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A single credit card isn't enough for most people—not if they want to build credit or maximize their rewards potential. Adding multiple credit cards to your wallet means more welcome bonuses and opportunities to earn rewards. It also means luxury travel perks that can improve your travel experience while saving you hundreds of dollars on household spending. You won't necessarily have to splash out on multiple annual fees, either. The right credit card combination can balance your rewards needs and budget.
Here are our picks for the five best credit card combinations:
- Best for Travel Enthusiasts: Chase Sapphire Reserve® + Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Best for Foodies and Home Chefs: Citi Premier® Card + Citi® Double Cash Card
- Best for Cash Back: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card + Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
- Best for Everyday Spending: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card + Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- Best for Business Spenders: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card + Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Best for Travel Enthusiasts: Chase Sapphire Reserve® + Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Why We Like This Combo
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card make a great combination for travel enthusiasts looking for valuable perks and rewards.
Enjoy travel credits and lounge access: The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a steep annual fee but offers many perks to offset this cost and improve your travel experience. Cardholders receive a $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Select membership and an application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus.
With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you’ll enjoy two complimentary lounge visits per year to Capital One Lounges or to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network. Considering how crowded other airport lounges are, the lounge access offered through Capital One (restricted to just a few types of credit cardholders) might be a quieter alternative.
Robust travel protections: These two cards also provide a robust suite of travel protections consisting of rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and travel accident coverage.
Earn high rewards on travel spending: These two cards are also an excellent combination for maximizing every dollar spent on travel and beyond:
- The Sapphire Reserve earns 10 points per dollar spent on Chase Dining, hotels and car rentals booked through Chase; 5 points per dollar on flights booked with Chase Ultimate Rewards; and 3 points per dollar on dining, eligible delivery services and travel worldwide.
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card can help you earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on everything else.
Tips to Maximize This Combo
The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earn two different currencies that can complement each other and help you diversify your rewards portfolio.
Chase Ultimate Rewards are transferable to 14 airline and hotel programs, while Capital One has 18 travel partners. The two programs have several transfer partners in common: Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Singapore Airlines Krisflyer and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. This can work out nicely if you want to combine the welcome bonuses earned from these two cards into one account for a specific award redemption for your favorite airline.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR21.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$550
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Sign-Up Bonus
60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. Dollar Equivalent: $1,320 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.022 base)
This card features an annual credit for travel purchases, which can offset the annual fee, plus bonus points when you sign up. You'll also get free access to tons of Priority Pass lounges and restaurant options around the world, along with access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge network.
Overview
If you’re looking to elevate your travel experience, look no further than the Chase Sapphire Reserve. When you first get approved, you’ll earn a generous sign-up bonus that can be used for travel-related spending booked through Chase Travel℠. Transfer the points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners and they’re potentially worth even more.
Pros
- An array of premium travel perks including access to Priority Pass lounges
- Easy-to-use $300 travel credit that helps offset card's annual fee
- Generous rewards rates for spending
Cons
- High annual fee may be a deterrent for some
- Perks are starting to get stale relative to newer competition
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$95
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Sign Up Bonus
75,000Capital One Rewards Miles
Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel Dollar Equivalent: $1,350 (75,000 Capital One Rewards Miles * 0.018 base)
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a lot of value to both beginner and expert travelers. The upfront bonus and high ongoing rewards rate aren’t easy to beat, making the card a solid option for a large audience. Where it really shines is with the flexibility of the redemption process, though. You can redeem miles to cover past travel expenses, book travel through Capital One or transfer miles to any of Capital One’s airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Overview
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a lot of value to beginner and expert travelers alike. The card’s big upfront bonus and high ongoing rewards rate aren’t easy to beat, making it a solid option for a large audience. Where it really shines, though, is with the redemption process. When it comes to travel credit cards, it can be really challenging to find a way to use your rewards in the way you want.
With hotel and airline credit cards, for instance, you’re basically stuck redeeming your points or miles with the co-branded hotel or airline partner. And with some general rewards programs, you might get less value if you use your points or miles to book a flight versus a rental car or hotel.
With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, though, you’ll get a lot of flexibility. Here are some of the top redemption options that are available: redeem miles to cover past travel expenses, book travel through Capital One or transfer miles to any of Capital One’s multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Perks
- Receive an application fee credit for TSA Pre✓® or Global Entry every four years
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to premier culinary events, must-see music events and major sporting events
Pros
- Simple rewards and earning structure
- Ability to earn transferable points to use with travel partners
- Relatively modest $95 annual fee
- Application fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
Cons
- Other travel cards offer higher rewards rates on certain spending categories
Best for Foodies & Home Chefs: Citi Premier® Card + Citi® Double Cash Card
Why We Like This Combo
The Citi Premier® Card and Citi® Double Cash Card, from our partner Citi, make an ideal personal credit card combination for people who spend significantly on groceries and dining out.
