Best Miles and Points Credit Cards for Beginners: An Honest Starter Guide

The vast majority of our travel is subsidized by miles and points. They save us thousands of dollars every year. Miles and points have funded more toddler temper tantrums in other states than I can count. Precious memories, obviously.

I only started collecting miles and points in the last couple of years. Before that time, I assumed multiple credit cards would ruin my credit. I had one credit card I used for everything that provided modest benefits at best. It kills me to think how much I used to pay out of pocket for travel unnecessarily.

I know entering the miles and points world is overwhelming. There is a steep learning curve and a lot of which you need to keep track. Each credit card company has its own standards for applications, and each reward program has its own rules. It is a lot to process. Don’t let that freak you out. The hassle is definitely worth it. Outlined below are some of the best miles and points credit cards for beginners.

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The Quick Take

If you are brand new and want the short version: apply for Chase first (their 5/24 rule is unforgiving, so you can’t dawdle), then Barclays and Capital One, and save the easy approvals like Citi and American Express for later. Pay every bill in full, ask for a retention offer before you cancel anything, and treat every welcome bonus below as a “current offer, check before you apply” number rather than a permanent promise. Card terms change constantly — the issuers love to quietly move the goalposts the week after you publish a blog post about them. Here are the cards I’d actually point a beginner toward.

New to all of this? Start with my plain-English primer on how to earn travel points with and without a credit card, and if you’re still nervous about your score, read why multiple credit cards don’t actually wreck your credit.

What Are the Credit Card Best Practices for Beginners?

Annual Fees and Retention Offers

Credit cards come with annual fees. There is no question it is worthwhile to pay the annual fee the first year in exchange for an introductory bonus, but it may not be going forward if you decide the card is not for you long term. When If you find yourself in this situation, contact the company and ask for a retention offer. Credit card companies will often offer something to stay, like a statement credit or opportunity to earn extra miles. At a minimum, most will let you do a product change to a no annual fee card. This keeps the card open on your credit report so you won’t look like an obvious churner, even if you don’t use the card.

Wait until the annual fee posts to ask for a retention offer. If you don’t hold the card for a full year, some companies, like American Express, may take the introductory bonus back. Most companies will refund the annual fee if you contact them within 30 days after it posts. If you downgrade to a no annual fee card, they will usually pro rate the annual fee. My full breakdown of when an annual fee is actually worth paying lives in the retention offers guide.

Pay Your Bills in Full

Just because you have more credit cards does not mean you need to spend more than you normally would. Make sure you can pay the bills in full each month. If you have to pay monthly fees and interest, the miles and points are not worth it. A single month of carrying a balance at a typical card APR can wipe out a year of rewards, so this is the one rule with no exceptions. Miles and points are supposed to save you money, not the other way around.

Credit Card Applications

It is important to space out your applications and apply in a strategic order. If you take out too many too fast, you will inevitably start getting denied. A quick Google search can give you the most up to date information about your odds of getting approved for a particular card. Make sure your credit falls within the required range and that you haven’t exceeded the number of recent credit cards that company will tolerate. Try to avoid wasted hard pulls on your credit report.

If keeping accounts open and active feels like another part-time job, I broke down the low-effort version in my guides on how to manage a wallet full of cards and how often you actually need to use a card to keep it active.

Which Miles and Points Credit Cards Are Best by Company?

There are several companies that offer great miles and points credit cards for beginners. Why do you want so many cards? Because new cards come with the big introductory bonuses and benefits, and it is very unlikely you can get everything you want and need with a single one. Everything below was accurate at the time of writing, but offers, fees, and even card names change constantly — annual fees on several of these jumped in 2025 and 2026, and one whole airline’s cards changed issuers — so always confirm the terms on the application before you submit. The dollar values attached to each bonus are rough estimates; what your points are actually worth swings with how you redeem them, so treat those numbers as a ballpark, not gospel.

Chase Miles and Points Credit Cards for Beginners

Chase is great for beginners. In fact, Chase prefers them. If you have taken out or been listed as an authorized user on someone else’s card 5 times in the last 24 months, you will be denied. This is 5 cards from any company, not just Chase cards. This lovely policy is known as 5/24, and it is still very much alive and enforced in 2026. Let’s just say I will not be approved for a Chase card anytime soon, if ever again. Hey, Chase, get over yourself.

