There are three main elements to consider when building a credit card strategy: maximizing bonuses (which is easy to do given how many cards are currently offering welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more), earning valuable perks to help offset your card’s annual fee and taking advantage of bonus categories that match your spending habits.
The Platinum Card® from American Express does an incredible job with the first two. While the publicly available welcome bonus is currently 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, many people have been targeted for a 100,000-point offer with the same spending requirement by using the CardMatch tool (this targeted offer is subject to change at anytime). Based on TPG’s latest valuations, these bonuses are worth either $1,200 for 60,000 points, or a whopping $2,000 if you’re targeted for the 100,000-point offer.
In terms of perks, the Amex Platinum works to offset its $550 annual fee by offering the most comprehensive airport lounge access of any credit card (including access to Amex’s global collection of Centurion Lounges), $200 each in annual airline credits and Uber credits, a Priority Pass select membership, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit and a number of lesser-known perks.
However, the card has a harder time keeping up with its premium credit card competition when it comes to bonus categories. The only bonus category that the Platinum card offers is a narrow 5x points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline, and prepaid hotel booked through Amex Travel. Compare that to the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Citi Prestige, which respectively offer bonus points on broadly defined travel and dining categories, or airfare, hotels, dining and entertainment. So let’s take a look at the credit cards that pair best with the Amex Platinum to complete your points earning strategy.
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express
Welcome bonus: None
Annual fee: None
The Amex Blue Business Plus rarely gets the attention it deserves, despite being the single most rewarding card for everyday non-bonus spend. Similar to the famed Chase Trifecta, the Amex Platinum gets stronger when you pair it with a no annual fee card in the same Membership Rewards points family to supercharge your earnings. The Blue Business Plus is incredibly simple and straightforward, offering 2x points on your first $50,000 in purchases a year, then 1x thereafter.
When you add up the 2x bonus categories and the points earned from your Amex Platinum, you’ll start to amass enough Membership Rewards points to unlock some spectacular redemptions.
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American ExpressWelcome bonus: Earn 15,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $95
If the Blue Business Plus is all about simplicity, the Amex EveryDay Preferred offers the chance to earn higher rewards with a little bit of work. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar at US supermarkets (on your first $6,000 a year), 2x points at US gas stations and 1x everywhere else. The real value comes if you make 30 or more transactions in a billing cycle, in which case you’ll earn a 50% bonus an all points. This effectively raises your bonus categories to 4.5x at US supermarkets, 3x at gas stations and 1.5x everywhere else.
If you like this bonus structure but you’re hesitant about the card’s $95 annual fee, you can also consider The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express. This no annual fee card operates with a similar structure: 2x points at US supermarkets (on your first $6,000 a year; then 1x), 1x everywhere else, and a 20% bonus for making 20 or more transactions in a billing cycle. If you find yourself coming up just short of the monthly transaction requirement, you can check out our guide for tips on how to meet it, including multiple $1 reloads to your Amazon account or buying individual packs of gum at a convenience store.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Welcome bonus: Enjoy one free year of ZipRecruiter standard and G Suite basic for up to three users (up to a $3,188 value)
Annual fee: $295
If none of the cards on the list so far meet your specific needs for bonus spending categories, consider the Amex Business Gold Card. Amex designed this card to give your business maximum rewards, even if your spending habits change. Of the following categories, you’ll earn 4x on your top two each month, up to $150,000 a year across all categories:
Airfare purchased from airlines US purchases for advertising in select media US purchases for shipping US purchases at gas stations US purchases at restaurants US purchases made from select technology providersBased on TPG’s valuation of Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, this comes out to a 8% return and up to 600,000 bonus points a year. Similar to the Amex Platinum, this is a charge card with no preset spending limit, making it perfect for purchasing inventory for your business. You’ll also be eligible for Amex Offers, and while the evidence for this is purely anecdotal, Amex often seems to target Gold and Platinum cardholders with some of the more valuable offers.
You might also want to consider the revamped American Express® Gold Card. The 4x bonus points at US restaurants and on your first $25,000 of spending at US supermarkets (then 1x) is a nice complement to these business categories, and the $250 annual fee is almost entirely offset by the $100 annual airline credit and up to $120 in annual dining credits.
Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $450
One of the weaker points of the Amex Membership Rewards program is the lack of valuable hotel transfer partners, especially compared to Chase’s 1:1 transfer ratio to Hyatt. While you can transfer Membership Rewards points to Hilton, Marriott and Choice Rewards, these often represent a loss in value and poor redemption options.
