Which Mastercard should you get?

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Whether you’re interested in playing the AA Loyalty Point Pursuit game or you want to pay your mortgage with a credit card, it’s helpful to have at least one highly rewarding Mastercard in your wallet.  For the former, you need a Mastercard in order to earn American Airlines miles through SimplyMiles.  And for the latter, you can use a Mastercard, but not an Amex or Visa, to pay your mortgage through Plastiq.  So, which Mastercard should you get?

a man with his hand on his chin

Welcome bonus vs ongoing rewards

Cards with the best initial signup bonuses are not always the best for ongoing rewards.  For example, one of the best ongoing earning cards is the fee-free Citi Double Cash, which offers 2% cash back everywhere along with the ability to convert rewards to ThankYou points which can then be transferred to loyalty partners if you also have a Citi Premier or Prestige card.  But the Double Cash card has no welcome bonus.  That’s why I often recommend that people sign up for a personal credit card from Citibank that has a big welcome bonus and then later product change that card to the Double Cash.  That way you can get the best of both worlds.

In the following sections, we’ll look at the best Mastercard signup bonuses, followed by the most rewarding Mastercards for everyday spend.  We end with a discussion about best overall options.

Best Mastercard welcome bonuses

The following display shows the ten best current signup bonuses for Mastercard credit cards.  Cards are sorted by our calculated “first year value”.  This is the estimated value of first year rewards minus the “cost” to meet the minimum spend requirement (assuming that the alternative would be 3% cash back, as with the Discover It Miles first year).

If you’re interested in seeing more than the top 10 offers, simply click “Next” at the bottom of the page, or use the drop down selector at the top to show more than 10 items.

