The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

Picking the best travel rewards credit cards can be challenging. Each one offers different perks, and this is especially true for premium cards. And because issuers keep upping the ante by launching new cards, adding benefits and increasing the cards’ annual fees, there’s more competition in this space than ever.

Today, we’ll compare the benefits and value propositions of some of the best premium credit cards currently available. Here are the eight premium rewards cards we’ll focus on:

The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuers.

Methodology for the best premium credit cards

While this list of cards has remained relatively stable lately, there were some massive shake-ups in 2021.

The most significant new addition to the premium card marketplace is the Capital One Venture X card, which debuted in November 2021 with excellent travel perks and an annual fee of $395 — the lowest of any card on this list.

Meanwhile, American Express increased the annual fee on the Amex Platinum Card from $550 to $695 (see rates and fees) in July 2021. While the issuer added several new annual statement credits to offset this higher annual fee, many consumers were disgruntled by these changes. Also, Citi discontinued applications for its Citi Prestige® Card, throwing in the towel on this once-popular travel rewards card for the foreseeable future. Thus, Citi doesn’t have a card earning its own points — Citi ThankYou Rewards — as a contender among the best premium credit cards, which is not normal.

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For its part, Chase raised the annual fee on the Sapphire Reserve by $100 to $550 in January 2020 but has also added limited-time partner benefits with Lyft (through 2025), DoorDash (through 2024) and Instacart (permanent).

With all that in mind, we’ll compare these cards across seven categories:

• Annual fee.
• Current welcome offer.
• Point-earning potential.
• Redemption options.
• Travel credits.
• Lounge access.
• Travel and purchase protections.

This analysis is based on a generic traveler trying to decide which one of these eight cards should go in their wallet. When it comes to choosing which one is the best, premium cards have varying perks and benefits — so the one that’s right for your wallet will depend on your specific wants and needs.

Whether or not a card charges for additional cardholders also makes a difference. The Hilton Amex Aspire, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, United Club Infinite Card, Citi / AAdvantage Executive (up to 10 authorized users) and Capital One Venture X (up to four authorized users) don’t charge a fee for additional cardholders.

The Hilton Amex Aspire allows authorized users to enjoy an up-to-$100 property credit for eligible two-night stays at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties. Meanwhile, authorized users on the Citi / AAdvantage Executive card receive Admirals Club access for themselves and up to two traveling companions.

Ultimately, however, the winner of this category is the Capital One Venture X. First and foremost, the $395 annual fee is much lower than the rest of the crowd. Plus, you can add up to four authorized users for no additional charge.

They’ll get benefits such as unlimited Capital One Lounge, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass lounge access for themselves and up to two guests. That might be handier than Admirals Club access for many flyers — especially those who travel internationally where the Admirals Club might not have many locations.

Related: Credit cards with the greatest value for authorized users

* Based on TPG valuations and not provided by the issuer.

Analysis

Both the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve have 80-000 point welcome bonuses and equal valuations, but we give the edge to the Sapphire Reserve. The limited-time bonus on it requires $2,000 less spending than the Amex Platinum. However, keep in mind that some folks might find an even higher welcome offer on the Amex Platinum by checking the CardMatch tool (offers are subject to change at any time).

Related: The best increased card offers to sign up for this month

The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes out on top here due to the fact that it earns valuable Ultimate Rewards bonus points on a wide variety of purchases.

Like the Venture X, the Chase Sapphire Reserve racks up more bonus points on various types of travel booked through Chase’s own travel portal. However, the card pulls ahead of the Venture X by earning more points on general dining and travel purchases. That said, the Venture X earns a solid 2 miles per dollar on everyday spending, which is pretty easy to maximize without having to carefully keep track of spending categories.

The Hilton Amex Aspire takes the third spot thanks to an incredible 14 points per dollar at Hilton properties and 7 points per dollar on airfare, car rentals and U.S. restaurants. These bonuses represent a return of 8.4% and 4.2%, respectively, based on TPG’s most recent valuations.

