The 11 Best Credit Cards With Annual Fees [2024]

In a world with thousands of different credit card products, most consumers have struggled to figure out the best personal finance solution that fits their specific needs.

Unfortunately, this confusion ultimately leads many consumers to settle for less-than-optimal rewards with no annual fee as a “safe” approach.

But as specialists in credit card rewards and travel, we believe that in many cases, annual fees are necessary to unlock a fruitful ecosystem of rewards.

After all, who wouldn’t pay a few hundred dollars to get back thousands of dollars per year?

So in this guide, we’ll show you our favorite credit cards with annual fees! Look past the annual fee and you’ll see turbocharged rewards, travel benefits, and lifestyle perks that cards with no annual fee can’t even dream of offering.

Why Should You Get a Credit Card With an Annual Fee?

Being deterred by an annual fee when looking for a new credit card can be a shortsighted mindset to have. Credit cards with no annual fee usually offer a fraction of the rewards that cards with an annual fee do.

And when you zoom out on how much you’re spending every year on a credit card, even getting a return on spending of 1% more than the status quo can make it worth it to pay for an annual fee.

Therefore, for most people, certain credit cards with annual fees pay for themselves many times over.

Usually, credit cards with annual fees offer better benefits like better travel insurance, lounge access, or enhanced customer service.

Lastly, credit cards with annual fees usually have fabulous welcome offers to immediately accelerate your accrual of rewards.

With all that being said, if you know the best credit cards with annual fees, why wouldn’t you get one?

Let’s take a look at our favorite personal cards with annual fees!

The 6 Best Personal Credit Cards With Annual Fees

Card	Benefits	Annual Fee
The Platinum Card® from American Express	The best airport lounge access from any card, including Centurion Lounges 5x points per $1 spent for flights booked directly with airlines or with AmexTravel.com up to $500,000 per year, and prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com	$695 (rates & fees)
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	5x points on travel booked via Chase Travel 5x points on Lyft (through March 31, 2025) 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming purchases 2x points on travel 10% annual bonus points; Rental car and travel insurance	$95
American Express® Gold Card	4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x)	$250 (rates & fees)
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	10x points on car rentals, hotels, and dining booked via Chase Travel 5x points on airfare booked via Chase Travel 3x points on all other travel and dining purchases $300 annual travel credit Priority Pass Select membership Excellent car rental and travel insurance	$550
Citi Premier® Card	3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels Access to transfer partners No foreign transaction fees	$95
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel $300 annual travel credit on bookings via Capital One Travel 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership Cell phone insurance; Rental car and travel insurance	$395 (rates & fees)

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Without a doubt, our favorite personal card with an annual fee is the Amex Platinum card. It’s almost impossible to find a similar card that offers even a fraction of the travel benefits that this one offers.

Let’s start with earnings:

• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
• Earn 1x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on all other purchases

If you’re a frequent traveler, earning 5x points could be huge. But the real selling point of this card is the long list of travel perks (and many are exclusive to this card):

• The ability to book stays using Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• The ability to get the best airport lounge access with the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Complimentary hotel elite status with Hilton Honors (Gold) and Marriott Bonvoy (Gold Elite) upon enrollment
• Complimentary rental car elite status and/or benefits with Avis, Hertz, and National
• An abundance of travel and lifestyle credits, including up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits on eligible stays, $189 in CLEAR Plus credit, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credits, up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits, up to $240 in digital entertainment credits, $12.95 in monthly Walmart+ credits, and $300 in Equinox credits (note that enrollment is required for select benefits)

The list goes on and on, but other important perks include zero fraud liability, and no foreign transaction fees (see rates & fees).

Bottom Line: There’s no card like the Amex Platinum card. Even though the annual fee is hefty, the benefits, rewards, and prestige you get from holding this card make it oh-so-worth-it.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

Our next-favorite credit card with an annual fee is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. This credit card is one of the best products you can find in the premium market, making it a high-value way to earn lots of rewards at a lower price tag. That’s why we describe this card as the best beginner rewards credit card in the world.

It earns up to 5x Ultimate Rewards points:

• 5x points per $1 spent on all travel booked through the Chase travel portal
• 5x points Lyft (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
• 3x points per $1 spent on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
• 2x points per $1 spent on travel
• 1x points per $1 on all other purchases

This credit card comes with a neat 10% anniversary rewards bonus every year, allowing you to earn even more points every year!

