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Best Credit Cards to Keep Long-Term (No Annual Fee)
Unless there is a special reason, no-annual-fee cards generally are not worth canceling. Just keep them long term. So if you see one you need, apply for it; or consider downgrading another annual-fee card into a no-annual-fee card. We have already recommended many cards in our no-annual-fee credit card roundup
Below are a few cards that I or my friends have kept for the long term. You can adjust based on your own spending pattern.
Discover it
The 5% quarterly categories are very useful, and the card is also easy to apply for. It was my first card.
5% rotating categories each quarter; no annual fee! Great as a first student card
- Welcome bonus: $100 cash back (one purchase within three months)
- Rewards: Earn 5% cash back in different categories each quarter, doubled to 10% in the first year
- Redemption: Redeem directly; gift cards may be available at a discount, up to 5% off
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Chase Freedom Flex
The 5x points each quarter are very useful, and if you hold a premium card you can also transfer them to airline miles. This was my third card.
Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card
Quarterly 5x rewards, great for everyday spending; no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: 20,000 Ultimate Rewards (UR) (Spend $500 in 3 months)
- Rewards: 5x through the Chase Travel Portal; 3x at restaurants and drugstores; an additional 5x in rotating quarterly categories each quarter (such as groceries, dining, Amazon, gas, PayPal, etc.)
- Redemption: Redeem for cash back at 100 UR = $1; if you also hold a premium card, points can be transferred 1:1 to airline miles or hotel points, or redeemed toward travel at 1:1.25; estimated value 1.6 cent/point
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday
3% cash back on groceries, online shopping, and gas, plus Disney and Home Chef credits. A must-have everyday card.
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday Credit Card
3% cash back at supermarkets; no annual fee! Now includes up to $260 in annual credits!
- Welcome bonus: Up to $200 cash back (spend $2,000 in the first 6 months)
- Rewards: 3% cash back at supermarkets, online shopping, and gas stations (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year in each category), 1% on all other purchases
- Redemption: Can be redeemed directly for cash back; discounted gift card redemptions are sometimes available
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Citi Double Cash
2% cash back on all purchases, and you can also transfer points to miles. A no-brainer to keep.
2x on all purchases, no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: $200 (spend $1,500 in 6 months)
- Rewards: 1x+1x (earn 1x points when you make a purchase, plus another 1x when you pay it off)
- Redemption: 100 points = $1 cash back; with a premium card, you may be able to transfer points to airline and hotel partners
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Citi Strata Card
This card earns 5x on hotel, rental car, and entertainment bookings through Citi Travel; 3x on groceries, select transit, gas, and charging; and 3x in one chosen category (gym, streaming, online entertainment, beauty/salon, or pet supply stores). It complements the two Citi cards above very well. You could say it covers both travel and everyday spending. It is also a great card to keep long term.
Citi Strata Rewards Credit Card
A great everyday spending card with no annual fee
- Welcome bonus: 30,000 Thank You Points (spend $1,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 5x on hotel, car rental, and attractions bookings through Citi Travel; 3x at supermarkets, select transit, gas stations, and EV charging; 3x in one selected category (fitness clubs, streaming, live entertainment, beauty salons/barbershops, or pet supply stores); 2x on dining; 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: If you also have a premium card, points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel partners; you can also redeem for cash back
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Wells Fargo Bilt
If you pay rent, this is a card you should not miss. It turns rent payments that would normally be made from a bank account into credit card spending, while also earning points. The Bilt card also has a huge list of transfer partners, so the points are very valuable! On top of that, its cash-back structure on regular spending is also decent. Definitely worth keeping long term.
Earn points on rent payments, with a very large list of transfer partners!
- Welcome bonus: Updated
- Rewards: 5x at partner restaurants and Lyft; 3x at other restaurants; 2x on travel; 1x on rent payments (up to 100k points)
- Redemption: Transfer 1:1 to many airline miles and hotel loyalty programs; redeem at 1.25c/p for travel purchases through Bilt Travel
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Best Credit Cards to Keep Long-Term (With Annual Fee)
Annual-fee cards can also be worth keeping long term. The key is whether the benefits + credits can offset the annual fee. I suggest choosing 1-5 cards to keep based on your own situation, because many premium benefits overlap with each other, and too many different credits can become a headache.