One way to supplement this is to simply apply for a co-branded card. While there are many hot offers on the market right now, including a 150,000-point bonus on the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express, my personal favorite is the recently released Amex SPG Luxury Card. This card currently carries a 75,000-point sign-up bonus — worth $675 according to TPG’s latest valuations — and a number of luxury perks. Card holders will enjoy a $300 annual credit at Marriott and SPG hotels, complimentary Gold elite status and a free night worth up to 50,000 points upon each annual account renewal. Of course, if you’re loyal to another hotel chain, we’ve also seen revamped card offerings from both IHG and Hyatt this year.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardSign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
While you might consider diversifying into other transferable points currencies such as Chase Ultimate Rewards or Citi ThankYou Rewards to compliment your Amex Platinum, you might also decide that a fixed-value card fits your needs. The Capital One Venture Rewards Card is a leader in this category as it allows you to redeem your miles for one 1 each against the cost of travel, making your welcome bonus worth at least $750.
But the value doesn’t stop there, as Capital One has announced that beginning in December miles earned on the Venture and Spark cards will also transfer to 12 airline partners at a 2:1.5 ratio. Even the specific partners Capital One picked are complementary to the Amex Platinum. By far the most valuable Capital One transfer partners are Star Alliance members Air Canada (Aeroplan) and Avianca LifeMiles, as well as Etihad Guest. All three of these programs are also 1:1 Amex transfer partners, meaning you can mix and match points between Capital One and Amex to top up your accounts for that next first class-award ticket. And with the Venture’s fixed 2x earning rate on all purchases (save for 10x at Hotels.com), you’ll rack those miles up even faster.
Bottom LineWhile The Platinum Card from American Express is an incredibly rewarding card and can even be the centerpiece of your points strategy, using it alone leaves a lot of value on the table. But by pairing it with the right Membership Rewards-earning card, hotel co-branded card or cash-back/”travel eraser” card, you can really amplify your returns and unlock some top-tier redemptions.
I get some pretty weird looks when I tell my friends that I’ve opened 22 credit cards — one for every year I’ve been alive. I get all the usual questions like “how do you pick which card to start with?” and “isn’t that hurting your credit score?” Their ears start to perk up though when I tell them just how much value I’m getting from each new card I open — generally no less than $500 and often well over $1,000. Today, we’ll take a look at the top credit card offers that can help you get $1,000 or even more in value.
Before we get into the heavy details, there’s one detail to address up front. The order of this list doesn’t line up with the “total value” column on the right-hand side of the following chart. That’s due to variations in perks and whether or not you can fully utilize all of them, such as the Hilton-specific benefits of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express. So instead, I ordered these cards based on the value I expect the average user to get.
| Credit Card | Bonus Offer | Bonus Value** | Perks Value | Annual Fee | Total Value |
| Capital One Spark Miles For Business | 50,000 miles after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus 150,000 miles when you spend a total of $50,000 in the first 6 months | $2,800** | N/A | $95 (waived first year) | $2,800 |
| Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | 80,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months | $1,600 | N/A | $95 | $1,505 |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months | $1,140 | $200 airline fee credit, up to $200 in annual Uber credits, up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit, $250 Centurion lounge access, $100 Priority Pass lounge access | $550 | $1,440 |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | 75,000 miles after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months | $1,050 | N/A | $95 (waived first year) | $1,050 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months | $1,000 | N/A | $95 (waived first year) | $1,000 |
| Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express | 150,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months | $900 | $250 in statement credits for Hilton purchases each cardmember year, $250 in airline incidental fee credits per calendar year, Hilton Diamond status, which TPG values at $1,915 | $450 | $2,865 |
**Bonus value based on TPG valuation
Capital One Spark Miles For Business
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 Capital One miles after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus another 150,000 miles once you spend $50,000 in the first 6 months
Valuable perks: Purchase protection, car rental insurance, Visa SavingsEdge, free employee cards
How it all adds up: While it takes quite a chunk of spending to hit both tiers of the current Capital One Spark Miles For Business sign-up bonus, if you can pull it off you’ll be handsomely rewarded with 300,000 Capital One miles (200,000 from the bonus plus 100,000 from the spending). If you choose to redeem your miles at a fixed 1 cent each to erase travel purchases, you’ll be able to get a minimum of $3,000 in value out of this offer. If, however, you take advantage of one of the 12 airline transfer partners Capital One recently announced, these 300,000 miles could easily be worth over $4,000. You can read the TPG team’s discussion on which transfer partners will unlock the most value for you and your business here.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Annual fee: $95
Sign-up bonus: 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
Valuable perks: Cell phone protection for you and employees listed on your phone bill, trip delay and cancellation insurance
How it all adds up: Chase’s Ink Business Preferred doesn’t have a ton of perks like other cards on this list, and it faces increasing competition from newer members of the Ink family. But it might offer the simplest and most immediate value proposition of any of these cards. It has the highest sign-up bonus of any Ultimate Rewards-earning card, even more than the ultra-premium Sapphire Reserve. Those 80,000 points are worth $1,600 based on TPG’s latest valuations, but you can potentially get even more value than that.
