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Most major card issuers offer at least one credit card that delivers great value without a sky-high annual fee. These mid-tier credit cards — often with annual fees of $100 or less — strike a balance between a fair number of perks and affordability.
And the mid-tier card category is packed with some great options, too. Because of strong competition between issuers, that means generous bonuses, lucrative redemption opportunities, and practical benefits that can easily justify the cost of carrying the card.
Here's an overview of three of our favorite mid-tier cards.
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Page Contents
The Three Best Mid-Tier Credit Cards
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card bridges the gap between fixed-value and flexible rewards and offers cardholders the best of both worlds. You can transfer Capital One miles to 19 airline and hotel partners (most at a 1:1 ratio), including Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Club, and Wyndham Rewards. Alternatively, you can use miles at a fixed value of 1¢ each to cover travel expenses charged to your card.
Cardholders earn 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, making it one of the best cards for everyday spending, and an elevated 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
And right now, the $95 annual fee Capital One Venture is offering a one-time 75,000-mile bonus once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This welcome offer is worth at least $750 toward travel if you redeem your rewards for a fixed value — or potentially much more if you can leverage the bank's transfer partners.
- Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchase
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $120)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
Related: Capital One Venture Card Review
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a top choice for seasoned travelers and beginners alike. This $95 annual fee card offers a potent combination of flexible redemption options, strong travel protections, and valuable rewards.
In addition to a 60,000-point sign-up bonus after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, the Sapphire Preferred rewards cardholders with 5X on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (2X on all other travel purchases); 3X on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; and 1X on all other purchases..
One standout feature of this card is the $50 annual hotel credit, which applies to hotel bookings made through the Chase Travel℠ portal. And when you're ready to redeem your Ultimate Rewards, you can transfer them to 14 travel partners like United, Southwest, and Hyatt or redeem them for 1.25¢ apiece in the portal.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Related: Sapphire Preferred Card Review
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a perfect fit for those who want to maximize bonus category spending. This card makes it easy to rack up rewards as it earns 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on airfare and other hotels; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets.
Citi ThankYou® Points can be transferred to 14 airlines and five hotel programs, including Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles, Choice Privileges, and Wyndham Rewards, so it's a versatile option for travel redemptions. And add a $100 annual hotel credit to the mix, and the $95 annual fee is already well worth it.
Additionally, this card features a new applicant bonus of 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening — redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. But if you can leverage Citi's transfer partners, you can extract even more value from this bonus.
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Citi Strata Premier Card Review
Why Aren’t Any Amex Cards in the Top Three?
American Express offers two rewards cards that could qualify as mid-tier: the American Express® Gold Card and the American Express® Green Card. However, both charge annual fees higher than our $100 threshold — $325 (Rates & Fees) for the Amex Gold and $150 for the Amex Green Card.
The Amex Gold excels in dining and groceries. It offers 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, then 1X) and 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1X), plus credits like up-to-$10 monthly dining and Uber Cash credits (Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.). While undoubtedly valuable, its hefty annual fee places it outside our mid-tier category.
Amex Disclosure: To receive $10 monthly credits (up to $120 per year) in Uber Cash, you must add the American Express® Gold Card to your Uber account and select it as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
The Amex Green Card earns 3X Membership Rewards® points on all eligible travel, plus 3X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide and comes with a $199 CLEAR®Plus credit to help offset the annual fee (Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.). But outside of the earning rates, the card's lack of notable benefits and subpar welcome bonus makes it borderline uncompetitive against other options with significantly lower annual fees.
- 3x Membership Rewards® on travel
- 3x Membership Rewards® at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 3x Membership Rewards® on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subways, and more
- 1x Membership Rewards® on other purchases
Related: Cards That Earn Amex Membership Rewards Points
Bottom Line
You don't need a wallet full of credit cards to earn a healthy amount of rewards on the purchases you make every day. In fact, you don't even need a card with an annual fee that starts in the hundreds; several options exist below the $100 price point that offers a potent combination of valuable rewards and long-term benefits. The Capital One Venture, Sapphire Preferred, and Citi Strata Premier are just three of our favorite mid-tier credit cards.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
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