Clear Card Guide

Category: Credit Cards

  • Best Credit Cards for Dining Out in 2025

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    Restaurant and food delivery spending is one of the biggest household categories — and the right credit card earns you 3x, 4x, or more on every dollar spent at restaurants, bars, and delivery apps.

    Best Credit Cards for Dining

    1. American Express® Gold Card — Best for Dining (4x)

    • Dining rate: 4x Membership Rewards at restaurants worldwide
    • Credits: $10/month Grubhub/Shake Shack; $10/month Uber Cash
    • Annual fee: $325 (effective ~$85)
    • Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $6,000 in 6 months

    2. Chase Sapphire Reserve® — Best Premium Dining Card

    • Dining rate: 3x Ultimate Rewards on dining worldwide
    • Annual fee: $550 ($250 net)
    • Points value: 1.5 cents/point via Chase Travel

    3. Capital One SavorOne — Best No-Fee Dining Card

    • Dining rate: 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, grocery stores, and streaming
    • Annual fee: $0
    • Sign-up bonus: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months
    • APR: 19.74%–29.74% variable

    4. Chase Sapphire Preferred® — Best Mid-Tier Dining Card

    • Dining rate: 3x Ultimate Rewards on dining
    • Annual fee: $95
    • Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months

    5. Citi Custom Cash® — Best if Dining Is Your #1 Category

    • Dining rate: 5% cashback if dining is your top monthly spend category (up to $500/month)
    • Annual fee: $0

    6. Discover it® Chrome — Good Starter Dining Card

    • Dining rate: 2% at restaurants and gas stations (up to $1,000/quarter combined)
    • First-year bonus: Cashback Match
    • Annual fee: $0

    Food Delivery Counts Too

    Most major cards count Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub as “dining” since they use restaurant merchant codes. The Amex Gold’s $10/month Grubhub credit makes food delivery nearly free for regular users.

    How Much Can You Earn on $500/Month Dining?

    • Amex Gold (4x, ~1.5 cents/point): ~$360/year in travel value
    • Chase Sapphire Preferred (3x, ~1.25 cents/point): ~$225/year
    • SavorOne (3% cash): $180/year in cash
    • Basic 1% card: Only $60/year

    Best Strategy

    Use the Amex Gold for sit-down dining (4x) and the SavorOne or Freedom Unlimited for fast food and delivery (3%). Two-card stack beats any single card.

    Bottom Line

    The Amex Gold is the best dining card — 4x globally with no cap. For a no-fee option, the Capital One SavorOne earns 3% on dining with no annual cost. Use these instead of a 1% card and you’ll easily earn an extra $100–$300/year on dining alone.

  • Amex Gold Card Review 2025: Is It Worth the Annual Fee?

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    The American Express® Gold Card has earned a devoted following among food lovers and grocery shoppers. With unmatched dining and supermarket rewards, plus a stack of annual credits, it can justify its $325 annual fee — if you spend in the right places.

    Amex Gold Card: Key Details

    • Annual fee: $325
    • Sign-up bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards points after $6,000 spend in 6 months
    • Rewards: 4x at restaurants worldwide; 4x at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000/year); 3x on flights (direct or Amex Travel); 1x elsewhere
    • APR: 21.24%–29.99% variable (pay-over-time feature)
    • Foreign transaction fee: None

    Breaking Down the Annual Fee

    $120 Dining Credit

    Up to $10/month at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and participating Shake Shack locations. Use it for food delivery and it covers itself.

    $120 Uber Cash

    $10/month automatically credited to your Uber account for rides or Uber Eats (enrollment required). Combined with dining credit: $240 in annual credits.

    $100 Resy Credit

    $50 semi-annually toward dining at Resy restaurant partners.

    Effective Annual Fee

    $325 − $120 (dining) − $120 (Uber Cash) = $85 effective fee. Subtract the $100 Resy credit: as low as $0 annually for active users.

    Where the Gold Shines

    4x at Restaurants Worldwide

    No other general dining card earns this high with no cap. A household spending $600/month dining out earns 28,800 points annually from restaurants alone — worth $288 in cash or significantly more transferred to airline partners.

