Unfortunately, rewards cards aren't always rewarding. But the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card card is. Whether you're a newcomer to the world of rewards cards or a rewards veteran whose wallet is flush with points-earning plastic, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card inherent flexibility makes it easy to turn today's purchases into tomorrow's perks – especially if you spend heavily on travel and restaurants — making it one of the top credit cards.

In exchange for a very reasonable $95 annual fee, it offers high-value points that are easy to earn and easy to redeem, not to mention solid benefits and an enticing sign-up bonus.

If you'd rather not keep track of bonus categories, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card card might be a better choice; for the same annual fee, its straightforward-earning structure allows you to earn rewards at the same flat rate regardless of purchase category. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card remains a superior choice, because its points are worth more – up to 1.25 cents per point compared to 1 cent per mile for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card is a top credit card for earning cash back. Cardholders can Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. That's a great flat earning rate across all purchases for those who don't want to worry about varied spending categories. This card also comes with a solid welcome offer: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months

In addition to its stellar cash back incentives, the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card also offers a long 0% introductory period on both purchases and qualifying balance transfers. Cardholders get a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers. After that, you will have a 16.49%, 21.49%, or 26.49% Variable APR.

Credit cards are supposed to make it easy to spend money.

The best credit cards, however, also make it easy to earn money. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ card is one of those cards, as it lets you 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

As long as you don't mind enrolling in and keeping track of Chase's cashback calendar, you can score big in categories such as wholesale clubs and gas stations. Not to mention, unlike Discover's rotating cashback card, the Discover it^® Cash Back, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers an ongoing bonus on restaurants and drugstore purchases. This wide array of earning opportunities makes the Chase Freedom Flex℠ the king of rotating category cards.

If you love dining out, the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card belongs in your wallet. Designed for anyone who spends a lot of money on restaurants, sports, concerts and theater, it lets you Earn unlimited 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases.

Cardmembers also Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening . Not to mention all the other benefits for food and entertainment nuts, including access to exclusive culinary experiences and VIP tickets to concerts and sporting events. The card's annual fee ($95) is a small price to pay for these benefits.

If there's one thing everybody needs, it's groceries. That's what makes the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express card such an attractive card: It offers serious cash back on everyday purchases that almost everyone makes, including supermarkets and gas. Cardholders receive 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more), 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Terms apply.

There's a $95 annual fee, and cash back typically can only be redeemed as statement credits (although American Express sometimes lets you redeem rewards for gift cards or merchandise, instead). Though its redemption options aren't as flexible as, say, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, it's a solid offering for anyone who wants to profit from their most frequent purchases.

From payroll and inventory to hiring and marketing, small business owners have a lot of balls in the air. Credit card rewards shouldn't have to be one of them. That's why the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card is such a good business credit card.

Simple and straightforward, it offers 2% Cash Back on every purchase; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, with no limit on how many rewards you can earn and no spending categories to keep track of.

A couple of core benefits notwithstanding — there aren't a lot of bells and whistles to entice you. But that's kind of what makes this one of the top credit cards. What business owners need most is one versatile, uncomplicated card that they can use for all of their business purchases in order to make money while they're spending it. And that's exactly what the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card is.

The Discover it^® Secured Credit Card card is one of the best options for cardholders trying to establish or rebuild credit, not only because it makes it easy to build credit, but also because it allows you to earn valuable cash back.

Here's how it works: If you're approved for a card, you'll be asked to provide a refundable cash deposit that's equal to your credit line — for example, a $200 deposit for a $200 credit line, or a $500 deposit for a $500 credit line. As you use the card, you'll earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. The cherry on top: Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year for new cardholders. Finally, if you use credit responsibly (i.e., you consistently pay off your balance in full), you may eventually reclaim your deposit and transition to an unsecured line of credit.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is many travelers' favorite card thanks to its substantial features and benefits. The card's hefty $550 annual fee gets returned to you in the form of valuable rewards. For starters, you get 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. On top of that, you get a $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel-related expenses, reimbursement for enrollment in trusted traveler programs like TSA Precheck, a Priority Pass™ Select membership that gives you complimentary access to more than 1,000 airport lounges, trip and baggage delay insurance and primary car rental insurance.