Citi Strata Premier ($95)
A newer all-in-one card. 3x covers just about everything in everyday life and travel. It also added a $100 annual discount for hotel bookings through the travel center. If you hold this card, points earned from the no-annual-fee Double Cash and Strata Card can be transferred to airline miles or hotel points, which is very useful! It can now also transfer to AA miles at 1:1, which makes it even more practical.
Citi Strata Premier Credit Card
One of the best all-around credit cards for both everyday spending and travel. Plus, get a $100 annual hotel benefit.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 ThankYou Points (Spend $4,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel; 3x at supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, on airfare, hotels, and EV charging; 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel loyalty programs, or redeemed for cash back
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95)
A must-have for travel, dining, and UR fans. It can put the large pile of points earned from the Freedom cards to work. It also comes with an annual hotel credit.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Chase mid-tier travel credit card; includes a $50 annual hotel credit and free rental car insurance!
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 points (spend $5,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 5x on select travel; 3x on dining and streaming; 2x on other travel; 1x on all other purchases; 10% annual bonus
- Redemption: Can be redeemed for cash back; 1:1 transfers to airline and hotel loyalty programs; redeem at 1:1.25 toward travel purchases; value 1.6 cent/points
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
Many hotel cards ($95-$100)
The annual fees are all around $100, and the free night certificates issued each year can be worth a hotel night of more than $150. So as long as you have hotel stays, they can be worth keeping long term.
Annual free night certificate + $50 flight credit!
- Welcome bonus: 140,000 IHG points (spend $3,000 in 3 months)
- Rewards: 10x on IHG purchases; 5x on travel, gas, and dining; 3x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Redeem at IHG hotels, worth 0.6 cpp
- Annual fee: $99
- Apply now>>
Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Marriott Credit Card
Comes with 1 free night certificate every year; a standout card
- Welcome bonus: 4 Marriott free night awards at the 50,000-point tier (spend $3,000 in the first 3 months) + $100 airline credit
- Rewards: 6x at Marriott hotels; 3x on gas, groceries, and dining; 2x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Can be redeemed at Marriott/Ritz-Carlton properties, or transferred to airline miles at up to a 3:1.25 ratio
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card
Free night award every year; 4x at Hyatt hotels!
- Welcome bonus: 45,000 Hyatt points (spend $5,000 within 3 months) + 2x bonus points (within 6 months, up to $15,000 in spending)
- Rewards: 4x at Hyatt hotels; 2x on airfare, car rentals, dining, transit, and fitness clubs; 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Redeem for stays at Hyatt hotels, valued at 1.6 cents/point
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
Capital One Venture X ($395)
Because it provides a $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 points every year, as long as you travel at all, it is basically like holding it at no net cost. It also includes Priority Pass airport lounge access, which is excellent value.
Capital One Venture X Credit Card
A premium card that can more than pay for itself each year
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 Capital One points (spend $4,000 in the first 6 months)
- Rewards: 2x on all purchases, plus 10x/5x through the Capital One Travel portal
- Redemption: 100 points = $1 toward travel purchases; 1:1 transfers to airline miles
- Annual fee: $395
- Apply now>>
AMEX Hilton Aspire ($550)
This card gives you a $400 Hilton Resort hotel credit every year and a total of $200 in airline spending credits, plus a free night certificate valid at any hotel tier. It easily earns back the annual fee! In addition, simply holding the card gives you Hilton top-tier Diamond status, which includes room upgrades, free breakfast, and lounge access. Very worthwhile.
AMEX Hilton Aspire Credit Card
Complimentary top-tier Hilton Diamond status! Up to $600 in annual airline and hotel credits, plus a free night reward every year!