The top three cards on this list — the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X — earned their spots thanks to the flexibility of transferable points that won’t lock you into a specific set of airlines or hotels.

Even though the Chase Sapphire Reserve only has 11 airline and three hotel transfer partners, it also allows cardmembers to redeem points for travel directly through Chase’s portal at an elevated rate of 1.5 cents each. Meanwhile, the Amex Platinum has 20 airline and hotel transfer partners in total and varied redemption options.

The Capital One Venture X takes third place since it offers 15 airline and three hotel transfer partners. While you can transfer to most programs at a 1:1 ratio, there are a couple of exceptions: ALL Accor Live Limitless (2:1) and EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (2:1.5).

Amex has added a plethora of new lifestyle- and travel-focused credits to the Platinum over the past couple of years, which easily take the cake in this category. Even if you don’t maximize every single credit each year, you’re still looking at a ton of potential value from the statement credits alone.

The Sapphire Reserve is close behind. For starters, the $300 travel credit is a relatively high dollar amount and applies to any travel purchase (as opposed to just fees or airfare, like some of its competition). In addition, the credit posts very quickly, while other cards require you to wait an entire statement period or even force you to call and have customer service manually issue you a credit.

The Venture X takes third place with its (similar) $300 travel credit, though it’s more limited since you’ll only receive reimbursement for bookings made through the Capital One Travel portal.

We’ll award fourth place to the Hilton Aspire because of the potential to receive more than $500 in travel credits each year. Although the Aspire’s airline fee credit requires you to designate a single airline and technically only applies to incidental charges like checked bags, the up-to-$250 resort credit is easy to use if you visit an eligible resort.

This category is much tougher to rank, given that the true value of lounge access is based on so many factors, from your typical departure airport(s) and your preferred airline(s) to how frequently you travel with guests. The Amex Platinum gives you the most flexibility, and being able to bring two guests for free to most lounges is a huge perk (although the guest benefit is going away in February 2023 at Centurion Lounges).

The Venture X comes in a close second with Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Capital One Lounge access. The issuer debuted its first lounge at Dallas Forth Worth International Airport (DFW) in October 2021, and there are plans for two more lounges at Denver International Airport (DEN) and Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) in 2023.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve and the two hotel cards offer fairly standard Priority Pass membership, while the three airline cards will come in handiest for folks who fly one carrier most often and can take advantage of lounges in the airports they pass through the most. Chase has announced plans for a Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club in nine locations; the first location in Hong Kong is now open.

Related: Best credit cards for airport lounge access

Travel and purchase protections

All of these cards also provide various coverages and protections when you’re traveling or making purchases. This is probably best visualized in a table:

