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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
Premium credit cards vs. mid-tier credit cards: Which should you get?
Featured image by HINTERHAUS PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES
Ryan is a former TPG credit cards writer who has been around points and miles for several years and has published content at Miles to Memories, AwardWallet and The Points Guy. His wife joins him on many of his trips, and they enjoy snowboarding, diving, and seeing animals in the wild. When not traveling, Ryan is probably answering questions from his family about how he travels so much and whether this points & miles stuff is illegal.
Emily Thompson specializes in beginner content as a credit cards editor. She taps into her prior experience as a high school English teacher to help others demystify credit scores and unlock experiences that credit card rewards can make possible.
also contributed to this story
May 19, 2025 • 17 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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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.
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Quick summary
The article compares mid-tier and premium travel credit cards, highlighting their core benefits and tradeoffs.
Premium cards generally offer extensive perks like lounge access, travel credits and enhanced protections, but come with higher annual costs.
Mid-tier cards provide valuable credits and rewards, often in everyday spending categories, at a lower price point but with fewer luxury benefits.
The guide outlines how to assess which card type aligns best with your travel habits and spending patterns.
What to consider
Some offers and benefits mentioned may no longer be available; always check current terms before applying.
Premium cards often require maximizing multiple credits and perks to justify their higher costs, while mid-tier cards offer simpler value propositions.
Eligibility for certain perks or credits may require advance enrollment or specific booking channels.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed side-by-side comparisons of benefits, credits and earning structures across leading mid-tier and premium travel cards.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Broadly speaking, there are three types of credit cards: entry-level (often with low or no annual fees), mid-tier ($100-$300 in annual fees) and premium ($400 or more).
So, how exactly are mid-tier credit cards unique? What do they offer to justify their annual fees, and what do they lack when compared to their premium counterparts?
In this guide, we’ll compare the most popular premium and mid-tier cards from American Express, Capital One and Chase. (We've excluded Citi because while the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a popular mid-tier travel card, its luxury sibling — the Citi Prestige® Card — is no longer available to new applicants.)
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
American Express mid-tier vs. premium cards
In its vast card portfolio, American Express offers The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card and the American Express® Classic Green Card (no longer accepting applications). Here’s how they’re similar and different:
Amex Platinum Card
Amex Gold Card
Amex Classic Green Card
Annual fee
$895 (see rates and fees)
$325 (see rates and fees)
$150
Welcome offer
Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $12,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
The card is no longer accepting applications, therefore it does not have a welcome offer.
A variety of statement credits per calendar year, including up to $200 in airline incidental credits, up to $600 in hotel credits (up to $300 biannual) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings made through Amex Travel (minimum two-night stay required at The Hotel Collection†), up to $200 in Uber Cash for U.S. spending (up to $15 each month, up to an additional $20 in December; can be used with Uber Eats; Amex Platinum Card must be added to the Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), Up to a $120 statement credit for Uber One that fully covers an auto-renewing $96 annual or $9.99 monthly membership, up to $219 in reimbursement for your Clear+ membership fee as a statement credit (subject to auto-renewal) and reimbursement for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee as a statement credit ($120 for Global Entry every four years or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4½ years)
Travel protections and shopping protections
Enrollment is required in advance for select benefits. †Eligible charges vary by property.
Up to $120 in Uber Cash per calendar year for U.S. spending (which can be used with Uber Eats; Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Gold as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card; up to $10 each month)
Up to $100 in Resy statement credits per calendar year (up to $50 biannually) at U.S. Resy restaurants or toward other eligible Resy purchases
Up to $84 in Dunkin’ statement credits per calendar year (up to $7 each month) at U.S. Dunkin' locations
Travel and shopping protections
Enrollment is required in advance for some benefits.
Up to $219 statement credit toward your annual Clear+ membership fee every calendar year (subject to auto-renewal)
Travel protections and shopping protections
Enrollment is required in advance for some benefits.
Earning rates
5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines and with American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 of these purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
5 points per dollar on prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Travel
1 point per dollar on other purchases
5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™
4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines, amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
2 points per dollar spent on car rentals booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
2 points per dollar spent on cruises booked on amextravel.com
1 point per dollar on other purchases
3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.)
3 points per dollar on travel and transit
1 point per dollar on other purchases
Credit score required
Good to excellent^
Good to excellent^
Good to excellent^
* Based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations; valuations are not provided by the card issuer. **When traveling on same-day Delta flights; eligible Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per Eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight
^ Based on TPG’s research and not provided by the card issuer.