Card Offer
Earn a one-time bonus of 150K miles after $30K spend in the first 3 months
$395 Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
Recent better offer: Expired 3/31/23: 250K Miles after $50K in spend.
40K points after $2K spend in the first 3 billing cycles
(Offer Expires 4/3/2024)
$99 Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
Recent better offer: 30K points after $1K spend in the first 3 billing cycles + 2 companion certificates, 2 upgrade certificates and 2 lounge passes
75K miles after $3,500 spend in first 4 months
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
Recent better offer: None, this is the best we've seen.
165K Points ⓘ Affiliate
165K points after $3K spend in 3 months
(Offer Expires 4/3/2024)
$99 Annual Fee
This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details).
Recent better offer: 175K after $3K in spend (expired 4/6/23)
70K miles after $1K in spend in 90 days and payment of annual fee. Application requires a promo code. Any five digit number (like 00000) will work.
$99 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Expired 9/22: 80K after $1K spend in 90 days
70K miles + 100XP ⓘ Non-Affiliate
70K miles + 40 XP after $3K in the first 90 days + 60 XP upon approval
$89 Annual Fee
Alternate Offer: Going through the steps to make a dummy booking at the Air France website may result in an offer that also includes a $100 statement credit.
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
Recent better offer: 70K miles + 100XP points [Expired 9/23]
65K after $4K spend in first 4 months
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99
Alternate Offer: There is an alternative offer of 30K + $400 credit that can be found when doing a dummy booking on aa.com.
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
140K points ⓘ Affiliate
140K points $3K spend in 3 months
$99 Annual Fee
This card is expected to be subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details).
$1200 Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 after $30K spend in the first 3 months. (Rates & Fees)
$150 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Expired 3/14/22: $3K after $50K spend in 6 months
50K Miles ⓘ Affiliate
Earn a one-time 50K miles bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months. (Rates & Fees)
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
60K Points ⓘ Affiliate
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
$95 Annual Fee
50K after $4,500 spend in 3 months from account opening
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
45K Points + $100 Voucher + $100 Statement Credit ⓘ Non-Affiliate
45K points plus $100 statement credit and $100 companion voucher after $1K spend in 90 days
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $79
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
60K Points ⓘ Affiliate
60K points after $3K spend in the first 3 months.
$95 Annual Fee
This card is likely subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details).
Up to 60K Miles ⓘ Non-Affiliate
Up to 60K miles: 50K bonus miles after spending $4K in first 90 days + additional 10K miles after a purchase is made on an employee card in the first 90 days
$99 Annual Fee
100K Points ⓘ Affiliate
100K points after $2K spend in 3 months
(Offer Expires 4/3/2024)
No Annual Fee
Recent better offer: 120K after $2K spend (expired 7/4/22)
65K points + $100 statement credit ⓘ Non-Affiliate
60K points and $100 statment credit after $1K spend in 90 days plus 5K points for adding an authorized user
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $75
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
50k miles after 1st purchase and paying the annual fee within 90 days
$99 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Up to 75K: 60K miles after first purchase and 15K after adding an authorized user and making one purchase on that card [Expired 2/24/24]
75K after $10K spend in 120 days
$195 Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
Up to 60K miles ⓘ Non-Affiliate
Up to 60K miles: 40K miles after $500 in purhcases & payment of the annual fee in the first 90 days + 20,000 miles after $2K in total purchases in first 6 months.
$89 Annual Fee
$500 statement credit ⓘ Non-Affiliate
$500 statement credit after $5K spend in 90 days
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
65K miles after one purchase in first 90 days by entering any 6 digit code (such as 123456)
$99 Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
Up to 70K miles ⓘ Non-Affiliate
60K Miles after $2K spend in 90 days plus 10K miles after adding and making one purchase on an employee card, both within 90 days
$99 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Expired 9/11/22: 80K + $99 statement credit after $2K spend in first 90 days
12K points after $1K spend in the first 3 billing cycles
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
20K points + 5% on gas and groceries for a year ⓘ Friend-Referral
Earn 20,000 points (worth $200 cash back) after spending $500 in the first 3 months + 5% cash back on combined gas station and grocery store purchases (not including Target or Walmart) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
35K points after $3K in 3 months
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
Note that the ongoing annual fee is $0 if you maintain an HSBC Premier checking account (which requires $5K per month in direct deposits to remain fee-free)
20K points ⓘ Affiliate
$200 cash back after spending $1.5K in first six months. Note: $200 is awarded as 20,000 Citi ThankYou points.
No Annual Fee
80K points after $3K spend in the first 3 billing cycles
$89 Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
20K miles ⓘ Affiliate
Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. (Rates & Fees)
No Annual Fee
20K Points ⓘ Affiliate
20K points after $1500 spend in the first 6 months
No Annual Fee
Recent better offer: Expired 9/13/22 - 20,000 points after $750 spend in first 3 months
20K points ⓘ Affiliate
20K points after $1.5K spend in 3 months
No Annual Fee
30K after $3K spend in 90 days
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
$300 Cash Back ⓘ Non-Affiliate
Earn a one time bonus: $300 after $3K spend in 3 months from account opening
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
$300 Cash Back ⓘ Non-Affiliate
$300 after $3000 spend in 90 days
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
70K miles ⓘ Affiliate
70K miles after $7,000 spend in first 3 months
$595 Annual Fee
$200 Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
One time bonus: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months from account opening. (Rates & Fees)
No Annual Fee
$200 back after $1K spend in 3 months
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
$200 Cash Back ⓘ Affiliate
One time bonus: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months from account opening. (Rates & Fees)
No Annual Fee
15K points after $1K spend in 90 days. Application requires a promo code. Any five digit number (like 00000) will work.
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
$200 cash back ⓘ Non-Affiliate
20K points (worth $200) after $3K spend in the first 60 days
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
10K after $500 spend in 90 days
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
$100 Cash Back ⓘ Non-Affiliate
$100 statement credit after $500 spend in first 90 days
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
$100 Cash back ⓘ Non-Affiliate
$100 cash back after $500 spend in the first 90 days
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
Recent better offer: Expired 10/31/22: $150 after $500 in spend
15K after $1K in first 90 days
$59 Annual Fee
Alternate Offer: You may be targeted for an offer including a $100 statement credit during a dummy booking.
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
10K points + 10K Tier Credits ⓘ Non-Affiliate
10K points + 10K Tier Credits after $1,500K spend in the first 3 billing cycles
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
There is no official welcome bonus, but this card offers the opportunity to earn 1x points on rent when you make at least 5 transactions per billing cycle. Terms apply.
No Annual Fee
Note that some people see a targeted offer in the Bilt Rewards app to earn 5x points for the first 5 days after being approved and receiving and activating the card. This is not guaranteed, but rather is targeted. Select 'Click Here to Apply' to learn more about the product features, terms and conditions.
No Welcome Bonus ⓘ Non-Affiliate

No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
No Welcome Bonus ⓘ Non-Affiliate

No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
There is currently no welcome bonus offered.
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
3% back for 12 months ⓘ Non-Affiliate
3% cash back for 12 months on up to $20K in purchases
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
0% introductory APR for the first 12 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers after account is opened. After that, a variable rate will apply.
No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.

No Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.

Most rewarding Mastercards for everyday spend

The following display shows the ten most rewarding Mastercard credit cards for everyday spend (meaning: spend not within a bonus category).  Cards are limited to those that one can sign up for today and are sorted by the estimated value of each card’s base spend.

If you’re interested in seeing more than the top 10 offers, simply click “Next” at the bottom of the page, or use the drop down selector at the top to show more than 10 items.

Card Info Name and Earning Rate (no offer)
Earning rate: 2% cash back everywhere (1% cash back for each purchase + 1% when paying your credit card bill for that purchase). ✦ For a limited time: Earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel portal through 12/31/24.
Base: 2X (2.9%)
Travel: 5X (7.25%)
Earning rate: 2X Miles everywhere ✦ Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car
bookings through Capital One Travel
Base: 2X (2.9%)
Travel: 5X (7.25%)
Earning rate: 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel ✦ 5x on flights booked via Capital One travel. ✦ 2X everywhere else.
Base: 2X (2.9%)
Travel: 10X (14.5%)
Other: 10X (14.5%)
Earning rate: ✦ 3X Amtrak ✦ 2X qualifying travel, dining, transit, and rideshare ✦ 1X elsewhere
Base: 1X (2.56%)
Travel: 2X (5.12%)
Dine: 2X (5.12%)
Brand: 3X (7.68%)
Earning rate: 2X Amtrak ✦ 2X dining ✦ 1X elsewhere
Base: 1X (2.56%)
Dine: 2X (5.12%)
Brand: 2X (5.12%)
Earning rate: 1.5X miles everywhere ✦ Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel
Base: 1.5X (2.18%)
Travel: 5X (7.25%)
Earning rate: 6x prepaid hotel & car rental through Altitude Rewards Center ✦ 2.5X mobile wallet payments (on up to $5,000 spend per quarter)
Base: 2X (2%)
Shop: 2.5X (2.5%)
Other: 6X (6%)
Earning rate: 2X everywhere
Base: 2X (2%)
Earning rate: 3% cash back when you check out with PayPal ✦ 2% cash back everywhere else
Base: 2%
Brand: 3%
Earning rate: 3% cash back when you check out with PayPal ✦ 2% cash back everywhere else
Base: 2%
Brand: 3%
Earning rate: 2X everywhere
Base: 2%
Earning rate: 2% everywhere ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 2%
Travel: 5%
Earning rate: 3X on Air France, KLM, and SkyTeam purchases ✦ 1.5X everywhere else
Base: 1.5X (1.95%)
Brand: 3X (3.9%)
Earning rate: 10X IHG ✦ 5X travel, gas stations, restaurants and dining, social media and search engine advertising, office supply stores ✦ 3X on all other purchases
Base: 3X (1.89%)
Travel: 5X (3.15%)
Dine: 5X (3.15%)
Gas: 5X (3.15%)
Office: 5X (3.15%)
Brand: 10X (6.3%)
Earning rate: 10X IHG ✦ 5X travel, dining, and gas stations ✦ 3X on all other purchases
Base: 3X (1.89%)
Travel: 5X (3.15%)
Dine: 5X (3.15%)
Gas: 5X (3.15%)
Brand: 10X (6.3%)
Earning rate: 1.25X miles everywhere ✦ 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 1.25X (1.81%)
Travel: 5X (7.25%)
Other: 5X (7.25%)
Earning rate: 1.8% back everywhere
Base: 1.8%
Dine: 1.8%
Gas: 1.8%
Other: 1.8%
Earning rate: Must use your card for 5 purchases per month, then: 3x Dining ✦ 3x Lyft ✦ 2x Travel ✦ 1x rent (one payment per month, up to 100,000 points per year) ✦ 1x on other purchases
Base: 1X (1.55%)
Travel: 2X (3.1%)
Dine: 3X (4.65%)
Other: 3X (4.65%)
Earning rate: 5x travel booked through Chase ✦ 5X Lyft through March 2025 ✦ 3x dining ✦ 3x drugstores ✦ 5X in rotating categories on up to $1,500 spend per quarter (Q4 2023: PayPal, wholesale clubs, and select charities)
Base: 1X (1.5%)
Dine: 3X (4.5%)
Shop: 5X (7.5%)
Other: 5X (7.5%)
Earning rate: 1.5X everywhere; 3X for travel booked through BOA's travel center
Base: 1.5X (1.5%)
Travel: 3X (3%)