Benefit	Amex Platinum	Capital One Venture X†	Chase Sapphire Reserve	Hilton Amex Aspire	Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant	Delta Reserve	United Club Infinite	Citi / AAdvantage Executive
Car rental coverage	Yes (secondary; provides coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles).*§	Yes (primary).	Yes (primary).	Yes (secondary; provides coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles).*§	Yes (secondary; provides coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles).*§	Yes (secondary; provides coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles).*§	Yes (primary).	No.
Travel emergency assistance	Yes (access to the  Premium Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day/7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Emergency medical transportation assistance and related services may be provided at no cost, but third-party services may still have costs to you.).*#	Yes (provides referrals only; you are responsible for all costs involved).	Yes (provides referrals only; you are responsible for all costs involved).	Yes (access to the  Premium Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Emergency medical transportation assistance and related services may be provided at no cost, but third-party services may still have costs to you.).*#	Yes (access to the  Premium Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day/7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Emergency medical transportation assistance and related services may be provided at no cost, but third-party services may still have costs to you.).*#	Yes (access to the  Premium Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Emergency medical transportation assistance and related services may be provided at no cost, but third-party services may still have costs to you.).*#	Yes (provides referrals only; you are responsible for all costs involved).	No.
Baggage loss or damage	Yes (Baggage Insurance Plan can cover lost, damaged or stolen baggage on a common carrier when the entire fare is paid for with your eligible card. Limits are $2,000 for checked bags and $3,000 for carry-on bags, in excess of coverage provided by the carrier. There is a limit of $3,000 aggregate per covered trip. For New York state residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all covered persons per covered trip).*~	Yes (up to $3,000 per covered trip; for New York state residents, coverage is up to $2,000 per bag).	Yes (up to $3,000 per passenger).	Yes (Baggage Insurance Plan can cover lost, damaged or stolen baggage on a common carrier when the entire fare is paid for with your eligible card. Limits are $2,000 for checked bags and $3,000 for carry-on bags, in excess of coverage provided by the carrier. There is a limit of $3,000 aggregate per covered trip. For New York state residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all covered persons per covered trip).*~	Yes (Baggage Insurance Plan can cover lost, damaged or stolen baggage on a common carrier when the entire fare is paid for with your eligible card. Limits are $2,000 for checked bags and $3,000 for carry-on bags, in excess of coverage provided by the carrier. There is a limit of $3,000 aggregate per covered trip. For New York state residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all covered persons per covered trip).*~	Yes (Baggage Insurance Plan can cover lost, damaged or stolen baggage on a common carrier when the entire fare is paid for with your eligible card. Limits are $500 for checked bags and $1,250 for carry-on bags, in excess of coverage provided by the carrier. For New York state residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all covered persons per covered trip).*~	Yes (up to $3,000 per passenger).	No.
Baggage delay	No.	No.	Yes ($100 per day for up to five days if bags are more than six hours late).	No.	No.	No.	Yes (up to $100 per day for three days if bags are more than six hours late).	No.
Trip delay	Yes (up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed by more than six hours, capped at two claims per eligible card in 12 consecutive months).*^	Yes (up to $500 per ticket for delays of more than six hours).	Yes (up to $500 per ticket for delays of more than six hours or delays requiring an overnight stay).	Yes (up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed by more than six hours, capped at two claims per eligible card in 12 consecutive months).*^	Yes (up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed by more than six hours, capped at two claims per eligible card in 12 consecutive months).*^	Yes (up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed by more than six hours, capped at two claims per eligible card in 12 consecutive months).*^	Yes (up to $500 per ticket for delays of more than 12 hours or overnight).	No.
Trip cancellation and interruption	Yes (with a maximum benefit of $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card in a 12-month period).*^	Yes (up to $2,000 per person).	Yes (up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip).	Yes (with a maximum benefit of $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card in a 12-month period).*^	Yes (with a maximum benefit of $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card in a 12-month period).*^	Yes (with a maximum benefit of $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card in a 12-month period).*^	Yes (up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip).	No.
Travel accident insurance	No.	Yes (up to $1 million).	Yes (up to $1 million).	No.	No.	No.	Yes (up to $500,000).	No.
Emergency evacuation and transportation	Yes (up to $100,000 per trip; must be coordinated by the Premium Global Assist Hotline; otherwise, you must pay for it).*#	No.	Yes (up to $100,000; must be coordinated by the benefits administrator to be covered).	Yes (up to $100,000 per trip; must be coordinated by the Premium Global Assist Hotline; otherwise, you must pay for it).*#	Yes (up to $100,000 per trip; must be coordinated by the Premium Global Assist Hotline; otherwise, you must pay for it).*#	Yes (up to $100,000 per trip; must be coordinated by the Premium Global Assist Hotline; otherwise, you must pay for it).*#	Yes (up to $100,000; must be coordinated by the benefits administrator to be covered).	No.
