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The best credit cards, according to TPG spokesperson Clint Henderson

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Carly Helfand

Points, miles and credit card bonuses are what lit the travel flame for me once I entered my mid-30s and decided to prioritize travel in my life.

I have more than two dozen credit card accounts on my credit report, which have fed my travel addiction and enabled me to fly in the front of the plane all over the world. Since I started at TPG more than five years ago, my credit card habit has only grown.

But the biggest transformation for me has been in seeing how credit card bonuses can unlock the world of travel for everyone.

No matter if you want to fly business class to Asia or are eager to see grandma for Christmas for free, there is a credit card that can empower you, too.

These are my picks for the best credit cards that unlock amazing travel experiences thanks to points and miles.

The best credit cards

*TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.

**The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Comparing the best credit cards

Here are my top recommendations for the best credit cards.

Card Best for Welcome offer Earning rates Annual fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred Beginner travelers Earn 75,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠.
  • Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs).
  • Earn 2 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases.
  • Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
 $95
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Premium travel Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
  • Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
  • Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
  • Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.
 $395
Amex Gold Groceries and dining at restaurants Find out your offer and see if you are eligible to earn as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
  • Earn 4 points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
  • Earn 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
  • Earn 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
  • Earn 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on amextravel.com.
  • Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
 $325 (see rates and fees)
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Nonbonus spending Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
  • Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
  • Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.
 $95
Amex Platinum Luxury benefits Find out your offer and see if you are eligible to earn as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel.
  • Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
 $695 (see rates and fees)
Amex Business Platinum Luxury perks for small-business owners Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership.
  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights, prepaid hotels, short-term rentals and prepaid flight-and-hotel packages booked at amextravel.com.
  • Earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on each eligible purchase in the U.S. for: construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million in purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
  • Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
 $695 (see rates and fees)
Ink Business Preferred Bonus-earning Earn 90,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
  • Earn 3 points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year.
  • Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
 $95
Bilt Mastercard Renters N/A
  • Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining.
  • Earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel.
  • Earn 1 point per dollar spent on rent without the transaction fee (see rates and fees; on up to 100,000 points in a calendar year).
  • Earn 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases.

You must use your Bilt card five times each statement period to earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases.

 $0 (see rates and fees)
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex Frequent Delta Air Lines flyers Earn 100,000 miles after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.
  • Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases.
  • Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases.
 $650 rates and fees
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire
 Frequent Hilton guests Earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.
  • Earn 14 points per dollar spent at hotels in the Hilton portfolio.
  • Earn 7 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly through airlines or on amextravel.com
  • Earn 3 points per dollar on other purchases.
 $550
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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95.

Flying Japan Airlines business class. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

Sometimes, the things we get back can be a whole lot better than just getting 1% to 2% cash back.

While there isn’t one perfect card, the ones I’ve discussed here are some of the best that work for my earn-and-redeem reward strategy. I hold several of the cards on this list and use them frequently, even paying exorbitant annual fees year after year after year, simply because of all the benefits these cards provide.

Weigh the pros and cons of each card before deciding which ones might work best for your unique spending patterns. And remember, if you’re unable to pay off your card balances every month, then opening a new card with a higher spending requirement to earn a welcome bonus may not be the best call. Instead, consider starting with a product that features a manageable spending threshold — and that you’ll use responsibly. The value of your credit card rewards significantly decreases if you accrue high-interest debt to earn them.

Apply the right strategy so you come out ahead. Happy shopping!

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.
For the rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click termsConditions pid=”22504813″ overridetext=”here”].
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.

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