2026 CNBC Select Awards: Credit Cards

A credit card can be many people's first experience with borrowing. But today's top credit cards do much more than provide access to financing — they can help you earn points, miles or cash back, get into elite airport lounges, enjoy travel and purchase protection and unlock valuable statement credits, memberships and other perks.

To identify the winners of the 2026 CNBC Select Credit Card Awards, we evaluated more than 45 credit cards on a variety of criteria, including eligibility requirements, rewards programs, annual fees, welcome bonuses and introductory offers, cardholder benefits, redemption flexibility and overall user experience.

Some card issuers featured here are CNBC Select partners. However, those relationships did not influence our editorial process or award selections.

To learn more about how we chose our winners, read our methodology.

Why it won

The Chase Sapphire Reserve delivers enviable airport lounge access, top-rated travel insurance, an annual $300 travel statement credit and a robust rewards program that lets you transfer points to over a dozen airline and hotel partners.

Standout features 

• Earns 8X on flights, hotels, car rentals and cruises booked through Chase Travel.
• Earns 4X on flights and hotels booked directly and 3X on dining worldwide, including delivery services.
• Free access to Chase Sapphire Lounges, 1,300+ Priority Pass airport lounges and select partner lounges.
• Reimbursement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fees.
• Up to $20,000 travel cancellation and interruption insurance per trip and primary rental car insurance.

Why it won

The Amex Platinum comes with a host of elite status benefits — including access to more than 30 American Express Centurion℠ lounges, as well as Delta-branded airport oases. For frequent travelers, that kind of access can be more than worth the $895 annual fee.

Standout features 

• Access to 1,550+ lounges across 140 countries through the Global Lounge Collection.
• Statement credits for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® and CLEAR+.
• 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel up to $500,000 per calendar year.  
• Statement credits toward Fine Hotels and Resorts and The Hotel Collection bookings
• Automatic gold status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.
• Elite car rental status with Avis, Hertz, and National.
• Annual statement credits for Resy, Uber Cash, and annual Uber One membership (subject to auto-renewal). 

Why it won

With nearly 10,000 properties, Marriott International is the largest hotel chain by property. For the $95 annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless from Chase offers complimentary Silver Elite Status, up to 11X points for every dollar spent at participating Marriott properties and a free night award every year after your first account anniversary.

Standout features 

• 10% bonus base points during stays.
• Free Wi-Fi and Priority Late Checkout via Silver Elite Status.
• Travel insurance, including trip delay and baggage delay coverage.
• 3X points on the first $6,000 spent annually on grocery stores, gas and dining.
• 2X points on all other eligible purchases.

Why it won

Points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred can be transferred to 10 different airline loyalty programs, including United Airlines, British Airways, JetBlue, Air France-KLM, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Plus, cardholders enjoy 5X points on Chase Travel purchases and 2X points on all other travel purchases.  

Standout features 

• Up to $100 hotel statement credit each account anniversary year for stays booked through Chase Travel.
• Up to $120 credit every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS.
• Up to $20,000 per trip in trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
• 3X points on dining worldwide, Airbnb, gas, streaming services and more.
• Bonus points on Lyft and eligible Peloton equipment.
• Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027.

Why it won

The Capital One Savor earns an unlimited 3% cash back on a bevy of entertainment categories, everything from movies, concerts, and sporting events to amusement parks, zoos, and bowling alleys — and even restaurants — all with no annual fee. Purchases made through the Capital One Entertainment portal earn a whopping 8% cash back.

Standout features 

• 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• No minimum redemption required for cash back.
• Special access to premier experiences like the NYC Wine and Food Festival and iHeartRadio Music Festival.

Why it won

The granddaddy of luxury cards, the American Express Gold Card has a $325 annual fee but offers 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year). It also offers over $400 in restaurant and Resy statement credits each year, plus access to curated culinary experiences like the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, South Carolina.

Don't want to go out? You also enjoy statement credits for Grubhub and Uber Eats.

Standout features 

• 4X points at restaurants worldwide annually, on up to $50,000.
• 4X at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year.
• 3X points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™ or purchased directly. 
• Statement credits toward dining out, Resy and Dunkin' Donuts.

Why it won

With the Wells Fargo Active Cash, you don't have to waste time remembering bonus categories: You'll earn 2% cash rewards on every purchase. Plus, there's no annual fee and the card offers an easy-to-earn cash-back welcome bonus for new cardholders.

Standout features 

• Intro APR offer on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
• Cellphone protection
• Automatic room upgrade, free Wi-Fi, late check-out and other perks through the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection.
• 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge service.  

Why it won

If you need to tackle high-interest debt, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offers the longest zero-interest promotional period we've found: 21 months with 0% interest on balance transfers (afterward, a variable APR of 16.49% to 27.24% applies). Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.

