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Cashback vs. points vs. miles: What type of rewards card is best for me?

Learn how rewards cards differ — and how to choose the right one.

Last updated: 17 September 2019

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You’ve likely encountered a range of ways providers reward you for spending, whether it be with cash back, rewards or miles. While these are all similar rewards options, they differ in how much value you get from the categories you’re spending in and even how you redeem them.

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Tips to maximize your rewards

How do I choose between a cashback, miles or points credit card?

When choosing whether to go with cashback, points or miles, consider the following:

	Cashback	Points	Miles
Spending categories	Strongest rewards on everyday spending, such as groceries, gas, dining or department stores, with new categories such as streaming services introduced recently	Good for hotels, travel, dining or entertainment purchases	Best for general travel or airline travel
Spend limitations	Some cashback cards limit how much you can earn, especially cards with rotating categories	It’s rare to find a points card that comes with similar restrictions	Miles cards generally don’t put a cap on the miles you can earn
Rewards value	Simple rewards structure — generally, you know how much you get	Typically worth from less than a penny to up to two cents each, depending on how you redeem them	Worth from less than a cent to a few cents.
Welcome offer	Generally offer low signup bonuses of up to $200	Offer signup bonuses of up to $500, but the spending criteria to earn the bonus might also be higher	Offer high signup bonuses of up to $500 on average, and they also typically require a higher spending ceiling to clear the bonus
Intro APR on balance transfers	Many cashback cards offer an intro APR period on balance transfers	Usually don’t offer intro APR periods on balance transfers	Usually don’t offer intro APR periods on balance transfers
Intro APR on purchases	Often come with an intro APR period on purchases	In general, don’t offer intro APR periods on purchases	Generally don’t offer intro APR periods on purchases
Additional perks	Purchase protection, zero fraud liability and extended warranties	Same perks plus complimentary Wi-Fi for hotel brands or complimentary airport lounge access for travel cards, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credits and more	Strongest travel perks, such as free checked bags on your flights, priority boarding, airline fee credits, lounge access and a companion pass
Annual fee	Most cards have no annual fee, but if they do it’s typically no more than $95	Range from $0 to $450 or more	Range from $0 to $450 or more
Foreign transaction fee	Often charge foreign transaction fees equal to 3% of each transaction	In general, cards focused on travelers forgo these fees	Typically offer no foreign transaction fees

APR

Reward cards tend to have higher interest rates of up to 26% variable, depending on your creditworthiness.

Why choose a rewards card?

If you have a good credit score or higher, getting a rewards card is definitely worth considering. You get access to premium credit cards that reward your spending in a variety of categories, including groceries, gas, dining or travel.

Compared to non-reward credit cards, you also get:

Bigger signup bonuses. Depending on what kind of card you get, you can earn a signup bonus worth $150 for most cashback cards to more than $1,000 for airline and travel cards.
Intro APR period. Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers is a common perk for cashback cards. But you can also find some points cards with an intro APR period. Travel cards with an intro APR period are rare.
Brand-specific perks. Get free checked bags on an airline, lounge access, priority boarding, or get free reward nights at a hotel brand or reach an elite status tier by being a cardmember.

Compare top rewards credit cards

If you have narrowed your options to cash back or points, consider these cards and earn accelerated rewards on your purchases.

