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Best Credit Cards According to Reddit Users

Last updated 03/15/2024 by

Benjamin Locke

Edited by

Fact checked by

Summary:
Reddit may not be a place to seek expert advice, but you can gauge genuine public opinion on valuable topics, such as credit cards. According to Reddit users, there is no top overall credit card, but several cards offer excellent rewards on groceries, gas, dining out, and travel. The American Express Gold Card and Citi Custom Cash Card were some of the most-recommended cards. Based on your spending habits and the benefits and rewards related to each card, there is a top card for everyone.
Reddit is an incredibly powerful tool that gauges public opinion and allows you to seek advice on certain topics. Of course, Reddit is ideal for addressing some questions more than others. For example, if you are having unexplained health problems, and your doctor is having trouble diagnosing you, you might not want to rely on Reddit for medical advice. However, when it comes to credit cards, it can be very useful to gauge the real-life experiences of people from all walks of life.
Credit card benefits do not have a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, if you travel constantly, travel-related rewards are probably much more valuable than cashback rewards for grocery shopping. Here is what we found while doing some research in the Redditsphere on the best credit cards Reddit users found and recommended to others.

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Our system

We want to ensure that we cover some of the most important reasons people use their credit cards. Therefore, we will split the recommended cards into subcategories: groceries, gas, travel, shopping, and entertainment.

Pro Tip

Reddit conversations about credit cards often don’t cover the card’s annual fee or other benefits/disadvantages of different credit card accounts. You can use our credit card profiles to read user reviews and find more detailed information about each card.

Groceries

Winner: American Express Gold Card

The American Express Gold Card is a favorite for Reddit users buying groceries. The reason for this is the 4x ratio of rewards points to dollars spent. This means that if you spend $1,000 at grocery stores, you end up with 4,000 points. Many other credit cards will give you a 1x ratio, resulting in only 1,000 reward points. For those who prefer to make Thai curry at home rather than go out, Amex Gold is the winner based on the opinion of Reddit users.

Runner up: Citi Custom Cash Card

Citi Custom Cash will give you 5% cashback on a number of purchases, and groceries are one of the top categories people choose. When you go shopping at the grocery store, think of all the prices you see having a 5% discount, as this is what is really happening with the 5% cashback reward on grocery shopping.

What do Reddit users say?

User Xarax23 has this to say about the Citi card:
“Well, my wife just got the Citi Custom Cash Card to use on groceries. It gives you 5% back on your highest spend category up to $500 per billing cycle and it’s free and it has a $$$ SUB. That is one heck of a deal. Trick is to use it only on groceries.”

Travel

Winner: American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum Card is great for those who are on planes all the time. Reddit users love the $200 annual airline fee statement credit to cover tangential items such as luggage, food, and entertainment. You also get free lounge access with all the lounge perks, including hot food, free Wi-Fi, comfortable chairs, and possibly cocktails. Furthermore, for those that travel internationally and hate customs lines, The Amex Platinum offers a Global Entry yearly credit.

Runner up: American Express Hilton Honors Card

If you like staying at Hilton properties, this is the card for you, according to users on Reddit. You get a 12x ratio on each dollar spent at hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. That’s 1,200 points for every dollar spent! This is mainly ideal for domestic travelers, as Hilton is more prevalent in the U.S. and also gives you rewards for restaurants and other traveling expenditures in the U.S. If you are looking for hotel credit cards and you like Hilton and travel, then Reddit users will testify that you should be taking a look at this card. If you prefer Hyatt hotels, then you might want to look at a Hyatt credit card.

What do Reddit users say?

Avidreader202 had this to say about the Amex Platinum:
“For me, credits + benefits alone offset AF. $240 towards Hulu, $200 airline incidentals (which I use), $100 Saks (legit, since clearance for kids clothing is cheap), etc etc plus the benefits for work travel (double Hertz points w/President Circle status), Marriott + Hilton status and these benefits. Clear is great. Also, lounge access, notably Centurion (was in LGA yesterday with 2 more travels this month). Actually, just saved $80 on a Hertz rental since within the 4 hours of the 28-hour daily rental. This happens more than I thought for me coincidentally.”

Entertainment

Winner: Capital One Savor Rewards Card

The Capital One Savor Rewards Card gives you 4% cash back on ALL entertainment. According to Reddit, this is the largest cashback reward for any entertainment spending, particularly for streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu. However, it doesn’t work for all SaaS/on-demand products. Prime Video and AT&T TV are not applicable. That being said, it’s great for perks featuring live entertainment. With the Savor card, you can get access to certain live entertainment events, such as the iHeart Radio Music Fest.

Runner up: Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Card

Bank of America’s Customized Cash Rewards Card lets you receive 3% cash back on any category of your choosing. As you might have a separate card (like the Amex Gold) for things like groceries, you can gear your BOA Customized Cash Rewards Card towards entertainment. However, this card can give real value to the more sophisticated entertainment seekers through their “Museums on Us” free general admissions program. You will have free admission to hundreds of participating museums and other cultural events and festivities.

What do Reddit users say?

User unknown_SA94 was excited to find out about the Capital One Savor Card’s benefits.
“Dude it was like Christmas when I found out. I had told all my friends to apply when it was just Savor, they didn’t listen.”

Dining/Eating out

Winner: American Express Gold Card

According to Reddit users, the American Express Gold Card seems to be the card of choice for anything food-related. Many of them name the Amex Gold as the No. 1 card for groceries and shopping. Amex Gold will give you $120 a year for restaurant credits in the form of a $10 monthly credit. Not only that, but the dining credits work for Grubhub and Wine.com, along with some other eligible delivery services.

