Best Credit Cards for Transit and Commuters
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More than three-quarters of Americans commute by car, but millions of people also use public transit and other shared forms of transportation to get to work.
Whether it's bus/train/cab fare, rideshares, tolls or parking, you may spend hundreds of dollars a month just getting around. Thankfully, several credit cards offer bonus rewards specifically on those costs.
Even general travel cards that don't explicitly list "transit" as a bonus category may still help with your commute, thanks to broad definitions of "travel."
Here are our favorite credit cards for transit expenses.
Top credit cards for transit and commuters
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Our pick for: Families
Card details
Rewards:
3% back on transit including parking, tolls, trains, buses, taxis, subways, ferries and rideshare services. (More about the "transit" category here.)
3% back at U.S. gas stations.
6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
6% back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
1% back on everything else.
Terms apply (see rates and fees).
Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
APR: An intro 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 19.24%-29.99% Variable APR.
Why we like it
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is an ideal pick for busy families with hungry mouths to feed at home. It earns bonus cash back on many forms of transit for mom and dad, plus a market-leading rate on select U.S. streaming subscriptions — which is handy on a commute, but also at home when your kids demand entertainment. Still, the star of the show is the card's eye-popping rewards at U.S. supermarkets. If the final stop on your daily commute is your kitchen, this card merits a hard look.
Drawbacks
Unlike a lot of other cash-back cards, this one charges a significant annual fee (currently $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. Terms apply.) Also be aware that expenses such as airfare, car rental and cruises do not qualify as "transit" spending.
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Our pick for: Flexibility
Card details
Rewards:
5% cash back in two categories you pick, from a list of a dozen, on up to $2,000 spent per quarter on combined purchases; then 1%. (See full list of categories below.)
5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center.
2% back in an everyday category you pick (grocery stores, restaurants, or gas stations/EV charging stations).
1% back on other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: $200 bonus after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.
Annual fee: $0.
APR: 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 19.49%-29.74% Variable APR.
Why we like it
The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card is all about customization. You get to choose (from a list) what kind of spending earns bonus cash back, and "ground transportation" is one of those several 5% cash-back options. That category includes eligible bus/passenger railway/taxi fares, plus spending on services like Uber and Lyft, limos and Zipcar. And if you're interested in optimizing your card to cover even more kinds of transit-related spending, you could select gas stations as your 2% "everyday" bonus category.
Drawbacks
You'll have to be willing to juggle several bonus categories and "opt in" to them each quarter. Also keep in mind that "ground transportation" doesn't include expenses like parking meters, parking garages or toll stations.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Our pick for: Daily commuters
Card details
Rewards:
5% cash back on up to $500 spent in your highest spend category per billing cycle.
1% back on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Annual fee: $0.
APR: 0% intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 19.24%-29.24% Variable APR.
Why we like it
The Citi Custom Cash® Card can essentially earn you a 5% discount on both regular and occasional transit if that’s your highest spending category on the card for the billing cycle. The definition of transit includes such useful spending as car rentals, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages and bus lines, among others.
Drawbacks
Transit might not be the optimal category for the 5% cash back on this card unless you can regularly use most of the $500 per month on transit spending, which is unlikely for most people. Transit spending does not include gas.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Our pick for: Bank of America® customers
Card details
Rewards:
3% back in a category of your choice (from a list of six) and 2% back on grocery stores and wholesale clubs, for the first $2,500 of combined bonus category/grocery store/wholesale club spending per quarter (1% back after that).
1% back on all other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening..
Annual fee: $0.
APR: An intro 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply.
Why we like it
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card also offers a choose-your-own-adventure rewards program. One of the 3% bonus-category options is "travel," but that doesn't just mean airfare and hotels. That category also includes parking lots and garages, bus lines, passenger railways, ferries, cabs, limos, toll and bridge fees, and eligible ridesharing. You can change your 3% category up to once a month. The default category is gas. Plus, if you're eligible for the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program, you can earn higher rewards rates — from 25% to 75% more, depending on the amount of money you have in eligible Bank of America® accounts.
