What is the best annual fee credit card?

The best annual fee credit cards under $100 are the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, followed by the Citi Premier card, the Capital One Venture card, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, and the Hilton Surpass card. The best annual fee business credit cards under $100 are the Ink Business Preferred card, the Ink Business Unlimited card, the Ink Business Cash card, the Amex Blue Business Plus card, the Capital One Spark Miles card, and the United Business card.

Is it good to get credit cards with an annual fee?

In almost all situations, yes. Paying a small annual fee like $100 is absolutely worth it because you’ll get much more back in rewards, as long as you are making regular purchases on the card and are using the card’s other benefits.

Do you have to pay the annual fee on credit card if you don't use it?

Yes, you do. You have to pay for all annual fees as long as the card is open.

How can I avoid paying my credit card annual fee?

The best way to avoid paying a credit card’s annual fee is to close it altogether or downgrade it to a card with no annual fee. For example, if you have a Capital One Venture card with a $95 annual fee and don’t use the card, you can downgrade it to the Capital One VentureOne card, which has no annual fee but fewer benefits.

11 Best Credit Cards With Annual Fees Under $100 [2023]

We’ve all seen annual fees for certain credit cards slowly creep up over the years. If you’re looking to make a change to your portfolio, one of the biggest aspects of a credit card you should consider is the annual fee.

Whether you’re considering upgrading from a no-frills credit card without an annual fee or downgrading from an ultra-premium credit card you can’t justify the high annual fee for, there’s plenty of reasons why you would want to stick to a card with an annual fee of around $100.

That’s because banks and credit card issuers have invested billions of dollars to innovate in this space, as the “premium credit card” customer segment with annual fees of under $100 tends to have the most headspace for growth.

So in this guide, we’ll show you the best credit cards with annual fees under $100, whether you’re looking for maximum transferable rewards points, cash-back, or travel perks!

Table of contents

What To Look for in a Credit Card With an Annual Fee Under $100
The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100
The 6 Best Business Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

What To Look for in a Credit Card With an Annual Fee Under $100
The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100
The 6 Best Business Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100
Final Thoughts

What To Look for in a Credit Card With an Annual Fee Under $100

When you look at a credit card with an annual fee, the most common range of annual fees is within the ballpark of $95 to $99.

And it’s generally pretty well-known that this is the largest segment in the context of credit card rewards enthusiasts.

So while those ultra-premium cards with massive annual fees (and similarly massive benefits) are frequently written about in blogs and articles, the reality is that premium credit cards are more applicable than ultra-premium cards.

When looking for a credit card with an annual fee under $100, you’ll want to make sure that the value you’re getting from the rewards and benefits exceeds the cost of the annual fee.

In this next section, we’ll walk you through our favorite personal cards with an annual fee under $100.

The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100

Credit card wallet — Image Credit: Goumbik via Pixabay

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Earn 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal 5x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025) 5x points on Lyft (through March 31, 2025) 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services 2x points on all other travel worldwide $50 annual hotel credit 10% annual bonus points
Citi Premier® Card	Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel 2x miles on all other purchases 2 Capital One Lounge or Plaza Premium Lounge visits per year Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees)	6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets and on select streaming services 3% cash-back on U.S. gas stations and transit (including rideshares, parking, etc.)
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Earn 130,000 points after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95 (rates and fees)	12x points at Hilton hotels 6x points U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants 3x points on all other purchases Hilton Honors Gold status

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Our top pick of the best personal credit card with an annual fee under $100 is the legendary Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Also known in the points realm as the best beginner rewards credit card, you’ll find some tremendous value in the perks offered here.

Then, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns according to the following structure:

5x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on Lyft purchases through March 2025
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
5x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
3x points on dining
2x points on all other travel purchases
1x Ultimate Rewards points everywhere else

According to our valuation of 2 cents per point, your Chase Sapphire Preferred card could net you a return on spend of 10%, 4%, or 2%, depending on what type of purchases you’re making.

One of the biggest perks is the ability to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for 25% more value (1.25 cents per point) on travel booked via the Chase travel portal.

