7 travel rewards credit cards that live up to the hype, from the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve to the $95-a-year United Explorer Card

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7 travel rewards credit cards that live up to the hype, from the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve to the $95-a-year United Explorer Card
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Crystal Cox/Business Insider

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Amex Gold card are very popular, and with good reason - they offer great bonus rewards on popular spending categories.

We're living in the golden age of rewards credit cards. Not only are there more options than ever, but there are also better choices - whether you're looking for a card that earns transferable points, airline miles, hotel points, or just cash back.

While that's great news for consumers, it also makes choosing the right card that much more difficult. If you're trying to wade through all the hype, look beyond a tempting welcome offer to a card's core perks to determine which one might be best for your needs. Here are seven fantastic rewards credit cards that are definitely worth the hype.

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back.

1. Chase Sapphire Reserve

Current welcome offer: Earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after making $4,000 in purchases in the first three months

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Annual fee: $550

Why it's worth it: Often ranked as one of the best, if not the best travel rewards credit card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve recently expanded the perks available to cardholders in an attempt to retain its pole position, despite also raising its annual fee from $450 to $550.

The new benefits include earning 10 points per dollar on Lyft rides and a year of complimentary Lyft Pink membership, which gives members 15% discounts on car rides and three fee-free cancellations per month, among other perks. Cardholders are also now eligible for up to $60 in DoorDash credits in 2020, and up to $60 again in 2021, plus the food-delivery service's DashPass membership, which waives delivery fees and reduces service fees.

The card continues to offer other outstanding benefits like up to a $100 statement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application once every four years, earning 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel and dining worldwide, and access to Priority Pass lounges at airports around the world for the cardholder and up to two guests for free. Don't forget about the $300 in statement credits each cardmember year toward a broad range of travel purchases, either.

The Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned with this card are especially useful and can be transferred to 10 airline partners including JetBlue and United, as well as three hotel groups including Hyatt and Marriott. They get a value of 1.5 cents apiece when redeemed directly for travel through the Chase portal, too. The card also offers one of the most robust set of travel protections of any credit card, including primary rental car insurance.

Click here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve »

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2. The Platinum Card from American Express

Current welcome offer: Earn 60,000 points after spending $5,000 within three months of account opening

Annual fee: $550

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Why it's worth it: Brimming with benefits, this premium rewards card continues to be one of the best all-round options for frequent travelers with a taste for luxury.

Every year, it will reimburse cardholders up to $200 for airline incidental fees like checked bags, plus up to $200 for Uber rides spread out over the year. They receive access to Amex Centurion lounges, Priority Pass lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), and get up to a $100 statement credit to refund Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees. Cardholders can also score value-added perks by booking hotel stays through Amex's Fine Hotels & Resorts program, enjoy significant discounts on premium airfares through its International Airline Program, and get into exclusive By Invitation Only events like a private dinner at the world's top-ranked restaurants.

The card earns 5 points per dollar on airfare booked through Amex Travel or directly with airlines as well as on prepaid hotel stays booked through Amex Travel, then 2x on other travel booked through Amex, like cruises or vacation packages. Amex Membership Rewards points currently transfer to 19 airline partners including Delta and British Airways, plus three hotels including Hilton and Marriott.

Click here to learn more about the Amex Platinum card »

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3. American Express Gold Card

Current welcome offer: Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first three months

Annual fee: $250

Why it's worth it: This card's two main selling points are the annual statement credits it offers. Cardholders can designate a carrier each year on which they will be eligible for up to $100 back on airline incidental fees such as seat assignments and lounge passes. They also receive up to $120 in dining credits each year, spaced out as $10 per month when using their card to pay for purchases with Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. If you dine out at all or use food delivery services, it's not hard to maximize this benefit.

The Amex Gold card accrues 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus 4 points per dollar at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per year (then 1 point per dollar). It earns 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com, making it a good choice for airfare - especially because the card recently added trip-delay reimbursement of up to $500 that kicks in after 12 hours.

