When people talk about credit cards, most of the time they focus on the bank or airline/hotel brand who issues the card. You’re more likely to hear “I can’t wait to finish meeting the minimum spend requirement on my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card,” not “I can’t wait to get the bonus points on this new Visa card I have.” That’s because it rarely matters what type of credit card — Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover and so on — we’re using.
But there are times when it makes a difference. For example, a large number of merchants don’t accept American Express due to the higher fees it charges. Maybe you’re using a bill-pay services like Plastiq, which features different limitations for Mastercard, Visa and Amex cards. Or when you’re traveling abroad, it’s not unusual to see stores that are only set up to process one type of credit card, not the colorfully diverse wallets many of us have. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 10 Visa credit cards worth having.
1. Chase Sapphire PreferredSign-up bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus 5,000 bonus points if you add an authorized user and they make a purchase in the first 3 months.
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Why you’ll love it: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is arguably the card that made travel points and miles what they are today, and there are plenty of reasons that this Visa card should be the next addition to your wallet if you don’t have it already. Not only is the sign-up bonus worth over $1,000 based on TPG’s valuations, but it’s actually even more valuable than the sign-up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve thanks to the extra 5,000 points for adding an authorized user and having them make a purchase. The card’s 2x points on travel and dining help you pile up rewards faster, and you’ll still have access to Chase’s incredible 13 airline and hotel transfer partners, as well as a 25% bonus when you redeem your points directly through the Chase portal.
The CSP has no foreign transaction fees and also offers very valuable trip delay, interruption and cancellation insurances, as well as lost baggage insurance and primary rental car insurance. From a cost/benefit standpoint, the Sapphire Preferred is likely the best Visa card you can have in your purse or wallet.
2. Ink Business Preferred Credit CardSign-up bonus: 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $95
Why you’ll love it: Although it’s not Chase’s most premium card offering, the Ink Business Preferred has the most valuable sign-up bonus of any Chase card right now, and it’s a great Visa card for businesses to both get and keep. The card’s 80,000 Ultimate Rewards bonus points are worth a mind-boggling $1,680 based on TPG’s latest valuations. And while that kind of value could help out any business, there’s more to get excited about. Your annual fee of $95 will get you access to free employee cards and no foreign transaction fees, as well as some strong business-friendly bonus categories, including 3x points for your first $150,000 each year spent on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone services and social media advertising combined.
3. Chase Sapphire Reserve
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $450
Why you’ll love it: The Chase Sapphire Reserve has been near the top of almost every list it’s been on since it launched two and a half years ago. The Visa card’s $450 annual fee isn’t nearly as bad as it seems, thanks to a $300 annual travel credit (good for anything from Uber to plane tickets to hotels) that brings your real out of pocket cost down to $150 a year. The CSR also offers 3x points on travel and dining, which are both loosely defined to include spending on items like public transit and meal delivery services. You’ll also get access to a premium concierge and travel perks like a Priority Pass select membership and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit. The Sapphire Reserve also offers travel and car rental coverage similar to the Sapphire Preferred, although the terms are slightly different. Check out our guide to “Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Benefits, Coverage & More” for a full comparison.
4. Chase Freedom UnlimitedSign-up bonus: $150 after you spend $500 in your first 3 months.
Annual fee: N/A
Why you’ll love it: The Chase Freedom and the Chase Freedom Unlimited often get thrown around interchangeably, but there’s a compelling reason why the Freedom Unlimited gets the higher spot, and why it’s the Visa card I recommend to points enthusiasts just starting to build credit. The card is incredibly simple, with no annual fee, a flat 1.5% back on all purchases, and a sign-up bonus of $150 after spending $500 in the first 3 months.
But the best part of this card is that cash back is issued in the form of points — redeem them for cash back and they’re worth 1 cent each. However, since Chase lets you pool points between its credit cards, if you also hold one of the first three cards on this list — a Chase Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred, or Chase Sapphire Preferred — you can transfer your points from the Freedom Unlimited to these cards, turning them into full-fledged Ultimate Rewards points. This means you can transfer them to Chase’s hotel or airline partners and potentially get much more than just 1 cent apiece. In fact, TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2.1 cents each, and 1.5 points per dollar on everything with the Freedom Unlimited multiplied by 2.1 cents gives you a consistent 3.15% return, making the card one of the most compelling cards for everyday spending.
5. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Why you’ll love it: In a points and miles world clogged with acronyms and intricate rules, the Capital One Venture Rewards card injects some much needed simplicity into the mix. This Visa earns a flat 2x on all purchases, and your “miles” can be used to erase recent travel purchases at a fixed value of 1 cent each. There’s no redemption minimums either, so you can erase entire hotel stays or minuscule taxes on award tickets — whatever you please. Because your miles will always be worth the same amount, there’s no way to score aspirational redemptions, but you can also cash your miles out immediately to put money back in your pocket without worrying that you’re leaving value on the table.