    4x at U.S. Supermarkets

    Up to $25,000/year ($100,000 in spending before the cap matters). A family spending $800/month on groceries earns 38,400 points/year from that category alone.

    Membership Rewards Value

    • Cash back equivalent: ~0.6 cents/point (poor)
    • Amex Travel portal: ~1 cent/point
    • Airline transfers: 1.5–2.5+ cents/point (Delta, British Airways, Aeroplan, Turkish Miles&Smiles)

    The 60,000-point sign-up bonus is worth $600–$1,500 depending on how you redeem.

    What the Gold Card Lacks

    • No airport lounge access (need Amex Platinum for that)
    • Weak non-bonus earning (1x on general purchases)
    • Dining credits require specific partners

    Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred

    At $95/year, the Sapphire Preferred offers 3x on dining and flexible travel point transfers. The Gold ($325/$85 effective) dominates on dining and groceries. If food spending is your primary category, the Gold likely wins despite the higher sticker fee.

    Who Should Get the Amex Gold?

    This card is ideal if you spend $400+/month combined on restaurants and groceries, use Uber regularly, and order food delivery through Grubhub or partners. Not ideal for travelers who want lounge access or primarily want cash back.

    Final Verdict

    The Amex Gold Card delivers exceptional value for food-focused households. With the Uber Cash and dining credits, the effective fee is modest — and 4x dining/grocery rewards are unmatched in the no-travel-perks space. Rating: 4.5/5

  • Best Cashback Credit Cards for Everyday Spending in 2025

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    Cashback credit cards are the workhorses of the rewards world — no complex point valuations, no blackout dates, just money back on every purchase. Here are the best cashback cards for 2025.

    Best Flat-Rate Cashback Cards

    1. Wells Fargo Active Cash® — Best Flat-Rate Card

    • Rate: Unlimited 2% cash rewards on all purchases
    • Sign-up bonus: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months
    • Annual fee: $0
    • Intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
    • Foreign transaction fee: $0

    2. Citi Double Cash® — 2% the Original Way

    • Rate: 1% when you buy + 1% when you pay = 2% on all purchases
    • Sign-up bonus: $200 after $1,500 spend in 6 months
    • Annual fee: $0
    • Intro APR: 0% for 18 months on balance transfers

    3. Capital One Quicksilver — Simplest 1.5% Card

    • Rate: 1.5% on all purchases; 5% on hotels/cars via Capital One Travel
    • Sign-up bonus: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months
    • Annual fee: $0
    • Foreign transaction fee: $0

    Best Category Cashback Cards

    4. Blue Cash Preferred® (Amex) — Best for Groceries

    • Rate: 6% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/year); 6% on select streaming; 3% transit and gas; 1% elsewhere
    • Sign-up bonus: $250 after $3,000 spend in 6 months
    • Annual fee: $95 (effective ~$11 with Disney Bundle credit)

    5. Discover it® Cash Back — Best First-Year Value

    • Rate: 5% rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter); 1% elsewhere
    • Bonus: Cashback Match at end of Year 1 — all cashback doubled
    • Annual fee: $0

    6. Chase Freedom Unlimited® — Best Combo Cashback Card

    • Rate: 5% on Chase Travel; 3% dining and drugstores; 1.5% on everything else
    • Sign-up bonus: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months
    • Annual fee: $0

    7. Citi Custom Cash® — Best Auto-Adjust Category Card

    • Rate: 5% on your top eligible spend category each month (up to $500); 1% elsewhere
    • Annual fee: $0

    The Best Two-Card Strategy

    Most cashback experts recommend pairing:

    1. A flat 2% card (Wells Fargo Active Cash or Citi Double Cash) for everything else
    2. A category card (Blue Cash Preferred or Discover it) for bonus spending

    How Much Can You Earn?