Earning rate: 1.5% everywhere; Earn up to 2.625% back everywhere with Bank of America Platinum Honors status. Note that you'll need Preferred Rewards on the business side ("Preferred Rewards for Business") to earn a greater return.
Base: 1.5X (1.5%)
Earning rate: 1.5% everywhere
Base: 1.5%
Earning rate: 1.5% everywhere
Base: 1.5%
Earning rate: 1.5% everywhere ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 1.5%
Travel: 5%
Earning rate: 1.5% everywhere ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 1.5%
Travel: 5%
Other: 5%
Earning rate: 5x on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1x thereafter. Eligible categories: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment. ✦ 1x on all other purchases
Base: 1X (1.45%)
Travel: 5X (7.25%)
Dine: 5X (7.25%)
Gas: 5X (7.25%)
Grocery: 5X (7.25%)
Other: 5X (7.25%)
Earning rate: ✦ 3 points per $1 at gas stations ✦ 2 points per $1 oat grocery stores ✦ 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Base: 1X (1.45%)
Gas: 3X (4.35%)
Grocery: 2X (2.9%)
Earning rate: 5x on travel booked through Citi Travel℠ Portal through June 30 2024 (excludes air travel) ✦ 2X at supermarkets and gas stations on up to $6,000 per year ✦ Round up to nearest 10 TY points on all purchases
Base: 1X (1.45%)
Travel: 5X (7.25%)
Gas: 2X (2.9%)
Grocery: 2X (2.9%)
Earning rate: 3X grocery ✦ 3X dining ✦ 3X gas stations ✦ 3X flights, hotels, travel agencies
Base: 1X (1.45%)
Travel: 3X (4.35%)
Dine: 3X (4.35%)
Gas: 3X (4.35%)
Grocery: 3X (4.35%)
Earning rate: 8x Rideshare ✦ 5x Brex Travel ✦ 4x Restaurants ✦ 3x on recurring software like Salesforce, Zendesk, Twilio, and more ✦ 1x everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.4%)
Travel: 5X (7%)
Dine: 4X (5.6%)
Biz: 3X (4.2%)
Other: 8X (11.2%)
Earning rate: ✦ 2X restaurants and grocery ✦ 3X JetBlue ✦ 1X everywhere else✦
Base: 1X (1.33%)
Dine: 2X (2.66%)
Grocery: 2X (2.66%)
Brand: 3X (3.99%)
Earning rate: ✦ 2X restaurants and office supply stores ✦ 6X JetBlue ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.33%)
Dine: 2X (2.66%)
Office: 2X (2.66%)
Brand: 6X (7.98%)
Earning rate: 2X restaurants and grocery ✦ 6X JetBlue ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.33%)
Dine: 2X (2.66%)
Grocery: 2X (2.66%)
Brand: 6X (7.98%)
Earning rate: 4X AA ✦ 10X hotels booked through AA.com/Hotels ✦ 10X car rentals booked through AA.com/Cars ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.3%)
Brand: 4X (5.2%)
Other: 10X (13%)
Earning rate: ✦ 2X AA ✦ 2X certain telecommunications merchants ✦ 2X car rental merchants ✦ 2X gas
Base: 1X (1.3%)
Travel: 2X (2.6%)
Gas: 2X (2.6%)
Phone: 2X (2.6%)
Brand: 2X (2.6%)
Earning rate: 2X grocery ✦ 2X AA ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.3%)
Grocery: 2X (2.6%)
Brand: 2X (2.6%)
Earning rate: 2X restaurants ✦ 2X gas ✦ 2X AA
Base: 1X (1.3%)
Dine: 2X (2.6%)
Gas: 2X (2.6%)
Brand: 2X (2.6%)
Earning rate: 3X Air Canada ✦ 3X grocery stores ✦ 3X dining ✦ 500 bonus points with each $2K calendar month spend, up to $6K spend per month (1,500 points max) ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.3%)
Dine: 3X (3.9%)
Grocery: 3X (3.9%)
Brand: 3X (3.9%)
Earning rate: 3X Emirates ✦ 2X airfare, hotel, and car rentals ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.3%)
Travel: 2X (2.6%)
Brand: 3X (3.9%)
Earning rate: 3X Emirates ✦ 2X airfare, hotel, and car rentals ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.3%)
Travel: 2X (2.6%)
Brand: 3X (3.9%)
Earning rate: 2X AA ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.3%)
Brand: 2X (2.6%)
Earning rate: ✦ 5X IHG ✦ 3x dining, gas stations utilities, cable, Internet, phone, and select streaming services ✦ 2X everywhere else
Base: 2X (1.26%)
Dine: 3X (1.89%)
Gas: 3X (1.89%)
Phone: 3X (1.89%)
Brand: 5X (3.15%)
Other: 3X (1.89%)
