The 13 credit cards that earned a spot 'In Your Wallet' for the 2026 TPG Awards
The credit card landscape has changed meaningfully over the past year, from refreshed premium benefits to expanding transfer partnerships. For the 2026 TPG Awards, the "In Your Wallet" category highlights the 13 credit cards and loyalty ecosystems that delivered the most real-world value to consumers and travelers this past year.
In 2025, lounges got more upscale, perks got even more "couponified" and the timing and execution of card rollouts proved a sticking point. Against that backdrop, some familiar winners held their spots, and several new categories help explain where the card market is headed next.
Below is a quick scan of this year's winners, followed by context on why each card earned its place.
2026 In Your Wallet winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
Airline Credit Card of the Year | |
Best Credit Card Travel Portal | |
Best New Business Credit Card | |
Best New Personal Credit Card | |
Best New Transfer Partnership | |
Business Credit Card of the Year | |
Cash-Back Credit Card of the Year | |
Flexible Rewards Credit Card of the Year | |
Hotel Credit Card of the Year | |
Lounge Access Credit Card of the Year | |
No-Annual-Fee Credit Card of the Year | |
Premium Card of the Year | |
Travel Rewards Credit Card of the Year |
New awards and where the market is heading
Five new categories debut this year, reflecting how much effort issuers are putting into revamping existing products and launching new ones.
Best New Personal Credit Card: Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card
Atmos Rewards' big splash into the premium card market came with a clear pitch for frequent travelers, especially those spending abroad. The Summit earns 3 points per dollar spent on foreign transactions, which is a unique, valuable win for jetsetters and those who spend extended periods of time outside the U.S.
It also stacks tangible travel perks, including a 25,000-point Global Companion Award and a fast track to Atmos Rewards status. Put together, the value proposition made the Summit the obvious winner, especially for travelers who can maximize the certificate and earning rates when traveling abroad.
Best New Business Credit Card: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business
Chase launched the Sapphire Reserve for Business in June 2025, bringing Sapphire-style perks and valuable redemption opportunities into a premium business product. The launch marked a clear strategic shift: Chase is now targeting business owners who travel frequently, not just high spenders chasing leisure category earning bonuses.
Flexible Rewards Credit Card of the Year: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Venture X won because of the variety of ways cardholders can redeem their miles, from simple, fixed-rate options (like erasing recent travel purchases) to a list of transfer partners that help cardholders maximize value. Importantly, the card also offers premium-style benefits at a price point consumers keep proving they want. Its $395 annual fee is less than half of what the Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum charge, and it remains easy to justify year after year thanks to a straightforward travel credit and a strong everyday earning rate.
However, the competitive landscape is changing, with the newly launched Bilt Palladium Card (see rates and fees) emerging as the closest direct threat for "premium value without the premium pain" and an array of redemption options for Bilt Cash.
Best New Transfer Partnership: Citi ThankYou Rewards to American Airlines AAdvantage
Citi ThankYou Rewards making American Airlines AAdvantage an ongoing transfer partner was huge. Citi brought back American Airlines transfers in late July 2025, giving ThankYou Rewards points holders (including those holding select no-annual-fee cards) a direct path to one of the top U.S. airline programs. Citi and American also offered a limited-time transfer opportunity in 2021, but this ongoing option has changed the card strategy for many loyal American Airlines flyers.
Best Credit Card Travel Portal: Capital One Travel
Now that issuers are leaning hard into portals, Capital One Travel earned this award for two reasons: It is easy to use and it protects travelers. The portal offers price prediction, price matching and price drop protection on eligible bookings, which are exactly the kind of practical features that turn the portal into somewhere you actually want to book your flights.
The race is on for American Express, Chase and Citi, and the next year should be especially interesting as portals become a bigger battleground.
Core wallet staples that continue to stand out
Some categories remain timeless, serving as the foundation of most travelers' credit card setups.
Travel Rewards Credit Card of the Year: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Sapphire Preferred returns as the winner of the best all-round travel rewards credit card for a record-setting eighth year in a row because it remains the go-to mid-tier travel rewards credit card. It hits the sweet spot for many travelers who want flexible redemptions and strong protections without paying a high annual fee.