And when it's time to use your points, you get 50% more value when you redeem them for travel through Chase's Ultimate Rewards® portal, plus the ability to transfer points to a number of airline and hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio.

In exchange for its $695 annual fee, The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers significant value.

That value starts with a generous, pro-travel earning structure: Cardholders receive 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. They also receive 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases. You can use points to pay for all or part of an upcoming trip when you book it on amextravel.com, to buy merchandise or gift cards, and to cover your card charges. You can even transfer points to participating airline or hotel loyalty programs.

Ultimately, though, what makes a luxury card are its benefits, and The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers plenty of them. For example, you get complimentary access to more than 1,300 airport lounges, including Amex Centurion lounges, Delta Sky Club® and Priority Pass™ Select lounges (enrollment required); reimbursement for enrollment in trusted traveler programs like Global Entry or TSA Precheck; complimentary upgrades and benefits at partner hotels; Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (enrollment required); Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings ($15 per month and $20 bonus in December) on rides or eats orders in the U.S. annually when you add the card to the Uber app; and get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on The Platinum Card^® from American Express. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.

You also get trip delay and trip cancellation insurance, 24/7 emergency travel assistance services, car rental upgrades and insurance and free concierge services. The list goes on, as American Express is one of the best credit card companies out there.

Airline credit cards that bind you to a single carrier can sometimes hinder instead of help your travel goals, limiting your ability to shop around.

A notable exception is the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card card, which offers substantial value not only to diehard Delta acolytes, but also to the casual traveler who flies Delta Air Lines only occasionally.

That's because the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card makes it easy to earn miles when you're not flying Delta, and to redeem miles for elite Delta benefits when you are. Case in point: Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. That means you can rack up miles at home and on the road regardless of whether you're flying and with what airline. When you eventually do fly Delta, your card entitles you to a free checked bag and priority boarding. And when you spend $10,000 on your card during a calendar year, you get up to a $100 Delta credit for future travel.

If you fly Delta often, it's a no-brainer. And if you don't, it's still a good value that can make a coveted trip more affordable and more comfortable when you eventually decide to take it.

What makes the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express so great are its generous rewards structure and elite status benefits. If you're the kind of traveler who would rather upgrade your destination than your journey, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is easily one of the best hotel credit cards there is.

The card lets you Earn 14X per $1 of eligible purchases on your card directly with a participating Hilton hotel or resort, 7X for eligible purchases: on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com; on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies; & at U.S. restaurants, and 3X for other purchases on your card. Those points can be redeemed for free nights at Hilton hotels, or to reduce the rate you pay if you'd rather use a mix of points and cash. You'll also get complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status and a Priority Pass™ Select membership for access to airport lounges all over the world (enrollment required).

If you're looking to pay down credit card debt, the Citi^® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer can be a great tool.

The card doesn't offer any unique perks, but it does have one major benefit for cardholders who are carrying a balance on another card: It promises an introductory APR of 0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers (a 15.49% - 25.49% (Variable) APR applies thereafter), provided transfers are completed within four months of opening an account. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening. Furthermore, transfers don't receive cash back. Nevertheless, it's an attractive offer and one of the best credit cards for young adults, making this a worthwhile balance transfer card for anyone who wants to both save and make money.

Although it doesn't offer a sign-up bonus, its cash back benefits can be incentive enough to open an account: Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.

The Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card is one of your best options for saving interest over a long period of time.

It's a simple Visa card that's geared toward people who want to take control of their finances and eliminate debt.

The card's principal benefit is a 0% intro APR up to 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers (14.49%-26.49% Variable APR thereafter). That's over a year of interest-free existence during which time you can either finance a big-ticket item or pay down debt that you accrued on other, less forgiving cards.

As with most balance transfer cards, you'll have to pay a balance transfer fee of 3% for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%; min: $5. In return, however, you'll get the opportunity to make valuable progress toward your financial goals – not to mention a few other benefits, including up to $600 of cell phone protection and roadside dispatch.