Best Premium Credit Cards of March 2023
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ALSO CONSIDER: Best credit cards of 2023 || Best travel credit cards || Best rewards credit cards || Best airline credit cards
Premium credit cards come with outsized perks. Travel credits, high rewards rates on spending and rich redemption options are just a few of the benefits premium cardholders can expect.
Not everyone will qualify for premium cards. They are typically aimed at consumers with good to excellent credit. If your credit is poor or average, you’ll want to first work on improving your credit before applying for a premium card.
The premium perks also come with significant annual fees, going up to $550 and beyond. That means it’s important to make sure you will extract more value from the card than you pay. The card details below will help you find the best premium card for you.
ALSO CONSIDER: Best credit cards of 2023 || Best travel credit cards || Best rewards credit cards || Best airline credit cards
Premium credit cards come with outsized perks. Travel credits, high rewards rates on spending and rich redemption options are just a few of the benefits premium cardholders can expect.
Not everyone will qualify for premium cards. They are typically aimed at consumers with good to excellent credit. If your credit is poor or average, you’ll want to first work on improving your credit before applying for a premium card.
The premium perks also come with significant annual fees, going up to $550 and beyond. That means it’s important to make sure you will extract more value from the card than you pay. The card details below will help you find the best premium card for you.
Find the right credit card for you.
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Best Premium Credit Cards From Our Partners
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Apply now on Chase's website | Best for Overall premium card | $550 | 1x- Points | 60,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
The Platinum Card® from American Express Apply now on American Express' website | Best for Luxury travel perks | $695 | 1x- Points | 80,000 Points | Apply now on American Express' website |
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's website | Best for Travel portal benefits | $395 | 2x- Miles | 75,000 Miles | Apply now on Capital One's website |
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Apply now on American Express' website | Best for Premium airline card | $550 | 1x- Miles | 90,000 Miles | Apply now on American Express' website |
American Express® Gold Card Apply now on American Express' website | Best for Premium dining card | $250 | 1x- Points | 60,000 Points | Apply now on American Express' website |
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Apply now on American Express' website | Best for Premium card for business | $695 | 1x- Points | 120,000 Points | Apply now on American Express' website |
Our pick for
Overall premium card
on Chase's website
on Chase's website
$550
1x-10x
Points
60,000
Points
Not only does the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offer a massive sign-up bonus and rich ongoing rewards, but cardholders also have a lot of flexibility in how they redeem those rewards, giving them access to a wide variety of airlines and hotel chains.
Not only does the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offer a massive sign-up bonus and rich ongoing rewards, but cardholders also have a lot of flexibility in how they redeem those rewards, giving them access to a wide variety of airlines and hotel chains.
Pros
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® stands out for its large sign-up bonus as well as ongoing rewards: 3 points per dollar spent on travel and dining and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. If you purchase through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can earn even more: 10 points per dollar on Chase Dining, hotel stays and car rentals and 5 points on air travel. Those points can then be redeemed for 1.5 cents each when you book travel through Chase. You might even be able to squeeze more value out of your points by transferring them to the card's various hotel and airline partners. Other perks and highlights include an annual $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, application-fee credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, and no foreign transaction fees.
Cons
The $550 annual fee is a big one, and anyone who pays it should ensure they are getting more value out of the card than they are paying. If you use the $300 annual travel credit, then you’re already most of the way there.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
Our pick for
Luxury travel perks
on American Express' website
on American Express' website
$695
1x-5x
Points
80,000
Points
The welcome offer, high rewards rates, rich redemption options, perks like airport lounge access and complimentary hotel benefits worth hundreds of dollars — everything about The Platinum Card® from American Express card screams luxury. Terms apply.
The welcome offer, high rewards rates, rich redemption options, perks like airport lounge access and complimentary hotel benefits worth hundreds of dollars — everything about The Platinum Card® from American Express card screams luxury. Terms apply.
Pros
The Platinum Card® from American Express is designed for consumers with high-end tastes and spending habits. In addition to the large welcome offer, cardholders earn 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on airfare (as long as you make the purchase through the airlines or American Express Travel); 5 points per $1 spent on hotels booked through amextravel.com; and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. In addition, you get a number of useful credits, including a $200 credit toward airline fees and $200 of annual Uber credits. Cardholders also enjoy access to over 1,000 airport lounges around the world and automatic upgrades at select hotels. Terms apply.
Cons
The biggest downside is the $695 annual fee, which stands out as high even among premium cards. Cardholders who are big travel spenders, though, will have no trouble extracting more value than they’re paying. Another negative is that not all merchants accept American Express, especially overseas.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Now there are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
$300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
$189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.
- View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Travel portal benefits
on Capital One's website
on Capital One's website
$395
2x-10x
Miles
75,000
Miles
Capital One's premium travel credit card can deliver terrific benefits — provided you're willing to do your travel spending through the issuer's online booking portal. That's where you'll earn the highest rewards rates plus credits that can make back the bulk of your annual fee.