The information for the Amex Classic Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you’re looking for a card stacked with benefits and perks, you can stop scrolling — you’ve found it in the Amex Platinum.
Cardmembers who take advantage of all the annual perks and benefits on the Amex Platinum will realize that this card is well worth its annual fee in the right hands.
THE POINTS GUY
It’s also among the best cards for buying airfare and paying the taxes and fees on your award flights. You’ll earn 5 points per dollar on those purchases (up to $500,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and also enjoy travel and purchase protections that apply when paying with your card.
Still, these perks come at a cost: a hefty annual fee of $895. If you can maximize the value this card offers, that annual fee is easily justified. But if not, you’ll likely prefer one of Amex’s more affordable options.
With an annual fee of $325, this card falls somewhere between the mid-tier and luxury card categories and doesn’t have a clear competitor from other issuers. But no matter how you classify it, this card offers up to $424 in annual value for those who can maximize the monthly Uber Cash benefit and credits for select dining merchants, easily offsetting the card’s annual fee.
Plus, Amex Gold cardmembers still earn a respectable 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines, amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App. Based on TPG’s May 2025 valuations, that’s a 6% return on spending.
The versatility of the Amex Classic Green is what so many people like about it.
It comes with an up to $219 Clear+ statement credit every calendar year to fully cover the cost of your Clear membership (subject to auto-renewal; enrollment required), which more than justifies the annual fee alone.
THE POINTS GUY
Earning categories on the Amex Classic Green Card are also strong. Cardmembers earn 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar on broadly defined travel and commuting categories, plus 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and 3 points per dollar on takeout and delivery in the U.S.
The Capital One premium credit card is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and its mid-tier counterpart is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Capital One Venture X
Capital One Venture Rewards
Annual fee
$395
$95
Welcome offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
The Venture X clearly offers more benefits than its cheaper counterpart. If you’re looking for perks like lounge access, cellphone protection and an annual travel credit, this is a card that offers all of that — and more.
According to TPG’s valuations, the combination of the anniversary bonus miles and annual travel credit is worth more than the cost of the annual fee.
THE POINTS GUY
The card’s earning rates aren’t bad, but you need to book your travel through a portal to maximize these rates. Even so, 5 to 10 miles per dollar on most travel bookings is definitely a great return on spending.
Learn More: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The argument for the Venture Rewards
The best argument for Venture Rewards against Venture X is that its annual fee is $300 lower.
THE POINTS GUY
While you won’t get benefits like unlimited lounge access, you will get reimbursement for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee — a solid perk for a much lower annual fee.
Learn More: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Chase mid-tier vs. premium cards
Chase’s premium credit card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and its popular sibling is the mid-tier Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees).
Sapphire Reserve
Sapphire Preferred
Annual fee
$550
$95
Welcome offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, a concierge service and access to The Edit by Chase Travel℠ hotel collection
At least one year of complimentary DashPass membership with DoorDash (activate by Dec. 31, 2027) and up to $10 savings per month on non-restaurant DoorDash orders
Primary rental car coverage, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase protection and extended warranty protection
Earning rates
10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Chase Travel§
While the Sapphire Reserve's $550 annual fee seems high at first, consider that you get $300 in travel credits that apply automatically to a broadly defined concept of what counts as travel.
Moreover, perks like reimbursing your application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and complimentary food and drinks in airport lounges can bring that annual fee down to very little — or could make it effectively $0.
Sapphire Preferred cardholders still get a great number of travel protections to help when something goes wrong during a trip.
On top of that, there’s a $50 hotel credit to use each year and a 10% points bonus on your cardmember anniversary each year. This card’s potential value here can’t be understated.
THE POINTS GUY
And despite the fact that the Sapphire Preferred carries just a $95 annual fee, it still has strong earning categories. It earns highly on dining, streaming services and online grocery orders — categories where many spend regularly.
In this guide, we compared the top premium credit cards and mid-tier credit cards. This way, you can see how they’re similar and how they’re different while earning while earning similar rewards from the same issuer.
On the one hand, seeing a ton of perks and benefits attached to a credit card can be enticing. On the other hand, people see the high annual fees on premium credit cards and question whether those annual fees are worth it.
After looking through these comparisons, there should be something that works for your wallet based on your travel style, travel goals and spending habits.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, 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.
