The Best Credit Cards of 2025
Tl;dr: There are many great cards, but the Capital One Venture X, Bilt Mastercard, and Atmos Summit stand out as superstars.
This post is for informational purposes only and does not include affiliate links (yet). When it does, we’ll always tell you. Our rankings are always 100% independent and lazy.
2025 has been a surprisingly big year for new cards—including a few instant standouts. So we’ve updated our LazyPoints rankings to reflect the best options currently on the market, from a LazyPoints perspective.
Which cards are “best” is subjective. But, for us, the best cards earn back their annual fees in cash-equivalent benefits with minimal hassle while offering valuable and easy-to-redeem rewards; the very best add special perks like lounge access or elite status to that mix as well. This list gets regular updates as the landscape evolves.
Also in this post, you’ll find some of the best credit cards for earning in several major spending categories, so hopefully you can find a card (or cards) that work for you.
Overall Best Cards
These are the cards we think are special in one way or another—a step above the rest. Some co-branded cards might also be great for loyalists, but didn’t make the cut for lack of general appeal.
To maximize your overall value, we think you might want to pick one or two great cards to start with before adding other cards when you can maximize their sign up bonuses. We explain here.
1) Capital One Venture X
With double points (or more) on all spending, excellent protections, concierge service, and priority pass lounge access—all with a modest $395 fee and $400+ worth of travel back annually—the Capital One Venture X is probably the single best all-around card on the market.
2) Bilt Mastercard
Offering the best points available, the opportunity to earn those points on rent without any fees, high earning rates on dining and travel, and a lot more, all for no annual fee, the Bilt card is indispensable for renters and a great addition to the wallet for anyone. [Note: the Bilt card lineup is changing in February 2026]
3) Atmos Summit
You’ll need to take an award flight with a companion each year to offset the annual fee, but if you can swing that the Summit is the rare (only?) card to offer powerful earning, airline perks, a fast track to attainable elite status, a major reward for high spending, and fantastic redemptions. If we could only have one card, we’d probably take this one.
4) Mesa Homeowners Card
This is a no-fee card that offers hundreds of dollars in statement credits and lets you earn points on your mortgage payments—you don’t even need to use the card to pay—and offers a solid variety of transfer partners and redemptions. The only catch? You’ll need to spend $1,000 per month on the card to get those mortgage points. But don’t worry, it’s a strong earner, too, including on unusual bonus categories like home improvement and utilities.
5) IHG Premier
The free night each year easily justifies the annual fee, and this card offers tons of value, including Platinum status at IHG, a fourth night free on award stays, great earning rates on gas, $25 United TravelBank cash, and Chase Offers.
6) Hilton Aspire
The $550 fee can look intimidating, but it comes with Hilton’s highest tier of elite status and big points when staying with the brand’s massive global portfolio—plus respectable earnings on dining, flights, and rental car bookings. With $50 in quarterly airfare credits and $200 in Hilton resort credits every six months, and a free night award usable at properties that would otherwise cost thousands, the Aspire delivers incredible value for its fee.
7) Delta Amex Platinum
If you fly Delta even occasionally, this card might be worth its annual fee, offering a premium travel experience (including possible seat upgrades!), solid earning rates for an airline card, and high upside benefits like a companion pass on renewal. You will have to keep track of a lot of credits, though.
8) Citi Strata Elite
The Strata Elite perfectly straddles the line between the ultra-practical Venture X and the high-end Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve in terms of fee and credits, simplicity, earning rates, and lounge access, and could be a goldilocks card in the premium space. And it has the best transfer partners of the bunch.
9) Citi Custom Cash
The ultimate utility card, the Custom Cash earns 5% cash back on your highest spending category each month, so you can get maximum rewards on things like gas, live entertainment, or fitness clubs—and change it up month to month as needed.
10) Amex Gold
The ultimate foodie’s card, its quadruple points on restaurants and grocery stores makes it perhaps the most powerful generator of points for those who eat out a lot. It offers over $400 in statement credits to justify its $325 fee, but beware: most are broken into small monthly use-or-lose credits that could be difficult to track and use.
11) Amex Platinum
If you don’t mind keeping track of a lot of credits, the Platinum can pay for its massive $895 annual fee while delivering the industry’s most extensive airport lounge access along premium perks like elite status with Marriott and Hilton. Just don’t expect to earn many points with this one.
12) Chase Sapphire Reserve
Many people might find it tough to get true value from the Reserve’s often-niche credits, but luxury spenders will find it easier. And if you drop $75k on the card in a single year, you can earn elite status with both Southwest Airlines and IHG, a $500 Southwest credit and more.
13) Amex Blue Cash Everyday
Not everyone travels. Built for practical, day-to-day purchases, this no-fee card earns 3% cash back on groceries, online retail, and gas, up to $6,000 in each category. It even has a $7 monthly credit towards Disney streaming services.