There’s a $50 annual credit towards hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal, but what we love is the quality of the travel insurance from a credit card with a low annual fee. You’ll get primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and so much more. Shop with ease with purchase protection, extended warranty, and of course, zero fraud liability. There are no foreign transaction fees or authorized user fees.

Hot Tip: For more affordable rewards cards, read our detailed guide to the best credit cards with annual fees under $100. We even have a guide to the best no-annual-fee credit cards to maximize your rewards.

American Express^® Gold Card

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card. The current public offer is 60,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Gold card is our favorite card for everyday spending because of its enormous rewards categories and fantastic welcome offer.

To be specific, you will earn:

• 4x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 4x Membership Rewards points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 in purchases every calendar year (1x points thereafter)
• 3x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights purchased directly with the airline or at AmexTravel.com
• 1x Membership Rewards points per $1 on all other purchases

You’ll also get up to $240 in statement credits every year:

• Up to $120 in Uber Cash for rides or Uber Eats orders in the U.S. ($10 per month)
• Up to $120 in dining credits at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required. ($10 per month)

If you use the statement credits, that’ll almost pay for the annual fee every year! On top of this, earning 4x points is equal to a return on spending of around 8.8%, which is phenomenal.

This card also allows you to get access to The Hotel Collection, Amex Offers, and more. There are no foreign transaction fees or authorized user fees (see rates & fees).

Bottom Line: If you love food, whether it’s eating out, cooking at home, or ordering delivery, you need to have the Amex Gold card in your wallet.

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is Chase’s ultra-premium rewards credit card, and this product earns up to 10x Ultimate Rewards points (in addition to a solid welcome offer):

• 10x points on car rentals, hotels, and dining booked via the Chase travel portal
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on airfare booked via the Chase travel portal
• 3x points on dining and travel purchases
• 1x points on all other purchases

Although the most notable perks are the ability to redeem points for 50% more value through the Chase travel portal at 1.5 cents per point and $300 travel credit every cardmember year, you’ll want to pay close attention to some other unique perks:

• The ability to use Pay Yourself Back to make your points worth up to 50% more in select rotating categories
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership
• Access to Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
• Amazing travel insurance coverage
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit
• No foreign transaction fees

Citi Premier^® Card

The Citi Premier card is, surprisingly, one of the best credit cards, thanks to the abundance of useful bonus categories for everyday spending.

First, the welcome offer is substantial, and you can earn according to this bulleted list of bonus categories:

• 3x ThankYou Points on air travel, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations
• 1x ThankYou Points on all other purchases

Even though this credit card doesn’t offer lounge access or a bunch of other perks offered by more premium credit cards, you will get:

• $100 in annual hotel savings when you book a single hotel stay of $50 or more, excluding taxes and fees, via thankyou.com or 800-THANKYOU (once per calendar year)
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty
• Zero fraud liability
• Access to Citi Entertainment and Citi Concierge

This card is great for everyday spending, but it’s pretty weak in travel insurance, so just keep that in mind.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The last personal credit card we’ll discuss is Capital One’s ultra-premium product.

The Capital One Venture X card packs an enormous list of rewards and benefits into a streamlined product.

To start, there’s a huge welcome offer that complements the earning structure very well:

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Best of all, these miles are transferable to airline and hotel partners for maximum value!

There’s an $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel, a 10,000-mile bonus every account anniversary year, access to airport lounges including Capital One Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Priority Pass lounges, a Global Entry or a TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status.

Plus, this card has superb cell phone insurance, car rental insurance, travel insurance, the ability to add up to 4 authorized users for no additional annual fee (rates & fees), and no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).

Hot Tip: Check out our complete guide to break-even spending for credit card annual fees!