To round out the benefits, you’ll have best-in-class travel insurance and protections, including primary rental car coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, lost/delayed baggage insurance, travel accident insurance, as well as essential shopping safeguards like purchase protection, extended warranty, and zero fraud liability.

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

The points that you earn on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card are called Ultimate Rewards points; since these are some of the most valuable points in the world, it’s in your best interest to learn how to redeem them for maximum value.

Once you’ve stockpiled enough points, you can then use them for cash-back, travel booked through the Chase travel portal, gift cards, charity, merchandise, and most importantly, premium cabin flights booked through transfer partners.

2. Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier card offers the absolute best earning categories for a mid-tier points credit card. Why?

You can earn 3x ThankYou Rewards Points per $1 spent in many different categories, including airfare, hotels, dining, supermarkets, and gas. You’ll earn 1x ThankYou Rewards Points per $1 spent everywhere else.

We have a huge appreciation for this for a couple of reasons:

Earning 3x transferable rewards points on a credit card with an annual fee under $100 is rare
The sheer variety of bonus categories makes this one of the most attractive cards to keep in your wallet forever

A few other perks include a $100 annual hotel savings benefit, which gets you $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, when your booking is made via thankyou.com or 800-THANKYOU (once per calendar year).

While you won’t get travel protections and coverage like you would with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you will still have benefits like Citi Concierge, Citi Entertainment, and standard World Elite Mastercard benefits like purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, and zero fraud liability protection. There are also no foreign transaction fees.

Why We Like Earning Citi ThankYou Rewards Points

Citi ThankYou Rewards points are among the world’s most valuable types of points — it’s also one of the major transferable rewards points, which means that these points can be transferred to airline partners for award travel.

By doing so, you can unlock some aspirational first and business class travel!

Other ways to redeem points include travel booked with the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal, gift cards, statement credits, charity, and Sears Shop Your Way.

Hot Tip: See how these 2 cards stack up on our analysis of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card vs. the Citi Premier card.

3. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture card is Capital One’s flagship rewards credit card, offering fantastic rewards with the possibility of redeeming them for more complex uses or sticking to the basics.

It also boasts an unlimited 2x Capital One miles on all purchases without any caps. That means this credit card allows you to earn rewards headache-free on all purchases without worrying about what types of purchases you make!

In addition, you’ll be able to make use of the $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, which is very rare among credit cards with sub-$100 annual fees. Similarly, you’ll get travel protections such as secondary rental car coverage, lost baggage insurance, and roadside dispatch.

Lastly, you can utilize the purchase security, extended warranty protection, zero fraud liability, and, of course, access to the transferable rewards program known as Capital One Miles.

Why We Like Earning Capital One Miles

Although Capital One miles aren’t quite as valuable as Amex or Chase points, they’re still one of the handful of flexible rewards systems out there, and they’re worth around 1.4 cents each, which makes a 2x earning structure equal to a 2.8% return on spend!

But it’s super-easy to get even better value by transferring Capital One miles to travel partners to book luxury flights like Lufthansa first class and American Airlines business class.

4. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

One of our favorite cash-back credit cards happens to be a card with an annual fee under $100.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card has a ton of benefits and perks going for it. If you’d generally describe yourself as someone pursuing cash-back, who doesn’t eat out much, and who spends a good chunk of money on at-home monthly subscriptions, this card could be an awesome fit for you.

You’ll earn up to 6% following this structure:

6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases; then 1%
6% cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
3% cash-back on transit (including taxes, rideshares, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more)
3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations
1% cash-back on all other purchases

Also, be sure to make use of the $10 monthly Equinox credit, return protection, fraud protection, and secondary rental car coverage!

5. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

The Hilton Surpass card is a tremendous credit card for those looking to enjoy premium hotel benefits without a huge price tag.

You can easily earn with this card’s massive earning structure:

12x Hilton Honors points per $1 spent for eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
6x Hilton Honors points per $1 spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
3x Hilton Honors points per $1 spent everywhere else

The Hilton Surpass card also offers you complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, which makes this card the only credit card with an annual fee under $100 that bestows a free breakfast benefit!

Additionally, if you spend $15,000 on purchases on your card within a calendar year, you’ll earn a free night reward.