Putting aside my disdain for 5/24, Chase has some excellent products to consider. Apply for these first, and don’t list your partner as an authorized user if it can be avoided. You don’t want to increase his or her 5/24 count, because let’s be honest, you’ll be in two player mode before you know it. You can refer your partner if they take out the same card to get extra miles and points, even if he or she is an authorized user on your card. By doing so, your family can get each introductory bonus twice, plus a referral bonus for one of you. You can also earn an introductory bonus on the same card more than once if you wait the specified amount of time before reapplying (check the individual applications).

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the card most points people tell beginners to get first, and they’re right. You earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These points are redeemed within Chase’s portal on most travel, including flights, hotels (but not Disney), and rental cars. You can also transfer Ultimate Rewards points to its partners, including Hyatt and Southwest. You earn two points per dollar on travel and dining and one point per dollar on everything else. I have used Ultimate Rewards points to book rental cars through Chase’s portal for a 25% bonus, and transferred points to both Hyatt and Southwest.

Introductory Bonus: The current offer has been around 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending roughly $5,000 in the first three months, but this is a promotional number that moves — verify the live offer before you apply (it ran 60,000 after $4,000 not long ago)

Value of Introductory Bonus: Several hundred dollars and up, depending entirely on how you redeem — straight cash is the floor, transfers to Hyatt are usually where it shines

Annual Fee: $95

Chase Freedom Flex

Remember the retention offer thing? This is why I currently hold a no-annual-fee Freedom card. I did a product change down from a Sapphire Preferred. However, unlike most of the cards I hold only to keep the accounts open, I actually use this one. The rotating 5% categories live on the Chase Freedom Flex these days — the plain “Chase Freedom” is closed to new applicants, so if you’re applying fresh, Flex is the one you want. You get 5% back on rotating categories you activate each quarter, and you can take the earnings as cash back or as Ultimate Rewards points. Apply as a new card and you get an introductory bonus, but you will not qualify for one if you do a product change from another card.

Introductory Bonus: Around $200 (as 20,000 points) after spending $500 in the first three months — check the current offer

Value of Introductory Bonus: About $200

Annual Fee: None

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus earns two Rapid Rewards points per dollar on Southwest purchases, and one point per dollar on everything else. You also get 3,000 Rapid Rewards points on each anniversary of your card. Here is the big change since I first wrote this: Southwest ended its famous “bags fly free” policy in 2025, and the airline now charges for checked bags. The card’s first-checked-bag-free perk for the cardholder and companions on the reservation is now an actual reason to carry it, not just a nice-to-have. I have seen better introductory offers than the one floating around today, so you may want to check back periodically before applying. We used the Rapid Rewards points earned on these cards to go to both California and Orlando — and if you’re weighing the airline overall, here are my honest reasons to fly Southwest with kids.

Introductory Bonus: A limited-time promo recently ran as high as 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after $1,000 in spend in the first three months — these come and go, so confirm the live offer

Value of Introductory Bonus: Roughly several hundred to around a thousand dollars in Southwest flights, depending on fares when you redeem

Annual Fee: $99 (it was $69 when I first wrote this — another reason to read the fine print before you apply)

Disney Premier Visa Chase

Disney Premier Visa Chase is the card I used exclusively for a long time. That was a big mistake. This card pays two percent on gas, groceries, restaurants, and Disney purchases. You redeem the earnings for Disney purchases only. We love us some Disney, so this card seemed to make sense, but there are far better ways to save money on Disney trips — I rounded up the good, the bad, and the ugly in my guide to saving money on Disney trips. With that said, there is a no annual fee version available to which you could do a product change. The card has a few small perks, like character meet and greets at the parks, so you may want to consider it if you are traveling to Disney.

Introductory Bonus: Around $200 in Disney rewards after meeting a modest spend in the first few months — check the current terms

Value of Introductory Bonus: About $200, redeemable only on Disney purchases

Annual Fee: $49

United Explorer Card

United Explorer Card earns two United miles per dollar on restaurants, hotels, and United Airlines purchases, and one mile per dollar on everything else. The card also comes with a free checked bag for you and a companion.

Introductory Bonus: A limited-time offer recently ran as high as 80,000 United miles after $3,000 in spend in the first three months — verify the live offer before applying

Value of Introductory Bonus: Several hundred dollars in United flights, depending on the routes you book

Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $150 (this used to be $95 — the fee has climbed, so make sure the perks still pencil out for year two)

World of Hyatt Credit Card

World of Hyatt Credit Card earns four Bonus Points per dollar on Hyatt purchases, two points per dollar on restaurants, airfare, transit, and gym memberships, and one point per dollar on everything else. You earn one free night on each card anniversary, and an additional free night if you spend $15,000 in a year. If you transfer in your Sapphire Preferred points, Hyatt is consistently the best-value place to spend them, which is why these two cards make such a good beginner pair.

