There are many kinds of credit cards in the U.S., but no single card is the best in every spending category. Some people spend more on groceries and dining, while others care more about travel points, airport lounges, and hotel perks. Still others just want one simple, easy-to-use credit card that they can keep long term.

This article is Meika 101's main hub for credit card recommendations. We organize the cards that are currently worth considering by common needs such as students and beginners, groceries, travel, dining, gas, premium cards, airline cards, hotel cards, online shopping, and everyday spending. Each category also includes a more detailed comparison below, so you can click through to dig deeper.

Student Credit Card Rankings

I’m sure many readers are international students studying in the U.S. As someone who also started playing the credit card game in student days, I’d like to offer a few suggestions and some guidance. For students with limited income and a credit history that is just starting to be built, the most important thing about a first credit card is not chasing the highest cash back, but building credit successfully first and, whenever possible, choosing a card that can be kept long term.

Credit Card Cash Back Notes Apply
BofA Customized Cash Rewards Choose one category from online shopping, travel, drugstores, home, gas/charging, or dining for 3% cash back; 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs; 1% on everything else. Combined spending in your chosen category + grocery stores + wholesale clubs earns 3%/2% on the first $2,500 each quarter, then 1% BofA Rewards members can earn an extra 10%-75% rewards bonus based on tier, which can boost the chosen category up to 5.25% Link
Discover it 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 each quarter, activation required), 1% on other purchases The 5% categories change every quarter, with common options such as grocery stores, gas, restaurants, and online shopping; new cardholders also get a Cash Back Match in the first year Link
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on U.S. online shopping, and at U.S. gas stations (each category capped at $6,000 per year, then 1%); 1% on other purchases No annual fee, plus AMEX Offer and select everyday spending credits, making it a good card to keep long term Link
Chase Freedom Flex 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 each quarter, activation required); 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel; 3% at restaurants and drugstores; 1% on other purchases The 5% categories rotate every quarter, with common options such as grocery stores, gas, online shopping, and restaurants; no annual fee Link
Chase Freedom Unlimited 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel; 3% at restaurants and drugstores; 1.5% on other purchases No annual fee, simple cash back structure, and a good everyday spending card; pairing it with the Sapphire series can also let you transfer points Link
Citi Double Cash 2% on all purchases; 5% on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel Earn 1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay, with no need to track categories and no cash back cap Link
Capital One Savor 3% on groceries, dining, entertainment, and popular streaming; 5% on hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, and activities booked through Capital One Travel; 8% on Capital One Entertainment; 1% on other purchases No annual fee, with broad coverage for dining, groceries, and entertainment, making it a good fit for users with concentrated everyday spending Link

Grocery Credit Card Rankings

For Chinese Americans in the U.S., grocery shopping is usually a fairly steady monthly expense, so keeping a credit card that offers strong rewards on grocery spending is valuable. However, different cards do not classify merchants such as U.S. supermarkets, Whole Foods, Costco, and Walmart in exactly the same way. When choosing a card, in addition to the cash back rate, pay attention to spending caps and merchant category.

Credit Card Cash Back Annual Fee Notes Apply
AMEX Gold Card Approx. 6.4% (4x MR) $325 4x at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per year, then 1x; a good fit for people who spend heavily at supermarkets and also use MR points Link
AMEX Blue Cash Preferred 6% $0 for the first year, then $95 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%; if you spend a lot on groceries each month, this card offers outstanding value Link
Citi Strata Premier Approx. 4.5% (3x TYP) $95 3x at supermarkets with no cap, and also 3x on restaurants, gas/charging, airfare, and hotels; a good choice for people who want one card to cover several everyday categories Link
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday 3% $0 3% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%; no annual fee, and it also earns 3% cash back on U.S. online shopping and at U.S. gas stations Link
Capital One Savor 3% $0 3% on grocery purchases with no cap, and also 3% on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services; a good fit for people who do not want to track complicated spending categories Link

Travel Credit Card Rankings

For many Chinese Americans living in the U.S., travel is also a significant annual expense. Airfare, hotels, rental cars, and dining during trips can easily add up to thousands of dollars, especially for family vacations or trips back to China, where a single itinerary can be quite expensive.