Earning rate: Earn 1.529% back on your purchases when your Upromise Program account is linked to an eligible College Savings Plan or 1.25% if it is not ✦ Up to $250 cashback rewards per calendar year on gift card purchases at MyGiftCardsPlus
Base: 1.25%
Earning rate: 3X Spirit ✦ 2X dining & grocery ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1.2%)
Dine: 2X (2.4%)
Grocery: 2X (2.4%)
Brand: 3X (3.6%)
Earning rate: 2X Spirit
Base: 1X (1.2%)
Brand: 2X (2.4%)
Earning rate: 10X at Best Western properties ✦ 2X elsewhere
Base: 2X (1.08%)
Brand: 10X (5.4%)
Earning rate: 3x travel (includes airlines, hotels, and car rentals) ✦ 2x dining
Base: 1X (1%)
Travel: 3X (3%)
Dine: 2X (2%)
Earning rate: 2x travel (includes airlines, hotels, and car rentals)
Base: 1X (1%)
Travel: 2X (2%)
Earning rate: 3X MGM ✦ 2X Gas and Grocery ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1%)
Gas: 2X (2%)
Grocery: 2X (2%)
Brand: 3X (3%)
Earning rate: ✦ 3X Travel, Dining and Gas ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (1%)
Travel: 3X (3%)
Dine: 3X (3%)
Gas: 3X (3%)
Earning rate: 5X gas ✦ 3X grocery and dining ✦ 2X Sears and KMart
Base: 1X (1%)
Dine: 3X (3%)
Gas: 5X (5%)
Grocery: 3X (3%)
Other: 2X (2%)
Earning rate: 3x Allegiant ✦ 2x dining
Base: 1X (1%)
Dine: 2X (2%)
Brand: 3X (3%)
Earning rate: 3x Norwegian cruise line purchases ✦ 2x air and hotel
Base: 1X (1%)
Travel: 2X (2%)
Brand: 3X (3%)
Earning rate: 3% cash back on up to $2K in spend in the category you choose each quarter: gas stations, travel & entertainment, restaurants, discount & warehouse stores, grocery stores, utilities & office supply stores, electronics and computer and camera stores, department and apparel and sporting good stores, auto parts & service, and home improvement stores
Base: 1%
Travel: 3%
Dine: 3%
Gas: 3%
Grocery: 3%
Shop: 3%
Office: 3%
Biz: 3%
Other: 3%
Earning rate: 2X Gas ✦ 2X Grocery ✦ 2X Travel ✦ 1X elsewhere
Base: 1%
Travel: 2%
Gas: 2%
Grocery: 2%
Brand: 2%
Earning rate: 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services ✦ 3% at grocery stores ✦ 1% everywhere else ✦ 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
Base: 1%
Travel: 5%
Dine: 4%
Grocery: 3%
Other: 4%
Earning rate: 3% on dining, entertainment, select streaming services, and purchases at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®) ✦ 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases ✦ 5% on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel (terms apply) ✦ 1% everywhere else
Base: 1%
Travel: 5%
Dine: 3%
Grocery: 3%
Other: 3%
Earning rate: 3% airfare, hotel stays, and car rentals ✦ 2% restaurants ✦ 1% everywhere else
Base: 1%
Travel: 3%
Dine: 2%
Earning rate: 3% drugstores and gas stations ✦ 2% medical expenses ✦ 1% everywhere else
Base: 1%
Gas: 3%
Other: 3%
Earning rate: 5X at FlyFrontier.com ✦ 3X restaurants
Base: 1X (0.95%)
Dine: 3X (2.85%)
Brand: 5X (4.75%)
Earning rate: 2X airfare, car rental and dining ✦ 3X Sonesta
Base: 1X (0.75%)
Travel: 2X (1.5%)
Brand: 3X (2.25%)
Earning rate: 3X Hawaiian Airlines ✦ 2x gas, dining, and grocery stores ✦ 1x everywhere else
Base: 1X (0.75%)
Dine: 2X (1.5%)
Gas: 2X (1.5%)
Grocery: 2X (1.5%)
Brand: 3X (2.25%)
Earning rate: 3X Hawaiian Airlines ✦ 2x gas, dining, and office supply stores ✦ 1x everywhere else
Base: 1X (0.75%)
Dine: 2X (1.5%)
Gas: 2X (1.5%)
Office: 2X (1.5%)
Brand: 3X (2.25%)
Earning rate: 10X at Choice Hotels ✦ 5X at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and phone plans ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (0.68%)
Gas: 5X (3.4%)
Grocery: 5X (3.4%)
Phone: 5X (3.4%)
Brand: 10X (6.8%)
Earning rate: 5X at Choice Hotels ✦ 3X at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and phone plans ✦ 1X everywhere else
Base: 1X (0.68%)
Gas: 3X (2.04%)
Grocery: 3X (2.04%)
Phone: 3X (2.04%)
Brand: 5X (3.4%)