Updated October 16th, 2019

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Name	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee
Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card	20,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months	1.25x miles on all purchases and 10x miles at hotels.com/venture	$0	Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Black Card™	N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare and 1.5% for cash back	$495	Receive an annual $100 air travel credit toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hilton Honors American Express Card	75,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months	7x points on Hilton Honors purchases, 5x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases	$0	Earn 75,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card	$150 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months	1.5% cash back on all purchases	$0	Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card	$150 after spending $500 in the first 90 days	5% on up to $2,000 each activated quarter on two categories combined (1% after), 2% on one everyday category and 1% on all other purchases	$0	When you spend $500 on your card within the first 90 days, you’ll receive a $150 cash back bonus. Rates & Fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	$150 after spending $500 in the first 3 months	1.5% cash back on all purchases	$0	Earn a $150 signup bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months from account opening.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card	$300 after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months	4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)	Earn $300 after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
American Express® Gold Card	35,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months	3x points on directly-booked flights; 4x at restaurants; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points)	$250	35,000 bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	3x points on dining and travel after earning your $300 travel credit and 1x points on all other purchases	$450	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card	50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months	2x miles on all purchases and 10x miles at hotels.com/venture	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)	Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card	N/A	1.5% cash back on all purchases	$39	Get unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no limit on how much you can earn, and no changing categories.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card	$150 after spending $500 in the first 3 months	3% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases	$0	Earn $150 after spending $500 in the first 3 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases	$95	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom®	$200 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months	5% back in rotating categories up to $1,500 combined each activated quarter, then 1% after that and on all other purchases	$0	Earn $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months from account opening.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Credit One Bank® Visa® Cash Back Rewards	N/A	1% cash back on all purchases or in categories based on Credit One Bank’s discretion	$0 to $99	Earn 1% cash back on all purchases or in categories based on Credit One Bank’s discretion.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Platinum Card® from American Express	60,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 3 months	5x points on directly-booked flights or on flights and hotels on Amex Travel. 1x points on all other purchases	$550	Get 5x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel and 5x points on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Travel Rewards® Visa Signature® Card	25,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 4 months	2x points on gas, groceries or airlines, whichever you spend the most on each month, 2x points on cell phone services and charities and 1x points on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($49 thereafter)	Earn 25,000 enrollment FlexPoints worth $375 in travel after spending $2,000 in the first 4 months. Rates & Fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express	60,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus $50 when you make a Delta purchase in the same timeframe	2x miles on Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)	Earn 60,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus $50 when you make a direct Delta purchase in the same timeframe. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
United℠ Explorer Card	40,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months	2x miles at restaurants, hotels and United and 1x miles on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)	40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express	10,000 miles after spending $500 in the first 3 months	2x miles at US restaurants and on direct Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases	$0	Earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months of card membership. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	$250 after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months	6% on select US streaming services, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 6% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 annually, then 1% after that and on all other purchases	$95	Earn $250 bonus cash back after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	125,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months	12x points on Hilton Portfolio spending, 6x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases	$95	Earn 125,000 Hilton Honors™ Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 or more in purchases with your new card within the first 3 months of card membership. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Official NASCAR® Credit Card from Credit One Bank®	N/A	Up to 1% cash back on eligible purchases determined by Credit One and double cash back at the NASCAR Shop	$0 to $99	Get up to 1% cash back rewards on eligible purchases determined by Credit One and double cash back rewards at the NASCAR Shop.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Gold Card™	N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare or cash back	$995	Earn 2% point value when redeemed for airfare or cash back through the Luxury rewards program.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Titanium Card™	N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare and 1% for cash back	$195	Enjoy unique excursions, privileged access to exclusive events and insider opportunities.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Amalgamated Bank of Chicago Union Strong Mastercard® Credit Card	$150 after spending $1,200 in the first 90 days	5x points in rotating categories up to $1,500 combined each quarter, then 1x after that and on all other purchases	$0	Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,200 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

Compare up to 4 providers

Tips to maximize your rewards

Getting a rewards credit card can boost your card’s value just by using it. Here are some tips to get even higher value from your card:

Use multiple cards. More than one card can help you optimize your reward earnings. For example, when dining, use the card that earns the highest cash back or points at restaurants. When flying, use the card with the strongest miles rewards.
Combine points. Some credit card programs, like the Delta suite of cards or Chase cards with Ultimate Rewards, offer the highest value if you combine cards within the program. For example, only one Delta card offers 2x miles on dining. Use this card at restaurants, and use another Delta card on flights for perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding and more.
Keep an eye on the cap. If you opt for a cashback card, make sure you know any limits on your earnings. If you reach the cap, use another card for higher rewards, if you have one.
Pay your balance on time. If you don’t, you could end up paying late fees, taking on penalty interest rates and potentially losing your rewards altogether.

Compare two cards: cashback vs. points

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 3 months.
NEW 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
NEW 3% cash back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. 1% cash back on other purchases.
Over 3 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017 and 2018.
Low intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 14.74% to 25.74%
$95 annual fee.
Terms apply.
Read Rates & Fees

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American Express® Gold Card

Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points when you dine at restaurants worldwide. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required. $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline.
Choose to carry a balance with interest on eligible charges of $100 or more.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $250.
Terms Apply.
Read Rates & Fees

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More info

Bottom line

Rewards credit cards can help you earn cash, miles or points on your everyday spending or within specific categories that match your lifestyle.

Cashback cards can be a better choice for rewards on everyday spending at grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants or department stores. Points cards often focus on dining, travel or entertainment purchases. And miles cards typically revolve around travel — airlines, hotels and more.

Before you settle on a rewards card, look into other credit cards to find the best that meets your habits and budget.

Frequently asked questions

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Kliment Dukovski

Kliment Dukovski is a writer for finder.com, working on credit cards, money transfers, home loans and more. He aims to deliver honest and accurate information to help you make the right financial decisions. Before joining Finder, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies. When he's not writing about finance-related subjects, he writes sci-fi.

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Cashback vs. points vs. miles: What type of rewards card is best for me?

Learn how rewards cards differ — and how to choose the right one.