You’ll even get purchase protection, return protection, extended warranty, secondary rental car insurance, and the ability to earn Diamond elite status after spending $40,000 on this card in a calendar year.

Why We Like Earning Hilton Honors Points

Although Hilton Honors points are generally much easier to earn than World of Hyatt points; for example, they are still incredibly valuable.

You can redeem Hilton Honors points for luxury stays at some phenomenal properties like the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, and much more.

We value Hilton points at around 0.5 cents each, which makes earning 12x points equal to a return on spend of 6%! But remember, if you redeem points for luxury stays, you can easily double or even triple your redemption value!

The 6 Best Business Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	3x points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites Cell phone protection
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Earn $750 cash-back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Annual fee of $0	1.5% cash-back on all purchases 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.74% – 23.74% thereafter
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	Earn $750 cash-back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0	5% cash-back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year 2% cash-back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% back on all other purchases
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express	Earn 15,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months. Annual fee of $0 (rates and fees)	2x points on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter) Expanded Buying Power
Capital One Spark Miles for Business	Earn 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, $95 after that	2x miles on every purchase
United℠ Business Card	Earn 75,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Annual fee of $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99	2x miles on United purchases, at restaurants including eligible delivery services, gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting United benefits, including first free checked bag, 2 United Club passes, priority boarding, and more

1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Our top-notch business credit card with an annual fee under $100 is the Ink Business Preferred card. Often referred to as the king of business credit cards, this incredible product is a keeper for numerous reasons.

This card makes earning points easy with 3x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 in combined purchases across select business categories each anniversary year. After the $150,000 is maxed out, you’ll revert to 1x points per $1 spent.

These business categories are:

Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines
Internet, cable, and phone services
Shipping purchases
Travel

So if you max out the 3x points on $150,000 in yearly spending, you’ll end up with 450,000 Ultimate Rewards points worth around $9,000, according to our valuations.

And for a limited time through March 2025, you can earn 5x points per $1 spent on Lyft.

And while you’ll want to redeem your points with transfer partners most of the time, you can also use Ultimate Rewards points for 1.25 cents apiece for travel booked through the Chase travel portal.

You’ll also enjoy extra benefits like cell phone protection insurance, travel insurance (including primary rental car coverage), purchase protection and extended warranty coverage, no foreign transaction fees, and free employee cards.

2. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

The earning structure is simple: get 1.5% cash-back on all business purchases with no caps. And if you convert your cash-back to Ultimate Rewards points, you’ll double your return on spend to 3%, thanks to a valuation of 2 cents per point.

That’s because your 1.5% cash-back is now equivalent to 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points with a credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Plus, the Ink Business Unlimited card currently offers a 0% introductory APR promotion, as well as primary rental car coverage, purchase protection, extended warranty, zero liability fraud coverage, and free employee cards.

3. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash is an impressive business credit card with relevant spending categories for most businesses. If you’re willing to pay attention to bonus categories in return for a higher earning structure, this might be the card for you.

In contrast with the other 2 Ink cards, however, you can earn up to 5% cash-back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year for internet, cable, and phone services and at office supply stores.

Additionally, you’ll earn up to 2% cash-back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year at gas stations and restaurants. After that, and on all other purchases, you’ll earn 1% cash-back.

With an Ultimate Rewards credit card, though, you can even convert your 5%, 2%, and 1% cash-back to 5x, 2x, and 1x Ultimate Rewards points, for a return on spend of up to 10%!

Other impressive benefits include primary rental car insurance, travel insurance, purchase protection, and free employee cards.

The Ink Business Cash card doesn’t have an annual fee.

4. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Amex Blue Business Plus card is one of the best everyday carry cards in Amex’s portfolio because if you hold this credit card, you will earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000 in purchases per year, 1x points thereafter).

Without any bonus categories, this card offers seamless flexible rewards. It’s also one of the rare $0 annual fee cards that allow you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners! Do be sure to utilize access to Amex Offers, secondary car rental insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and even a feature called expanded buying power that allows you to spend past your normal credit limit. Plus, employee cards don’t come with additional fees (see rates and fees).

