000 points per night. That means you can potentially get a value of $750 from this certificate, per Insider’s valuations.
If you’re strategic, you can squeeze much more from it, as well. I used mine at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, where the standard room rate is well over $2,000 per night.
It also offers the following annual statement credits:
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card also gets you top-tier Diamond status with Hilton, which gets you bonus points, complimentary suite upgrades (when available), and a welcome gift. You’ll also get Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, worth over $400 per year.
Even if you don’t put the aforementioned benefits to use, the Hilton Aspire’s annual $250 Hilton resort credit and $250 airline fee credit can more than offset the annual fee.
Read our Amex Hilton Aspire card review to see how powerful this card is.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Annual fee: $650
Potential value: Up to $1,500 in value during your first year
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card comes with 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months, worth $1,050, per Insider’s valuation of Marriott points.
This card’s $650 annual fee is extremely high for a hotel credit card (or any credit card, for that matter). But it becomes much more palatable when you take a look at its many benefits:
- Up to $25 in statement credits per month for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide ($300 total per year)
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status
- Annual free night award worth up to 85,000 points (worth up to $595, per Insider’s valuations)
- 25 elite night credits each calendar year
- Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** (worth more than $400 per year)
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $100 in value every four years)
You can get a significant value from automatic Platinum status as well if you stay at fancy Marriott hotels even a few times each year. My Platinum status saved me over $1,000 during my stay at the St. Regis Maldives a couple of years ago.
Read our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex card review to see why this card can easily be worth its annual fee.
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Annual fee: $99
Potential value: More than $1,400 during your first year
The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card offers 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $980, according to Insider’s valuations.
The card may not offer top-tier status or big hotel statement credits, but the card’s benefits are pretty generous consider its annual fee of $99. Take a look:
- Automatic IHG Platinum Elite status
- Diamond elite status after spending $40,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase each calendar year with the card
- Annual free night award worth up to 40,000 points (worth up to $280, per Insider’s valuations)
- 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase each calendar year
- Up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash each calendar year
- Fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a stay of three or more nights
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit
- 20% discount when you purchase points with your card
If you stay at IHG hotels with regularity, this card is a no-brainer. Read our IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card review to learn more.
Credit cards with annual fees frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Think of your credit card as a membership within an exclusive club. You’ve got to pay each year to renew that membership and reap the privileges that come with it.
Credit card annual fees are effectively a paywall you have to breach if you want to enjoy enhanced (and sometimes super exclusive) benefits you won’t find on a no-annual-fee credit card.
You might think that paying money each year just for the privilege of holding a certain credit card is ludicrous. But credit cards that charge annual fees almost always come with ongoing benefits that you can maximize to offset the annual fee many times over.
It’s a simple math problem: Will you organically use enough of your card’s statement credits, insurance, annual travel benefits, etc. to more than negate the annual fee? If so, don’t think of the fee as money you’re losing, but rather a necessary investment to save even more.
If you won’t use the benefits and perks of an annual fee-incurring credit card, no annual fee credit cards are the way to go. Even if you don’t “maximize” all the benefits the card has to offer, you won’t lose any value each year.
It’s worth noting that there are some fantastic no-annual-fee credit cards that you should open even if you’re interested in annual-fee credit cards. No annual fee cards play a very important role in everyone’s wallet. Check out our guide to the best no-annual-fee credit cards for more info.
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Insider’s experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.
Amex Platinum; Insider
With so many rewards credit cards on the market — especially premium travel credit cards with annual fees of $500 or more — it’s easier than you think to end up with thousands of dollars in annual fees every year.
In some cases, it can be worth paying a high annual fee for a rewards card. For example, if you travel a lot, premium credit card perks like airport lounge access, annual free reward nights, and trip delay insurance are all benefits you can put to use.
Insider’s Featured Rewards Credit Cards
Earn unlimited 3x points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Earn 1x points on other purchases.