The 5 Best Business Credit Cards With Annual Fees

Card	Benefits	Annual Fee
American Express® Business Gold Card	4x Membership Rewards points per $1 on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each month (up to $150,000 per year) Access to The Hotel Collection	$375 (rates & fees)
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 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 insurance Excellent travel insurance Purchase protection and extended warranty	$95
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com 1.5x Membership Rewards points per $1 in select business categories and on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year) The best airport lounge access from any card, including Centurion Lounges 35% Pay with Points rebate (up to 1 million points back per year) Access to Fine Hotels and Resorts and The Hotel Collection	$695 (rates & fees)
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card	12x at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio 5x points on other purchases made for the first $100,000 each calendar year, then 3x points thereafter. $240 back each year for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton.	$195 (rates & fees)
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card	6x at hotels in the Marriott portfolio 4x at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas station, wireless telephone services, and U.S. shipping Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status 15 Elite Night Credits 1 Free Night Award every cardmember anniversary (up to 35,000 points)	$125 (rates & fees)

Now that we’ve gone over the personal options in detail, let’s look at our favorite business cards with annual fees.

American Express^® Business Gold Card

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 110,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card! The current public offer is 70,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Business Gold card is our favorite business card with an annual fee because of its extensive bonus categories.

There’s a substantial welcome offer currently.

This card earns 4x Membership Rewards points on the top 2 categories in which your business spends the most every month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases every calendar year):

• NEW! Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
• NEW! U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
• NEW! Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
• U.S. purchases at gas stations
• U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)

But if you max this cap out, you’ll get a whopping 600,000 points every calendar year, worth more than $13,000 by our valuations. You’ll also earn 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com and 1x points on all other eligible purchases.

Beyond that, you can enjoy no preset spending limit, no foreign transaction fees, and up to 99 total employee cards with no annual fee after the first employee card with a $50 annual fee (see rates & fees).

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

Known as the king of small business credit cards, the Ink Business Preferred card has a huge welcome offer, great spending categories for businesses, and awesome travel insurance.

The welcome offer alone is worth a couple of thousand dollars to begin with, and you’ll earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year on these categories:

Everything else earns 1x points, and you can maximize the travel insurance (including primary rental car insurance), cell phone insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and zero liability fraud protection. Pay no foreign transaction fees or employee card fees.

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Business Platinum card is one of the most popular business cards in the U.S., and for good reason! This is one of the few rewards cards that businesses can use to facilitate large purchasing budgets.

Here are how the rewards are broken down:

• 5x Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels with AmexTravel.com
• 1.5x Membership Rewards points eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year
• 1x Membership Rewards points on all other purchases

You’ll get all kinds of perks with this card, including top-notch lounge access with the American Express Global Lounge Collection, access to Fine Hotels & Resorts, hotel and car rental elite status, and a 35% Pay with Points rebate (up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year).

This card has statement credits galore, valued at over $1,000 per year, including up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $189 in CLEAR Plus credits, up to $400 in statement credits for U.S. purchases with Dell, up to $360 in Indeed credits, up to $150 in Adobe credits, and up to $120 in wireless credits.

This card has no preset spending limit, access to Amex Offers, and more!

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

The Hilton Business Amex card offers excellent hotel benefits with an affordable price point, making it an awesome annual fee business credit card.

There’s often a 6-figure welcome offer, and you can earn up to 12x Hilton Honors points:

• 12x points per $1 on Hilton purchases
• 5x points on other purchases made for the first $100,000 each calendar year, then 3x points thereafter.

Plus, there’s automatic Hilton Honors Gold status, the ability to spend your way to top-tier Diamond status, get up to $240 back each year for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton, and no foreign transaction fees.

Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card

The last business card we’ll discuss is the Marriott Bonvoy Business card, and it’s a fantastic fit for business owners that frequently stay at Marriott properties.

Note that you can earn up to 6x Marriott Bonvoy points as shown below:

• 6x points per $1 spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• 4x points per $1 at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases

This card also gets you closer to Marriott Bonvoy elite status, thanks to the 15 Elite Night Credits you get every year. Get a free night award after each cardmember anniversary, valued at up to 35,000 points!

Lastly, enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, no foreign transaction fees, and no-additional-fee employee cards (rates & fees).

Final Thoughts

When it comes to credit cards with annual fees, American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Citi are the industry leaders.

American Express typically offers the best travel benefits. Both Amex and Chase compete for the best bonus categories. Capital One leads the pack in simple rewards with its unlimited 2x miles offerings. Citi also delivers value, too.

If you can look past the annual fee on a credit card, you’ll realize that you’ll receive so much more value than what you paid in annual fees with the right products for your situation.

Start leveraging credit cards with annual fees today!

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.

Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024.  Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier.  Additional terms apply.