One blog post per bank: the single card we would apply for first at each of the 12 issuers with the biggest lineups in our catalog. Every pick is based on fees, rewards, signup bonus and approval odds from our November 1, 2026 data review.
Best for premium travel and lounge access ?�� 10x hotels, 5x flights, 3x other travel.
Best for high-revenue businesses ?�� 5x points on flights, 5x on prepaid hotels.
Best for simple travel rewards ?�� 2x miles on all purchases.
Best for business with premium features ?�� 2x points on business spending.
Best for rotating category cashback ?�� 5% rotating categories, 1% other.
Best for premium travel ?�� 3x points on travel, 3x on dining.
Best for travel with no annual fee ?�� 3x points on travel, 3x on dining, 2x on groceries.
Best for travel rewards ?�� 2x points on all purchases.
Best for premium travel with no foreign transaction fee ?�� 3x travel, 2x groceries.
Best for travel rewards ?�� 2x points on travel, 1x other.
Best for military members ?�� 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
Best for no-fee travel rewards ?�� 3x travel, 1.5x everything.