Limited time offer of 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (offer expires 01/10/2023)
Earn 3x ThankYou® points at restaurants and supermarkets. Earn 3x ThankYou® points at gas stations, air travel, and hotels. Earn 1x ThankYou® points on all other purchases
80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
But not every credit card annual fee is easy to justify — especially if you can’t use all the benefits. There are plenty of cards with perks worth significantly more than the annual fee, but the key is to take a hard look at the benefits and evaluate how many of them you’ll actually use. If you’re not sure an annual fee is worth it, you do have several great rewards credit card options with no annual fees.
If you’re considering adding a new credit card to your wallet to earn a new cardholder bonus and enjoy ongoing perks, these options can offer a great return on your investment:
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Compare the best credit cards that offset annual fees
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Card Details
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Excellent
Regular APR
19.99% – 26.99% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
On American Express’s website
Card Details
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Annual Fee
$695
See Rates and Fees
Show more
Intro offer
100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
Show more
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
On American Express’s website
Card Details
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
17.24% – 25.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Intro offer
150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Intro offer
150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
On American Express’s website
Card Details
Rewards
Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.
Intro offer
150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
15.74% to 24.74% variable APR on purchases
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Intro offer
150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months
Rewards
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Intro offer
150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months
Rewards
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
On American Express’s website
Card Details
Rewards
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
Intro offer
150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
18.74% – 27.74% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Intro offer
140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Intro offer
140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
If you stay with IHG with any regularity, this card is an excellent choice for earning IHG points. It comes with valuable benefits like a free night after each account anniversary and automatic elite status, along with generous travel and purchase protections, for a modest annual fee. However, if you’re not interested in IHG-specific benefits, a card that earns transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points (which transfer to IHG at a 1:1 ratio) may be a better bet.
Card Details
Rewards
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
18.99% – 25.99% Variable
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $395
Potential value: More than $1,800 in value during your first year
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card currently offers 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. According to Insider’s valuation of Capital One miles, that’s worth $1,275 in travel, on average.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card’s $395 annual fee is one of the easiest fees to justify thanks to its annual benefits:
As you can see, the yearly $300 credit and 10,000-mile anniversary bonus are worth an estimated $470 per year. Add to that the Priority Pass Select airport lounge access (worth more than $400 per year) and the fact that this card has some of the best travel insurance of any credit card, and it’s an easy choice.
You can read our Capital One Venture X card review to see why it’s one of our favorite premium credit cards.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual fee: $695
Potential value: More than $2,000 during your first year
The Platinum Card is loaded with features that are worth more than the $695 annual fee if you take advantage of them.
It offers the following statement credits each year (among other more niche credits):
These benefits alone add up to more than $1,200 in value if you use them to their full extent.
That’s not even counting the welcome bonus offer of 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership. Based on Insider’s valuation of Amex points, that bonus is potentially worth $1,800 toward travel booked with partners like ANA, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines.
Additionally, The Platinum Card® from American Express earns:
- 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year
- 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel (where you can use Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts to get benefits such as property credits, free nights, free breakfast, room upgrades, and more)
- 1 point per dollar for all other eligible purchases
Add in lots of options for airport lounge access — from the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges to Delta Sky Clubs when you’re flying Delta to Priority Pass lounges** — and you’re getting even more bang for your buck when you travel. You can read our Amex Platinum card review for more details.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual fee: $695
Potential value: More than $3,600 during your first year
The Amex Business Platinum Card comes with a welcome bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership. That’s worth around $2,160 in travel, per Insider’s points valuations.
This card has similar statement credits, and also some that are hyper-focused on specific business purchases. Fair enough, as it’s a small business card, after all. Here’s what you’ll get:
- Up to $200 in annual airline fee credits for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline
- Up to $400 in U.S. Dell credits each calendar year**
- Up to $100 to cover the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application every four years
- Up to $120 in credits for U.S. wireless providers each calendar year
- Up to $360 in Indeed credits each calendar year**
- Up to $150 in Adobe credits each calendar year**
- Up to $189 back per year in credits for CLEAR® membership**
That’s about $1,500 in statement credits per year. Even if your small business doesn’t take advantage of Adobe and Indeed credits, you should still be able to get more than $800 in value each year by using the more mainstream credits.
