Best credit cards for big spenders

While earning rewards on everyday purchases is always a win — unless you’re going into debt for it — cardholders who spend a lot stand to gain the most.

Luxury travelers, parents with high childcare costs and business owners paying for inventory and business capital expenses are just a few examples of big spenders who could cash in on big rewards.

Fortunately, some credit cards are geared toward big spenders. They come with more valuable welcome bonuses and higher rewards rates on purchases. Start your card search with the list below, considering your most common expenses and how you want to redeem rewards.

Comparing the best cards for big spenders

Top cards for big spenders

Best for fine dining and travel

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

5

• Bankrate’s view

  If you spend a lot of money on travel and fine dining, the Chase Sapphire Reserve lets you rack up rewards. Cash in on 10X points on Chase Dining purchases, hotel stays and car rentals and 5X points on flights booked through Chase Travel. The generous welcome bonus could be worth enough to offset the annual fee for several years.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • Get the highest dining rewards rate in the market by ordering takeout or making prepaid reservations through Chase Dining.
  • The $300 annual travel credit offsets more than half of the annual fee.
  • Enjoy luxury travel perks like Priority Pass Select lounge access and credit for expedited airport entry programs.

  

  Cons

  • The high annual fee may be hard to offset if you don’t travel often or tap into luxury perks.

Best for luxury travel

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5

4.8

• Bankrate’s view

  The travel rewards and luxury perks of the The Platinum Card from American Express add up fast. In the first year alone, you could earn a welcome offer that would more than offset the annual fee and get reimbursed for your expedited airport entry application, all while earning 5X points on flights and hotels (on up to $500,000 per year). It takes work to maximize the annual credits, but their value can make up for the annual fee. Plus, gain entry to airport lounges across the country.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • Access more airport lounges than with any other card, thanks to memberships with Priority Pass Select, Delta Sky Club, The Centurion Lounge and more.
  • The ample annual credits — for hotels, airline fees, Uber cash, expedited airport entry and more — can justify the $695 annual fee.

  

  Cons

  • If you can’t meet the high welcome bonus spending requirement and use the annual credits, or don’t care about luxury travel perks, the card probably isn’t worth it.

Best for Hilton hotels

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5

4.2

• Bankrate’s view

  If a large portion of your travel budget goes toward Hilton hotels — which also includes Hampton, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites and more — the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is a great way to cash in on those stays. The welcome bonus opportunity is impressive, and you’ll earn a whopping 14X points on Hilton purchases, plus 7X points on flights, car rentals and restaurants. The Hilton Resort credits, free night reward, flight credit and more offer a lot of bang for your buck.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • For Hilton loyalists, this card can reap great rewards for your work trips or vacations.
  • You’ll automatically get Diamond elite status, granting you bonus points, executive lounge access, space-available room upgrades and more.

  

  Cons

  • Hilton Honors points aren’t valued very highly compared to other travel rewards.

Best for dining and groceries

American Express® Gold Card

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5

4.9

• Bankrate’s view

  Foodies, gather ’round — the American Express Gold Card offers one of the highest rewards rates (4X points) on restaurants (on up to $50,000 spent per year, then 1X points) and supermarket purchases (on up to $25,000 spent per year, then 1X points), while beefing up its value with credits toward Uber Cash, Dunkin’, Resy and dining partners. And if you also want to use the card for travel, you’ll earn 3X points on flights and 2X points on hotels and other eligible travel purchases through American Express Travel.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • If you use all the credits and maximize your rewards earning, the annual fee is worth it.
  • While travel rewards aren’t the main focus, the card’s rates are still comparable to other travel cards, making the Gold card a one-hit wonder for all your purchases.

  

  Cons

  • Other cash back cards offering rewards on dining and groceries charge a lower or no annual fee.

Best for flexible rewards

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5

4.9

• Bankrate’s view

  If you spend a lot on unflashy categories, like clothes, diapers or donations, a flexible rewards card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 2X miles on those purchases while also rewarding you for travel. That’s higher than the “all other purchases” rate for cards with comparable annual fees. Plus, earn a welcome bonus with a value of several years’ worth of annual fees.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • A 2X rate on all other purchases besides those on Capital One Travel (for 5X points) makes this card easy to swipe and earn on everything.
  • Enjoy an application credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry fees, extensive travel insurance and flexible rewards redemption options.

