When paid off in full every month, credit cards offer many benefits such as easy expense tracking and intriguing rewards programs. Here are the ones that I use in my personal and business life. If you use my referral links below, we’ll both get hefty points bonuses!
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American Express Business Platinum
This is my latest and perhaps greatest business card. It has a hefty annual fee of $695 (as of 2023), but this is more than offset by the large welcome bonus of points and perks.
Here’s a quick summary of some of the most popular perks:
- $200 hotel statement credits
- $240 digital entertainment credits (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN…)
- $200 Uber cash
- $200 airline fee credit
- $300 Equinox credit
- $189 CLEAR credit (speed through airport security)
- Premium concierge services
- Travel protections, extended warranties, loss protection
- Access to airport Centurion lounges
- Complementary elite status with Hilton and Marriott
So you can see that despite the large annual fee, the Amex Platinum card can easily pay for itself through the various connected rewards. I’m going to have fun trying to take advantage of as many rewards as possible!
Right now (December 2023), you can get 120,000 bonus points when you spend $15,000 on the card in the first 3 months after opening. (Partner offer, subject to change.)
Chase Sapphire Preferred
This is my go to card for day to day purchases for my family. It’s a high quality metal card with a $95 annual fee. The Sapphire Preferred card is widely regarded as one of the best travel rewards cards out there, since it’s a gateway to the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.
After you spend $4000 in purchases in the first 3 months, you can use the 60,000 welcome rewards points on airline and hotel stays. (Partner offer. Details subject to change.)
With this card, you’ll get:
- 5x points on travel
- 3x points on dining
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
Chase Ink Business Cash Card
Chase has a number of business card options. I have both the Business Premier and the Business Cash cards. In fact, I have multiple of the Cash credit cards, as they’re each tied to the various LLCs that house my separate real estate entities. This allows for efficient accounting and bookkeeping, as well as multiple opportunities to earn welcome rewards points.
I only have one of the Premier cards due to the $195 annual fee. The Cash cards have no annual fee, making them a no brainer.
Therefore, out of the various business card options, I’d recommend the Chase Ink Business Cash card specifically for most people. This card has the following unique features:
- 5% back on office supplies, internet, and cable service
- 2% back on gas stations and restaurants
- 1% back on everything else
Right now (December 2023), you can get 90,000 bonus rewards points when you get a new card and spend $6000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. (Partner offer, subject to change.)
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
This is the card that probably upgraded my travel experience the most in 2023. This is the year that I started traveling multiple times a month as a locum tenens physician. I flew Delta almost exclusively, which is consistently ranked one of the best airline carriers in the US. After spending a lot of time waiting by the gate, I decided that I wanted access to the Delta Sky Clubs system. (These airport lounges also rank as some of the best available in the United States.)
You can access these Sky Clubs via a number of ways, but one of the easiest ways is to just get the Delta Reserve American Express Card. There is a hefty $550 annual fee for this card, but you get a LOT of bonuses:
- 3x miles on eligible purchases
- Complementary Delta Sky Club and Amex Centurion club access (terms apply)
- First checked bag free
- Priority boarding (Main Cabin One)
- Fee credit for Global Entry/TSA Precheck
- Access to the Amex concierge
Since purchasing the card, I’ve happily munched and sipped through dozens of Sky Clubs, more than paying for the annual fee. I’ve also racked up over 175,000 Delta frequent flier miles in 2023 alone!
The current welcome offer as of December 2023 is 70,000 bonus miles when you spend $5000 on the card in the first 3 months after card opening. (Partner offer, subject to change.)
