The 8 Best Credit Cards for Young Adults & Professionals [September 2023]

Top Picks (Quick Summary)

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits
American Express® Gold Card	Earn 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $250 (Rates & Fees)	4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x) Up to $120 Uber Cash ($10 per month in Uber Cash for rides or Eats orders in the U.S.) Up to $120 dining credit at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations ($10 per month; enrollment required)
Chase Sapphire Preferred®	Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	5x points on travel booked via Chase Ultimate Rewards 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming purchases. 2x points on travel. 10% annual bonus points Rental car and travel insurance
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $695 (Rates & Fees)	The best airport lounge access from any card, including Centurion Lounges Annual and monthly statement credits (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)

The Best Personal Credit Cards for Young Adults & Professionals

1. American Express^® Gold Card (Most Popular)

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 has been solidified as one of our favorite cards out there, and it’s certainly our top pick for young adults and professionals.

In addition to a phenomenal welcome bonus, the Amex Gold card boasts some incredible bonus categories:

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

Young professionals and adults spent a large chunk of their money on restaurants, groceries, and travel, which makes this card an awesome choice. And by earning 4x points per $1 spent, you’re getting a return on spend of 8.8%, with a valuation of 2.2 cents per point!

You’ll also get:

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

As if these perks weren’t enough, you’ll also get access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection, offering you a $100 property credit and a room upgrade (subject to availability) on qualifying stays of at least 2 nights at eligible properties.

Lastly, the Amex Gold card will give you access to Amex Offers, a complimentary ShopRunner membership (enrollment required), and no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

Why We Like Earning American Express Membership Rewards Points

We absolutely love Amex Membership Rewards points. They’re the most valuable type of transferable points out there, worth around 2.2 cents each.

So by hitting 4x points, you’re getting an 8.8% return on your spending. But wait, it gets better! If you book luxury travel using transfer partners, you can exceed that value by a considerable margin!

Other ways you can use your points won’t get you the same redemption value, but they include cash-back, statement credits, gift cards, charitable donations, travel booked made through Amex Travel using Pay With Points, and more.

Bottom Line: Thanks to ultra-rewarding bonus categories on common categories like dining, supermarkets, and airfare, the Amex Gold card is our favorite card for young adults and professionals.  

2. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card (Best Beginner Card)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is our runner-up credit card, and this excellent credit card happens to be the best beginner rewards credit card.

It generally offers a superb welcome bonus, and to make things better, you will earn some of the most solid rewards out there:

• 5x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on all travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal
• 5x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on Lyft purchases (including bikes and scooters) through March 2022
• 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
• 2x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on travel
• 1x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all other purchases

With this card, you’ll receive a complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription; simply activate by March 31, 2022.

Plus, you’ll also receive a $50 annual credit towards hotel stays booked via the Chase travel portal.

One of the most valuable characteristics of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is its impeccable travel insurance — primary car rental coverage, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, trip delay insurance, baggage delay coverage, lost luggage coverage, travel accident insurance, and so much more are included with your card!

Lastly, the card is rounded out with purchase protection, extended warranty, zero fraud liability, and no foreign transaction fees.

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are one of the most useful points in the world. Period.

We value them at 2 cents apiece, which means your 5x, 2x, and 1x Ultimate Rewards points are worth a 10%, 4%, and 2% return on spend, respectively.

Although Amex has the most airline transfer partners, Chase Ultimate Rewards has the most valuable hotel transfer partner in World of Hyatt, plus the ability to use points for solid value without transfer partners.

This includes Pay Yourself Back, travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, gift cards, Amazon purchases, and lastly, cash-back or statement credits.

Still, it’s best to redeem Ultimate Rewards points for luxury travel via its transfer partners for maximum value.

3. The Platinum Card^® from American Express (Best For Airport Lounge Access)

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.)

The Amex Platinum card is the top card in the world for luxury travel perks, but it’s also perhaps the most well-known card in the world, too.

And for many young adults, it’s the perfect card option for optimizing lifestyle and travel benefits.

To start, you’ll earn a great welcome bonus upon meeting the spending criteria. Plus, you’ll earn 5x points per $1 spent on flights purchases directly with the airline or via Amex Travel (up to $500,000 per calendar year), plus 5x points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked via Amex Travel. You’ll earn 1x points on all other purchases. So depending on whether you’re earning 5x or 1x points per $1, you could be getting a return on spend of 11% or 2.2%!