  

  Cons

  • The card doesn’t offer annual bonus miles or many other credits to help offset the ongoing annual fee.

Best for business expenses

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5

4.1

• Bankrate’s view

  With the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, you’ll earn 3X points on common business expenses like travel, shipping and advertising, as well as internet, cable and phone services (on up to $150,000 spent per year, then 1X points). And although the welcome bonus spend requirement is high, so is the bonus. With free employee cards and a low annual fee, the return on this card could be exponential for your business.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • Earn generous rewards for a low annual fee on your business’s everyday expenses.
  • Enjoy free employee cards, travel insurance, cell phone protection and a few other general perks.

  

  Cons

  • The card doesn’t offer luxury travel or many business-specific perks beyond rewards earning.

Best for flat-rate cash back

Citi Double Cash® Card

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5

4.2

• Bankrate’s view

  Big spenders who want straightforward earnings and no frills might love the Citi Double Cash Card. Without caps or bonus categories, you’ll simply earn an unlimited 2 percent cash back every time you swipe (1 percent when you make a purchase and another 1 percent when you pay it off). Plus, you can snag an extra boost of cash back with the welcome offer.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • The card makes it easy to earn cash back on every purchase you make, especially if your purchases aren’t typically in boosted rewards categories offered by other cards.
  • No annual fee makes it a low-stakes card to have in your wallet.

  

  Cons

  • You can earn more than 2X points in certain categories with other rewards cards.

How to choose a credit card as a big spender

If you’re spending a lot, chances are you already have at least one credit card. But maybe you want to make sure you’re getting the biggest rewards bang for your buck. Here are three ways to hone in on your ideal card strategy as a big spender.

• Check your budget for your most common spending categories. If a large portion of your spending goes toward certain categories like dining out, travel or childcare, you can find a card that offers the best rewards for those purchases. If your current card(s) doesn’t offer the same return on your top spending category, it’s worth the upgrade.
• Consider what types of rewards and benefits you want. Depending on the card, you could redeem rewards for flights, hotels, gift cards or even online purchases with certain retailers — or all of the above, if you use multiple cards. Card benefits to look for might include travel insurance, lounge access or purchase protection.
• Try combining cards to maximize rewards. If you spend a lot each year in several different categories, consider pairing a few cards to maximize your rewards. For example, you could make travel purchases with a high-earning travel card and pay for groceries and dining out with a bonus category cash back card. For the remainder of your purchases, you could even use a high flat-rate cash back card.

The bottom line

Big spenders can earn big rewards by swiping the right card that matches your spending habits, but also keeping in mind that the top rewards cards tend to have high APRs, making it costly to carry a balance. If you’re making a big purchase that you can’t pay off in one month, consider using a 0 percent intro APR card or an alternative form of lower-interest payment.

Frequently asked questions about cards for big spending

• What card should you use for a big purchase?

  Using a credit card for a large purchases is a way to reap extra rewards or hit a welcome bonus spending requirement. If you can, use a card that offers a high rewards rate in the category your big expense falls under — like a travel card for a flight, cash back card for a concert ticket or flat-rate cash back card for an appliance.

  Ideally, you’ll want to pay off your balance at the end of the billing cycle to avoid interest charges. You could also stretch out your repayments over several months by using a 0 percent intro APR card.

• How do you get a high credit limit?

  There are two main ways to get a high credit limit — build an excellent credit score and apply for a new card, or build a positive history with your current issuer and request a credit limit increase.

  Good credit comes from habits like paying your debts on time and maintaining a low credit utilization ratio. By applying for a new credit card with a good to excellent credit score — especially one of these high-limit credit cards — you’re more likely to get a limit above $10,000. If you want to stick to a card you’ve got, you can call your current card issuer and request a credit limit increase.

• Are high annual fee credit cards worth it?

  A high annual fee can be worth it if you earn the welcome bonus, maximize the high rewards rate and use the statement credits and other perks that come with it. But if you don’t spend enough in your everyday life or value the benefits, a card with a lower or no annual fee might be a better fit. If you currently have a high annual fee card but are eyeing a lower tier version of the same card, you can likely call your issuer and ask them to downgrade your card.

*The information about the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.