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When I recommend new credit cards to friends, any mention of annual fees is often received with wariness. It’s a valid question to ask — why pay money to use a card when there are so many options without annual fees?
Well, the truth is that most rewards cards that have annual fees provide far more value than they charge, assuming you make use of the benefits. In fact, a number of the top travel cards can easily provide more than $1,000 in value in the first year.
Today, I’ll walk you through more than a dozen cards that provide $1,000 in value (or more) in the first year.
Methodology
Before we dig into it, let’s talk about how I’m quantifying how much value a specific card has. For each of our top travel and rewards credit cards, I looked at:
Welcome offer: I’m using TPG valuations to determine how much each of these is worth.
Annual statement credits: If the card offers travel credits, dining credits, resort credits or other types of annual statement credits, these are included in the total value.
Automatic elite status: I’m using the TPG valuation of how much specific elite status tiers are worth for each program in these calculations.
Quantifiable perks and benefits: Not all perks and benefits can be assigned a specific dollar amount. I am including the ones that can be more easily quantified than others, though we do make a few assumptions in this category.
Annual fee: Once I’ve tallied a card’s overall value, I’ll take into account the annual fee. Only cards that still have $1,000 in value after factoring in the annual fee will make this list.
Keep in mind that I’m only including quantifiable perks in this equation. There are plenty of cards with perks that aren’t directly tied to a dollar amount — such as Centurion Lounge access, Capital One Lounge access and elite-like perks such as priority boarding or free checked bags, and more. And I excluded anniversary benefits that only apply to the second year of card membership (and beyond).
Please note that just because a card didn’t make this list doesn’t mean it can’t provide this level of value; it just becomes an even more case-by-case situation.
In This Post
Cards that provide $1,000-plus in first-year value
Card
Welcome offer value*
Total potential first-year value
Annual fee
Net first-year value
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
$2,400.
$6,014.
$695 (see rates and fees).
$5,319.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
$2,000.
$5,779.
$695 (see rates and fees).
$5,084.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
$1,260.
$4,797.
$650 (see rates and fees).
$4,147.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
$900.
$4,425.
$450 (see rates and fees).
$3,975.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
$780.
$2,035.
Enjoy $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. Offer ends Oct. 26, 2022 (see rates and fees).
$2,035.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
$2,000.
$2,000.
$95.
$1,905.
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
$900.
$1,880.
$99.
$1,781.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
$1,600.
$2,000.
$550.
$1,450.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
$1,388.
$1,788.
$395.
$1,393.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
$1,388.
$1,488.
$95.
$1,393.
American Express® Gold Card
$1,200.
$1,440.
$250 (see rates and fees).
$1,190.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
$1,200.
$1,250.
$95.
$1,155.
*Welcome offer value is determined using TPG valuations and is not provided by or reviewed by the issuer.
The information for the Hilton Aspire has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome offer
Earning rate
Annual fee
120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.
5 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked at American Express Travel.
1.5 points per dollar on up to $2 million in eligible purchases in the U.S. per calendar year with electronic goods retailers; software; cloud service providers; construction materials and hardware supplies; and shipping providers on purchases of $5,000 or more.
1 point per dollar spent other eligible purchases.
$695 (see rates and fees).
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome bonus ($2,400 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up to $200 in annual airline incidental statement credits on one selected airline ($200 value).*
Up to $400 in Dell statement credits (for U.S. purchases) — $200 each half-year ($400 value).*
Up to $100 for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee every four years ($100 value).
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status ($840 value, according to TPG valuations).*
Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status ($1,255 value, according to TPG valuations).*
Up to $360 in annual statement credit on all Indeed hiring and recruiting products and services to post open positions and find talent, up to $90 per quarter.
Up to $189 in Clear statement credits toward an annual Clear membership for expedited airport security.
Up to $150 annual statement credit for Adobe on select purchases, including Adobe Creative Cloud and Acrobat Pro DC.
Up to $120 in annual statement credit for wireless telephone services, up to $10 per month.
*Enrollment required for select benefits.