The Amex Platinum card is laden with other travel benefits, such as:

• Access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Airspace Lounges, Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying on a same-day Delta ticket), Escape Lounges — The Centurion^® Lounge Partner, International American Express Centurion Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, Select Virgin Clubhouses, Select Lufthansa Lounges, and Priority Pass lounges (upon enrollment)
• Complimentary Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (upon enrollment)
• Complimentary rental car status with Avis, Hertz, and National
• Access to the Amex International Airline Program for airfare deals
• Up to $200 airline fee credit
• Up to $200 prepaid hotel credit
• $189 CLEAR credit
• Up to $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Not only that, but the lifestyle perks you get are pretty awesome, too, like up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits (2 $50 credits semi-annually), up to $240 digital entertainment credit (upon enrollment), a monthly $12.95 Walmart + credit (upon enrollment), and up to $300 Equinox credit (upon enrollment).

4. Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has a lot going for it. It’s essentially the ultra-premium version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card above.

The Reserve allows you to earn up to 10x points per $1 spent:

• 10x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on car rentals, hotels, and dining booked via the Chase travel portal
• 10x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on Lyft purchases (through March 2022)
• 5x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on airfare booked via the Chase travel portal
• 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all dining and travel purchases
• 1x Ultimate Rewards point per $1 on all other purchases

You’ll also get a $300 travel credit every cardmember anniversary year.

Here are a few of its other perks:

• $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• The ability to redeem points for 50% more value on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards (1.5 cents per point)
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership (activation required)
• Complimentary Lyft Pink membership (includes Grubhub+ and Seamless+)
• Complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription (activate by March 31, 2022)
• Access to Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
• The best travel insurance available on a credit card, including primary car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation insurance, trip delay, lost luggage, baggage delay, roadside assistance, emergency evacuation and transportation, emergency medical and dental, travel accident, and travel and emergency assistance coverage

The 4 Best Business Credit Cards for Young Adults & Professionals

If you’re a young adult or professional running your own business or have a side hustle, you’ll want to make sure you’re using the best business credit cards.

Here are our favorites!

1. Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card (Best Overall Business Card)

Our runner-up credit card is the famous Ink Business Preferred card, offering a solid welcome bonus and some of the best bonus categories for earning Ultimate Rewards points.

Also, you will earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on the following business categories, up to $150,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year:

• Ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
• Internet, cable, and phone services
• Shipping expenses
• Travel

You’ll earn 1x Ultimate Rewards points on all other purchases, making your return on spending equal to 6% or 2% if earning 3x and 1x points, respectively.

Plus, you’ll get some top-notch cell phone insurance benefits, as well as purchase protection, extended warranty, and zero liability fraud protection.

Don’t forget about the card’s noteworthy travel coverages, including primary rental car coverage when renting for business and trip cancellation and interruption insurance. You also won’t pay any foreign transaction fees or any employee card fees.

2. 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 similar to the Amex Gold card in the sense that you enjoy some incredible rewards categories without diving deep into those luxury travel perks that the ultra-premium cards offer.

The welcome bonus is a great way to give yourself a head start on your point stash.

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):

• Airfare purchased from airlines
• U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
• U.S. purchases made from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
• U.S. purchases at gas stations
• U.S. purchases at restaurants
• U.S. purchases for shipping

That means you can earn up to 600,000 Membership Rewards points every calendar year from the 4x points structure before dropping down to the normal 1x points structure.

Earning 4x points is equal to a return on spending of 8.8%, which is incredible. Best of all, you won’t need to select any bonus categories, as Amex does it automatically for you.

This card offers no preset spending limit, no foreign transaction fees, and up to 99 employee cards with no annual fee after the first employee card with a $50 annual fee (see rates and fees).

3. Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card (Low Intro APR, No Annual Fee)

The Ink Business Unlimited card is yet another amazing business credit card from Chase.

It has a great welcome bonus and a straightforward rewards structure. You’ll get a flat 1.5% cash-back on all of your business purchases without any caps or limits to earning.

As with the Ink Business Cash card, if you also have a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Ink Business Preferred card, or Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can convert your cash-back to Ultimate Rewards points to get a return on spending of 3% on your purchases!

Plus, this card offers a 0% introductory APR perk (after the introductory period, the regular APR shown in the table above applies), primary rental car insurance when renting for business, purchase protection, extended warranty, zero liability, and no-fee employee cards.

4. The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express (Best Business Card for Airport Lounge Access)

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 rounds out our best business cards for young adults and professionals. Simply put, if you want a card that’s loaded to the max with perks, the Amex Business Platinum card needs to be in your wallet.

To kick off your points accrual, enjoy a huge welcome bonus. After that, earn 5x Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at Amex Travel.

Importantly, if you’ll also earn 1.5x on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year).

But the real kicker is the luxury perks, including access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which is the best lounge access of any card in the world.

Plus, you’ll get all kinds of other travel perks, like complimentary hotel and rental car elite status, access to Fine Hotels & Resorts, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, up to $200 airline fee credit, a 35% rebate on select flights using Pay With Points (~1.52 cents per point in redemption value), and more.

You’ll also get a $189 CLEAR credit, up to $400 in statement credits for U.S. purchases with Dell.

For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express^® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.