Cards shown above are sorted by the value of the “Base” rebate in descending order based on our Reasonable Redemption Values (RRVs), or by their fixed redemption value with cash back cards.  It’s worth noting that transferable points are assigned higher Reasonable Redemption Values since they make it possible to cherry pick the best value awards.  In some cases this will be unintuitive: For example, the Double Cash card is advertised as a cash back card offering 2% cash back.  However, if you have a Premier or Prestige card, you can convert Double Cash rewards to ThankYou points and then transfer those points to airline or hotel programs in order to get even better value.

Note that two excellent earners are not shown above because they require Bank of America’s “elite status:” Platinum Honors Preferred Rewards for Business.  To get this status, you need to have $100,000 invested in business accounts with Bank of America and/or Merrill.  With that status, these cards offer great return on everyday spend:

Card Info Name and Earning Rate (no offer)
Earning rate: With Platinum Honors status with Bank of America's Business Advantage Relationship Rewards program, this card earns: 2.625X points for all spend (and 5.25X for travel purchased through BOA's travel center)
Base: 2.625X (2.63%)
Travel: 5.25X (5.25%)
Earning rate: 1.5% everywhere; Earn up to 2.625% back everywhere with Bank of America Platinum Honors status
Base: 2.625X (2.63%)

Recommendations

If you simply want to earn as many rewards as possible while paying your mortgage, then I’d recommend simply starting at the top of the list of best welcome bonuses and pick the first one you can qualify for (and which you’d be able to meet minimum spend).  Once the card comes, you can use Plastiq to pay your mortgage with the Mastercard for a 2.85% fee in order to meet the offer’s spend requirements.  Once you’ve met the minimum spend requirements for a new card, sign up for another card and use that to pay your mortgage.  It doesn’t usually make sense to keep paying your mortgage on a card after you earn the initial bonus because the rewards won’t outweigh Plastiq’s fee (2.85% as I write this).  Once a card’s annual fee comes due for the second year, then either downgrade it to a fee-free card or cancel it.

If you want a Mastercard for playing the AA Loyalty Point Pursuit game (since SimplyMiles only works with Mastercards), then the Citi Double Cash is your best bet.  It’s a great card to have for everyday spend, it has no annual fee, and it can qualify for Citi Merchant Offers which are similar to Amex Offers and Chase Offers.  As I wrote earlier in the post, though, you may be better off starting with a Citi Mastercard that offers a nice welcome bonus.  The best current Citi offer is for the Premier card, but you wouldn’t want to product change that one to the Double Cash because you would then lose any ThankYou points you’ve earned.  A better bet is the AAdvantage Platinum Select card.  Since rewards from that card are stored with American Airlines rather than Citibank, you can product change that card to the Double Cash without risking losing rewards.  As an aside, I still think that the Premier card is a great option, in general, but don’t get it with the intent to change it to the Double Cash.

Another consideration for those playing the AA Loyalty Point Pursuit game is that various deals may stack with both SimplyMiles and card-linked offers from Chase, Citi, Bank of America, etc. and so it would be great to have at least one Mastercard from each.  Chase currently has great welcome offers for a number of Mastercards: the Aeroplan card, IHG Premier card, and Freedom Flex.  Bank of America has decent offers (but not spectacular) for Mastercards such as: Air France KLM, Free Spirit Travel More, Sonesta, as well as a few business cards.

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