Drawbacks
This card requires a fair amount of maintenance; you'll need to keep track of bonus categories and your own spending. Its bonus-category spending caps mean it's not ideal for big spenders.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Our pick for: Lyft rides
Card details
Rewards:
10 points per dollar spent on Lyft through March 2025 (7 points per dollar spent on Lyft, plus 3 points per dollar spent on travel).
10 points per $1 spent on hotel stays and car rentals booked through Chase.
10 points per $1 spent on Chase Dining purchases.
5 points per $1 spent on air travel booked through Chase.
3 points per dollar spent on travel and dining not booked through Chase. (Travel purchases that qualify for the card's annual $300 travel credit won’t earn points.)
1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: 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 Travel℠.
Annual fee: $550.
APR: The ongoing APR is 22.49%-29.49% Variable APR.
Why we like it
For a limited time (through March 2025), the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is offering the highest rewards rate on the market when it comes to rideshares through Lyft. You'll earn a total of 10 points back per dollar you spend with the service (7 points on Lyft purchases, plus the card's normal 3 points per dollar spent on travel). That's a fantastic rate. Plus, the card's overall travel category is broad and includes car rental agencies, passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, parking lots, toll bridges and highways, to name a few. The $300 annual statement credit is similarly expansive, covering most kinds of travel expenses.
Drawbacks
The card has a steep annual fee of $550. It's not worth it if you can't take full advantage of all the perks and benefits the card offers. If you prefer a lower annual fee, or no annual fee at all, some Chase credit cards offer 5 points or 5% cash back per dollar spent on Lyft rides through March 2025, and that's still an impressive rate.
Navy Federal Credit Union® More Rewards American Express® Credit Card
Our pick for: Military and qualifying family members
Card details
Rewards:
3 points per $1 spent at supermarkets, at restaurants, and on gas and transit.
1 point per $1 spent on everything else.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening. Expires on Apr. 30, 2024.
Annual fee: $0.
APR: 1.99% intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers requested within 60 days of account opening, and then the ongoing APR of 14.90%-18.00%, Variable.
Why we like it
Whether you drive or hitch a ride, the Navy Federal Credit Union® More Rewards American Express® Credit Card rewards you generously. The card offers a broad transit category that includes ridesharing services, tolls, ferries, parking lots and garages, limos, taxis, bus lines, charters, tour buses and rail lines. It's a rarity among rewards credit cards because it earns top rewards in many other everyday categories including gas, dining and groceries. Other credit cards reward only one or two of those categories, and sometimes they come with spending limits.
Drawbacks
You need to be eligible for membership at Navy Federal Credit Union to qualify for this card. Membership is generally limited to current or former military members, Department of Defense employees, or their qualifying family members. And as an AmEx card, the Navy Federal Credit Union® More Rewards American Express® Credit Card has limited merchant acceptance abroad, which might be a dealbreaker if you frequently move around the country.
Amtrak Guest Rewards® World Mastercard®
Our pick for: Avid Amtrak users
Card details
Rewards:
3 points per $1 spent with Amtrak.
2 points per $1 spent at other eligible non-Amtrak travel merchants.
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Annual fee: $79.
Why we like it
This card's 3X category speaks for itself, but even its 2X category includes spending on eligible airlines, car rental agencies, hotels and resorts, steamship/cruise lines, commuter rail and passenger rail. While you can redeem points for a number of travel costs including car rentals and hotel stays, when you apply points toward Amtrak tickets you get a 5% point rebate.
Drawbacks
A general card will give you much more flexibility in how to use your points.
General travel cards to consider
Several general travel cards can work well for transit, especially those that allow you to redeem points to cover commuting-related purchases. Here are a few options:
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card makes redeeming rewards easy (it also makes earning them easy — you'll get 2 miles per $1 on all purchases). Use your miles as a statement credit to reimburse yourself for transit costs like train tickets and taxis within 90 days of purchase. Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. The annual fee is $95.
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a number of add-ons that help offset its eye-popping $695 annual fee, including Uber credits worth $200 a year. You’ll get $15 in Uber Cash per month ($20 in December) to use on rides in the U.S. Terms apply (see rates and fees). New cardholders can earn this bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
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