Net first-year value: $5,319
For small business owners, the Amex Business Platinum can get you a ton of value in the first year thanks to the array of perks on the card. Those benefits are mostly in the form of statement credits, many of which specifically connect to business-related expenses. In total, the Business Platinum has over $1,400 in statement credits that you could potentially maximize.
However, the card also includes many luxury travel benefits as well — like hotel status with both Marriott and Hilton. In addition, you’re also eligible for a 35% rebate for using Pay With Points on premium-class flights on any airline (or for economy tickets on your designated airline for the $200 fee credits).
Read our full review of the Amex Business Platinum for more details.
Application link: The Business Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express
ISABELLE RAPHAEL/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome offer
Earning rate
Annual fee
100,000 points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), and on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel.
1 point per dollar for other eligible purchases.
$695 (see rates and fees).
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome offer ($2,000 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up to $200 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. services) — $15 per month plus an additional $20 in December ($200 value).*
Up to $200 in airline incidental statement credits per calendar year ($200 value).*
Up to $100 in annual Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits — $50 each half-year ($100 value).*
Up to $100 for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee every four years ($100 value).
Up to $200 on prepaid bookings at Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection properties made through American Express Travel.*
Up to $20 monthly statement credits (up to $240 value annually) for Audible, The New York Times, SiriusXM and Peacock.*
Up to $25 monthly statement credits (up to $300 value annually) for select Equinox memberships or a digital subscription to the Equinox+ fitness app.*
Up to $155 Walmart+ statement credit.* Plus Ups are excluded.
Up to $189 in Clear statement credits toward an annual Clear membership for expedited airport security.*
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status ($840 value, according to TPG valuations).*
Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status ($1,255 value, according to TPG valuations).*
*Enrollment required for select benefits.
Net first-year value: $5,084
The Amex Platinum is one of the best travel cards out there for luxury travelers because of its extensive lineup of perks — and the ones listed above are only part of the equation. You’ll also get things like rental car privileges, access to Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, travel and purchase protections, access to the Amex Platinum concierge and unmatched access to airport lounges, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges and Delta Sky Clubs when traveling on same-day Delta flights (enrollment required).
You could even be targeted for a higher welcome offer via the CardMatch Tool (offer subject to change at any time).
Read our full review of the Amex Platinum for more details.
Application link: The Platinum Card from American Express
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
AMERICAN EXPRESS
Welcome offer
Earning rate
Annual fee
150,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership.
6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
3 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
2 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.
$650 (see rates and fees).
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome bonus ($1,260 value, according to TPG valuations).
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status ($2,475 value, according to TPG valuations).*
Up to $25 a month in dining statement credits each calendar year for eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide ($300 value).
Up-to-$100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years ($100 value).
* Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Net first-year value: $4,147
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant also comes with 25 elite night credits, Priority Pass lounge access (enrollment is required) and select travel protections. In addition, we’re not including the annual free night award (up to 85,000 points) in the year one value, since you need to renew your card to receive it. All of these perks could potentially add even more value to the card.
Remember that our valuation for Platinum Elite status is based on the assumption that you’ll stay with Marriott at least a certain number of nights in a year. You could get more or less value from that benefit depending on your traveling habits.
Read our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant for more details.
Application link: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
ERIC HELGAS/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome offer
Earning rate
Annual fee
150,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Terms apply.
14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio.
7 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and U.S. restaurants.
3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases.
$450 (see rates and fees).
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome bonus ($900 value, according to TPG valuations).
Complimentary Hilton Diamond elite status ($3,025 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up to $250 in annual airline fee statement credits ($250 value).*
Up to $250 in annual Hilton resort statement credits ($250 value).*
*Enrollment required for select benefits.
Net first-year value: $3,975
The Hilton Honors Aspire is the top-tier card in the Hilton cobranded card lineup. If you stay with Hilton regularly throughout the year, you can get a ton of value out of the benefits offered by the card. In addition to the benefits listed, you’ll also get a free weekend night each year (plus a second if you spend $60,000 in a calendar year) and Priority Pass lounge access (enrollment required) — neither of which are included in the value tally because they aren’t easily quantifiable with a dollar value.