In addition to earning rates, travel credit cards should also be evaluated based on whether points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners, travel credits, airport lounges, rental car insurance, and other travel benefits. For people who use credit card points to book flights and hotels, point value is often more important than simply looking at the cash back rate.

Card Rewards Credits Perks Annual Fee Link
Chase Sapphire Reserve Chase Travel 12.8% (8x UR); 6.4% (4x) on directly booked flights and hotels; 4.8% (3x) on dining $300 travel + $500 The Edit hotel and other credits Chase Sapphire Lounge, Priority Pass, hotel benefits, travel insurance $795 Apply
Chase Sapphire Preferred Chase Travel 8% (5x UR); 4.8% (3x) on dining, gas/EV charging, and more; 3.2% (2x) on other travel $100 Chase Travel hotel credit + up to $120 for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS Transfer points to airline and hotel partners, car rental insurance, travel insurance $95 Apply
Citi Strata Elite Citi Travel hotels, car rentals, and activities 18% (12x TYP); flights 9% (6x); dining 4.5%-9% (3x-6x) $300 hotel + $200 Splurge + $200 Blacklane Priority Pass, 4 AA Admirals Club Passes per year, travel insurance $595 Apply
Citi Strata Premier Citi Travel hotels, car rentals, and activities 15% (10x TYP); 4.5% (3x) on flights, hotels, dining, groceries, and gas/EV charging $100 hotel credit when you spend $500 or more on a single Citi Travel hotel purchase Points transfer to airline and hotel partners, broad 3x everyday categories $95 Apply
AMEX Platinum Up to about 7.5% (5x MR) on airfare and eligible AMEX Travel hotels $600 hotel + $200 airline incidental fees + $200 Uber and other credits Global Lounge Collection, FHR/THC, Hilton/Marriott hotel status $895 Apply
Capital One Venture X Capital One Travel hotels and car rentals 12% (10x); flights, vacation rentals, and activities 6% (5x); all other purchases 2.4% (2x) $300 Capital One Travel + 10,000 anniversary points every year Capital One Lounge, Priority Pass, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit $395 Apply
AMEX Green About 4.5% (3x MR) on travel, transit, and restaurants Up to $219 CLEAR+ Very broad travel and transit category coverage, suitable for users who do not need airport lounges $150 Apply
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Hotels 6% (5x); airfare 4.8% (4x); dining and other travel 3.6% (3x) $50 airline credit Travel insurance, baggage protection, cell phone insurance $95 Apply
Wells Fargo Autograph Dining, travel, gas/EV charging, transit, streaming, and phone bills 3.6% (3x) None No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and broad travel category coverage $0 Apply

Dining Credit Card Rankings

In addition to groceries, restaurants and takeout are also regular expenses for many households. Especially for people who dine out often, order takeout, or need to eat out for work, keeping a credit card with strong Dining rewards is very useful.