14) Delta Amex Gold
With a $100 Delta Stays credit to offset a $150 annual fee, plus benefits like free checked baggage with the airline, it can make sense for the occasional Delta flyer. What makes it special is the 15% discount on SkyMiles flights (on Delta metal only), potentially supercharging your Amex Membership Rewards. And with double points on restaurants and groceries and a $200 flight credit after spending $10,000, it is an underrated option to deliver serious travel value on a budget.
15) Citi Strata Premier
If you can use the $100 credit on $500+ hotel stays booked through Citi, the $95-fee Premier is one of the best ways to quickly accumulate powerful points, earning triple points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and on air travel and direct hotel bookings.
Honorable mentions: United Explorer, Capital One Savor, Chase World of Hyatt, Citi Strata, Citi Double Cash, and Wells Fargo Active Cash.
Yes, no Chase Sapphire Preferred on this list. We’re contrarian.
Best Cards by Spending Category
Although we think the cards above are the best for fellow lazy optimizers generally, some cards may be better fits for you than others depending on your spending habits. The cards below are loosely ranked within each major spending category based on how we value the rewards (that’s why a card might appear higher than another card that earns more points), based on a preference for straightforward non-luxury redemptions. Just remember that it will take a lot of incrementally more efficient spending to match a really good welcome bonus.
Best for everyday spending 💸
Capital One Venture X: (2x points)
Citi Double Cash (2% cash back)
Chase Freedom Unlimited (1.5x)
Atmos Summit (1x; 1.1x with qualifying BoA account)
Best for dining 🍽️
Amex Gold (4x)
Citi Strata Elite (3x, 6x on “Citi Nights,” 6pm-6am ET)
Atmos Summit (3x, 3.3x with qualifying BoA account)
Citi Strata Premier (3x)
Chase Sapphire and Freedom cards (3x)
Citi Strata (3x/3%)
Wells Fargo Autograph and Autograph Journey (3x)
Capital One Savor (3%)
Hilton Aspire (7x)
Best for groceries 🛒
Amex Gold (4x)
Amex Blue Cash Preferred (6% on up to $6,000 annually)
Citi Strata Premier (3x)
Capital One Savor (3%)
Amex Blue Cash Everyday (3%, up to $6,000 per year)
Best for gas ⛽
Citi Custom Cash (5%, if top spending category, up to $500 in spending)
Costco Anywhere (4%)
Citi Strata Premier (3x)
IHG Premier (5x)
Atmos Ascent, Citi AA Platinum Select (2x)
Amex Blue Cash Everyday (3%, up to $6,000 per year)
Best for online retail 🛍️
Amex Blue Cash Everyday (3%, up to $6,000 per year)
Amazon Prime Visa (5% cash back at Amazon)
Rakuten Amex (4%/4x, up to $7,000 per year on Rakuten portal purchases)
Best for flights booked directly ✈️
Amex Platinum (5x)
Chase Sapphire Reserve (4x)
Amex Gold, Green (3x)
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey (4x)
Best for portal flight bookings 🛫
Chase Sapphire Reserve (8x)
Citi Strata Elite (6x)
Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X (5x)
Best for hotels booked directly (excluding hotel cards) 🏨
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey (5x)
Citi Strata Premier (3x)
Delta Amex Platinum, Amex Green (3x)
Bilt Mastercard (2x)
Best for portal hotel bookings 🛏️
Citi Strata Elite (12x)
Chase Sapphire Reserve (8x)
Capital One Venture X (10x)
Best for general travel, including local transit and trains 🚄
Amex Green (3x)
Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x)
IHG Premier (5x)
Best for rotating bonuses 🔄
Chase Freedom Flex (5% on quarterly categories after activation)
Discover it (5% on quarterly categories after activation)
Citi Custom Cash (5% on top qualifying spending category, up to $500 in spending)
Citi Strata (3x/3%, can select a bonus category and change quarterly)
Best for foreign purchases 🌏
Atmos Summit (3x, 3.3x with qualifying BoA account)
Best for big spending 💰
Atmos Summit (100k-point companion discount, Atmos Gold at $60k spend)
Bilt Mastercard (Flying Blue Gold, free Blade flight, best transfer bonus benefits at $50k spend)
Chase Sapphire Reserve (Southwest A-List, IHG Diamond, $500 Southwest credit at $75k)
Hilton Aspire (second free night certificate at $30k)
United Quest (two global Economy Plus upgrades at $40k)
Lazy Take 🦥
There’s no single “best” card for everyone, but there is a best mix for your lifestyle. Start with one or two that make your daily spending effortless—then build from there. The key is lazy optimization: maximum value, minimum effort.
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Last updated: October 2025