Keep in mind that Diamond elite status may be worth more or less than the stated value, depending on how regularly you stay at Hilton properties throughout the year.
Read our full review of the Hilton Aspire Card for more details.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus
Earning rate
Annual fee
Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership. Plus, enjoy $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. Offer ends Oct. 26, 2022.
12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio.
6 points per dollar spent at eligible U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations.
3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.
$95 (see rates and fees).
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome bonus points ($780 value, according to TPG valuations).
Complimentary Hilton Gold elite status ($1,255 value, according to TPG valuations).
Net first-year value: $2,035
The Hilton Honors Surpass is the mid-tier card in the Hilton cobranded card lineup. If you can meet the minimum spend requirement to unlock the entire welcome offer, you can earn 130,000 points, which TPG values at $780.
Even if you’re an infrequent Hilton guest, Surpass cardholders enjoy automatic Gold status, which unlocks perks such as 80% bonus points on stays, space-available room upgrades, breakfast (or an on-property credit, depend on your destination) and a fifth night free when you book a stay entirely with points.
In addition to the benefits listed, you’ll get a complimentary weekend night reward each year after spending $15,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year. Cardholders also get 10 complimentary visits to Priority Pass lounges each year (enrollment required) — though just like the premium Hilton Honors Aspire option, we didn’t include these benefits into the value, as it’s harder to quantify a dollar amount for these perks.
Read our full review of the Hilton Surpass card for more details.
Application link: Hilton Honors Surpass Amex
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus
Earning rate
Annual fee
100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year: travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable, and phone services; advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.
1 point per dollar on everything else.
$95.
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome offer ($2,000 value, according to TPG valuations).
Net first-year value: $1,905
In addition to the card’s fantastic sign-up bonus, the primary value this card brings is its earning structure, which is hard to quantify since it depends entirely on your spending habits.
The card only charges a $95 annual fee, making it easy to consider keeping in the long term. You’ll also have access to a 25% redemption bonus through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, cellphone protection and extensive travel protections.
Read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred for more details.
Application link: Chase Ink Business Preferred
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Welcome bonus
Earning rate
Annual fee
Earn 140,000 bonus points and one free night (worth up to 40,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
10 points per dollar on IHG purchases.
5 points per dollar at gas stations, restaurants and on travel purchases.
3 points per dollar on everything else.
$99.
Quantifiable benefits:
Sign-up bonus (up to $900 value, according to TPG valuations, which values the free night at $200).
Complimentary IHG Platinum elite status ($880 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up-to-$100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
Net first-year value: $1,781
The IHG Rewards Premier packs quite the punch for such a low annual fee. In addition to the above benefits, you’ll also get 20% off when buying IHG points, a 10,000-point bonus after you spend $20,000 in a year, fourth-night award perk and travel protections. In addition, like the Bonvoy Brilliant, we’re not including the anniversary reward night (worth up to 40,000 points) in this calculation, since you must renew your card to earn one.
Keep in mind that our elite status value calculations assume that you are staying at IHG a certain number of nights per year, so that perk could potentially be worth more or less depending on how often you take advantage of it.
Read our full review of the IHG Premier Card for more details.
Application link: IHG Rewards Premier card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus
Earning rate
Annual fee
80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
10 points per dollar on Lyft rides (through March 2025) and on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
5 points per dollar on flights purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3 points per dollar on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out) and all other travel.
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
$550.
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome bonus ($1,600 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up to $300 travel credit each account anniversary year ($300 value).
Up-to-$100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years ($100 value).
Net first-year value: $1,450
The premium Chase Sapphire Reserve makes this list thanks to the current welcome bonus of 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points plus the $300 in statement credits that’ll automatically be applied to travel purchases each account anniversary year. Note that this calculation does exclude perks like Priority Pass lounge access (including restaurants) and the ability to book high-end hotels with added perks through the Luxury Hotels & Resorts program, as both of these are hard to quantify.
And while the card does offer $5 in monthly credits to DoorDash (along with complimentary DashPass membership) through Dec. 2024, we decided to leave these out of the equation, as not every cardholder will use these.