Credit Card Cash Back Annual Fee Notes Apply
Citi Strata Elite 4.5%-9% (3x-6x TYP) $595 3x on everyday dining; Citi Nights earns 6x on Friday and Saturday nights. Up to $700 in annual Hotel, Splurge, and Blacklane credits Apply
AMEX Gold 6.4% (4x MR) $325 Restaurants worldwide earn 4x on the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1x; up to $424 in annual Dining, Uber, Resy, and Dunkin credits Apply
AMEX Green 4.8% (3x MR) $150 Restaurants worldwide, travel, and transit all earn 3x; also includes a CLEAR+ Credit Apply
Chase Sapphire Preferred 4.8% (3x UR) $95 Restaurants worldwide earn 3x; up to $100 in annual Chase Travel hotel reimbursement Apply
Chase Sapphire Reserve 4.8% (3x UR) $795 Restaurants worldwide earn 3x; up to $300 in annual Sapphire Exclusive Tables dining credit, plus lots of travel benefits Apply
US Bank Altitude Go 4% $0 Dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery earn 4x on the first $2,000 in purchases each quarter, then 1x Apply
Citi Strata Premier 4.5% (3x TYP) $95 Restaurants earn 3x with no cap, and supermarkets, gas/EV charging, airfare, and hotels also earn 3x; includes a $100 annual Citi Travel hotel benefit Apply
Capital One Savor 3% $0 Dining earns 3% with no cap, and supermarkets, entertainment, and popular streaming services also earn 3% Apply
BofA Customized Cash Rewards 6% first year, then 3%-5.25% $0 Select the Dining category; combined custom category and supermarket/Wholesale Club spending is capped at $2,500 per quarter. BofA Rewards can boost the base cash back by an additional 10%-75% Apply
Wells Fargo Autograph About 3.6% (3x) $0 Restaurants earn 3x with no cap, and travel, gas/EV charging, transit, streaming, and phone bills also earn 3x Apply
Citi Costco 3% $0 Restaurants earn 3% with no cap; the card has no annual fee, but you need a valid Costco membership. Gold Star membership is currently $65/year Apply

Gas Credit Card Rankings

For people who commute by car, gas is also a fairly fixed monthly expense. When choosing a gas credit card, in addition to the cash back rate, pay attention to annual or quarterly spending caps and whether EV Charging is also covered. For families who drive a lot each year, the right gas card can still save a meaningful amount of money.

Credit Card Cash Back Annual Fee Notes Apply
AMEX Business Gold About 6% (4x MR, excluding EV) $375 U.S. gas stations need to be one of the top two spending categories in each Billing Cycle to earn 4x; up to $150,000 in combined spending in designated categories per year earns 4x Apply
Sam's Club Mastercard 5% (including EV) $0 Gas and EV Charging earn 5% on the first $6,000 in combined purchases per year, then 1%; requires an active Sam's Club membership and the Mastercard version Apply
US Bank Altitude Connect 4% (including EV) $0 Gas and EV Charging earn 4x on the first $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1x Apply
Citi Costco Costco gas 5%; other gas and EV 4% $0 Costco Gas 5%; other eligible gas and EV Charging 4%; combined spending in both categories earns 1% after the first $7,000 per year; requires an active Costco membership Apply
Citi Strata Premier About 4.5% (3x TYP, including EV) $95 Gas and EV Charging are both 3x, with no spending cap; dining, supermarkets, airfare, and hotels are also 3x Apply
Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa (formerly Alaska Visa) About 3.2% (2x, including EV) $95 Gas, EV Charging, Cable, Streaming, and Local Transit are all 2x; a qualifying BofA account also gets an extra 10% Points Bonus Apply
BofA Customized Cash Rewards 6% in year one, then 3%-5.25% (including EV) $0 Select the Gas & EV Charging category; 6% in year one, then back to 3%. Combined spending in your chosen category and supermarkets/Wholesale Club is capped at $2,500 per quarter; BofA Rewards can be boosted to as much as 5.25% long term Apply
Wells Fargo Autograph About 3.6% (3x, including EV) $0 Gas and EV Charging earn 3x, with no annual fee; dining, travel, transit, streaming, and phone bills are also 3x Apply
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday 3% (excluding EV) $0 U.S. gas stations earn 3% on the first $6,000 in spending per year, then 1%; supermarkets and U.S. online shopping each also have separate $6,000 annual caps Apply
AMEX Blue Cash Preferred 3% (excluding EV) First year $0, then $95 U.S. gas stations earn 3%, and Transit is also 3%; gas 3% has no separate $6,000 annual cap Apply
Barclays AARP Essential 3% (excluding EV) $0 Gas stations and drugstores earn 3% with no cap; eligible medical spending earns 2% Apply
Detailed analysis: Best Credit Cards for Gas Stations and EV Charging

Premium Credit Card Rankings

Premium credit cards generally refer to cards with relatively high annual fees that also provide extensive travel and lifestyle benefits. In addition to spending rewards, these cards usually offer perks such as airport lounges, hotel benefits, travel credits, and statement credits.