Click here to learn more about the Amex Gold card »

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Crystal Cox/Business Insider

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4. United Explorer Card

Current welcome offer: Earn 60,000 miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months

Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)

Why it's worth it: This card is an excellent choice not just for United flyers but for frequent travelers in general because it earns 2x miles not just on United purchases, but also at restaurants and hotels. It earns 1 mile per dollar on everything else. Cardholders get access to expanded award availability, which means potential discounts of thousands of miles on tickets. They also receive free checked bags, priority boarding, and a 25% discount on in-flight food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases. It's a good choice for international travel since it waives foreign transaction fees.

The United Explorer card's other outstanding perk is the fact that it will reimburse cardholders up to $100 for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every four years, which is incredible for a card with a $95 annual fee.

Click here to learn more about the United Explorer card »

Delta Reserve 4x3Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

5. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Current welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $5,000 on the card in the first three months. Earn another 20,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of cardmembership. This offer is only available until April 1.

Annual fee: $550

Why it's worth it: Delta and Amex recently revamped the benefits of their co-branded credit cards, including this excellent option. It now earns 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and will reimburse cardholders up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years (4.5 for PreCheck). The card gets members into Delta Sky Clubs and Amex Centurion Lounges when they're flying Delta and provides them with two Sky Club one-time guest passes per year. It also opens up the opportunity for complimentary upgrades to non-elites and comes with an annual companion ticket benefit good for domestic travel in both economy and first class.

Its other standout perk is that it lets cardholders get pretty far up the elite-status chain simply by spending on it. They earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) for hitting $30,000, $60,000, $90,000 and $120,000 in purchases in a calendar year up to a total potential of 60,000 MQMs, which is more than enough for Gold Medallion status.

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Click here to learn more about the Delta Reserve card »

6. Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express

Current welcome offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of cardmembership

Annual fee: $450

Why it's worth it: Ever since its launch a few years ago, this premium Hilton Honors card has been one of the most popular hotel rewards cards on the market. It makes up for its high annual fee with a panoply of value-added perks.

Cardholders are eligible for annual credits worth up to $250 at Hilton Resorts and $250 for airline fees, plus $100 on-property credits for stays of two nights or more at luxurious Conrad and Waldorf Astoria hotels. Cardholders receive Priority Pass Select lounge access, and enjoy top-tier Diamond status, with benefits like room upgrades and free breakfast at most properties. They also receive a free weekend night to use at practically any Hilton property around the world each calendar year and can earn a second one by spending $60,000 more on purchases in a year.

The card racks up a whopping 14 points per dollar on eligible Hilton purchases; 7x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, car rentals and at US restaurants; and 3x on everything else.

Click here to learn more about the Hilton Honors Aspire card »

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7. Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card

Current welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening

Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)

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Why it's worth it: After years of being asked, "what's in your wallet?" maybe it's finally time to concede that this all-round excellent rewards card should be. Like many of the other cards on this list, it waives foreign transaction fees and will reimburse cardholders up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck applications periodically. It also earns a flat 2 miles per dollar on all purchases.

These miles can be redeemed for travel and other purchases at a rate of one cent apiece, or transferred at various ratios to the program's 15 relatively new airline partners including Air Canada Aeroplan and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Plus, Capital one just added two hotel partners: Accor and Wyndham.

Click here to learn more about the Capital One Venture Rewards card »

Although many travel rewards cards offer flashy sign-up bonuses and over-the-top perks, it can be hard to find ones that actually live up to the hype. To find the right one for your needs, look at your travel habits and goals, and analyze the benefits you are most likely to use. Pick a credit card that will help you maximize your everyday spending and whose benefits will add up to more value than its annual fee. The seven cards above are great examples of products that do just that, but there are more out there.

See Business Insider's list of the best rewards credit cards »

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.

Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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