- Welcome bonus: 150,000 Hilton points (spend $6,000 in six months)
- Rewards: 14x on Hilton hotel purchases, 7x on flights, dining, and car rentals, and 3x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Redeemable at Hilton properties worldwide
- Annual fee: $550
- Apply now>>
Citi Strata Elite ($595)
This card comes with a $300 hotel credit and $200 in merchant credits such as AA/Best Buy each year, which are fairly easy to use if you travel. Add in the $200 ride-hailing credit, and it can basically offset the annual fee. It also earns especially high rewards on dining and travel, and the points can be transferred to AA miles, so it is still very worth putting spend on long term. In addition, it includes Priority Pass airport lounge membership, so you can enter lounges for free. Overall, the benefits are worth well more than the annual fee.
New premium card with a $300 annual hotel credit, $400 in statement credits, and complimentary airport lounge membership
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 Thank You Points (3-month spend $6,000)
- Rewards: 12x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel; 6x on airfare; 6x at restaurants and on delivery on Friday and Saturday evenings; 3x on dining at other times; 1.5x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel partners, or redeemed for cash back
- Annual fee: $595（Discount available for Citi Gold and Private clients）
- Apply now>>
AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ($695)
Just by holding the card you get Marriott Platinum status, and the $300 dining credit is relatively easy to use (you just have to remember to use it each month). It also gives you an 85,000-point free night certificate every year. In short, it is also a card that can justify its annual fee.
AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Credit Card
Complimentary Marriott Platinum Elite status; annual 85k free night certificate and up to $300 in dining statement credits each year
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 Marriott points (spend $6,000 in 6 months) + 50,000 (spend another $2,000 in 6 months)
- Rewards: 6x at SPG/Marriott/Ritz-Carlton hotels, 3x on airfare and dining, 2x on everything else
- Redemption: Redeemable at SPG/Marriott/Ritz-Carlton properties, or transfer to airline miles at up to a 3:1.25 ratio
- Annual fee: $650
- Apply now>>
Other annual-fee cards
There are actually some other annual-fee cards that are worth keeping long term, but they are either discontinued or hard to get.
- Citi Prestige: discontinued, but it was a very high-value card
- US Bank Altitude Reserve: discontinued, but it was a very high-value card; mobile payments 3x were amazing (but it is about to be revamped!)
- Chase Ritz-Carlton: discontinued, but you can still get it by upgrading from Marriott boundless. The free night certificate and credits directly offset the annual fee, and the authorized user gets a separate Priority Pass
There are also a few cards whose credits are a hassle, but if you can manage them, they are worth keeping long term.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: the credits look intimidating, but if you can handle them, it can be worth keeping long term.
- AMEX Platinum: the credits look intimidating and need to be managed every month, but if you can handle them, it can be worth keeping long term.
- AMEX Gold: 4x on groceries makes it a great card to keep, but the $325 annual fee is a bit high, and dealing with the Uber and dining credits every month is honestly exhausting.
About Credit Cards Worth Keeping Long-Term
Looking back at the credit cards I’ve held, some of them I’ve kept for more than 10 years. On one hand, that shows the card has very good benefits and gets used often in everyday life and travel; on the other hand, it shows the benefits have been very stable and are not changed casually. Keeping a credit card long term is also good for your credit score, because it increases the average age of your credit accounts (which counts for 15% of the score calculation). If you close the card, its age stops growing, but the account history remains and will drag down your overall average age.
In addition, keeping a card long term can also help you build a good relationship with the bank. In general, long-time customers are more likely to be approved for that bank’s credit cards and are also more likely to receive better spending offers and retention offers. The main thing that keeps people from holding a card long term is the annual fee, but in reality, many card benefits are worth far more than the fee if you can actually use them. So with a little calculation, you can also decide whether a card is worth keeping long term. Also, AMEX has slot limits (you can hold at most 5 AMEX credit cards), so you should be selective about which cards are worth keeping long term.
Summary of Credit Cards by Spending Category
- Student credit card rankings
- Best credit cards for groceries
- Travel credit card rankings
- Dining credit card rankings
- Gas credit card rankings
- Premium credit card comparison
- Airline credit card comparison
- Hotel credit card comparison
- Online shopping credit card rankings
- Any-spend credit card rankings