    At $2,500/month in spending ($30,000/year):

    • 1% card: $300/year
    • 1.5% card: $450/year
    • 2% flat card: $600/year
    • Optimized two-card strategy: $800–$1,000+/year

    Bottom Line

    For simplicity, the Wells Fargo Active Cash (2% flat, no fee) is the best single cashback card. For maximum returns, pair the Blue Cash Preferred for groceries/streaming with the Active Cash for everything else.

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve: Which Card Is Right for You?

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    Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year) and Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550/year) is one of the most common credit card dilemmas. Both are exceptional travel cards — but which is right for you?

    At a Glance

    • Sapphire Preferred: $95/year | 3x dining | 2x travel | 1.25 cents/point via Chase Travel | No lounge access
    • Sapphire Reserve: $550/year ($250 net) | 3x dining | 3x travel | 1.5 cents/point | Priority Pass lounge access | $300 travel credit | TSA PreCheck credit

    Sign-Up Bonus

    Both cards currently offer 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in 3 months. Worth $750 with Preferred or $900 with Reserve when redeemed via Chase Travel. The bonus is essentially equal — the Reserve just squeezes more out of the same points.

    Annual Fee Breakdown

    Preferred ($95)

    Straightforward. Spend ~$5,000 on dining and travel annually, and the extra rewards cover the fee easily. No mental math required.

    Reserve ($550)

    The $300 automatic travel credit brings the effective cost to $250. Add the $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit (every 4.5 years) and Priority Pass membership (worth $429 standalone), and the math tilts toward the Reserve for frequent travelers.

    Rewards Rates

    Both earn 3x on dining and 5x on flights via Chase Travel. The Reserve wins on hotels/cars via Chase Travel (10x vs. 5x) and general travel (3x vs. 2x outside Chase portal).

    Redemption Value

    • Preferred: 1.25 cents/point through Chase Travel
    • Reserve: 1.5 cents/point through Chase Travel

    Both offer 1:1 transfers to United, Southwest, Hyatt, Marriott, Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines, and more. Hyatt transfers regularly yield 2–4 cents per point.

    Lounge Access

    The Reserve provides Priority Pass Select — access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide. The Preferred has no lounge access. For frequent flyers through major airports, this is a meaningful differentiator.

    Who Should Choose Which?

    Choose Preferred if:

    • You take 1–3 trips per year
    • You want great travel rewards without a high fee commitment
    • You don’t use airport lounges regularly

    Choose Reserve if:

    • You travel 4+ times annually
    • You spend $300+ on travel naturally (easy credit to use)
    • You value lounge access and higher point redemption rates

    Break-Even Analysis

    The Reserve costs $455 more/year. After the $300 credit: net $250 difference. You need $250 more in rewards/benefits from the Reserve annually. Heavy travelers achieve this easily through 10x hotel rewards and lounge use.

    Bottom Line

    The Sapphire Preferred is the better pick for most people — delivering ~80% of the value at 17% of the cost. The Reserve is worth it for frequent travelers who will use the $300 credit, lounge access, and enhanced earning rates every year.

  • Best Travel Credit Cards of 2025

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    Whether you fly frequently or take one big trip a year, the right travel credit card can save you hundreds. Here are the top travel cards for 2025.

    What Makes a Great Travel Card?

    • Generous sign-up bonuses worth hundreds in travel
    • Bonus rewards on travel and dining
    • Flexible redemption options — transferable points or travel credits
    • Travel protections — trip cancellation, lost luggage, rental car coverage
    • No foreign transaction fees

    Top Travel Credit Cards for 2025

    1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® — Best Overall

    • Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months (worth $750 via Chase Travel)
    • Rewards: 5x on Chase Travel; 3x on dining, streaming, and online groceries; 2x on all other travel; 1x elsewhere
    • Annual fee: $95
    • APR: 21.49%–28.49% variable

    The Sapphire Preferred remains the gold standard for travel rewards. Its Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to United, Southwest, Hyatt, Marriott, and more — unlocking premium redemption value.

