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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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These are the credit card winners of Editors' Choice honors at last night's TPG Awards
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.
December 8, 2022 • 8 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 TPG Awards recognized standout travel, loyalty and credit card products for 2022, highlighting top choices in several categories.
Editors selected winners for best overall value, most compelling perk, leading transferable points program and best new or refreshed product.
Award criteria included overall value, unique benefits, flexibility of points and recent enhancements to card offerings.
Some offers mentioned in the article are no longer available.
What to consider
Eligibility for certain benefits may require enrollment or meeting specific spending thresholds.
Some perks, such as lounge access, are subject to future restrictions or visit limits, especially at select airport locations.
Annual fees and benefit structures can change following product refreshes or updates.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of why each winning product was chosen and how its features compare to competitors in each category.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The TPG Awards returned with a live event last night for the first time in three years as we recognized the best in travel, loyalty and credit cards from the past year. And, as part of this celebration, we handed out four cards-related editors' choice awards to the brands that stood tall in 2022.
Our team of content experts considered an array of candidates for these four honors before deciding on the ones that ultimately took home trophies this year.
Here are the credit card winners of the editors' choice awards at the 2022 TPG Awards.
Best All-Around Credit Card
This award went to the credit card that offers the best overall value if you only want to carry a single card in your wallet. Some cards are best when paired with others, but there was one that our team felt stood tall.
Winner: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Venture X packs a punch in the world of premium rewards credit cards, perhaps most notably due to its comparatively low $395 annual fee. The card recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, and many TPG staffers plan to keep it for the long term. In addition to a hefty welcome bonus of 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, you'll earn 2 miles for every dollar you spend — plus bonus miles (and a $300 annual credit) when booking flights, hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel.
The issuer also recently announced that cardholders will soon have access to two new perks: The Premier Collection, a series of curated hotels with value-added perks for Venture X customers, and Capital One Landings, a new dining-focused airport lounge concept coming to New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
While the lower-priced Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card remains a solid option thanks to its $95 annual fee, the array of additional perks on the Venture X pushed it to the top.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
Best Credit Card Perk
Around here, we have a real passion for credit card perks. We love getting status, using statement credits and gaining access to unique places and experiences through the cards in our wallets. Of all the credit card perks we love, though, one stands out from all the rest.
Winner: American Express Global Lounge Collection
For the second year in a row, complimentary access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, a benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, is our choice for the best card perk.
Effective February 1, 2025: 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.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
In recent years, other issuers have started to join American Express in the lounge space. Capital One opened its first of several planned lounges in 2021, and Chase opened its first Sapphire lounge in Hong Kong this year. Still, the American Express Global Lounge Collection is by far the most extensive and dominates this area of credit card perks.
Chase Ultimate Rewards is our pick as the best transferable points program for yet another year. The flexibility and value of transferring to Chase's travel partners, such as Hyatt and United, are tough to beat. Additionally, the 1:1 transfer ratio and user-friendly travel portal make this program an excellent choice for those just dipping their toes into the world of transferable points.
SOMYOT TECHAPUWAPAT/GETTY IMAGES
We also love that it's fairly easy to maximize your earning potential to take home even more valuable points. To earn fully transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you'll need a Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Ink Business Preferred Credit Card. But once you have one of these cards, you can effectively convert cash-back rewards from cards like the Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Cash Credit Card or Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card into fully transferable Chase points.
With its high value, strong transfer partners, varied options for earning rewards and simple redemption options, Chase Ultimate Rewards is the standout transferable points program in our book.
Best New/Refreshed Credit Card
Each year, we track the new cards on the block, as well as those that undergo significant overhauls. This year, it's not a new card but a refreshed one that left us impressed.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant got a new look in addition to some big changes to its benefits this fall. The card now comes with higher automatic elite status, additional elite night credits and a more valuable free night certificate.
THE POINTS GUY
The card's most notable changes include:
Up to a $25 monthly dining credit (previously $300 in annual statement credits for Marriott purchases).
Additional "Annual Earned Choice Award" after spending $60,000 on the card in a calendar year beginning in 2023.
Increased value of annual free night award (now valid for stays of up to 85,000 points instead of 50,000 points).
These changes did, however, come with an annual fee increase, which now stands at $650 (see rates and fees). Even so, the elevated benefits this card now offers are valuable enough for it to land our title of the best new or refreshed credit card of 2022.
2022 has been an exciting year for credit cards. While we love our final decisions for these awards, we're eagerly looking ahead to 2023 to see what we'll be talking about this time next year.
Until then, you can find us writing from our American Express lounges, swiping our Capital One Venture X cards, transferring our Chase Ultimate Rewards points to our favorite travel partners and maximizing the new benefits on our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cards.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, 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.
