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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.
$95
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
$95Rates & 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
$95Rates & Fees
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point 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 22 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
- 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 75,000-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℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 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 up to 1.5 ¢ apiece in the Chase Travel℠ portal.
- Earn 75,000 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
- 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
- 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 (Rates & Fees) 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 air travel and other hotel purchases; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets.
Citi ThankYou® Points can be transferred to 15 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.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point 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.
(Terms apply)
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You'll know upfront exactly how much you'll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind - backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- 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)
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on cruises booked and paid through 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.
(This card is not available through AwardWallet)
(This card is not available through AwardWallet)
- 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), Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
