They say to take what you love and turn it into a job. I get to talk about credit cards, points and miles every day and get paid for it, so I say I’ve succeeded at that. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I enjoy singing the praises of rewards credit cards whenever I get the chance.

But the credit card industry offers so many options that even an expert like me can struggle to keep track. That’s why I love helping my friends and family sift through the choices to find cards that fit their lifestyles and travel goals.

Usually, there’s a handful of rewards cards that come up whenever I’m giving my Ted Talk on credit cards, points and miles. There’s a good reason for that: these cards are flexible, easy to use and brimming with enough perks to justify whatever annual fee they may have.

Here are my top picks.

Comparing my top picks for the best rewards credit cards

Here’s a quick overview of what each of my favorite rewards cards has to offer.

Card	Welcome offer	Earning rates
Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees) (No annual fee)	Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening.	5% back on rotating quarterly categories each quarter you activate (on up to $1,500 of spending each quarter, then 1% back) 5% back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ 3% back on dining and at drugstores 2% back on Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027) 1% back on all other purchases
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) ($95 annual fee)	Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening.	5 points per dollar spent on Chase Travel 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027) 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services and online grocery orders (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) ($95 annual fee)	Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.	10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com 3 points per dollar spent on air travel, other hotel purchases, dining, supermarkets, gas and electric vehicle charging stations 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
American Express Platinum Card® ($895 annual fee; see rates and fees)	New Amex Platinum cardmembers can find out their offer and see if they’re eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.	5 points per dollar spent on airfare booked directly or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 in spending per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent) 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Chase Freedom Flex

Standout benefits: This card’s best benefit is its rotating quarterly bonus categories. You’ll earn 5% back on up to $1,500 of spending each quarter in these categories (then 1% back; activation required). Plus, cardholders can enjoy a complimentary six-month DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).

The Freedom Flex is, in my opinion, one of Chase’s most underrated cards. It often gets overshadowed by its big siblings, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).

This card is best for beginners and those looking for an affordable, flexible product. It was my first proper rewards card, and it was the one that truly got me hooked on this hobby.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Freedom Flex.

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Apply here: Chase Freedom Flex

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Chase Sapphire Preferred

Standout benefits: This card offers access to Chase’s transfer partners, a critical component of maximizing your rewards. If you have an eligible no-annual-fee Chase card, like the Freedom Flex, you can turn that card’s rewards into transferable Ultimate Rewards points with the Sapphire Preferred.

The Sapphire Preferred gets put on a pedestal here at TPG, and for good reason. It’s an affordable card that earns valuable, transferable Ultimate Rewards points. Plus, it’s easy to get your money back (and then some) with the Sapphire Preferred’s annual fee, thanks to its DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027).

Cardholders also get a $50 credit for an eligible hotel booking through Chase Travel each year, in addition to a 10% anniversary points boost. These approachable perks make this card a great introduction to the world of points and miles — it was even my very first transferable rewards card.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.

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Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

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Citi Strata Premier

Standout benefits: This card covers a wide variety of everyday spending categories, making it a great fit for a one-card wallet. If you like using issuer travel portals for your bookings, you’ll appreciate this card’s annual $100 hotel benefit on a single hotel booking of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) made through Citi Travel.

Ask around enough at TPG, and you’ll soon find a few people who’d agree with me that the Strata Premier is a dark horse in the mid-tier credit card space. With this card, you’ll be able to earn bonus rewards on the majority of your everyday spending, including groceries, gas, EV charging and dining. You’ll also gain access to Citi’s 22 transfer partners, including award enthusiast favorites like American Airlines and Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

I don’t have the Strata Premier myself, but I’d absolutely choose it if I had the desire (and willpower) to hold myself to just one card.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Strata Premier.

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Apply here: Citi Strata Premier Card

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American Express Platinum

Standout benefits: Trying to condense this card’s standout benefits into a few sentences is nearly impossible. It boasts a long list of statement credits, elite statuses and lounges you can access, among other benefits. It may feature the highest annual fee of any card on the market, but it’s well worth it for the right cardmember.