Introductory Bonus: Typically up to 60,000 Bonus Points across a tiered spend (often 30,000 after $3,000 in three months, plus up to 30,000 more) — periodic “free nights” promos pop up too, so check what’s live

Value of Introductory Bonus: Easily several hundred dollars in Hyatt stays, and often a lot more at higher-end properties

Annual Fee: $95

Barclays Miles and Points Credit Cards for Beginners

Barclays is pretty impressed with itself. It has a reputation for declining people who have taken out a few cards recently. Barclays is also quite stingy with its retention offers. Worth knowing: Barclays used to issue the popular American Airlines AAdvantage Aviator cards, but those moved to Citi, which is now the sole issuer of AAdvantage co-brand cards. The Aviator Red I previously recommended here is closed to new applicants, so if you came for that one, skip down to the Citi section. Barclays still has some solid co-brand cards for beginners — JetBlue is the consumer travel pick left standing in this lineup — and you can earn the introductory bonuses more than once if you wait long enough to reapply. Apply on the early side.

JetBlue Plus Card

JetBlue Plus Card pays six TrueBlue points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, two points per dollar on restaurants and groceries, and one point per dollar on everything else. It includes a free checked bag for you and three companions.

Introductory Bonus: Recent offers have run in the 60,000–70,000 TrueBlue point range after about $1,000 in spend in the first 90 days (it was 40,000 when I first wrote this) — confirm the live number

Value of Introductory Bonus: Several hundred dollars in JetBlue flights, depending on fares

Annual Fee: $99

Capital One

Venture Rewards from Capital One

Venture Rewards from Capital One is the flexible, no-fuss travel card from Capital One, and the one I steer beginners toward (Capital One has since added a premium Venture X and others, but Venture is the simple starting point). Capital One tends to decline people with a lot of recent cards, so don’t leave it for last. You can earn the introductory bonus more than once if you wait the required amount of time, and you can refer your partner to get his or her own card.

The Venture Rewards card lets you erase any travel expense from your statement. The card pays two miles per dollar on everything. You can do better with other cards in some categories of spending, but this is a great card to use for basic household bills. We used this card to erase a large portion of our trip to LEGOLAND California.

Introductory Bonus: The current offer has run around 75,000 miles after $4,000 in spend in the first three months, sometimes with an extra travel credit attached — these are promotional, so check before applying

Value of Introductory Bonus: Several hundred dollars in erased travel and up, depending on the offer

Annual Fee: $95

Citibank Miles and Points Credit Cards for Beginners

Citibank is great because it plays fast and loose with its approvals. I have seen comments online suggesting inanimate objects have been approved. Citibank does not seem to care at all how many cards you have taken out recently. I have found it to be a very easy approval. You can probably safely save these until after the companies listed above. Citi is also now the only place you can get an American Airlines AAdvantage card, since the AA portfolio consolidated under Citi — so this is the section to read if you fly American. You can earn introductory bonuses on the same product more than once.

Citi Strata Premier Card

The card I used to call the Citi Premier is now the Citi Strata Premier Card, a flexible travel card that earns ThankYou Points. You use the ThankYou Points you earn to book travel through its portal or transfer them to airline and hotel partners. The rename came with better earning: it now pays three points per dollar across air travel, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and hotels, plus a $100 annual hotel credit on a qualifying booking. We used ThankYou Points to book rental cars and the Loews Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando.

Introductory Bonus: Recently around 70,000 ThankYou Points after spending about $4,000 in the first three months — a promotional number that changes, so confirm it

Value of Introductory Bonus: Several hundred dollars and up, depending on how you redeem; transfers to partners can stretch it further

Annual Fee: $95

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard earns bonus AAdvantage miles at gas stations and restaurants and on American Airlines purchases, and one mile per dollar on everything else — check the current category terms before you count on any single rate. This is now the go-to beginner American Airlines card since Citi became the sole AAdvantage issuer (the old Barclays Aviator Red converts into this family). You receive a free checked bag for yourself and up to four companions on the same reservation, and there are flight-credit and companion perks tied to higher annual spend — exact thresholds shifted in the Citi consolidation, so check the current terms.