You could transfer 60,000 points to United to book a round-trip ticket from the US to Europe and still have $420 worth of Chase points left over. For other creative strategies on redeeming Ultimate Rewards points, check out our guide to “Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards for Maximum Value.”
The Platinum Card® From American Express
Annual fee: $550
Welcome bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. Note that some people have been targeted for a 100,000-point welcome offer with the same minimum spend by checking through the Cardmatch tool (targeted offer subject to change at any time).
Valuable perks: $200 airline fee credit, up to $200 in annual Uber credits, up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits, access to Amex Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Gold elite status with Hilton and Starwood (which will convert to Marriott Gold in August)
How it all adds up: One of the most common questions we get here at The Points Guy is whether The Platinum Card from American Express is worth the $550 annual fee. Admittedly, our answer has always been a resounding “Yes!” but the list of reasons why has grown over the years, as Amex keeps adding new benefits to attract customers to its most premium card that’s publicly available. The standard welcome bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards points is worth over $1,000 on its own based on TPG’s latest valuations, but if you’re targeted for the 100,000 point offer through Cardmatch, I’d say this card is a no-brainer.
Assuming you can use the $200 annual airline and Uber credits, that scary $550 annual fee is really only $150 out of pocket each year, and valuable benefits like 5x points on flights purchased directly with the airline, hotel elite status, premium concierge services and the most comprehensive lounge benefits of any credit card can help you get well over $1,000 in value.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Sign-up bonus: 75,000 Capital One miles after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
Valuable perks: Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, extended warranty protection
How it all adds up: With the Venture Rewards card you’ll enjoy access to the same 12 airline transfer partners as the Spark business family of cards, as well as the option to redeem your points directly against the cost of travel. The Venture Card earns a fixed 2x on all purchases with no caps or restrictions, except for hotels.com where Venture cardholders will get a whopping 10x points when they book and pay at hotels.com/venture. In addition to a sign-up bonus worth at least $750 (and easily over $1,000 if you take advantage of airline transfer partners), this strong earning rate means you’ll continue to rack up miles at a rapid pace for high-value redemptions through partners like Avianca, Aeroplan and Etihad Guest.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Freedom Unlimited becomes even more valuable when paired with a card like Sapphire Preferred.
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
Valuable perks: Trip delay/interruption insurance, baggage insurance, primary car rental insurance
How it all adds up: If you’ve decided that the Chase Sapphire Reserve (with a $450 annual fee) is a bit too much for you, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great alternative. You’ll still have access to Chase’s 13 incredible hotel and airline transfer partners, and you’ll still get a sign-up bonus worth $1,000.
Since the annual fee on the CSP is waived for the first year (unlike every other card on this list), you can earn $1,000 in value without actually having to spend any money. This is ideal for people who are new to the points world or aren’t sure they’re ready to commit yet, as it gives you 12 free months to make up your mind.
Hilton Honors Amex Aspire Card From American Express
Annual fee: $450
Welcome bonus: 150,000 Hilton points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
Valuable perks: $250 annual airline credit, $250 annual Hilton resort credit at participating hotels, $100 credit on eligible stays of 2 nights or more at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels, automatic Hilton Diamond status
How it all adds up: Unlike the entry-level Hilton Ascend card, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express comes absolutely jam-packed with credits and benefits. In addition to a 125,000-point welcome bonus that TPG values at $900, the card comes with a number of Hilton property credits that can negate the annual fee and make this card cash-flow positive. You’ll also get one free weekend night after account approval, and one at each account anniversary. Those nights can easily net you $300+ each.
The Aspire card also comes with automatic top-tier Hilton Diamond status. TPG‘s Nick Ewen valued Diamond status at $1,915 this year, which in theory could put the Aspire at the top of this list in terms of value. But while Diamond status offers some incredible perks like suite upgrades and free breakfast, I’d argue that Diamond status from the Aspire card is less valuable than if you qualify organically. The reason is that our elite value calculations assume that you stay 20% more nights than the minimum qualification requirement and spend $150 per night. While you can easily get several hundred dollars out of this “free” Diamond status from the Aspire, if you’re not staying enough to earn it organically, it won’t be worth the full $1,915 to you.
Bottom LineThis is an incredible time to add a new card to your wallet, with multiple cards offering 100,000-point bonuses and many that can easily net you at least $1,000 in value. Just keep in mind that the cards with the most perks often have the highest annual fees, so make sure that you’re getting enough value to justify spending big money on a single card.
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