The Amex Platinum is my most expensive card, but I’m able to justify it thanks to its various benefits. I just used my statement credits for Resy*, which is up to $400 annually (up to $100 per quarter) and for Lululemon** which is up to $300 annually (up to $75 per quarter). This means I’m already roughly $175 toward breaking even on this card’s annual fee.

I also value this card’s lounge access, which is the furthest-reaching of any card currently available. If you can afford to pay $895 in one billing cycle for a card, the Amex Platinum is definitely worth considering.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Platinum.

*U.S. restaurants only; enrollment required
**U.S. stores and online only; outlets excluded; enrollment required

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Apply here: American Express Platinum Card

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How I chose my top rewards cards

The best rewards cards offer flexibility and a lot of value. Some carry annual fees, some don’t, but each has at least a few tried-and-true ways to justify their place in your wallet. They all offer bonus categories tied to common spending, solid lifestyle credits, brand perks or some combination.

I recommend these cards time and again because I believe they’re the best fit for most travelers. You don’t need all four of these cards to have a well-rounded wallet, but your travels can certainly be elevated if you do.

Bottom line

Ask me for my best rewards card recommendations, and these are the ones you’ll hear about. I have three out of four of them in my wallet, and I don’t regret opening any of them. The Strata Premier, while not a good fit for my personal card strategy, is still on the same playing field as its companions on this list.

Be intrigued, not intimidated, by rewards credit cards. These options can all unlock travel opportunities you might never have thought possible.

Related: Best credit cards: These 4 keep me on the go about 180 days a year

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.

Loyalty programs are huge moneymakers for airlines and hotel companies because they support multiple revenue streams. One of these revenue streams is selling airline miles and hotel points directly to travelers.

Programs can get an immediate cash injection by selling points and miles as travelers prepay for future travel. However, as a traveler, keep in mind that it generally only makes sense to purchase points and miles when a discount or bonus offer is available.

This roundup of points and miles sales walks you through some of the best current offers on airline miles and hotel points, including some that may be targeted.

But first, when does it make sense to buy points and miles?

Should you buy points and miles?

There are a couple of things to consider before taking advantage of points and miles sales.

First, buying points and miles only makes sense for certain travelers and at certain times. It’s generally a much better deal to earn them for “free” through welcome bonuses tied to travel rewards credit cards.

However, buying them during good promotions can make sense for those who have tapped out their credit card options and can get high value from their rewards. It can also make sense when you need more points to lock in a specific redemption.

We generally only recommend buying points or miles if you have an immediate use in mind. In that case, the purchase might save you thousands of dollars. However, we don’t recommend stockpiling your loyalty rewards, as programs frequently undergo unexpected devaluations.

With that, here are some current promotions for buying points and miles.

Related: What are points and miles worth? TPG’s current valuations

Promotions for buying airline points and miles

American Airlines AAdvantage

• Current promotion: 10% to 40% discount
• Purchase rate: As low as 2.25 cents per mile
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 1.5 cents per mile
• End date: Unknown
• Buy AAdvantage miles

American Airlines AAdvantage is offering up to a 40% discount on miles, depending on how many you buy. You must purchase at least 6,000 miles to get the lowest 10% discount, and you’ll get the maximum discount of 40% when you buy 151,000 miles or more, dropping the price to 2.25 cents per mile. This is significantly higher than TPG’s current valuation of American miles, but buying American miles for specific high-end awards could still make sense.

Avianca LifeMiles

• Current promotion: Up to 155% bonus miles
• Purchase rate: As low as 1.3 cents per mile
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 1.4 cents per mile
• End date: June 14
• Buy Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca LifeMiles has one of the best offers on buying miles right now, but you’ll need to act fast. You’ll get between 135% and 155% bonus miles when you purchase at least 1,000 miles by June 14. The highest bonus, which requires buying at least 51,000 miles (before the bonus), lowers the price to 1.3 cents per mile — not a bad deal compared to TPG’s valuation of 1.4 cents per mile.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards (targeted)

• Current promotion: 50% discount
• Purchase rate: As low as 1.5 cents per point
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 1.3 cents per point
• End date: July 22
• Buy Rapid Rewards points

Southwest is offering summer savings on Rapid Rewards points. These offers may vary, but we’ve seen a 50% discount when you buy at least 7,000 points. The sale price of 1.5 cents per point is still above TPG’s current valuation of 1.3 cents, so purchasing points will only make sense if you’re planning a redemption soon.