When you factor in all the card’s other benefits — from airport lounge access to free elite status with Hilton and Marriott** to the valuable Amex points you earn — you could get several thousand dollars in value from the Business Platinum card. The card even comes with a 35% points rebate when redeeming points for first or business-class tickets, or for any fare with your selected airline, through Amex Travel — up to 500,000 points back per calendar year.
Read our Amex Business Platinum card review for more information.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Annual fee: $450
Potential value: More than $1,200 during your first year
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card currently offers 150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening. That’s worth $750, per Insider’s valuations.
This card has several great features that make it worth the $450 annual fee. It stands out among other hotel credit cards for offering great value.
For starters, cardholders receive an annual free night award that can be redeemed at nearly any Hilton property worldwide — even the ones that cost up to 150,000 points per night. That means you can potentially get a value of $750 from this certificate, per Insider’s valuations.
If you’re strategic, you can squeeze much more from it, as well. I used mine at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, where the standard room rate is well over $2,000 per night.
It also offers the following annual statement credits:
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card also gets you top-tier Diamond status with Hilton, which gets you bonus points, complimentary suite upgrades (when available), and a welcome gift. You’ll also get Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, worth over $400 per year.
Even if you don’t put the aforementioned benefits to use, the Hilton Aspire’s annual $250 Hilton resort credit and $250 airline fee credit can more than offset the annual fee.
Read our Amex Hilton Aspire card review to see how powerful this card is.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Annual fee: $650
Potential value: Up to $1,500 in value during your first year
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card comes with 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 3 months, worth $1,050, per Insider’s valuation of Marriott points.
This card’s $650 annual fee is extremely high for a hotel credit card (or any credit card, for that matter). But it becomes much more palatable when you take a look at its many benefits:
- Up to $25 in statement credits per month for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide ($300 total per year)
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status
- Annual free night award worth up to 85,000 points (worth up to $595, per Insider’s valuations)
- 25 elite night credits each calendar year
- Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** (worth more than $400 per year)
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $100 in value every four years)
You can get a significant value from automatic Platinum status as well if you stay at fancy Marriott hotels even a few times each year. My Platinum status saved me over $1,000 during my stay at the St. Regis Maldives a couple of years ago.
Read our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex card review to see why this card can easily be worth its annual fee.
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Annual fee: $99
Potential value: More than $1,400 during your first year
The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card offers 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $980, according to Insider’s valuations.
The card may not offer top-tier status or big hotel statement credits, but the card’s benefits are pretty generous consider its annual fee of $99. Take a look:
- Automatic IHG Platinum Elite status
- Diamond elite status after spending $40,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase each calendar year with the card
- Annual free night award worth up to 40,000 points (worth up to $280, per Insider’s valuations)
- 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase each calendar year
- Up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash each calendar year
- Fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a stay of three or more nights
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit
- 20% discount when you purchase points with your card
If you stay at IHG hotels with regularity, this card is a no-brainer. Read our IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card review to learn more.
Credit cards with annual fees frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Think of your credit card as a membership within an exclusive club. You’ve got to pay each year to renew that membership and reap the privileges that come with it.
Credit card annual fees are effectively a paywall you have to breach if you want to enjoy enhanced (and sometimes super exclusive) benefits you won’t find on a no-annual-fee credit card.
You might think that paying money each year just for the privilege of holding a certain credit card is ludicrous. But credit cards that charge annual fees almost always come with ongoing benefits that you can maximize to offset the annual fee many times over.
It’s a simple math problem: Will you organically use enough of your card’s statement credits, insurance, annual travel benefits, etc. to more than negate the annual fee? If so, don’t think of the fee as money you’re losing, but rather a necessary investment to save even more.
If you won’t use the benefits and perks of an annual fee-incurring credit card, no annual fee credit cards are the way to go. Even if you don’t “maximize” all the benefits the card has to offer, you won’t lose any value each year.
It’s worth noting that there are some fantastic no-annual-fee credit cards that you should open even if you’re interested in annual-fee credit cards. No annual fee cards play a very important role in everyone’s wallet. Check out our guide to the best no-annual-fee credit cards for more info.
