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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.
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Here are the credit cards that were honored at last night's TPG Awards
Nick Ewen is TPG's editor-in-chief and helps readers leverage credit cards (he has more than 25 of them) and loyalty programs to travel more for less. He's been at TPG for over 11 years.
December 10, 2019 • 12 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 2019 TPG Awards recognized top travel providers, credit cards and loyalty programs based on over 100,000 reader votes.
Awards were given across categories such as premium travel cards, travel rewards, no-annual-fee options, business cards, airline and hotel cobranded cards and transferable point currencies.
Several products defended their titles from the previous year, while others saw new winners emerge.
Notable perks highlighted included flexible travel credits, lounge access and valuable redemption options with travel partners.
What to consider
Some offers mentioned in the article are no longer available.
Eligibility, benefits and fees vary by product, with some cards offering flexible credits and others providing elite status or annual certificates.
Certain products underwent benefit changes or fee adjustments during the year, which may affect ongoing value.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of the specific products and features that earned top honors in each award category, plus insights into the voting process and notable benefit changes.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The 2019 TPG Awards are in the books, and the second annual ceremony was an incredible evening. From the special honors for Beverley Bass and Katherine Johnson to memorable appearances from Selene Saavedra Roman and Amin from Rainbow Railroad, it was a night to remember.
Of course, the main focus of the ceremony was recognizing the best travel providers, credit cards and loyalty programs in 2019, many of which were chosen directly by you, our TPG readers. In fact, over 100,000 votes were cast this year, with some winners defending their titles from last year and others dethroning the 2018 honoree.
So ... which credit cards took home honors at this year's event? If you weren't following along on Instagram, here's a recap.
For a rundown of travel and loyalty award winners, check out this recap post.
Best Premium Travel Credit Card
This year's best premium card is a familiar one for many readers.
Before the Sapphire Reserve launched in 2016, the Sapphire Preferred was the go-to card for many award travelers, and TPG readers recognized it as the Best Travel Rewards Credit Card (annual fee of <$300) for the second straight year. It carries just a $95 annual fee but still offers 2x points on travel and 3x points on dining purchases, plus many of the same protections as its more expensive brethren. Your Chase points are worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed directly for travel in the Chase portal, but they're also transferable to all Ultimate Rewards partner programs.
Current welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
The Freedom Unlimited defended its title as the best card with no annual fee. (Photo by Isabelle Raphael / The Points Guy)
Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase completed a sweep of the major card awards for the second year in a row, with readers picking the Chase Freedom Unlimited as the best card with no annual fee. The card by itself offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, but you can get a ton of additional value by pairing it with one of the Sapphire cards above. That's because you can combine all of your Ultimate Rewards points in the account that offers the best redemption options, so you can effectively convert the cash-back earnings on the Freedom Unlimited into fully-transferable points. Based on TPG's most recent valuations, that represents a return of 3% on every single purchase — a main reason why it's a part of my perfect Chase quartet and also makes for an ideal beginner's pairing with the Sapphire Preferred.
Current welcome offer: Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (though if you also have the Sapphire Reserve or Sapphire Preferred, this can be converted into 15,000 Ultimate Rewards points).
The Chase Sapphire Reserve took the award for the best premium card, so it's not surprising that one of the most popular benefits of the card defended its crown as the Best Credit Card Perk. The $300 travel credit is just that: an automatic, $300 statement credit every card membership year for any travel purchase. There are many cards that offer these credits, but the Sapphire Reserve's version is typically regarded as the most flexible and easiest to use. My annual fee hit on Nov. 1 this year, and I've already received my full credit — which was automatically applied to purchases that included tolls in my home state of Florida, a Sheraton stay, an Uber ride and a Southwest flight.
Current welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Marriott's new, no-annual-fee card was a surprise winner in this category. (Photo by Eric Helgas / The Points Guy)
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
This year saw the launch of a number of new cards and also included some notable changes to existing cards, and TPG readers selected the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card as the best of the bunch. The no-annual-fee offering from Chase earns 3 points per dollar spent at participating Marriott properties plus 2x points on travel purchases. You'll enjoy 15 elite credits every year (good for automatic Marriott Silver Elite status) and will pay no foreign transaction fees — a relative rarity for a card with no annual fee.
Current welcome offer: Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Amex Business Platinum was another repeat winner this year, taking home honors for the best business card.
Winner: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Small business owners have an array of business cards from which to choose, and when the votes were tallied this year, The Business Platinum Card from American Express took home the honor for Best Business Credit Card (a title it also won last year). While it does carry a $595 annual fee (see rates and fees), you'll enjoy an incredible array of perks in exchange — including 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel, a 35% rebate when you use Pay With Points for flights, lounge access to American Express' Global Lounge Collection, automatic Gold status with both Hilton and Marriott, and annual statement credits for airline fees along with Dell technology purchases. Enrollment required for select benefits.
Current welcome offer: 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Winner: Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express
Airline credit cards come in many shapes and sizes, but TPG readers voted for a premium one as the Best Cobranded Airline Credit Card of 2019: the Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express. These high-end cards are typically best for frequent travelers, but any semi-regular Delta flyer could get some fantastic value from the card thanks to its annual companion ticket, access to Delta Sky Clubs and perks when flying Delta — including free checked bags, priority boarding and discounts on in-flight purchases.
Note that this card is adding new travel protections as of Jan. 1 and then will undergo a significant overhaul of its benefits starting Jan. 30, 2020, including an annual fee increase from $450 to $550 (see rates and fees). These were announced partway through the voting process, so it'll be interesting to see if this will be bumped next year. For now, however, TPG readers felt it was the best airline card out there.
Current welcome offer: Earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months.
Marriott also took home an honor for its mid-tier card this year.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Like airline cards, there are hotel credit cards that fit just about every traveler's preferences, but TPG readers voted the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card as this year's Best Cobranded Hotel Credit Card — a new victor (the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express took home this award last year). Like all Marriott cards, you'll enjoy 15 elite night credits as a cardholder, and you'll also earn up to 17x Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. However, the most valuable perk is the annual free night certificate, which is valid for free-night stays up to 35,000 points. It's common to see some properties at the higher end of this limit to go for $200 or $300 per night, so this benefit by itself can easily cover the card's $95 annual fee.
Current welcome offer: Earn 125,000 bonus points + 1 free night (valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 in the first three months from account opening (total of up to 175,000 bonus points).
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex 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.
The final credit-card-related award was a new one for this year: Best Transferable Point Currency. While the most well-known of these programs are from card issuers, TPG readers surprisingly felt that Marriott Bonvoy deserved this honor. When Marriott and SPG integrated back in August 2018, the new program kept the legacy SPG transfer ratio to airline partners (which was 1:1 but is now 3:1 based on the rate that Starpoints converted to Marriott points). You'll also still get 5,000 bonus miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott points, and there are some cases when it makes sense to utilize this redemption option.
Bottom line
The 2019 TPG Awards included many of the same winners as last year, but it also yielded some surprises and a handful of new honorees. As mentioned at the outset, all nine of these awards were chosen entirely by TPG readers' votes. Our editorial team members were able to cast one vote apiece, just like everyone else. Over 100,000 votes were cast, and the results above reflect that voting. If your favorite card or program didn't win, hopefully it'll have better luck next year!
Want to share your thoughts on the winners? Visit the TPG Lounge on Facebook.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve 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.