United Airlines MileagePlus (targeted)

• Current promotion: Up to 100% bonus miles
• Purchase rate: As low as 1.88 cents per mile
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 1.35 cents per mile
• End date: June 29
• Buy MileagePlus miles

United MileagePlus’ latest sale is targeted, so your offer may be different. The best offer we’ve seen is a 100% bonus when you purchase at least 45,000 miles. You’ll pay 1.88 cents per mile after taxes; this essentially halves the cost per mile — though it’s still well over our valuation. Therefore, we wouldn’t recommend purchasing additional miles unless you have a specific redemption in mind and want to top off your account balance.

Promotions for buying hotel points

Choice Privileges

• Current promotion: Up to 30% off
• Purchase rate: As low as 0.72 cents per point
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 0.6 cents per point
• End date: June 20
• Buy Choice Privileges points

For a limited time, Choice Privileges members can get a discount of 25% when they purchase at least 8,000 points and 30% when they purchase 18,000 or more. The maximum discount lowers the price to 0.72 cents per point — still higher than TPG’s estimate, so we wouldn’t recommend stocking up on Choice points right now.

Hilton Honors (targeted)

• Current promotion: Up to 100% bonus points
• Purchase rate: As low as 0.5 cents per point
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 0.5 cents per point
• End date: July 24
• Buy Hilton Honors points

This promotion from Hilton Honors is targeted, but the best we’ve seen is a 100% bonus on purchases of 5,000 points or more. You’ll pay only 0.5 cents per point with this bonus, in line with TPG’s valuations, so it could be a good idea to buy the points you’ll need for your next redemption. For instance, you could purchase the 110,000 points needed for a night at the Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort for only $550 during this promotion — a great deal considering cash rates start around $900.

IHG One Rewards

• Current promotion: 100% bonus points
• Purchase rate: 0.5 cents per point
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 0.5 cents per point
• End date: June 13
• Buy IHG One Rewards points

IHG One Rewards’ latest promotion is a good deal, but it’s only available for a couple more days. You can get 100% bonus points when you buy at least 11,000 points. This brings the point cost down to 0.5 cents per point — right on par with our valuations, so it might be worth considering. Check out our guide on how you can redeem IHG points for maximum value.

Marriott Bonvoy

• Current promotion: 30% bonus points
• Purchase rate: As low as 0.96 cents per point
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 0.7 cents per point
• End date: July 16
• Buy Marriott Bonvoy points

With Marriott Bonvoy’s current bonus, you can score 30% extra points when you buy 2,000 points or more. You’ll still pay over 0.9 cents apiece, much higher than our postdevaluation estimate of Marriott points, so we wouldn’t advise purchasing points in most circumstances.

World of Hyatt

• Current promotion: 20% bonus points
• Purchase rate: 2.2 cents per point
• TPG June 2025 valuation: 1.7 cents per point
• End date: July 21
• Buy World of Hyatt points

World of Hyatt is offering 20% bonus points on purchases of at least 3,000 points. This drops the price to 2.2 cents per point — nothing spectacular compared to our current valuation. We’d only recommend taking advantage of this promotion if you need a few extra points to complete your next redemption.

Which credit card should you use to buy points and miles?

Most of these promotions are processed through Points.com rather than directly by the hotel or airline, so you won’t earn bonus rewards with most travel rewards cards. You’ll want to use an everyday spending card that offers a solid return on nonbonus spending.

The main exception to this rule is American Airlines. This airline reportedly codes mileage purchases as airfare, so you may want to use a credit card that earns bonus miles on airfare for the highest return when buying AAdvantage miles.

Or, if you’re working toward a minimum spending requirement to earn a welcome bonus on a new card, using that card may be the way to go.

Remember that you could incur foreign transaction fees on some cards when buying points or miles from a program abroad. So, you may want to use one of the following cards:

Bottom line

Buying points and miles isn’t always a good idea, but it can make sense in some situations — especially if you can take advantage of a promotion. In most cases, it’s best to have a specific redemption in mind and confirm award availability before considering paying for points and miles.