    2. Capital One Venture X — Best Premium Value

    • Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in 3 months
    • Rewards: 10x hotels/cars via Capital One Travel; 5x flights; 2x all else
    • Annual fee: $395
    • Key perks: $300 travel credit, 10,000 anniversary miles, Priority Pass lounge access
    • APR: 19.99%–29.99% variable

    3. American Express Platinum® — Best for Luxury Perks

    • Sign-up bonus: 80,000 points after $8,000 spend in 6 months
    • Rewards: 5x on flights (direct/Amex Travel); 5x prepaid hotels via Amex Travel; 1x elsewhere
    • Annual fee: $695
    • Credits: $200 airline, $200 hotel, $200 Uber Cash, $240 digital entertainment, and more

    4. Chase Sapphire Reserve® — Best for Heavy Travelers

    • Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months
    • Rewards: 10x hotels/cars via Chase Travel; 5x flights; 3x dining/travel; 1x elsewhere
    • Annual fee: $550 ($250 effective after $300 travel credit)
    • APR: 22.49%–29.49% variable

    5. Capital One Venture Rewards — Best Mid-Tier Simplicity

    • Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in 3 months
    • Rewards: 5x hotels/cars via Capital One Travel; 2x all else
    • Annual fee: $95

    Best No-Annual-Fee Travel Card

    Bank of America Travel Rewards

    Earn 1.5x points on all purchases, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee. Points redeem as statement credits against any travel purchase.

    How to Choose

    • Fly one airline: Consider a co-branded airline card like Delta Gold or United Explorer
    • Stay at one hotel chain: World of Hyatt Card or Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
    • Want flexibility: Chase Sapphire Preferred or Venture X
    • Want simplicity: Capital One Venture (flat 2x on everything)

    Final Verdict

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best all-around travel card for most people. Its $95 fee is easy to justify, the sign-up bonus is generous, and Ultimate Rewards is one of the most valuable point currencies available. Step up to the Venture X or Sapphire Reserve if you want premium perks and travel frequently enough to use them.

  • Best Travel Credit Cards of 2025

    This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn a commission when you apply for a card through our site, at no extra cost to you.

    Whether you fly frequently or take one big vacation a year, the right travel credit card can save you hundreds. Here are the top travel cards for 2025.

    What Makes a Great Travel Card?

    • Generous sign-up bonuses worth hundreds in travel
    • Bonus rewards on travel and dining
    • Flexible redemption options — transferable points or travel credits
    • Travel protections — trip cancellation, lost luggage
    • No foreign transaction fees

    Top Travel Cards

    1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® — Best Overall

    • Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months (worth $750)
    • Rewards: 5x on Chase Travel; 3x on dining; 2x on travel; 1x elsewhere
    • Annual fee: $95
    • APR: 21.49%–28.49% variable

    The Sapphire Preferred remains the gold standard. Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to United, Southwest, Hyatt, Marriott, and more.

    2. Capital One Venture X — Best Premium Value

    • Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in 3 months
    • Rewards: 10x hotels/cars via Capital One Travel; 5x flights; 2x all else
    • Annual fee: $395 (effective ~$0 after $300 credit + anniversary miles)
    • Perks: $300 travel credit, 10,000 anniversary miles, Priority Pass lounge

    3. American Express Platinum® — Best Luxury Perks

    • Sign-up bonus: 80,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months
    • Rewards: 5x on flights (direct or Amex Travel); 5x prepaid hotels
    • Annual fee: $695
    • Credits: $200 airline, $200 hotel, $200 Uber Cash, $240 digital entertainment

    Best No-Annual-Fee Travel Card

    Bank of America Travel Rewards: 1.5x on all purchases, no fee, no foreign transaction fee.

    How to Choose

    • Fly one airline? Consider a co-branded card like Delta Gold
    • Stay at one hotel chain? World of Hyatt or Marriott Bonvoy
    • Want flexibility? Chase Sapphire Preferred or Venture X
    • Want simplicity? Capital One Venture (2x everything)

    Final Verdict

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best all-around travel card. Its $95 fee is easy to justify, the sign-up bonus is generous, and Ultimate Rewards is powerful. Step up to the Venture X or Sapphire Reserve if you want premium perks.