Top Credit Cards 2024: The Best Cards for Points and Miles Right Now

The short answer: The Chase Sapphire Preferred, Amex Gold, Capital One Venture X, and Ink Business Preferred are the cards most serious points collectors are talking about in 2024. Each one earns well in different categories, transfers to airlines and hotels, and offers a sign-up bonus worth chasing. Your best pick depends on your spend, your 5/24 count, and which transfer partners matter to you.

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Which card is the single best for most people?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) is still the card most points hobbyists recommend first. It earns 3x on dining, 2x on travel, and transfers to partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest. The $95 annual fee is low for what you get.

That said, "best for most people" is doing a lot of work. A person who spends heavily on groceries and restaurants gets more from the Amex Gold. Someone who travels constantly and wants lounge access gets more from the Capital One Venture X or Amex Platinum. And a small business owner with real business spend should look hard at the Ink cards before anything else.

The CSP wins the "first card" crown because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are flexible, easy to use, and transfer to Hyatt at 1:1. Hyatt is widely considered the most valuable hotel program for point-per-dollar redemptions. Getting into that ecosystem early is a smart move for most people building a points strategy.

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What are the best cards if you are under 5/24?

If you have room under 5/24, Chase cards should come first. That is the core rule of most Chase-first strategies. Once you go over, you are locked out of the best Chase cards for two years per slot.

Here are the Chase cards most worth your slots in 2024:

Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year)

• 60,000-point sign-up bonus (when available; check current public offers)
• 3x dining, 3x select streaming, 2x travel
• Transfers to Hyatt, United, British Airways, Southwest, and more
• $50 annual hotel credit through Chase Travel

Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550/year)

• Usually a 60,000-point bonus
• 3x travel and dining, 10x on Chase Travel portal purchases
• $300 annual travel credit that is easy to use
• Priority Pass lounge access
• The math only works if you use the travel credit and the lounge access regularly

Ink Business Preferred ($95/year)

• 100,000-point bonus after $8,000 spend in 3 months (one of the highest flat bonuses in the business card space)
• 3x on travel, shipping, advertising, and internet/cable/phone up to $150,000/year
• Points transfer to the same partners as the Sapphire cards

Ink Business Cash (no annual fee)

• 5x on office supply stores and internet/cable/phone (up to $25,000/year)
• Pairs with a Sapphire card to unlock transfer partners
• A common approach is to earn cash back here and move points to a Sapphire card for transfers

Ink Business Unlimited (no annual fee)

• 1.5x on everything
• Same pairing strategy as the Ink Cash

Many people find that stacking two or three Ink cards with a Sapphire card creates a powerful earning system across most spend categories.

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What are the best cards once you are over 5/24?

Once you are past 5/24, you open up to Amex, Capital One, Citi, and Barclay cards. These do not count toward 5/24 in most cases (though they do add to your 5/24 count when you apply).

American Express Gold Card ($250/year)

• 4x at restaurants worldwide
• 4x at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000/year, then 1x)
• $120 dining credit ($10/month at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, and a few others)
• $120 Uber Cash ($10/month, Uber or Uber Eats)
• Membership Rewards points transfer to Delta, Air France/KLM, British Airways, and more
• The effective annual fee is closer to $10 if you use both credits fully every month

The Amex Gold is the go-to card for people who spend a lot on food. 4x at restaurants and 4x at supermarkets is hard to beat. The credits offset most of the fee, but you do need to actually use them.

American Express Platinum Card ($695/year)

• 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel
• $200 airline fee credit, $200 hotel credit (Fine Hotels + Resorts), $240 digital entertainment credit, $155 Walmart+ credit, and more
• Centurion Lounge access plus Priority Pass
• This card rewards frequent flyers who value lounge access and premium travel perks

The Platinum is a lifestyle card. The credits add up on paper, but many people find they do not use all of them. Run the math on your own spending before applying.

Capital One Venture X ($395/year)

• 75,000-mile bonus (when available)
• 2x on all purchases, 5x on flights through Capital One Travel, 10x on hotels and car rentals through Capital One Travel
• $300 annual travel credit through Capital One Travel
• 10,000 bonus miles every year on your account anniversary
• Priority Pass lounge access plus Capital One Lounges
• Transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan, Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles, Avianca LifeMiles, and others

The Venture X has become a serious contender. The math is simple: $395 fee minus $300 travel credit minus the value of 10,000 anniversary miles puts the effective cost very low for most people who travel even a few times a year. Capital One's transfer partners are not as deep as Amex or Chase, but Aeroplan and Turkish are genuinely useful for booking Star Alliance flights.

Citi Strata Premier ($95/year)

• 60,000-point bonus after $4,000 spend in 3 months (check current offers)
• 3x on hotels, air travel, restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations
• ThankYou points transfer to Turkish Airlines, Air France/KLM, Avianca, and more
• No travel credit or perks, but the earning rate across five categories is excellent for a $95 card

The Strata Premier is often overlooked. It earns 3x in more everyday categories than almost any other card at this price. Many people pair it with the Citi Double Cash to build ThankYou points on everything.