To decide whether a premium card is worth keeping long term, you cannot look only at the annual fee, and you cannot simply add up every credit at face value. More important is whether these benefits are things you would naturally use anyway. If you can organically use most of the core benefits each year, the effective cost of holding a high-annual-fee card may not be high. On the other hand, if you have to spend extra just to use the credits, even more benefits may not make it worthwhile.

Card Annual Fee Credits Benefits Apply
Chase Sapphire Reserve $795 $300 travel, $500 The Edit hotels, $300 dining, $300 StubHub, $300 DoorDash, $288 Apple TV + Apple Music, $120 Lyft Priority Pass + Sapphire Lounge, Air Canada Lounge, primary rental car insurance Apply
AMEX Platinum $895 $600 hotels, $200 airline incidental fees, $200 Uber, $400 Resy, $300 Lululemon, $300 entertainment/media, $120 Uber One, up to $219 CLEAR+ Centurion Lounge + Priority Pass lounges and more, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, FHR, rental car elite benefits Apply
Citi Strata Elite $595 $300 hotels, $200 Splurge Credit, $200 Blacklane Priority Pass, 4 AA Admirals Club Passes per year, travel insurance Apply
BofA Premium Rewards Elite $550 $300 airline incidental fees, $150 Lifestyle Credit Up to 4 Priority Pass Select memberships, Visa Infinite hotel/rental car benefits, 20% discount on airfare booked with points Apply
Capital One Venture X $395 $300 Capital One Travel, plus 10,000 anniversary bonus points each year Primary cardholder Priority Pass + Capital One Lounge, Hertz President's Circle, Premier Collection hotel benefits Apply
Bilt Palladium $495 $400 Bilt Travel hotels, $200 Bilt Cash each year Priority Pass + 2 complimentary guests, Bilt airline and hotel transfer partners, cell phone insurance Apply
AMEX Hilton Aspire $550 $200 airfare, $400 Hilton Resort, annual Free Night Reward, up to $219 CLEAR+ Hilton Diamond, annual free-night certificate valid at most available standard rooms Apply
AMEX Marriott Brilliant $650 $300 restaurants, annual 85,000-point Free Night Award Marriott Platinum Elite, Priority Pass, 25 Elite Night Credits each year Apply
Detailed analysis: Premium Credit Card Comparison

Airline Credit Card Rankings

Airline co-branded cards often offer relatively large welcome bonuses, along with benefits such as free checked bags, priority boarding, in-flight purchase discounts, and anniversary perks. For users who frequently fly the same airline, even if the everyday earning rate is not the highest, keeping the corresponding airline co-branded card long term can still be a great deal.

Whether an airline co-branded card is worth keeping long term mainly depends on whether you fly that airline often, and whether the free checked bags, companion benefits, and anniversary perks can offset the annual fee. If you do not have a preferred airline, it is better to compare welcome bonuses and points value first; there is no need to keep one card for every airline long term.