Purchase protection	Yes (for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year).*~	Yes (within 90 days, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account).	Yes (within 120 days, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year).	Yes (for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year).*~	Yes (for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year).*~	Yes (for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year).*~	Yes (within 120 days, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year).	No.
Extended warranty	Yes (adds an extra year to the manufacturer’s warranty on warranties of five years or less; covers the actual amount charged to your eligible card, with a maximum of $10,000 per item and $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year).*~	Yes (additional year on warranties of three years or less; covered up to the full amount charged to your card, minis shipping and handling fees, with a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder).	Yes (additional year on warranties of three years or less; up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account).	Yes (adds an extra year to the manufacturer’s warranty on warranties of five years or less; covers the actual amount charged to your eligible card, with a maximum of $10,000 per item and $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year).*~	Yes (adds an extra year to the manufacturer’s warranty on warranties of five years or less; covers the actual amount charged to your eligible card, with a maximum of $10,000 per item and $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year).*~	Yes (adds an extra year to the manufacturer’s warranty on warranties of five years or less; covers the actual amount charged to your eligible card, with a maximum of $10,000 per item and $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year).*~	Yes (additional year on warranties of three years or less).	No.
Return protection	Yes (covered for up to 90 days from the purchase date; American Express will refund up to the full purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 per calendar year per eligible card account; you must pay for the entirety of the item with your card and it must be purchased in the U.S. or its territories).*	Yes (90 days, up to $300 per item and $1,000 per year).	Yes (90 days, up to $500 per item and $1,000 per year).	Yes (covered for up to 90 days from the purchase date; American Express will refund up to the full purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 per calendar year per eligible card account; you must pay for the entirety of the item with your card and it must be purchased in the U.S. or its territories).*	Yes (covered for up to 90 days from the purchase date; American Express will refund up to the full purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 per calendar year per eligible card account; you must pay for the entirety of the item with your card and it must be purchased in the U.S. or its territories).*	Yes (covered for up to 90 days from the purchase date; American Express will refund up to the full purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 per calendar year per eligible card account; you must pay for the entirety of the item with your card and it must be purchased in the U.S. or its territories).*	Yes (90 days, up to $500 per item and $1,000 per year).	No.
Cellphone protection	Yes (covers phones that are damaged or stolen but does not cover cosmetic damage or lost phones; maximum coverage is $800 liability per claim, less a $50 deductible, and limited to two claims per eligible account in a 12-month period; limited to cellphone lines listed on a mobile phone plan paid for with an eligible card in the most recent billing period).*^	Yes (up to $800 per claim or $1,600 per 12-month period; a $50 deductible applies; coverage applies to theft, damage or involuntary and accidental parting of your phone when associated with a cellphone plan paid for with your card during the previous month.)	No.	No.	Yes (covers phones that are damaged or stolen but does not cover cosmetic damage or lost phones; maximum coverage is $800 liability per claim, less a $50 deductible, and limited to two claims per eligible account in a 12-month period; limited to cellphone lines listed on a mobile phone plan paid for with an eligible card in the most recent billing period).*^	Yes (covers phones that are damaged or stolen but does not cover cosmetic damage or lost phones; maximum coverage is $800 liability per claim, less a $50 deductible, and limited to two claims per eligible account in a 12-month period; limited to cellphone lines listed on a mobile phone plan paid for with an eligible card in the most recent billing period).*^	No.	No.

† Benefits available on Visa Infinite cards.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details.
^ Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
~ Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
§ Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
# If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

Analysis

The Sapphire Reserve takes the cake here with its primary car rental insurance, emergency evacuation insurance and travel accident insurance. The Venture X comes in second thanks to fairly comprehensive protections that even include cellphone coverage. The Amex Platinum offers significant travel insurance coverage, but note that the rental car benefit provides secondary coverage and there is no baggage delay coverage. If you’re a United flyer, the United Club Infinite also offers a robust slate of protections that you may want to consider.

Official application link: Amex Platinum.
Official application link: Capital One Venture X.
Official application link: Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Official application link: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Reserve.
Official application link: United Club Infinite.
Official application link: Citi / AAdvantage Executive.

Additional reporting by Senitra Horbrook, Ryan Wilcox, Stella Shon, Chris Dong, Ethan Steinberg and Ryan Smith.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Hilton Aspire Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, click here.