Capital One's premium travel credit card can deliver terrific benefits — provided you're willing to do your travel spending through the issuer's online booking portal. That's where you'll earn the highest rewards rates plus credits that can make back the bulk of your annual fee.
Pros
As with the regular Venture-branded card, you earn 2 miles per dollar on purchases. But when booking through Capital One Travel, you also get 5X miles on airfare and 10X miles on hotel and rental cars. There's up to $300 a year in statement credit for bookings through the portal, a 10,000-point annual bonus, airport lounge access and a jumbo sign-up offer.
Cons
The value you'll get from this card is highly dependent on whether you use Capital One to book your travel. If you prefer to reserve directly with airlines or hotels, look elsewhere. The bonus offer is big, but so is the spending required to earn it.
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Elevate your stay at luxury hotels and resorts from the Premier Collection with a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast for 2 and complimentary WiFi on every booking, plus other premium benefits like room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout when available
Our pick for
Premium airline card
on American Express' website
on American Express' website
$550
1x-3x
Miles
90,000
Miles
Every airline has a premium card that gives access to its airport lounges, but the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card gives you that AND an annual companion certificate that's good even in first class.
Every airline has a premium card that gives access to its airport lounges, but the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card gives you that AND an annual companion certificate that's good even in first class.
Pros
The card gets you access to Delta's Sky Clubs (an annual membership costs $545), and you can also use it to access American Express Centurion Lounges when flying Delta. Every year, you get a companion certificate, which lets you bring someone with you on a domestic flight, regardless of what fare class your ticket is. Rewards: 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases. And don't forget the sterling sign-up bonus. Terms apply.
Cons
You'll have to be a frequent Delta traveler to justify paying an annual fee of $550. Lounge access is only valuable if you use it, and to use a companion certificate, you have to pay full price for a ticket for yourself.
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club® for you when travelling on a Delta flight.
Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
Earn up to 60,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) With Status Boost® per year. After you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 MQMs up to four times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights.
New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
Receive a domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or domestic Main Cabin round trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
With your Card receive upgrade priority over other Medallion Members within the same Medallion level and fare class.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases.
Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
$550 Annual Fee.
Terms Apply.
- View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Premium dining card
on American Express' website
on American Express' website
$250
1x-4x
Points
60,000
Points
With rich dining and travel rewards, not to mention valuable credits, the American Express® Gold Card can offset the cost of indulging in a little luxury.
With rich dining and travel rewards, not to mention valuable credits, the American Express® Gold Card can offset the cost of indulging in a little luxury.
Pros
You get an impressive welcome offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply. You also can earn high rewards rates in certain categories, including restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked with airlines or through amextravel.com. The card also offers $10 in monthly statement credits when you use the card at eligible merchants, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory and Wine.com. Terms apply. The card has no foreign transaction fees. Its annual fee, $250, is also lower than the fees on other premium cards. Terms apply.
Cons
Unlike many other premium cards, this one doesn’t come with automatic airport lounge access. You might also still run into merchants who don’t accept American Express. And while the card's benefits can help offset most of its annual fee, you'll want to make sure you can make use of those benefits.
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $250.
Terms Apply.
- View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Premium card for business
on American Express' website
on American Express' website
$695
1x-5x
Points
120,000
Points
For frequent business travelers, the perks that come with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are hard to beat: elevated rewards, access to airport lounges, hotel status, and credits toward airline fees.
For frequent business travelers, the perks that come with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are hard to beat: elevated rewards, access to airport lounges, hotel status, and credits toward airline fees.
Pros
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express comes with an impressive welcome offer, rich ongoing rewards, including 5X Membership Rewards on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com, and additional bonus points opportunities, including 35% points back on first- and business-class flights when you meet certain requirements. Terms apply. The card also gives you access to over 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and an annual $200 credit toward airline fees. Terms apply.
Cons
The annual fee of $695 is high, but can easily be worth it if you travel a lot for business. The opportunities to earn bonus points can also get a little complicated.
Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless with the Business Platinum Card.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card or any of the Additional Cards on your Platinum Card account.
$189 CLEAR® Credit: CLEAR® uses biometrics to assign you a touchless ID, allowing you to move faster through security at select airports and stadiums across the U.S. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR membership with up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR with your Business Platinum Card®.
The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
$695 Annual Fee.
Terms Apply.
- View Rates & Fees
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST PREMIUM CARDS
Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Our pick for: Overall premium card
Our pick for: Luxury travel perks
Our pick for: Travel portal benefits
Our pick for: Premium airline card
Every airline has a premium card that gets you into its airport lounges, but the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card also gets you into American Express's Centurion Lounges when flying Delta, and it comes with an annual companion certificate that's good even in first class. Read our review.
Our pick for: Premium hotel card
Our pick for: Premium dining card
Our pick for: Premium card for business
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page. All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is no longer available through NerdWallet. To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
Last updated on March 16, 2023