The only drawback is that your earnings get cut in half after hitting the $50,000 in spending every calendar year.

Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

According to our valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are the most valuable points available, which is why Amex is a leader in the world of rewards.

Sure, you can redeem your points for cash-back, gift cards, Amex Travel bookings, statement credits, and merchandise, but the real appeal of Amex points is that you can transfer them to travel partners for some phenomenal first and business class flights.

5. Capital One Spark Miles for Business

The Capital One Spark Miles card is Capital One’s flagship business credit card. You’ll earn an uncapped 2x Capital One miles on every purchase — no bonus categories required. You can also earn 5x Capital One miles on hotel and rental car bookings made through Capital One Travel.

In addition, this is one of the few cards the offers its members a $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit! Plus, enjoy roadside assistance, extended warranty, purchase protection, zero fraud liability, and free employee cards. Plus, this card has no foreign transaction fees.

6. United℠ Business Card

The United Business card offers an impressive suite of United-centric travel benefits with a shockingly low price tag!

With this product, you’ll earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases, at restaurants including eligible delivery services, gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting. On all other purchases, you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent.

This card comes with a first free checked bag, 2 United Club 1-time passes per cardmember year, priority boarding privileges, and more.

Interestingly, if you have both the United Business card and a personal United credit card, you’ll also receive a 5,000-mile “better together” anniversary bonus!

Included travel coverages include primary rental car coverage, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay coverage, and more.

Plus, shop at ease with purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and free employee cards.

Why We Like Earning United MileagePlus Miles

The United Business card allows you to earn United miles directly, and if you’re looking for a frequent flyer program that offers easy redemptions, does not pass on fuel surcharges, and is approachable, United MileagePlus is a great fit.

In general, you’ll probably end up redeeming more miles, but you’ll likely save a lot of time when trying to figure out how to use them. We value United miles at approximately 1.6 cents each, which makes your return on spending up to 3.2%.

Final Thoughts

Just because your credit card has an annual fee of less than $100 doesn’t necessarily mean that the rewards you earn and the benefits you enjoy will be substantially less than that of an ultra-premium card.

In this guide, we’ve shown you the best credit cards that offer massive rewards without a corresponding gigantic price tag.

In addition, by signing up for some of these credit cards, you’ll get nifty perks like primary rental car insurance, hotel elite status, generous bonus categories, and much more.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and Capital One Spark Miles for Business was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.

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11 Best Credit Cards With Annual Fees Under $100 [2023]

What To Look for in a Credit Card With an Annual Fee Under $100

The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100

Card Summary

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

2. Citi Premier® Card

Why We Like Earning Citi ThankYou Rewards Points

3. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Why We Like Earning Capital One Miles

4. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

5. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Why We Like Earning Hilton Honors Points

The 6 Best Business Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100

Card Summary

1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

2. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

3. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

4. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

5. Capital One Spark Miles for Business

6. United℠ Business Card

Why We Like Earning United MileagePlus Miles

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

What is the best annual fee credit card?

Is it good to get credit cards with an annual fee?

Do you have to pay the annual fee on credit card if you don't use it?

How can I avoid paying my credit card annual fee?

About Stephen Au

Any thoughts or questions? Comment below! Cancel reply

Advertiser Disclosure

What To Look for in a Credit Card With an Annual Fee Under $100

The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100

Card Summary

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

2. Citi Premier® Card

Why We Like Earning Citi ThankYou Rewards Points

3. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Why We Like Earning Capital One Miles

4. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

5. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Why We Like Earning Hilton Honors Points

The 6 Best Business Credit Cards With an Annual Fee Under $100

Card Summary

1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

2. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

3. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

4. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

5. Capital One Spark Miles for Business

6. United℠ Business Card

Why We Like Earning United MileagePlus Miles

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

What is the best annual fee credit card?

Is it good to get credit cards with an annual fee?

Do you have to pay the annual fee on credit card if you don't use it?

How can I avoid paying my credit card annual fee?

About Stephen Au

Any thoughts or questions? Comment below! Cancel reply

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Advertiser Disclosure