CHASE - Ink Business Preferred

• Transferable points to travel partners!
• $95 annual fee
• Excellent travel insurance and rental car insurance
• 3x points for shipping, social media ads, travel, and internet/phone.
• 25% bonus for travel portal redemptions, so 100K points are worth $1,250 in portal.
• Often larger minimum spend for sign-up bonus required - but often large sign up bonus available!
  
  

BEST FOR:

Anyone that can hit the sign-up bonus and wants to play in the Chase ecosystem.  This is a solidly awesome card - especially when paired with the Ink Unlimited.

CHASE - Ink Unlimited

• Must have a transferrable Chase card for these points to be used for travel - otherwise cash-back only!
• NO annual fee
• 1.5 points per dollar spent (or 1.5% cash-back)
• This works great WITH the Ink Business Preferred to earn quickly for travel!
• No travel insurance with this card.

BEST FOR:

Anyone collecting Chase points - which this could be your main business card if you pair it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred so you can transfer the points. 

CAPITAL ONE - Venture X Business

• Transferable points to travel partners
• Great perks at a lower annual fee of $395
• Big sign up bonus but big spending minimum to hit it.
• $300 annual travel credit when booking through their travel portal
• 10,000 miles anniversary bonus (worth $100)
• $100 Global Entry reimbursement
• 2x points per dollar on ALL spend - with bonus points for travel booked through portal.
• Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges.
• Cell Phone Protection
• Solid travel insurance included.

BEST FOR:

Someone that can hit a high-spend sign-up bonus and wants lounge access - especially if you travel through an airport with a Capital One lounge often.

AMEX - Blue Business

• No annual fee and transferrable points!
• 2x points per dollar (up to $50,000 per year);
• then 1x point per dollar.
• Simple and straightforward card!  
• No travel insurance or other bonuses.

BEST FOR:

No frills starter card for someone that doesn't travel much yet.

AMEX - Business Gold

• 4x points on your top 2 categories; advertising, dining, gas stations, transit, wireless telephone.
• 1x points on everything else.
• Transferable points to travel partners.
• $375 annual fee - but includes some business credits up to $240 a year.

BEST FOR:

Anyone that spends a lot in the 4x bonus categories - but otherwise not the best option.

AMEX - Business Platinum

• Pricey card at $695 annual fee but lots of benefits.
• Lounge access for Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass lounges
• $400 Dell Credit a year
• 5x flights booked on Amex Travel
• $200 airline fee credit a year
• $189 CLEAR Plus credit a year
• Very good travel insurance
• Hotel status at Marriott and Hilton
• and much more.

BEST FOR:

Someone that wants great lounge access and travels often through an airport with a Centurion lounge.

CHASE - Sapphire Preferred

• Transferrable to travel partners!
• $95 annual fee
• Excellent travel insurance and rental car insurance
•  5x points on travel purchased through Chase portal
• 3x points on dining
• 2x points on travel purchases
• $50 hotel travel credit

BEST FOR:

For anyone collecting Chase points - this is a wallet staple.  The insurance alone is worth the annual fee!

CHASE - Freedom Unlimited

• Must have a transferrable Chase card for these points to be used for travel - otherwise cash-back only!
• NO annual fee
• 1.5 points per dollar spent (or 1.5% cash-back)
• 3x points on dining and drugstores
• 5x points on travel through the portal
• This works great WITH the Ink Business Preferred or Sapphire preferred to earn quickly for travel!
• No travel insurance with this card.

BEST FOR:

Anyone collecting Chase points and needing a solid card for everyday spend.

CAPITAL ONE - Venture X

• Great perks at a lower annual fee of $395
• $300 annual travel credit when booking through their travel portal
• 10,000 miles anniversary bonus (worth $100)
• $100 Global Entry reimbursement
• 2x points per dollar on ALL spend - with bonus points for travel booked through portal.
• Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges.
• Cell Phone Protection
• Solid travel insurance included.

BEST FOR:

Anyone that wants a solid luxury card with lounge access at an annual fee that just about breaks even with your travel credits!

AMEX - Platinum

• Pricey card at $695 annual fee but lots of benefits.
• Lounge access for Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass lounges
• $200 hotel credit a year
• $240 digital entertainment credit a year
• $155 Walmark+ credit a year
• $200 airline fee credit a year
• $200 Uber Cash per year
• $100 SAKS credit per year (stock up on Bomba socks!)
• $189 CLEAR Plus credit a year
• Very good travel insurance
• Hotel status at Marriott and Hilton
• and much more.

BEST FOR:

Someone that wants great lounge access and travels often through an airport with a Centurion lounge.  This card can be a great deal if the yearly credits are valuable to you.

AMEX - Gold

• 4x points on dining and groceries
• $120 Dining credit yearly
• $120 Uber credit yearly
• 1x points on everything else.
• Transferable points to travel partners.
• $250 annual fee

BEST FOR:

Anyone that spends a lot in the 4x bonus categories - and finds the other credits useful.

Travel Freely

• FREE app to help you manage your credit cards
•  Track sign-up bonus terms and dates
• Get reminded when annual fees are coming up
• Track your 5/24 status and when you can apply for your next card
• Did I mention it's free? 

YNAB - You Need a Budget

• Track all of your spending in one place - from your checking account to all of your credit cards.
• Allows you to see every purchase that comes in from your cards easily.
• Tracks your credit card balance and earmarks money from your checking account so that you can use your credit cards like a debit card and never be surprised by the final bill!

PointsYeah.com

• Absolutely THE BEST site for searching for award space.
• Allows you to filter your searches with different cabins, number of connections, credit card or airline point programs, and more.
• Gives you options on how to book the awards it finds.
• The free version is often all you need.