Introductory Bonus: Typically 50,000 AAdvantage miles after about $2,500 in spend in the first three months, with limited-time offers running as high as 80,000 — verify the live offer

Value of Introductory Bonus: Several hundred dollars in American Airlines flights, depending on the awards you book

Annual Fee: $99, waived the first year

American Express Miles and Points Credit Cards for Beginners

American Express cards are also pretty easy to come by. I have a bunch, and I got most of them after I took out several recent cards from other companies. You can refer your partner, even if he or she is an authorized user on your card. I tend to use American Express cards more than those of any other company long term. The cards have good earnings and offer extras.

American Express does get a big thumbs down because you can only earn the introductory bonus once per lifetime on each product. You can, however, earn introductory bonuses on multiple cards within each family. For example, you can take out multiple Delta cards as long as they are not the same version. One more Amex quirk worth flagging: several of its co-brand cards now charge $0 the first year and then jump to $150, so the math that works in year one may not in year two.

Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

Delta SkyMiles Gold earns two Delta SkyMiles per dollar on restaurants, groceries, and Delta purchases, and one mile per dollar on everything else. You can also earn a $100 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in a year. It includes a first checked bag free for the cardholder and up to eight people on the same reservation. I have definitely seen better introductory bonuses in the past, so you may want to watch this one as well.

Introductory Bonus: A limited-time offer recently ran as high as 90,000 SkyMiles across a tiered spend (it was 35,000 when I first wrote this) — these expire, so confirm what’s live

Value of Introductory Bonus: Several hundred dollars in Delta flights, depending on the fares you book

Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $150 (it was $99 when I first wrote this)

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 12 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar on Hilton purchases, 6 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3 points per dollar on everything else. You can earn a Free Night Reward after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. We recently redeemed a free night certificate at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago, which would have cost over $400 per night if we paid cash.

The card gives you complimentary Gold status with Hilton, which comes with perks, including free breakfast or a daily food and beverage credit at most properties. Heads up if you read an older version of this post: the Surpass used to include ten complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge visits per year, but Amex pulled that benefit a couple of years back and replaced it with Hilton statement credits — so don’t pick this card for lounge access anymore. We have still used our Hilton Honors points several times, including our trips to San Diego and the Waldorf Astoria Chicago.

Introductory Bonus: Recently around 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending about $3,000 in the first six months (it was 125,000 after $2,000 when I first wrote this) — confirm the current offer

Value of Introductory Bonus: Several hundred dollars in Hilton stays, depending on the properties you book

Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $150 (it was $95 when I first wrote this)

Miles and Points Credit Card FAQ

Which Card Should a Beginner Get First?

For most beginners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Chase’s 5/24 rule shuts you out once you’ve opened five cards in 24 months, so you want to grab Chase products before you fill up your slots. The Sapphire Preferred earns flexible Ultimate Rewards points, pairs perfectly with the World of Hyatt card, and has a manageable $95 annual fee. Start there, then branch out.

Will Opening Several Cards Hurt My Credit Score?

Not the way most people fear. Each application is a small, temporary hit, but opening cards also raises your total available credit, which can help your utilization ratio. As long as you pay in full and don’t close old accounts carelessly, your score generally recovers fast. I laid out the full case in four reasons credit cards don’t hurt your credit score.

Should I Cancel a Card Before the Annual Fee Posts?

Usually no — call and ask for a retention offer first, or downgrade to a no-annual-fee version to keep the account (and your credit history) open. Most issuers will even refund the annual fee if you cancel within about 30 days of it posting. My retention offers guide walks through exactly what to say.

Are the Annual Fees Worth It?

In year one, almost always — the welcome bonus dwarfs a $95 or $99 fee, and several of these cards waive the fee the first year. Year two is the honest question, especially now that the United Explorer, Delta Gold, and Hilton Surpass all climbed to $150 after the first year. If you’re not using the perks, downgrade or cancel. Don’t pay a fee out of inertia.

Final Thoughts

Juggling credit cards is time intensive and overwhelming, but it is completely worth it. Do your research before applying, and apply in a strategic order. Space out your applications. Use a free credit-monitoring app like NerdWallet to watch your score and AwardWallet to keep track of your miles and points. And remember the one rule that never changes even when the offers do: confirm the current terms before you apply, because the issuers rewrite them constantly. I understand it can be daunting to start, but don’t let that stop you. Rack up some miles, travel with your family, and make memories. You wouldn’t want to miss that temper tantrum abroad.