The category is crowded, but the Preferred keeps winning on the basics: strong earning rates, a competitive welcome offer and a rewards program that is still easy to understand and get value from.
Cash-Back Credit Card of the Year: Citi Double Cash Card
The Citi Double Cash Card has no annual fee and offers 2% back on all purchases*, continuing to set the standard for cash-back cards. It adds extra value when paired with an eligible Citi Strata card since cash back can be converted into transferable Citi ThankYou Rewards points. It is also a repeat winner from the previous year, which tells you how hard it is to beat a flat 2% rate that is easy to understand and maximize.
*Earn 1% when you buy and an additional 1% when you pay for your purchase.
No-Annual-Fee Credit Card of the Year: Wells Fargo Autograph Card
The often-overlooked Autograph is a no-annual-fee card with strong bonus categories, access to Wells Fargo's growing transfer partner roster, minimum 1-cent-per-point redemptions and useful extras like cellphone protection. Meanwhile, the previous year's winner, the Bilt Mastercard® (no longer available), faced its own transition story as its issuer relationship changed, making the Autograph feel like the steadier, simpler call for a broader audience.
The information for the Bilt Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Business and cobranded cards that still earn their place
These categories tightened up this year, with airline and hotel cards under growing pressure to deliver value that feels tangible.
Business Credit Card of the Year: Capital One Venture X Business
The Venture X Business won because it combines lounge access, strong earning rates and premium perks with a $395 annual fee that still feels reasonable in today's premium business card market. The generous welcome offer grabs attention, but the high spending requirement makes it clear that this is a card designed for established businesses, not casual side hustles.
Airline Credit Card of the Year: Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
Southwest Airlines' program changes knocked its leading card out of the running this year, opening the door for a card that leans into what many travelers now prioritize: reliable airline lounge access. As issuer lounges grow more crowded and Priority Pass access goes even more mainstream, dedicated airline lounge entry has regained appeal.
The Citi / AAdvantage Executive won for its Admirals Club access, strong day-of-travel perks and one of the better authorized user policies in the category, ultimately proving more compelling for many frequent American Airlines flyers.
Hotel Credit Card of the Year: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
The Hilton Aspire continues to outshine competitors in the premium hotel card space. Automatic (almost top-tier) elite status, strong earning rates and a Hilton benefits mix that can still deliver outsize value helped it retain the top spot. The Aspire is also a repeat winner from the previous year, underscoring how consistently it performs in a hotel card market that has become increasingly competitive.
Lounges, lounges and more lounges
Lounge Access Credit Card of the Year: American Express Platinum Card
This award is backed by data, and the story is clear: Capital One and Chase are closing the gap year over year, but American Express still wins on access and footprint (as it did at the previous year's awards).
Centurion Lounges prove a major advantage (especially in the U.S.), and the Platinum's access to Delta Sky Clubs is still a key differentiator for many travelers. As lounges become more central to the premium travel value proposition, this category is only getting more competitive with issuers rushing to snap up space in new and redeveloped airport terminals.
Premium card of the year (and why a clean refresh matters)
Premium Card of the Year: American Express Platinum Card
The Platinum took top honors this year largely because its refresh was more positively received than the Sapphire Reserve's overhaul. Timing and execution mattered: Chase launched refreshed Sapphire Reserve benefits for new applicants in June 2025 but left existing cardholders waiting four more months for access to most of them. By contrast, the Platinum's September 2025 changes were available to existing cardholders immediately (as should be reasonably expected). In a premium category where reliability now matters as much as perks, American Express' clear messaging and consistency helped it pull ahead.
Bottom line
The 13 winners in the 2026 In Your Wallet category reflect what actually matters when spending and traveling: comfortable lounges, usable credits and valuable transfer partners. Some cards won by staying steady where others added friction.
The message is clear: Value still exists, but it is no longer as straightforward to extract. The upside is that issuers are competing harder than ever, and the gap between "best" and "next best" is shrinking — to our benefit.
Every year, the TPG Awards honor excellence in credit cards, loyalty programs and travel. Please click here to read more about our winner-selection process and methodology for the 2026 TPG Awards.