The Citi Premier rewards both of these categories (and more) with 3 points per dollar spent on dining, groceries, gas, air travel and hotels, plus 10 points per dollar on hotel and rental car bookings made through the Citi travel portal through June 30, 2024. As an added bonus, the card includes an annual hotel credit of $100 when booking $500 or more.
The Citi Double Cash is perfect for all other spending because it earns 2% cash back on every purchase (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay). The card also has no annual fee, allowing you to elevate your reward earnings without added costs.
Tips to Maximize This Combo
The cash back earned with the Citi Double Cash is in the form of Citi ThankYou Points, which can be transferred to 17 airline and hotel partners for high-value flight and hotel redemptions. When you use the Citi Double Cash Card, you're also ensuring you earn at least 2 points per dollar spent on all eligible purchases.
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR20.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$95
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Sign Up Bonus
75,000Citi ThankYou® Points
Earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. Dollar Equivalent: $1,350 (75,000 Citi ThankYou® Points * 0.018 base)
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, from our partner Citi, is worth considering if you’re looking for accelerated travel rewards but don’t want to pay a huge annual fee. It’s easy to quickly rack up lots of points on this card. While you can redeem ThankYou points for gift cards, you’ll get more value when you redeem points for flights and hotels, and potentially even better value when you transfer points to travel partners.
Overview
This credit card offers its members a range of incentives, such as bonus points, gift cards and 1:1 point transfers with airline partners. One of the more unique features of the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card from our partner Citi is that it offers 3x ThankPoints for every dollar spent at supermarkets, gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants and travel purchases. You also get an annual hotel credit of $100 off your reservation of $500 or more when booked through CitiTravel.com.
Perks
- Earn 3x ThankYou Points per dollar spent on travel, grocery stores, restaurants, EV charging stations and gas stations
- Annual $100 hotel savings benefit. Just book a hotel stay of $500 or more through CitiTravel.com to earn the discount.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Easily transfer your points to Citi's airline partners
Pros
- High reward rate on common categories of consumer spending
- Points are easily transferable to airlines and hotel partners
- No foreign transaction fees
- Points never expire
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- No standout rewards category
Citi Double Cash Card®
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
-
Sign-Up Bonus
$200Cash Bonus
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
The Citi Double Cash® Card, from our partner Citi, is among the top cards on the market for general spending. Forget the cards that offer 1% and 1.5% cash back. The Citi Double Cash Card offers you a whopping 2% cash back for all spending. Earn 1% back when you make a purchase and 1% back when you pay your account balance.
Overview
The Citi Double Cash® Card, from our partner Citi, offers attractive and uncomplicated cash back for people who value a flexible credit card reward program. The Citi Double Cash Card gives you the chance to earn 2% cash back on your purchases. You can receive 1% cash back when you make a purchase and an additional 1% cash back once you pay your bill.
Pros
- No category bonuses to remember, unlimited 2% cash back on everything
- Earns ThankYou Points, which gives the potential to unlock valuable travel rewards
Cons
- Foreign transaction fees are applied
- Limited perks
Best Cash-Back Combo: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card + Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
Why We Like This Combo
If you’re looking for the best cash-back card pairing, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card and Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card are great choices. Not only will you earn a nice sign-up bonus for each card, but both offer generous cash-back rewards in everyday spending categories.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card earns 3% back in the category of your choice (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores, home improvement/furnishings), 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs and 1% on all other purchases. The downside is the 2%-3% spending categories are limited to the first $2,500 spent each quarter. Once you’ve maximized this amount, you can switch to the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card for 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases.
Both cash-back cards come with no annual fees, making them excellent additions to your cash-back wallet.
Tips to Maximize This Combo
If you qualify for Bank of America Preferred Rewards, you can earn 25%-75% more cash on all credit card purchases. This is a great way to increase your points-earning potential on the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card and Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card.
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Our Rating 4/5 How our ratings work
- APRXX.XX% - XX.XX% Variable APR on purchases
- Annual Fee$0
-
Bonus Offer
$200Cash Bonus
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card is a solid cash-back card with a strong bonus, especially for a card with no annual fee. If you're looking for a card that also has competitive balance transfer terms, this is one to consider.