There’s one exception to the Venture Rewards’ fixed 2% back earning structure, and its one you’re going to like. Thanks to a recent partnership with Hotels.com, Venture cardholders get 10 miles per dollar when they use their card for hotel stays and book via hotels.com/venture. This stacks with the existing Hotels.com Rewards program that gives you 1 free night after 10 paid nights, essentially bringing your return on select hotel bookings up to a whopping 20%.
6. Bank of America Premium Rewards credit cardSign-up bonus: 50,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days of account opening
Annual fee: $95
Why you’ll love it: If you’re looking for cash back over travel rewards, the Bank of America Premium Rewards card has the potential to be one of the most rewarding options for certain customers. In addition to a sign-up bonus worth $500 (as points are worth a fixed 1 cent each), this Visa card has a unique earning structure. You’ll earn 1.5% back on all purchases except for travel and dining, which earn 2%. While that isn’t especially groundbreaking, certain Bank of America customers will be eligible for higher bonus rates.
If you have an eligible Bank of America checking account and a 3-month average combined balance of $20,000 or more in Bank of America and/or Merrill Edge or Merrill Lynch accounts, you can sign-up for the separate Bank of America Preferred Rewards program. This will increase your earnings on the Premium Rewards card by an amount based on your account balance:
| Spend Categories | Regular Cardholder | Tier 1 – Gold ($20,000 – $50,000) | Tier 2 – Platinum ($50,000 – $100,000) | Tier 3 – Platinum Honors ($100,000+) |
| Travel/Dining Earnings | 2x points | 2.5x points | 3x points | 3.5x points |
| Other Earnings | 1.5x points | 1.875x points | 2.25x points | 2.625x points |
Even at the high end, this isn’t quite as strong as the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which offers an equivalent of 6.3% back on travel and dining. But you also won’t be paying $450 a year (or even $150 a year), so if you’re after cash back and all the flexibility it affords, 2.625% for everyday spending is about as good as it gets.
7. Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit cardSign-up bonus: 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening
Annual fee: $75
Why you’ll love it: The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature is an incredibly underrated card. While there are sign-up bonuses larger than 30,000 miles on other Visa cards, Alaska Mileage Plan miles consistently rank as the most valuable individual airline mile in TPG’s monthly valuations. That’s due to generous routing rules (free stopovers), amazing alliance and non-alliance partners (I’ve heard of Cathay Pacific, but what’s a Condor?) and almost laughably low award rates (70,000 miles for a first class ticket to Asia — need I say more?)
While Alaska is a transfer partner of SPG, its miles are otherwise hard to earn outside of frequent sales, so its Visa credit card can be a valuable tool in your accumulation strategy. The $75 annual fee is lower than most co-branded cards, which hover around $90-95, and the included annual companion certificate can more than make up for that minimal cost. Just pay $99 plus taxes (which typically start around $22), and your companion will fly free on coach tickets operated by Alaska Airlines.
8. Chase FreedomSign-up bonus: $150 after you spend $500 in your first 3 months
Annual fee: N/A
Why you’ll love it: Although its potential is a lot smaller than the Chase Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom can be a useful tool in your points-building arsenal. It’s identical to the Freedom Unlimited in nearly every way — same sign-up bonus, same zero annual fee and the same ability to maximize the value of your points by combining it with another member of the Chase Trifecta. The only difference lies in earning.
Where the Freedom Unlimited gets a flat 1.5% back on all purchases, the Chase Freedom earns 5% on your first $1,500 spent in rotating quarterly categories and 1% everywhere else. The categories change each year, but for 2018, they’ve included gas stations, grocery stores, Lyft and mobile payments like Apple Pay. If you can max out all four quarterly sets of categories, you’ll earn an extra $240 or 24,000 points a year.
9. Capital One Spark Cash for BusinessSign-up bonus: $500 after spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Why you’ll love it: Cash is king for businesses, and the Spark Cash aims to put as much of it back in your wallet as possible. Not only can you get free employee Visa cards, but you’ll earn a flat 2% back on all purchases, which is about as simple as it gets. Since this card does have a $95 annual fee, just make sure to run the numbers to determine if you’re getting enough back to justify it.
10. United Explorer Card
Sign-up bonus: 40,000 miles after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Why you’ll love it: In previous years, this card would have ranked much higher on this list, but devaluations and changes to the MileagePlus booking process have cost it a bit. That being said, the card recently got a refresh and is still a compelling offer for several reasons. In addition to 2x miles on all United purchases, you’ll now also earn 2x on dining and hotels, and 1x everywhere else. You’ll also enjoy a $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, a 25% discount on in-flight purchases, and elite like benefits like priority boarding, a free checked bag for you and up to 2 travelers when you use your card to purchase tickets on United flights, priority boarding, and 2 one time United Club passes.
Bottom LineIf you haven’t paid much attention to it before, it’s worth knowing whether the cards in your wallet are issued by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or someone else. Especially before you travel outside the country or try to make any large purchases, you should make sure you have a few different types of credit cards available to you in case your merchant can’t process one of them. There’s nothing worse than getting to the end of a meal, or a long cab ride in a foreign country, only to awkwardly find out you don’t have a way to pay you bill.
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