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Which cards are best for business owners?

Business owners have some of the best options in the hobby. Business cards often come with higher bonuses and do not count toward 5/24 (though the application itself may add an inquiry).

Beyond the Ink cards above, look at:

Amex Business Gold ($375/year)

• 4x in your top two spending categories each month (from a list of six options including airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, and more)
• The categories rotate automatically based on where you spend most
• Good for businesses with variable or shifting spend

Amex Business Platinum ($695/year)

• 5x on flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel
• 1.5x on purchases over $5,000 and in select categories
• $200 airline fee credit, up to $400 Dell credit, and other business-specific perks
• Centurion Lounge access

Capital One Spark Miles for Business ($95/year, waived first year)

• 2x on all purchases
• Transfers to the same Capital One partners as the Venture X
• Simple, flat earning with no category management

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How do you pick the right card for your situation?

Start with your spend. Pull up three months of credit card statements and look at where your money actually goes. Most people find that restaurants, groceries, travel, or gas dominate their spending.

Then match that to a card:

• Heavy restaurant and grocery spend: Amex Gold
• Heavy travel spend with lounge needs: Venture X or Amex Platinum
• Mixed spend with Chase ecosystem priority: CSP or CSR
• Business with varied categories: Amex Business Gold or Ink Business Preferred
• Want simplicity and 2x everywhere: Venture X or Spark Miles

Next, check your 5/24 count. If you have two or more slots open, a common approach is to fill them with Chase cards before moving to Amex or Capital One. If you are already at 5/24, the Amex and Capital One cards are waiting for you.

Finally, look at the sign-up bonus. A 60,000-point or 100,000-point bonus can be worth more than a full year of organic earning. The bonus alone is often the main reason to apply for a card.

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Are there any cards worth avoiding right now?

Some cards that were strong in past years have lost ground. A few things to watch for:

• Cards with credits that are hard to use (specific merchants, specific portals) effectively raise the real annual fee
• Cards with weak transfer partners or no transfer partners at all limit how you can redeem
• Cards with high annual fees but thin perks require careful math before you commit

No card is universally bad. But a card that does not match your spend or travel style costs you money every year. The "best" card list means nothing if the categories do not match how you live.

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What should you do next?

Pick one card that matches your top spending category and your 5/24 situation. Apply for it. Earn the bonus. Use it for the right categories.

Then, after six months or so, look at what gaps remain in your setup. Maybe you need a no-fee card to cover a category your main card misses. Maybe you want to add a business card. Build the stack slowly and intentionally.

The best card is the one you will actually use in the right way, at the right time, to earn points you will actually redeem.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Chase 5/24 rule and how does it affect my credit card applications?

The Chase 5/24 rule automatically denies most Chase credit card applications if you've opened 5 or more personal credit cards (from any bank) within the past 24 months. This rule is one of the most important factors in planning a credit card strategy. Because Chase offers some of the most valuable cards and transferable points currencies, most experts recommend prioritizing Chase cards before applying with other issuers like American Express or Capital One.

Which Chase credit cards are worth getting before hitting 5/24 in 2024?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Ink Business cards are widely considered the highest priority before hitting 5/24. The Sapphire cards earn Ultimate Rewards points transferable to valuable airline and hotel partners, while the Ink Business suite offers strong bonus categories for business spending. Getting these cards early maximizes your long-term points-earning potential and preserves access to Chase's ecosystem before you're locked out.

How do I check if I'm under the Chase 5/24 limit before applying?

You can check your 5/24 status by pulling your credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com and counting personal card accounts opened in the last 24 months. Tools like 524tracker.com help you track your open slots and application dates in one place. Remember that business cards from most issuers (except Capital One, Discover, and some others) typically don't report to personal credit bureaus and won't count against your 5/24 number.

What are the best credit card sign-up bonuses available in 2024?

The best sign-up bonuses in 2024 include the Chase Sapphire Preferred (often 60,000–100,000 Ultimate Rewards points), Amex Platinum (up to 150,000 Membership Rewards points via referral or elevated offers), and various Ink Business cards offering 75,000–90,000 points. Sign-up bonuses represent the fastest way to accumulate points for free travel. Always verify you haven't received a bonus on the same card within the issuer's stated timeframe before applying, as bonuses are typically limited once per lifetime or per 24–48 months.

Should I apply for non-Chase cards while I'm still under 5/24?

Generally, no, most points-and-miles enthusiasts recommend staying focused on Chase cards until you've collected the ones you want before diversifying to other issuers. Applying for non-Chase personal cards will consume your precious 5/24 slots. However, applying for business cards from Amex, Citi, or Barclays is a smart exception, since most business cards don't count toward 5/24, letting you earn bonuses from multiple issuers simultaneously without sacrificing your Chase eligibility.