Overview
On the surface, the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card’s rewards rate is a dime a dozen—there are several other 1.5% and 2% cash-back credit cards from which you can choose. But if you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, this card has the potential to be one of the best cash-back credit cards we’ve seen.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Straightforward rewards rate
- Sign-up bonus
Cons
- No bonus spending categories
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Our Rating 4/5 How our ratings work
- APRXX.XX% - XX.XX% Variable APR on purchases
- Annual Fee$0
-
Bonus Offer
$200Cash Bonus
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is a solid choice for many people who want to maximize their everyday spending. The card is one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market because it provides flexibility with its top rewards bonus category. It’s especially worth considering if you’re a Preferred Rewards member with the card issuer.
Overview
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards card is a good cash back card for people who don’t spend a lot each month. It has flexibility with the 3% cash back on the category of your choice (choose between gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores or home improvement and furnishing), and you can change which one you go with each month. Since it’s a Visa card you can also use it at Costco and get 2% back, which is the rate for wholesale clubs and grocery stores. However, once you’ve spent the quarterly limit of $2,500 in purchases combined between the 3% and 2% categories, you only get 1% back after that.
Pros
- Ample bonus spending categories
- No annual fee
- Sign-up bonus
Cons
- bonus spending categories capped at $2,500 in combined quarterly purchases
Best for Everyday Spending: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card + Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Why We Like This Combo
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card and Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card are great for maximizing your rewards on everyday spending. The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ is among the most rewarding credit cards, earning 3 points per dollar on dining, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Since all other spending earns just 1 point per dollar, you can pair it with the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, which offers an unlimited 2% cash-back earning rate on all eligible purchases.
Both cards also provide valuable cellphone insurance, which is rare for any card, let alone ones with no annual fee.
Tips to Maximize This Combo
With wide coverage and high rewards rates on category spending and non-category spending, both cards can help you maximize your rewards if you're strategic about when to use which card. The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card and Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card both offer a sizable cash rewards bonus for new cardholders, which can go a long way in covering household expenses, travel or virtually anything else. It's also a great way to create a little nest egg for a significant expense.
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APRXX.XX%, XX.XX%, or XX.XX% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
-
Welcome Bonus
20,000Points
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value. Dollar Equivalent: $200 (20,000 Points * 0.01 base)
The Wells Fargo Autograph Card can easily become your go-to card as most American households spend a bulk of their budget on restaurants, gas and travel costs. Not to mention, you likely subscribe to a streaming service (or two) and pay a monthly cellphone bill, which can cost hundreds if you have a family plan. Simply put: With this card, you can earn points on all of these day-to-day expenses, all with no annual fee.
Overview
The Wells Fargo AutographSM Card offers an impressive 3x point rewards rate across six bonus categories: restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and cell phone plans, easily ranking it as one of the most robust earning cards out there.
Pros
- Wide array of category bonuses: Unlimited 3x points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit and commuting, popular streaming services and phone plans
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your eligible Wells Fargo card (subject to a $25 deductible).
- No foreign transaction fees
- No annual fee
Cons
- Rewards are worth up to 1 cent each
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- Our Rating 4.0/5 How our ratings work
- APRXX.XX%, XX.XX%, or XX.XX% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
-
Welcome Bonus
$200Cash Bonus
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
If you’re a fan of earning cash rewards for your everyday spending, you need a credit card that rewards you for purchases outside of popular bonus categories like travel, grocery stores and gas stations. With the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (Rates and Fees), you earn 2% back for every dollar spent without the fuss of tracking specific bonus categories.
Overview
While many rewards credit cards tempt you with bonus rewards for specific purchases, these cards invariably offer a mere 1% rewards rate on the vast majority of charges that don’t qualify for a bonus. And with many of these cards, the amount of purchases that are eligible for your bonus is capped, restricting the overall potential value.
But with the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, you simply receive a high level of cash rewards on purchases. There’s no need to register for anything, and there are no limits on the amount of cash rewards you can earn.
Pros
- Earn an unlimited 2% cash back on every single purchase
- No annual fee
- Automatic cellphone protection when you pay your monthly bill with the card
Cons
- Points don't transfer to travel partners unlike other card currencies
- No bonus earning categories
Best for Business Spenders: Ink Business Preferred® + Ink Business Unlimited®
Why We Like This Combo
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card make a great pairing for those who want to maximize every dollar spent on business credit cards. The Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined spending on shipping, advertising with social media sites and search engines, travel, internet, cable and phone services. This covers a substantial chunk of business spending. For everything else, you can earn 1.5% cash back with the Ink Business Unlimited card.
