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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
6 cards that get you more than $1,000 in value every year
Stella is a full-time writer with expertise in credit cards, points and miles, and all things travel. She is a journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and previously worked as a copywriter at JetBlue Airways and as a credit cards writer at LendingTree.
March 28, 2022 • 10 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Several travel rewards cards can deliver over $1,000 in annual value through quantifiable benefits, not including introductory bonuses.
Key benefits include recurring statement credits, automatic elite hotel status, and annual reward nights, all of which can offset costs for frequent travelers.
The article evaluates cards based on tangible, easily valued perks, excluding subjective benefits like lounge access.
Maximizing value requires tracking and utilizing all available credits and benefits throughout the year.
What to consider
Some benefits require enrollment or specific actions to activate, and not all perks may be relevant to every cardholder.
Valuations for elite status and rewards are based on TPG's estimates as of June 2024 and may vary by individual usage.
Certain offers mentioned in the article are no longer available.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of which cards provide the highest ongoing value and how to quantify the benefits for your travel style.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
There are many reasons to open travel rewards credit cards — and to keep them in your wallet. While introductory welcome bonuses can provide tons of value initially, you’ll want to make sure that you can justify paying any applicable annual fees for years to come.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of six credit cards that provide tangible benefits of more than $1,000 in value every year — without factoring in the value of the current welcome offer.
Methodology
To find cards that present $1,000-plus in value, here are the four major factors I took into consideration:
Annual statement credits: I considered recurring travel, dining or other lifestyle-type credits that come on the card.
Automatic elite status: I used TPG’s valuations of elite status if a card offers it as a cardholder benefit.
Quantifiable perks and benefits: I’ll only include easily quantifiable benefits that can be assigned a value.
Annual fee: Only cards with $1,000-plus in value after the cost of the annual fee made the cut.
Of course, this isn’t a perfect science, as many benefits can’t be assigned a clear-cut dollar value. Take, for instance, the Global Lounge Collection on The Platinum Card® from American Express. The value of this benefit will vary depending on the type of traveler you are, so I’ve excluded perks like this from my calculations.
That said, if you are a frequent flyer who loves visiting Centurion Lounges — and aren't put off by recent crowding issues — then you’ll get even find more value than what’s listed below.
The other thing to keep in mind is that you’ll have to leverage each of these benefits to their fullest to squeeze as much value as possible, and that can involve keeping track of monthly, biannual and annual credits — so there’s a bit of legwork. However, it can be more than worthwhile when you consider the savings.
Let’s get started.
Cards that provide $1,000-plus in ongoing value
Card
Annual fee
Ongoing value (after the annual fee)
The Platinum Card® from American Express
$695 (see rates & fees).
$3,299.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
$450 (see rates & fees).
$3,075.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
$695 (see rates & fees).
$2,834.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
$450 (see rates & fees).
$1,115.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
$95 annual fee (see rates & fees).
$1,160.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
$99.
$1,006.
The information for the Hilton Honors 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.
Up to $300 in Equinox statement credits annually.*
Up to $300 in SoulCycle statement credits annually.*
Up to $100 in annual Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits, awarded semi-annually.*
Up to $100 for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee every four years — so we’ll value this at $25 per year.
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.
Ongoing value: $3,299 (after the $695 annual fee).
The Amex Platinum offers the most exhaustive list of statement credits of almost any card out there. While you likely will not use every credit, it’s still easy to get more than $1,000 in value from the card every year.
Ongoing value: $3,175 (after the $450 annual fee).
The Hilton Honors Aspire is a must-have for Hilton loyalists. It comes with automatic Diamond status, getting you benefits such as space-available room upgrades, a 100% bonus on base points and breakfast (or an on-property credit in the U.S.). Even though all travelers may not reach the full value from Diamond status, plenty of other statement credits justify the $450 annual fee.
In our calculations, we didn’t even factor in the Priority Pass lounge membership (enrollment is required) and the free night certificate that comes with the card (with the potential of earning another award night after spending $60,000 on the card in a calendar year).
Up to $100 for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee every four years — so we’ll calculate this as $25 per year.
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.
Ongoing value: $2,834 (after the $695 annual fee).
If you’re a business owner, the Amex Business Platinum offers an assortment of statement credits intended to help offset your business operating expenses. With a few travel-related benefits — not to mention Centurion Lounge access — you shouldn’t have trouble finding several thousand dollars of value.
Official application link: Amex Business Platinum.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex
(Photo by Eden Batki/The Points Guy) Quantifiable benefits:
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status ($840 value, according to TPG valuations).
Up to $300 annual statement credit on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program.*
Annual free night award — up to 50,000 points ($400 value) for use at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Up-to-$100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years — so we’ll calculate this as $25 per year.
*Enrollment required for select benefits.
Ongoing value: $1,115.
With thousands of Marriott Bonvoy properties to choose from, most travelers should be able to maximize the value of the various credits and the free night award found on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card. With automatic Gold elite status and a pathway to Platinum elite status, this is the card you’ll want if you’re looking for hotel benefits.
Official application link: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex.
Hilton Honors Surpass
(Photo by Wyatt Smith/The Points Guy)
Quantifiable benefits:
Complimentary Hilton Gold elite status ($1,255 value, according to TPG valuations).
Ongoing value: $1,160 (after the ongoing $95 annual fee).
While the only quantifiable benefit of the Hilton Honors Surpass is the complimentary Gold elite status, it’s still an impressive offering considering the low ongoing $95 annual fee. It’s also worth noting that the card comes with 10 annual Priority Pass lounge visits and the opportunity to earn a free night certificate by spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Official application link: Hilton Honors Surpass.
IHG One Rewards Premier
(Photo by The Points Guy)
Quantifiable benefits:
Complimentary IHG Platinum elite status ($880 value, according to TPG valuations).
Anniversary reward night — up to 40,000 points ($200 value).
Up-to-$100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years — so we’ll calculate this as $25 per year.
Ongoing value: $1,006 (after the $99 annual fee).
While IHG tends to fly under the radar compared to other popular hotel chains, there’s still tons of value to be found with this brand, and this card. With an $99 annual fee, automatic Platinum elite status, an anniversary reward night and more, it’s easy to extract more than $1,000 in value from the IHG Rewards Club Premier card.
The card was also recently refreshed with higher earning rates and the ability to top off your reward night with an unlimited number of points — providing even more flexibility for cardholders.
Official application link: IHG Rewards Club Premier.
Bottom line
If your biggest concern is finding value beyond the first year, refer back to this list when applying for your next credit card. The options above come with substantial benefits that most cardholders can maximize to lock in a tremendous amount of value every year.
Official application link: Amex Platinum.
Official application link: Amex Business Platinum.
Official application link: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.
Official application link: Hilton Honors Surpass.
Official application link: IHG One Rewards Club Premier.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire, click here. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Surpass, click here.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
