Best Credit Cards For Millennials Of November 2024

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card remains a perpetual favorite travel credit card for people of all ages. A primary draw is that it enables cardholders to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to airline and hotel partners or redeem them for travel through Chase Travel℠ at a 25% increased value.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months, plus up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within the first year from account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Other benefits and drawbacks: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is packed full of benefits for its modest annual fee. It comes with trip and purchase protections, primary auto rental coverage and charges no foreign transaction fees. Plus, the card offers an annual 10% points bonus and a $50 credit toward hotels booked through Chase Travel.

An all-around strong card, the Chase Freedom Flex® earns ultra-flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You’ll consistently earn at elevated rates in some purchase categories including dining and at even higher rates on rotating categories that change quarterly.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: The card features a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.99% - 28.74% applies. Balance transfer fee of up to 5% (min. $5) of the amount of each transfer applies. You’ll also have access to World Elite Mastercard benefits such as cellphone insurance and Lyft credits (through March 31, 2025).

Online shopping is a fact of life for Millennials. With the Prime Visa, you can take advantage of generous earning rates on Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases without an annual fee.

Rewards: Earn 5% back on purchases at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel℠ purchases with an eligible Prime membership, unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and unlimited 1% back on other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn a $200 Amazon gift card upon approval with an eligible Prime membership.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: This card makes the most sense if you’re an Amazon Prime member, since you need a Prime membership to be eligible for the card and earn at higher rates than nonmembers. The card doesn’t offer an introductory APR, but does give cardholders the option to select interest-free monthly payments on select Amazon purchases in lieu of earning rewards.

Instead of offering set bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash® Card adapts to your spending. You’ll automatically earn 5% cash back—up to a monthly cap—on the category you spend the most. This has the potential to be extra valuable since the card bonuses purchase types that don’t normally get love, like live entertainment and fitness clubs.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in a top eligible spend category up to the first $500 spent each billing cycle, 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026 and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn $200 in cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. The bonus points come in the form of 20,000 ThankYou® Points that can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: The card earns ThankYou Points, which can be combined with rewards you earn from other Citi credit cards. New card members can take advantage of a 0% introductory APR for 15 months from date of account opening on purchases and from date of first transfer for balance transfers completed within 4 months of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% - 28.74%, based on creditworthiness. There is also a balance transfer fee of 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.

The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) is synonymous with luxury and is known for its extensive collection of perks and benefits. Hotel elite status, rental car elite status, numerous travel protections¹ and of course lounge access—this card has it all. Just be aware you’re going to pay for the privileges it provides and enrollment is required for select benefits.

Rewards: Earn 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases

Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases on the card in the first 6 months of card membership

Annual fee: $695

Other benefits and drawbacks: You’ll have access to the Centurion Lounge network along with Priority Pass lounges with enrollment, Escape Lounges and more. However, while the card’s benefits are stellar, its earning rates are not. With the exception of airline tickets and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel, everything earns a flat one point per dollar, meaning this is not a rewarding choice for everyday spending.

Food can make up a big chunk of a Millennial’s budget and with the American Express® Gold Card (terms apply, see rates & fees), you’ll earn elevated rewards on both groceries and restaurant spending—including take-out and delivery.

Rewards: Earn 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar beginning on 1/1/2025), 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on American Express Travel, 2 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months of card membership.

Annual fee: $325

Other benefits and drawbacks: Though the Membership Rewards earned with this card are an obvious selling point—since they are highly flexible— that’s not where the benefits end. The American Express® Gold Card provides an Uber Cash credit every month for use on your choice of rides or UberEats orders in the U.S. and a monthly dining statement credit at participating vendors, including GrubHub and Goldbelly (enrollment required).

A newcomer to the travel credit card space, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card has a compelling earning structure that is sure to capture attention and, potentially, a space in your wallet. It earns a strong rewards rate on hotels, airfare, other travel and dining. Plus it comes with valuable benefits like cellphone protection and trip cancellation and interruption protection.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on hotels, 4 points per dollar on airlines, 3 points per dollar on other travel and restaurants and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Other benefits and drawbacks: The Autograph Journey earns points in the Wells Fargo Rewards program which are transferable to travel partners. While there are plans to add more transfer partners, the current list is small which means redemption options are more limited compared to other flexible currencies like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards.

If standard household expenses are eating away at your budget, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) can help. You’ll earn industry-leading cash-back rates at grocery stores and above average returns at gas stations—two heavy expenses for families.

Rewards: Earn 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) and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months.

Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95

Other benefits and drawbacks: An underrated perk of the Blue Cash Preferred—and other Amex cards—is the ability to access Amex Offers. These ever-changing, limited-time merchant offers can provide rebates or bonus cash on select purchases and potentially add up to hundreds per year.

Also, it’s important to note that the elevated rewards on grocery purchases are capped, so if you spend more than $6,000 per year on groceries (that’s more than $500 a month) it may be a good idea to hold a second card that also gives rewards on groceries to ensure you can continue to earn at elevated rates.

Rent is a significant part of many Millennial’s monthly budgets, yet it’s almost never offered as a credit card bonus category. Enter the Bilt World Elite Mastercard®. You’ll earn highly flexible rewards on rent payments without having to pay a transaction fee, though you must use the card five times each statement period to earn points (rewards & benefits).

Rewards: Earn 1 point per dollar on rent payments without the transaction fee (on up to 100,000 points each calendar year), 3 points per dollar on dining, 2 points per dollar on travel (when booked through the Bilt Travel Portal or directly with an airline, hotel, car rental or cruise company), and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

Welcome offer: This card does not offer a welcome bonus.

Annual fee: $0 (rates & fees)

Other benefits and drawbacks: This card earns Bilt Rewards, a flexible rewards currency with numerous redemption and transfer options. Additionally, the card comes with trip protections on qualifying travel, cellphone insurance and the opportunity to earn credits with Lyft when paying with your card.

Carrying your cards everywhere you go is such a pain, but with the invention of mobile wallets, this is no longer a concern. The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card* incentivizes leaving your physical card at home by giving you a big bonus on all of your mobile wallet spending.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 3 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and mobile wallet spending and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible net purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 points after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee: $400

Other benefits and drawbacks: While the elevated rewards on mobile wallet spending is a sweet perk, it comes with a premium price tag. If you were to use this card solely for the mobile wallet bonus, you’d have to spend a significant amount to offset the cost of the annual fee.

But this is a premium card with numerous valuable benefits. You will get access to $325 in credits for travel or dining, a credit for Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® and a complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership that gives you eight free lounge visits per year. These things, if used in conjunction with the card’s other bonus categories, can certainly make it worth the cost.

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is interesting because it offers unmatched cash back on entertainment—a bonus category rarely found on credit cards. If you spend significantly on things like concert tickets, sporting events or amusement parks, this card will boost your rewards-earning in a major way.

Rewards: Earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn a $250 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0 (rates & fees)

Other benefits and drawbacks: On top of the rewards, the Savor offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, a 19.74% - 29.74% variable APR applies after that; 3% balance transfer fee for the first 15 months, 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you.

The card also has protections like MasterRental® coverage and extended warranty protection.