8 Of My Favorite Credit Cards For Rewards

Let me tell you about my favorite hobby: credit card churning. Ok, maybe not my favorite hobby, but still fun.

And hear me out.

I don’t pay crazy high interest rates and I’m not drowning in debt. I’m the guy who pays off balances in full every month and treats credit card rewards like a strategic game.

Over the years, I’ve built up quite the collection of cards, each serving a specific purpose in my financial arsenal.

Here’s the inside scoop on my favorites and why they’ve earned permanent spots in my wallet.

Disclaimer: Credit card terms and offers change frequently. Always verify current offers and terms before applying. Remember to consider annual fees, spending requirements, and your own spending patterns when choosing cards. If I have a referral link, I will use it below. I’ll get a commission if you open a card, and you get a special offer.

The Business Beast: Chase Ink

My Chase Ink business card is hands down my MVP. This thing is a cash-generating machine!

With 5% cash back on office supplies and telecom services up to $25,000 per year (that’s a potential $1,250 in cash back annually), plus 2% back at gas stations and restaurants, it covers so many of my regular business expenses.

The best part? Chase tracks these rewards as Ultimate Rewards points, which means I can transfer them to travel partners or combine them with my other Chase cards for maximum value.

It’s like having a Swiss Army knife for business spending. The $350 welcome bonus after spending $3,000 in the first three months, plus an additional $400 after spending $6,000 in the first six months made it a no-brainer when I first applied.

The Amazon Ace: Chase Visa for Amazon Prime

One of my most recent credit cards is my Chase Amazon Prime Visa. The $150 Amazon gift card welcome bonus (sometimes it’s a $200 bonus) loads instantly upon approval – no spending required!

Since I’m already a Prime member, this was essentially free money.

The card earns 5% back on all Amazon purchases, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods, plus 2% back at gas stations and restaurants. Prime cardholders also get 10% back on rotating promotional items, which can be incredible if you time your purchases right.

The best part?

You can use your rewards the very next day at Amazon checkout – no waiting for statement credits or minimum redemption amounts.

The Simple All-Rounder: Capital One Quicksilver

Another card that deserves a spot in any rewards strategy is the Capital One Quicksilver. This might be the most straightforward card in existence – unlimited 1.5% cash back on every single purchase, no categories to track, no limits to worry about, and no annual fee.

The $200 welcome bonus after spending just $500 in the first three months is practically free money for most people. That’s less than $167 per month in regular spending – something most people hit with groceries and gas alone.

What I love about the Quicksilver is its simplicity and reliability. It’s the perfect “set it and forget it” card, plus it earns 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

No foreign transaction fees make it great for international travel, and the 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers gives you financial flexibility when you need it.

It’s also incredibly easy to get approved for if you have good credit, making it an excellent starter card for anyone new to the rewards game or a solid backup card for experienced churners.

The Category King: PNC Visa

My PNC Visa is what I call my “daily driver” for specific categories. This card delivers 4% back on gas, 3% on restaurants, and 2% on groceries for the first $8,000 in combined purchases annually. Since these are categories I spend in regularly, it’s basically guaranteed money.

The $200 sign-up bonus after spending just $1,000 in the first three months was easy money, and the card has no annual fee.

The only limitation is the $8,000 annual cap across all bonus categories, which resets on your cardmember anniversary – but for most people’s spending patterns, that’s plenty of runway.

The Cruise Specialist: Carnival Barclays Mastercard

This one’s all about the cruise life!

My wife and I (mainly my wife) love cruising, so the Carnival World Mastercard made perfect sense. The welcome bonus of 30,000 FunPoints after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days translates to $300 in onboard credit – essentially covering a cruise excursion or specialty dining.

The card earns 2X points on all Carnival purchases and 1X point on everything else, with no annual fee and 0% promotional APR for 6 months on cruise bookings.

Plus, you get a 10% statement credit on shore excursions booked before your cruise. It’s not the highest-earning card overall, but for cruise enthusiasts, it’s specialized value.

The Hotel Hero: Bonvoy Business Amex

My Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express card is a powerhouse for hotel stays. Yes, it has a $125 annual fee, but hear me out on the math.

You get a free night award every year after your card renewal (up to 35,000 points), plus another free night if you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.

That annual free night easily covers the fee and then some.

Plus, you get automatic Marriott Gold Elite status with perks like late checkout and bonus points on stays. The card earns 6X points on Marriott purchases and 4X points on restaurants, gas, wireless services, and shipping – all categories I use regularly.

The current welcome bonus of three free night awards (worth up to 50,000 points each) after spending $6,000 in six months is incredible value for frequent travelers.

The Set-It-and-Forget-It Champion: Fidelity Visa

My Fidelity Visa gets the “best all around” award. This piece of plastic gives me unlimited 2% cash back on everything – and I mean everything – with no caps, no categories, and no annual fee.

Here’s the genius part: the rewards automatically get deposited into my Fidelity investment account. It’s like forced savings that compounds over time.

Financial experts estimate that $500 in annual cash back deposits could grow to nearly $25,000 over 20 years based on an 8% annual stock market return. Talk about making your spending work for you!

The only “catch” is that you need to deposit rewards into an eligible Fidelity account to get the full 2% value, but honestly, that’s a feature, not a bug in my book.

The Flexible Friend: Capital One Business Card

My Capital One business card was all about that welcome bonus – $500 cash back after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days. But what I really love about Capital One cards is the virtual card number feature.

You can generate unique card numbers for online purchases, which adds an extra layer of security when shopping online. For business use, virtual cards let you control spending and prevent unauthorized charges with a simple click.

It’s like having unlimited burner cards for different vendors or subscriptions.

The Strategy Behind the Madness

Here’s my secret sauce: I never apply for cards I won’t use, and I always have a plan for meeting the spending requirements organically.

Each card serves a specific purpose in my spending ecosystem, and together they create a comprehensive rewards strategy that maximizes every dollar I spend.

The key is discipline.

I set up automatic payments for the full balance on every card, I track my spending religiously, and I never chase rewards at the expense of my budget. These cards have earned me thousands of dollars in cash back and free travel over the years, all while building my credit score and giving me better financial flexibility.

Remember, credit card rewards are only valuable if you’re paying your balances in full and not paying interest (one of my rules of personal finance).

Used responsibly, though, they’re like getting a discount on everything you buy.