Overview Airline spend Checked bags Key benefits Annual fee Apply
Chase United Explorer United 3x First checked bag free for cardholder + 1 companion 2 United Club Passes each year, priority boarding, cardmember-only award ticket pricing $0 first year, then $150 Apply
Chase United Quest United 4x First two checked bags free for cardholder + 1 companion $200 United TravelBank each year, 10,000-mile award ticket discount, priority boarding $350 Apply
AMEX Delta Gold Delta 2x First checked bag free; second checked bag also free on U.S. domestic flights Priority boarding, 15% off Delta award tickets, up to $100 in Delta Stays each year; spend $10,000 to get a $200 Delta Flight Credit $0 first year, then $150 Apply
AMEX Delta Platinum Delta 3x First checked bag free; second checked bag also free on U.S. domestic flights Annual Companion Certificate, $150 Delta Stays, $120 Rideshare, $120 Resy, $2,500 MQD Headstart $350 Apply
Citi AAdvantage Platinum AA 2x First checked bag free on U.S. domestic flights, cardholder + up to 4 companions Priority boarding, 25% off inflight dining; spend $20,000 each year to get a $125 AA Flight Discount $0 first year, then $99 Apply
Citi AAdvantage Globe AA 3x First checked bag free on U.S. domestic flights, cardholder + up to 8 companions 4 Admirals Club Passes each year; starting in year two, one AA Companion Certificate each year $350 Apply
BofA Atmos Rewards Ascent Alaska / Hawaiian 3x First checked bag free, cardholder + up to 6 companions Priority boarding; spend $6,000 each year to get a $99 Companion Fare; eligible BofA accounts can earn an additional 10% points bonus $95 Apply
Chase Southwest Plus Southwest 2x First checked bag free, cardholder + up to 8 companions 3,000 anniversary points each year, 10,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points boost, priority boarding and seat selection benefits $99 Apply
Barclays JetBlue Plus JetBlue 6x First checked bag free, cardholder + up to 3 companions 5,000 anniversary points each year, 10% points back on redeemed miles, up to $100 in JetBlue Vacations Credit each year $99 Apply
Detailed analysis: American Airlines co-branded credit cards introduction and comparison

Hotel Credit Card Recommendations

Hotels are a major part of travel spending, and the value of hotel co-branded credit cards is not limited to hotel spending rewards. Some cards offer annual free night certificates, hotel status, statement credits, or other lodging benefits that can easily offset the annual fee for people who often stay with the same hotel group.

If you do not have a clear preference for a hotel chain, you do not necessarily need to hold many hotel cards long term at the same time. You can choose based on your travel habits, how difficult it is to use free night certificates, and the value of hotel points.

Card Earning Rates Credits / Key Benefits Free Night Award Annual Fee Link
AMEX Hilton Aspire Hilton 14x; airfare, select car rentals, U.S. restaurants 7x; other 3x $200 airfare Credit, $400 Hilton Resort Credit, Hilton Diamond 1 Free Night Reward each year; spend $30,000 / $60,000 to get 1 additional one at each threshold $550 Apply
Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Marriott 6x; supermarkets, gas, and restaurants combined on up to $6,000 in annual spending 3x; other 2x Marriott Silver Elite Annual 35,000-point Free Night Award; add up to 25,000 points to redeem a higher-tier hotel $95 Apply
Chase World of Hyatt Hyatt 4x; airfare, restaurants, transit, gyms 2x; other 1x Discoverist membership, 5 Tier-Qualifying Nights each year Annual Category 1-4 Free Night Award; spend $15,000 each year to get 1 more $95 Apply
Chase IHG Premier IHG 10x; travel, restaurants, gas 5x; other 3x Up to $50 United TravelBank each year, IHG Platinum Elite Annual 40,000-point Anniversary Night; add points to redeem higher-tier hotels $99 Apply
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Marriott 6x; worldwide restaurants, direct-booked airfare 3x; other 2x $300 dining Credit, Marriott Platinum Elite, Priority Pass Annual 85,000-point Free Night Award; add up to 25,000 points $650 Apply
Ritz-Carlton Marriott 6x; airfare, car rentals, restaurants 3x; other 2x $300 airline incidentals Credit, Marriott Gold Elite Annual 85,000-point Free Night Award; add up to 25,000 points $450 Not directly available
Hilton Surpass Hilton 12x; U.S. supermarkets, restaurants, gas 6x; U.S. online shopping 4x; other 3x $200 Hilton Credit (up to $50 per quarter), Hilton Gold Spend $15,000 each year to get 1 Free Night Reward $150 Apply

Online Shopping Credit Card Rankings

Online shopping is now an important part of daily spending for many households. If Amazon, online stores, apps, or online payments make up a large share of your purchases, it is easy to make use of a card with strong online shopping rewards. However, different cards do not define Online Shopping in exactly the same way, and some bills, education expenses, taxes, or third-party payments may not count as online shopping.

