Although this guide is about credit cards for people in their thirties, there’s no objective “best” card for anyone based on their age. That’s because everyone has different lifestyles, redemption goals, credit history and cards already in their wallet. The best credit card for me is probably different from the best credit card for you.
Most of the cards included in this guide include benefits or bonus categories that are well suited for the average traveler in their thirties, though travelers in other age groups may also find significant value from these cards.
Let’s take a look and see what cards might be best for you if you’re in that age range.
Citi Strata Premier Card
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees) has a number of mid-tier earnings rates and perks that can make it worth the while for thirty-something cardholders.
Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 ThankYou points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.*
*You can earn 75,000 bonus points by applying directly through Citi.com rather than the 70,000 points available through TPG’s affiliate link. We are committed to our readers getting the highest bonus available.
Annual fee: $95 (see rates and fees)
Rewards: 10 ThankYou points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal, plus 3 points per dollar on purchases in the following categories:
- Air travel
- Hotels
- Gas stations
- EV charging
- Supermarkets
- Restaurants (including takeout)
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The card also earns 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Other benefits: $100 annual hotel credit off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com, World Elite Mastercard benefits, access to Citi Entertainment and more.
Who should sign up? If you tend to spend on things like gas or travel, you can quickly earn enough points to justify the Citi Premier’s $95 annual fee. The card’s current welcome bonus makes signing up now particularly worthwhile.
Read our full review of the Strata Premier here.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great choice for anyone just starting out with transferable travel points.
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $95
Rewards: 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (through March 2025), 5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points), 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar spent on all travel not booked through the Chase Travel portal and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
Other benefits: Annual statement credit of up to $50 on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus each year, one year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership and more.
Who should sign up: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent card for almost everyone thanks to solid earnings on travel and restaurant purchases as well as its shopping and travel protections.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with a number of valuable airline and hotel transfer partners and offers a solid return on everyday spending.
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on the card within the first three months of account opening, plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit upon account opening.
Annual fee: $95
Rewards: 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases.
Other benefits: A statement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years, access to extended warranty protection and travel accident insurance, no foreign transaction fees and more.
Who should sign-up: The Capital One Venture Card can be great for beginners — especially if you prefer the simplicity of having one card for everything. One of the best parts of the Venture Rewards card is that you can easily redeem your miles at a fixed value of one cent each toward recently booked travel, new travel or gift cards — which can provide excellent flexibility when award space simply isn’t available for your dates.
Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
American Express Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card is one of the best cards you can use for food purchases currently on the market — whether you’re eating out at restaurants or buying groceries.
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership, plus get 20% back on global restaurants up to $100 in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends Nov. 6, 2024.
Annual fee: $325 (see rates and fees)
Rewards: 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants on up to $50,000 per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar), 4 points per dollar spent on up to $25,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly from the airline or through amextravel.com, 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked through amextravel.com and 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
Other benefits: Some of the Amex Gold’s benefits include:
- Up to $120 annual dining statement credit each calendar year: Earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold at participating dining partners, including Five Guys, Grubhub, the Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly and Wine.com (enrollment required).
- Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash per calendar year: Earn up to $10 in Uber Cash monthly for Uber Eats and Uber rides in the U.S. You must add the card to the Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit. This perk is a monthly statement credit similar to the Uber Cash on The Platinum Card® from American Express. Just add your card to your Uber account.
- Up to $100 annual Resy statement credit each calendar year: Earn up to $100 in Resy credits. This credit is broken down into two up to $50 statement credits biannually. This perk is similar to the Resy credit available on some Delta Amex cards. Enrollment is required.
- Up to $100 in hotel credits per calendar year: Cardmembers who use their card to book a stay of two nights or more through Amex’s The Hotel Collection receive an on-site credit of up to $100 for qualifying activities. Depending on the property, this could include dining, spa treatments or other activities.
- Up to $84 annual Dunkin’ statement credit each calendar year: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold at Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment is required.
Who should sign up: The Amex Gold Card is a great option for foodies, with its earnings rates and long list of restaurant-related benefits. Even if you don’t use the statement credits or airline fee credit, you won’t need to use this card much to justify all its perks.
Apply here: American Express Gold Card
The Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express is among the cream of the crop, offering over $1,500 in annual statement credits and access to an extensive global network of airport lounges.
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees)
Rewards: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly with the airlines or through the Amex Travel portal (on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel, plus 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
Other benefits: The longest list of perks on the card market, including:
- Up to $200 in statement credits annually for incidental fees charged by one airline you select*
- Up to a $200 annual hotel credit, in the form of a statement credit, on prepaid Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with Amex Travel when you pay with your Amex Platinum (Hotel Collection stays require a two-night minimum)*
- Up to $200 annually in Uber Cash, valid on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. (split into monthly $15 credits plus a $20 bonus in December)*. Just add your card to your Uber account.
- Up to $189 in statement credits to cover your Clear Plus annual membership*
- Up to $240 in annual digital entertainment statement credit — with the exception of SiriusXM, which was removed May 8, 2024 — disbursed as up to $20 monthly statement credits when you pay for eligible purchases with the Amex Platinum at eligible partners*
- Up to $300 in annual Equinox statement credit on Equinox gym and Equinox+ app memberships (subject to auto-renewal)*
- Up to a $155 in annual statement credits that covers the cost of a monthly Walmart+ membership when paying with the Amex Platinum (on one membership, subject to auto-renewal); Plus Up excluded.
- A $100 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or an up to $85 fee credit for TSA PreCheck every 4½ years (depending on which application fee is charged to your card first)
- Up to a $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue statement credit, split into two up to $50 statement credits between January and June, then July through December*
*Enrollment required for select benefits.
Who should apply: The Amex Platinum is more of a membership card than a general spending card — so it’s certainly not for everyone. However, if you’re a frequent thirty-something traveler who can make use of its long list of statement credits and travel perks, the Amex Platinum is impossible to beat.
Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express
Other considerations
If you spend a lot of money in one particular category — such as gas, entertainment, dining, groceries or even everyday non-bonus spending — then you should look for a card that earns bonus points in that category. Don’t automatically exclude cards with an annual fee — the points, miles or cash back that you earn may more than justify the annual fee.
Even if you only stay in hotels a few times each year, it may still be worthwhile to add a hotel credit card to your wallet. Many cobranded hotel credit cards offer an annual free night credit, which can often justify the annual fee.
Finally, you might want to have a World or World Elite Mastercard in your wallet. Mastercard has included various benefits to its World and World Elite cards, including discounts on streaming services like Peacock, free delivery and discounts on services like Instacart, credits with ride-hailing services like Lyft and liability and identity theft protection.
Bottom Line
Spending habits and redemption goals can differ greatly in your thirties. Suburban parents in their thirties may incur very different expenses from single city dwellers with no kids.
The best strategy when selecting a new card is to consider the categories where you spend substantial money but aren’t currently earning bonus points, miles or cash back. Then, select a card (or cards depending on your spending habits and reward-earning goals) with bonus-earning in these categories and work toward earning a welcome bonus.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
