Brian Jung is one of the best YouTubers covering all the amazing things about credit cards and investing.
He frequently covers the top cards to have in your wallet, and what cards you should add based on your current credit tier and travel habits.
Below are the cards you should consider, according to Brian Jung.
Best for Dining & Groceries: American Express® Gold Card (review)
Best for Beginner Travelers: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review)
Best for Airport Lounge Access: The Platinum Card® from American Express (review)
Top Credit Cards Overall
1. American Express® Gold Card
Best for Restaurants & U.S. Supermarkets
The American Express® Gold Card (review) is one of my favorite cards because it earns:
- 4x Membership Rewards® points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.,
- 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x).
- 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
Plus, card members get nice credits when you enroll your Gold Card to offset the annual fee:
- $120 Uber Cash: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account, and each month automatically get up to $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.
2. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for Airport Lounge Access
The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is a great premium travel rewards card for travelers who want airport lounge access, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Escape Lounges, Priority Pass lounges.
The American Express Platinum has a $695 annual fee, but you receive many annual statement credits when you enroll your card to offset the fee, including:
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $200 Uber Cash Credit: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Benefit renews annually.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive a statement credit that covers the full cost each month.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
You also earn 5x Membership Rewards points when booking flights directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year) and 5x Membership Rewards points when booking prepaid hotels with American Express Travel.
On top of that, you automatically earn Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold statuses, which offer points bonuses, room upgrades, late check-out, and other premier benefits.
3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best for Beginner Travelers
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- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
4. Prime Visa
Best for Amazon Purchases
- Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card instantly loaded into your Amazon Account upon approval of your Application.
- 5% Cash Back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods
- 2% Cash Back at Restaurants, Gas Stations, and Transit
- 1% Cash Back on All Other Purchases
- Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty, Secondary Rental Car Insurance, and Baggage Delay Insurance.
- No Annual Fee
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is a no-annual fee card that offers 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods if you have a Prime membership.
The Amazon Prime Visa also offers nice card benefits such as lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, secondary rental car insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty.
5. Chase Freedom Flex℠
Best for Flexible Spending Categories
- Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- 5% Cash Back in Quarterly Bonus Categories (up to $1,500 in combined spending after activation)
- 5% Cash Back on Travel Purchased Via Chase
- 3% Cash Back at Restaurants, Eligible Food Delivery, and Drug Stores
- Cell Phone Insurance and Purchase Protection
- No Annual Fee
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ (review) is a great no-annual fee card that earns 5% cash back in quarterly categories (up to $1,500 in combined spending) and on travel purchased via Chase Ultimate Rewards.
The Freedom Flex also earns 3% cash back at restaurants, eligible food delivery, and drug stores.
The card also comes with nice benefits such as cell phone insurance, extended warranty, purchase protection, secondary rental car insurance, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Climbing the Credit Card Tier List
Brian Jung also recommends various cards based on your credit card tier, including the Baby Tier, the Rookie Tier, the Mid-Tier, God Tier, and Elite Tier.
Best Baby Tier Credit Cards
The baby tier is designed for people who want to earn rewards but have minimal credit history.
Citi® Double Cash Card
Best for 2% Cash Back on All Purchases
The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer boasts a strong 2% rewards rate on purchases, where you get 1% back when you buy and 1% when you pay.
This zero-annual-fee card offers a solid earning potential as long as you pay your balance on time, and it provides a simple way to rack up points with no bonus categories to track.
You can also boost your rewards by also holding the Citi Premier® Card (review), which allows you to transfer points to airline and hotel programs. This combination effectively allows you to earn 2 airline miles per dollar on all spending with the Citi Double Cash.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Best for 1.5% Cash Back on All Purchases
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- 1.5% Cash Back on Every Purchase
- 5% Cash Back on Hotels and Rental Cars Booked via Capital One Travel
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After that, reg_apr,reg_apr_type.
- No Annual Fee
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a no-annual-fee credit card offering 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
It also comes with nice benefits such as no foreign transaction fees, extended warranty, and travel accident insurance.
Best Rookie Tier Credit Cards
The rookie tier credit cards have no annual fee and help you get your foot in the door with major banks like Chase and American Express.
We have already covered the Chase Freedom Flex and Amazon Prime Visa above, so here are the other credit cards:
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Best for General Spending
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review) is a good no-annual fee credit card option that offers 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back at restaurants, takeout, eligible delivery services, and on drugstore purchases. Plus it offers 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
The card also offers nice benefits such as purchase protection, extended warranty, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and secondary rental car insurance.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Best for Groceries & Online Shopping
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- 3% Cash Back at U.S. Supermarkets, U.S. Online Retail Purchases, & U.S. Gas Stations (each on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 1% thereafter)
- 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, a reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR.
- No Annual Fee (rates & fees)
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a great no-annual fee credit card option that earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail purchases, & U.S. gas stations (each on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 1% thereafter).
The Blue Cash also offers $7 back each month after using your Blue Cash Everyday Card to spend $12.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription to The Disney Bundle, including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. (Enrollment required.)