Standout features 

• No annual fee.
• 0% intro APR for 12 months on new purchases (16.49% to 27.24% variable APR after).
• Presale access and VIP tickets for sporting events, concerts and Broadway shows through Citi Entertainment®.
• Split eligible purchases into fixed monthly payments with Citi® Flex Pay.

Why it won

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1%), allowing you to earn up to $360 annually.

Standout features 

• 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations.
• 3% cash back on transit, including taxis, rideshare, trains, buses, parking and tolls.
• 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• Annual statement credits for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Enrollment required.

Why it won

The no-fee PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature earns 5X points at gas and EV charging stations. Want more? You also get 3X points at restaurants, supermarkets (including most Walmart and Targets) and streaming services.

Standout features 

• Introductory APR on balance transfers.
• 15,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in the first 90 days.
• 25% off base rates on qualifying rentals from Avis and Budget.
• Statement credit for Global Entry application fee. 

Why it won

Student cards rarely offer standout rewards, but the Discover it® Student Cash Back earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases in rotating quarterly categories when you activate.

Standout features 

• No annual fee and low intro APR.
• 1% cash back on all other purchases.  
• Unlimited dollar-for-dollar match on all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year.

Why it won

It's rare for a secured card to offer rewards, but the Capital One Quicksilver Secured earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, plus 5% back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Standout features

• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
• If you use your card responsibly, you may be able to earn back your deposit as a statement credit.
• Capital One will automatically evaluate you for an unsecured card after six months.

Why it won

The no-fee Amex Blue Business Cash card makes life easier for freelancers, contractors and small business owners. You earn 2% cash back on eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per year, and seamless integration with QuickBooks allows you to focus on growing your business, not chasing revolving rewards or tracking spreadsheets. The generous intro APR on purchases could come in handy, too.

Standout features 

• Earn cash back on everyday purchases, including office supplies, software and client dinners.
• Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
• Expanded Buying Power lets you spend over your credit limit with no added fee.
• Purchase protection and extended warranty coverage.

Why it won

The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business card is perfect for business travelers who want premium rewards without committing to one airline or hotel loyalty program. You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to more than a dozen airline and hotel partners, including United, JetBlue, British Airways, IHG, World of Hyatt, Marriott and Wyndham.

Standout features 

• 8X points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠.
• 4X points on flights and hotels booked directly.
• Up to $500 in annual statement credits for luxury hotel stays booked through The Edit℠ by Chase Travel.
• Priority Pass Select membership and access to Chase Sapphire Lounges.
• $300 travel credit each year.
• 3X points on social media and search engine advertising.
• Annual credits with ZipRecruiter, Google Workspace and Lyft.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to deliver high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make informed financial decisions. Every award is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content independently of our commercial team and any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on maintaining high journalistic standards and ethics.

To determine the CNBC Select Credit Card Awards, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of credit cards offered by more than 50 of the largest U.S. banks, credit unions, and online financial institutions.

We focused on a variety of criteria, including:

• Rewards earning rate: Cash back, points, or miles earned on everyday spending and bonus categories.
• Welcome bonus: The value of the sign-up bonus relative to any spending requirements.
• Annual fee: We considered whether there was an annual fee and if it was offset by the card benefits.
• Annual percentage rate (APR): Introductory and ongoing purchase APRs.
• Eligibility: We considered credit score and income requirements
• Fees: We considered fees for late payments, balance transfers, cash advance fees and foreign transactions
• Redemption flexibility: We reviewed the ease of redeeming rewards for cash, travel, transfers or other uses.
• Reward value:  The monetary value of points or miles when redeemed.
• Statement credits: Annual credits for travel, dining, streaming, rideshare, or other purchases.
• Travel benefits: Airport lounge access, travel insurance, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits and elite-status perks.
• Reward expiration: Whether rewards expire or are subject to forfeiture.
• Spending caps:  Limits on bonus reward categories and how excess spending is rewarded.
• Purchase protections: We considered whether purchases are reimbursed after loss, damage or theft, and whether issuers offer extended warranty, return protection and cellphone insurance.
• Card issuer reputation: We considered the issuer's history of customer service and resolving disputes, as well as the digital and mobile app experience.
• Partner ecosystem: We considered whether cardmembers could transfer points to airline or hotel loyalty programs.
• Business-specific features: We reviewed benefits that support small businesses, like free transaction limits, employee cards and integration with bookkeeping software

Information was collected directly from card issuers' websites between June 1, 2026, and July 31, 2026, and used to assess eligible credit cards across 14 categories, including travel, cash back, balance transfer, student, and business cards, based on our established evaluation methodology.

While some winners are CNBC Select partners, we made their selections based solely on independent research and data analysis.