Credit Card Cash Back Annual Fee Notes Apply
BofA Customized Cash Rewards 6% in the first year, then 3%-5.25% $0 Select the Online Shopping category; your chosen category plus supermarkets and wholesale clubs earn rewards on the first $2,500 per quarter in combined spending. The Online Shopping category is broad and also includes Cable, Internet, Phone Plan, and Streaming. BofA Rewards can boost the 3% rate to as high as 5.25% over the long term. Apply
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday 3% $0 3% on U.S. Online Retail on up to the first $6,000 in spending each year, then 1%; U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations also have separate $6,000 annual caps Apply
PayPal Cash Back Mastercard 3% $0 Use PayPal Checkout and choose the PayPal Cash Back Mastercard as your payment method to earn unlimited 3% cash back; other Mastercard purchases earn 1.5% Apply
Prime Visa 5% $0 With an eligible Prime membership, Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Audible, and Chase Travel earn 5% unlimited cash back; without Prime, eligible Amazon purchases are usually 3% Apply
US Bank Cash+ 5% $0 Each quarter, choose two 5% categories and earn 5% on up to the first $2,000 in combined spending. Categories that work well for online shopping include Electronics Stores, Department Stores, Select Clothing Stores, and more, but not every online purchase qualifies for 5% Apply

Everyday Spending Credit Card Rankings

The advantage of an everyday spending card is that you do not need to remember spending categories. Whether you are paying utilities, insurance, medical bills, shopping, or other purchases that do not fall into a bonus category, you can still earn relatively steady rewards. For people who do not want to study complicated card combinations, a high-reward everyday spending card also works well as a primary daily-use card.

Credit Card Cash Back Annual Fee Notes Apply
Citi Double Cash 2.6% (2x TYP) $0 2x on all purchases, uncapped; if you want to redeem at a higher TYP value, it pairs well with cards like Citi Strata Premier / Elite that allow full point transfers Link
Chase Freedom Unlimited 2.4% (1.5x UR) $0 1.5x on other purchases, uncapped; with a Chase Sapphire card, you can transfer UR to airline and hotel partners Link
Capital One Venture About 2.2% (2x C1) $95 2x Miles on all purchases, uncapped; points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners Link
Capital One Venture X About 2.2% (2x C1) $395 2x Miles on all purchases; $300 Capital One Travel Credit + 10,000 anniversary points each year can significantly offset the annual fee Link
Wells Fargo Active Cash 2% $0 2% cash back on all purchases, uncapped; no need to track spending categories Link

What credit card should you apply for next?

Choosing a credit card is not just about which one gives the highest cash back. Especially once you already have several credit cards, the order in which you apply, the bank's application rules, the current welcome bonus, and whether a new card can fill a gap in your existing card portfolio are often more important than getting an extra 1% cash back in a certain spending category.

If you are just getting started with U.S. credit cards, you can first look at our U.S. credit card application roadmap to decide what to apply for next based on your credit history and stage of card ownership.

If you already have several credit cards and plan to keep applying for cards from Chase, American Express, Citi, Capital One, Bank of America, and other banks, we also recommend reading U.S. bank credit card application rules. Different banks have their own limits on application count, welcome bonuses, and cardholder history, and the order in which you apply is sometimes more important than which card you choose.

If your existing credit cards already cover most of your everyday spending and you are not especially missing any one category, then you can go directly to the U.S. credit card welcome bonus rankings. In many cases, a welcome bonus worth a few hundred or even over a thousand dollars is more worthwhile than adding another credit card just to earn a little more cash back over the long term.
Our advice is also to first figure out what you will be short on in the next stage: if you need better everyday spending rewards, fill the gap with grocery, dining, online shopping, and catch-all cards; if you are getting into points-based travel, focus on travel cards and premium cards; if you often stay with the same hotel chain or fly the same airline, then consider the corresponding co-branded credit cards. There is no need to apply for every credit card just to chase the highest cash back in every spending category.