Read our full review of the Sapphire Reserve for more details.
Application link: Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome offer
Earning rate
Annual fee
75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel along with cars booked through Turo.
5 miles per dollar on flights booked via Capital One Travel.
2 miles per dollar on everything else.
$395.
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome offer ($1,388 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up to $300 back in statement credit annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel.
Up to $100 in statement credits for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
Net first-year value: $1,393
The Venture X card was a significant turning point for Capital One when it launched last year. Besides the quantifiable benefits above, you’ll also get complimentary access to the Capital One Lounge with up to two guests per visit and access to more than 1,300 Priority Pass lounges worldwide.
Even better, Venture X cardholders get up to four authorized users at no charge, and they also get Capital One Lounge access (and Priority Pass) with up to two guests. There are other perks such as complimentary cellphone insurance, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, and, as a Visa Infinite card, trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
Note that this calculation omitted the 10,000 bonus miles that you’ll receive every account anniversary since this perk doesn’t begin until you renew your card — so it’s thus (technically) a benefit in year two.
Read our full review of the Capital One Venture X for more details.
Application link: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Card
THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus
Earning rate
Annual fee
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One travel and on cars booked with Turo.
2 miles per dollar on every purchase.
$95.
Quantifiable benefits:
Sign-up bonus (up to $1,388 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up-to-$100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years ($100 value).
Net first-year value: $1,393
While the Venture Rewards card doesn’t have a long list of benefits, it’s hard to resist that 75,000-mile bonus if you can spend the $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
The card does come with an up-to-$100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck enrollment fee credit, plus you can transfer your bonus miles to 15+ travel loyalty partners. However, be sure to compare the card to the Venture X to make sure that you’d be better off with the more affordable option.
Read our full review of the Capital One Venture Card for more details.
Application link: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
American Express® Gold Card
JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus
Earning rate (terms apply)
Annual fee
60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
4 points per dollar on restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
3 points per dollar on flights purchased directly with the airline or at amextravel.com.
1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.
$250 (see rates and fees).
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome bonus ($1,200 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up to $10 per month in Uber Cash for U.S. rides and Uber Eats (up to $120 value annually).*
Up to $10 per month in dining credits at participating restaurants (up to $120 value annually).*
* Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Net first-year value: $1,190
The Amex Gold Card (also available in the popular Rose Gold version) is one of the best cards out there for foodies because of its earning structure and two food-focused perks. I easily get more than $1,000 in value from my card each year just from the points I earn on spending. Keep in mind that you could potentially be targeted for an even more valuable welcome offer (up to 75,000 points) through the CardMatch Tool, although offers are subject to change at any time.
Read our full review of the Amex Gold for more details.
Application link: Amex Gold Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus
Earning rate
Annual fee
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
5 points per dollar on Lyft rides and travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
3 points per dollar on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out) and on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
2 points per dollar on all other travel.
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
$95.
Quantifiable benefits:
Welcome bonus ($1,200 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up to $50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Ultimate Rewards.
Net first-year value: $1,155
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best cards for beginners — it comes with an excellent sign-up bonus and a low annual fee. Additionally, you’ll have access to a 25% redemption bonus on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
Note that you’ll also receive a 10% points bonus on your cardmember anniversary based on the total amount you spent in the previous year. However, since the value of this perk depends on your spending activity, it’s not included in the above calculation.
Read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred for more details.
Application link: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Bottom line
Many popular travel credit cards can get you well over $1,000 in value in just the first year of card membership. While I’ve listed out the dollar values of perks and benefits where I can, there are a lot of perks and benefits that cards offer that are more subjective.
If you have a card where you spend a lot each year within its bonus categories, you can easily get more than $1,000 in value from a card just based on spending alone. Conversely, suppose you aren’t taking full advantage of benefits offered by a card (such as lounge access, yearly statement credits or elite status perks). In that case, you could get less value from a specific card because it’s not suited to your needs.
Hopefully, this gives you a starting point to see which cards offer $1,000 or more in value in the first year to those who can use the card’s benefits.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox, Ethan Steinberg and Juan Ruiz.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass card, click here.