Runner up: Bank of America Premium Rewards Card

The BOA Premium Rewards Card gives you a 2x ratio on points for both travel and dining. Although this is not as high as some of the other points multiples you can receive for other categories, it’s pretty darn good for dining. For foodies that like to travel to cool food destinations like New Orleans, this can be an ideal card to use when you eat and travel.

What do Reddit users say?

User mhl12 discovered a great way to take a date out for free using the Savor card.
“Pick up a $10 Cheesecake Factory gift card in store. Get a fully comped meal every 4-6 months.”

Shopping

Winner: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card

The real value here is that you get 5% cash back on anything you buy on Amazon (as well as Whole Foods, which Amazon owns). These days, shopping on Amazon has become so intrinsic to the American experience that the 5% cash back is amazing. You can also receive an Amazon gift card bonus with no spending requirement. The “no foreign transaction fees” perk is awesome as well if you like to go shopping south of the border or in another country.

Runner up: Apple Card

The Apple Card gives you 3% daily cash back for everything you buy from Apple. This could be a new MacBook, a new iPhone, multiple apps, the list goes on. As over 50% of American smartphone users use an iPhone, the need for Apple products is never-ending.

What do Reddit users say?

Reddit user Miserable-Result6702 said this about the Amazon Prime Reward cards.
“There are no negatives. You get 5% back on Amazon and Whole Foods and 2% on gas, dining, and drugstores. If you shop at Amazon it’s probably the best card to have.”

Gas

Winner: Citi Custom Cash

As for gas-purchasing, the 5% cash back works for filling up your old beat-up ’92 Hyundai and other cashback categories. Remember, gas is a limited resource, and until there is a nuclear fusion revolution or everyone has an electric vehicle, gas will be needed. This means that if gas prices go up, that 5% cash back is going to be even more of an incentive to use the Citi Custom Cash Card.

Runner up: Sam’s Club Mastercard

The Sam’s Club Mastercard gives you 5% cash back on all gas purchases up to $6,000. The benefit here is that if you like to shop at Sam’s Club, the card can be utilized for a 3% cashback reward at Sam’s Club and its affiliates. That’s a 5% discount on your gas and 3% cash back on those Hot Pockets you buy from Sam’s Club.

What do Reddit users say?

User Sarz13 said this when asked what people mainly use their Citi Custom Card for in a Reddit forum.
“Gas. I on average spend 300-500 a month on gas so I figure gas would be the best purchase for it.”

Okay, Reddit is nice, but what do professionals say?

Whether it’s the Citi Double Cash Card, the Chase Ultimate Rewards, the Citi Custom Cash, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you have multiple credit cards to choose from. In fact, if you had a wallet with 500 credit cards, you might be able to fill it up with all the options available to you. But what do professional financial advisors say about credit cards?
Brendan Halleron, a financial planner (CFP) at Affiance Financial, says it like this. “Credit cards are a great tool, but like all tools, they need to be used for the right purpose. You wouldn’t use a screwdriver to dig a hole. Likewise, you wouldn’t use a credit card to buy a car — a credit card’s high-interest rate generally makes it a bad choice for a purchase that will take several years to pay off. Generally, I would avoid credit cards that are not associated with a large financial institution and that have high monthly fees and/or higher interest (above 30%, depending on your credit score).

How can I choose the best credit card for my needs?

First, you need to determine your main prerogative for spending. Do you spend more on apps, gas, travel, or do you spend more on dining out? Choose a card with big rewards in that area. If there are multiple categories that give you enjoyment, then it might be possible for the rewards or cashback balance to transfer to other categories.

SuperMoney may receive compensation from some or all of the companies featured, and the order of results are influenced by advertising bids, with exception for mortgage and home lending related products. Learn more

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FAQ

What are the benefits of using a credit card?

Obviously, being able to buy things when you don’t have any money in your bank account is a huge plus (as long as you can pay it back quickly). Building credit is another benefit. Most people are looking at rewards, bonus points, cash back, and if the card gives them any other special perks that might be useful to them.

How can I maximize my credit card rewards and benefits?

Once you find out the details of the rewards and benefits of your card, make an organized spreadsheet to keep track of them. Use the card for purchases that give you the most cash back or points, and then pay off the balance every month so you don’t incur interest charges.

What should I consider when selecting a credit card?

The first step is deciding if you can afford any annual fee at all. If you can, then you need to weigh the benefits and rewards vs. the annual fee. Some credit cards have no annual fee at all. Then, you should go over your monthly budget and break it into a pie chart. The biggest slices of the pie chart are what you spend the majority of your money on. Try and focus on credit cards that give you discounts or rewards for the biggest slices of the pie chart.
Then see what’s better for you in terms of their rewards program. Do you need to spend the money? Will you get statement credits or a different type of reward? Is there an annual credit or a monthly credit? Look for a card with a low interest rate as well.

Key takeaways

  • Reddit is a great way to gauge public opinion on certain topics. For credit card reviews, it can be helpful to see how others use their cards and benefits.
  • Reddit users have different credit card requirements; thus, the top credit cards, according to Reddit, are the best in their own category (i.e. travel, gas).
  • The American Express Gold Card and Citi Custom Cash Card are both highly recommended by Reddit users.
  • Be careful when selecting credit cards, and make sure you follow the advice of professionals (pay off your balances quickly and choose a card with a low interest rate).

SuperMoney may receive compensation from some or all of the companies featured, and the order of results are influenced by advertising bids, with exception for mortgage and home lending related products. Learn more

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