Find the card that pays you the most.
Enter your monthly spend across groceries, dining, travel, gas, and everything else. We score every card in our 50-card dataset and show the five that earn you the highest annual rewards.
| Rank | Card | Annual fee | Gross rewards | Net rewards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Express Gold Card | $325 | $1,416 | $1,091 |
| 2 | Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card | $95 | $888 | $793 |
| 3 | American Express Hilton Honors American Express Card | $0 | $878 | $878 |
| 4 | American Express Platinum Card | $695 | $840 | $145 |
| 5 | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | $395 | $840 | $445 |
Annual rewards equals spend times rate.
For each card, we multiply your annual spend in a category by the card's earn rate for that category. For cash-back cards, the rate is a straight percentage. For points and miles cards, the rate is multiplied by the point's typical redemption value in cents.
Annual reward = sum(monthly_spend[cat] * 12 * rate[cat])
For points: rate * (point_value_cents / 100)
Net reward = annual reward - annual feeCategories without a card-specific rate fall back to the "other" rate (typically 1% on a cash-back card or 1x on a points card). The top five list is sorted by net reward (gross reward minus annual fee), but you can compare gross too because the table shows both columns.
Frequently asked questions
How are points cards valued?
Each points card has a stored point value in cents (Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1.25 cents, Amex Membership Rewards at 2.0 cents, etc.). We multiply your rewards rate by that point value to get a dollar figure. For example, 5x Chase points on $1,000 of travel equals 5,000 points, which at 1.25 cents per point is worth $62.50.
Why do my top picks ignore the signup bonus?
Signup bonuses pay out once and disappear. The optimizer focuses on recurring annual rewards because that is what determines which card you should keep in your wallet long-term. To factor in the bonus, just add it to year one. For a $200 bonus, your year-one rewards on a $400 annual earner become $600.
Should I net the annual fee against the rewards?
Yes, and the table does. The Net Rewards column subtracts the annual fee from gross rewards. A card earning $500 in rewards with a $95 fee shows $405 net. A card earning $400 with $0 fee shows $400 net. They are nearly equal, but the no-fee card carries less risk if your spending pattern changes.
Are statement credits counted in the rewards math?
Not in this calculator. Statement credits (Amex Gold $120 dining credit, etc.) require usage to capture full value, and many people forget them. The tool focuses on pure rewards earn rates. If you reliably use a card's credits, add them to the gross rewards manually. The Federal Trade Commission has good guidance on tracking annual benefits to make sure you actually use what you paid for.
What if my spend categories do not match the inputs?
Group your spend into the five closest buckets: groceries (including online grocery delivery), dining (restaurants, takeout, food delivery), travel (flights, hotels, transit, ride share), gas, and everything else. The categories cover roughly 90% of typical card-eligible spend. Subscription bills, utilities, and bills paid by check or ACH usually fall into the everything-else bucket because most cards earn 1% on them anyway.