Like most card combinations on this list, you’ll only pay one annual fee: $95 for the Ink Business Preferred and $0 for the Ink Business Unlimited. Considering how much this business card combination can increase your points-earning potential, it’s well worth it.
Tips to Maximize This Combo
If you have an Ink Business Preferred, you can convert your cash back from the Ink Business Unlimited into Ultimate Rewards points. From there, you can transfer them to 10 airline or three hotel programs, including Southwest Rapid Rewards®, IHG® Rewards and United MileagePlus®. Your points can go a long way, allowing you to redeem them for premium cabin flights, luxury hotels and other travel experiences.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR20.74% - 25.74% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$95
This fee includes extra cards for authorized users, such as employees, at no additional charge.
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Sign Up Bonus
90,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,980 (90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.022 base)
Those with travel and advertising expenses will like the high earning rates in these categories, plus cardholders can eke out even more value with fully transferable rewards through the Chase Travel℠ portal. One drawback is the modest annual fee, though many can offset this with the card’s earning potential.
Overview
This card offers a whopping 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 in the first three months — with the card’s 25% bonus on travel booked through Chase, that’s worth $1,125. But you could potentially get more through one of the bank’s transfer partners. The rewards you earn from the Ink Business Preferred Card can be transferred to 10 different airline partners including United, Southwest, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore and British Airways, as well as hotel partners Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott.
Unlike the other two Ink Business cards, you can use this card to transfer your rewards directly to airline miles and hotel points. Travelers may also like this card’s cellphone protection policy that will cover up to $600 per claim.
Pros
- 3x points on 5 different categories (up to $150,000)
- Robust travel, purchase and cellphone protections
- Ability to earn transferable points to use on travel partners
- No additional charge for extra cards for additional authorized users
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Businesses that don't spend on the category bonuses won't benefit
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work
- APR17.99% - 23.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
-
Sign-Up Bonus
$750Cash Bonus
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
If you’re looking for a solid business credit card with unlimited earning potential, this could be it. With a 1.5% cash-back rate, it earns less than the other Ink Business cards, but you can put earning on autopilot with no spending limits or categories to juggle.
Overview
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® credit card is one of the best business credit cards on the market, and if you use it right by pairing it with a Chase card with an annual fee, you can unlock access to valuable transferable Ultimate Rewards points that you can move to travel partners.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Easy earning structure of 1.5X back on everything with no limits
- Robust travel and purchase protections
Cons
- Businesses that spend more on bonus categories won't earn more in rewards
- 1.5X isn't the highest earning rate
How to Choose a Credit Card Pair
When choosing the right credit card pair for you, it is important to consider the following:
- Assess all aspects of the card: Start by looking at all the features, including the benefits offered, the rewards structure, annual fees and other perks that come with the cards.
- Avoid too much overlap in benefits and rewards: Look for cards that balance each other rather than replicating benefits and category bonuses. The last thing you want is two credit cards with high annual fees that offer identical benefits.
- See how the cards align with your spending habits: You want a card combination that rewards your most common everyday spending categories and provides added value based on your spending preferences. For example, if you travel a lot, you'll want a card that comes with annual travel statement credits, travel protection and different reward currencies.
- Pick a card for category spending and another for all other spending: It's best to choose one card that offers high category bonuses and a second that rewards all spending outside of them. Look for cards that earn above the standard 1% cash back or 1 point per dollar spent.
By considering the features of each credit card, the rewards and benefits offered, and the annual fees, you can make an informed decision when selecting a credit card pair.
Bottom Line
Combining two credit cards can be an excellent way to power your long-term credit card strategy. You can earn more points on your everyday purchases and access valuable benefits. If you play it right, you can have the best of both worlds without incurring additional annual fees. Hopefully, the examples provided above can help you figure out the best way to balance everything you need from a credit card portfolio.
Ariana Arghandewal
Ariana Arghandewal is a rewards travel expert and founder of Pointchaser, an online publication dedicated to rewards travel topics. She brings over a decade of experience writing about travel, points, miles and credit cards. Her expertise includes her roles as an editor for distinguished travel and finance publications such as NerdWallet, The Points Guy and FlyerTalk. She has also authored many articles featured in major financial news & travel channels like Forbes, U.S. News Weekly, Business Insider & Fodor’s Travel.