Plus, a $180 annual credit for Home Chef purchases in the form of a monthly $15 statement credit
Mid-Tier Credit Cards
Mid-Tier credit cards are where you can start to get a lot of value, but you will be paying an annual fee.
We have already covered the American Express Gold and the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which are great options.
Here are the other mid-tier cards you should consider:
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Best for Young Adults
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- 6% Cash Back at U.S. Supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year; 1% thereafter) and on Select U.S. Streaming
- 3% Cash Back on Transit, Ridesharing, Parking, and at U.S. Gas Stations
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the First Year, then $95 (rates & fees).
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (review) offers an outstanding 6% cash back rewards for purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year; 1% thereafter) and on U.S. streaming services, making it perfect for anyone who wants to maximize earnings from everyday expenses.
Plus, the card offers 3% cash back on transit, rideshare, parking, and at U.S. gas stations.
World of Hyatt Credit Card
Best for World of Hyatt Stays
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- 4X Points at all Hyatt Hotels
- 2X Points on Dining, with Airlines, Local Transit, & Gyms
- One Free Night Each Year (Category 1-4) + Extra Free Night After Spending $15,000 Per Calendar Year
- Automatic Discoverist Status
- $95 Annual Fee
The World of Hyatt Credit Card is a great choice for anyone who enjoys staying at Hyatt properties. This card offers impressive rewards and benefits that can help you make the most out of your hotel stays.
The card offers:
- 4 points per dollar at Hyatt hotels
- 2 points per dollar at restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly with airlines, local transit, commuting, and fitness clubs.
Plus, you get a free hotel night at a Category 1-4 Hyatt Hotel to offset the $95 annual fee, and you can earn an additional night when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Best for Marriott Stays
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- 6X Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- 4X Points at Restaurants Worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, U.S. Phone Service Providers, and on U.S. Shipping Purchases.
- Annual Free Night Award (up to 35,000 Points)
- 15 Elite Night Credits and Gold Elite Status
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $125 Annual Fee (Rates and Fees)
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is a good option for travelers who stay at least a few times per year in a Marriott.
The card comes with Marriott Bonvoy elite status, a free night award (up to 35,000 points), a 7% room rate discount, and 15 elite night credits.
For rewards, the Marriott Bonvoy Business earns 6x points at Marriott Hotels, 4x points at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and U.S. shipping purchases.
God Tier Cards
God Tier cards are the ultimate luxury cards that offer maximum benefits. The cards have high annual fees, but you can offset them by taking advantage of the great benefits.
We’ve already covered the Platinum Card from American Express.
Here are the other God Tier cards so you can travel in style:
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for Business Travelers
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is an outstanding choice for business owners who want airport lounge access including the American Express Global Lounge Collection, Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Escape Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and more.
The Business Platinum card also offers several statement credits to offset the $695 annual fee:
- $200 Airline Fee: Annual airline fee credit of up to $200 on charges by the airline you select per calendar year.
- $400 Dell: Annual statement credit on all U.S. Dell purchases, up to $200 semiannually.
- $120 Wireless Phone Services: Annual statement credits for purchases made directly with any U.S. wireless telephone provider, up to $10 per month.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Business Platinum Card.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Statement credits for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) every four years (4.5 years for PreCheck).
You can also earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1.5x points on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year
The American Express Business Platinum comes with automatic Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold so that you can enjoy perks like room upgrades, late check-out, and a points bonus.
Additionally, the points you earn can be transferred to several Amex transfer partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, and Marriott Bonvoy. This potentially increases the value of your points depending on how you redeem them.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best for Travel Protection
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- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
The card_name (review) is a great option for travelers who want premium perks such as airport lounge access and top-tier travel protections.
The Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, but you receive an annual easy-to use $300 travel credit and access to 1,300+ Priority Pass airport lounges.
Plus, great benefits such as trip delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase and return protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees.
Cardmembers also earn extra points with:
- 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 3x points on travel.
- 3x points on dining, and food delivery purchases.
- 1x points everywhere else.
One thing to remember is that you won’t earn points on your first $300 in travel purchases each cardmember year since the $300 travel credit covers those purchases.
You can also cash out points at a 50% bonus (1.5 cents per point) when redeeming points towards travel or transfer the points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Best for Earning Hilton Status & Priority Pass Access
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (review) is a premier card packed with top-notch hotel benefits and earns 14x Hilton Honors points at Hilton hotels and resorts, and 7x points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
This premium hotel rewards card has a $450 annual fee, but it comes with an automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status, which gets you a 100% points bonus, milestone bonuses, suite upgrades, free breakfast, and other top-tier hotel perks.
Plus, you receive up to $250 Hilton resort statement credits, $250 airline fee credits, and $100 Hilton on-property credit, which easily offset the card’s yearly fee.
Cardholders also enjoy unlimited Priority Pass lounge access with two guests and one free weekend night award at any Hilton hotel.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best All-Around Travel Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please click here.
