Cards
Your first 10 cards
This is the order I'd hand a friend who asked me where to start. The odd numbers are personal cards and the even ones are business cards, and I'd spread those five personal cards over about two years — so alternating personal, business, personal, business works nicely. If there's an elevated offer running somewhere, though, I'd happily shuffle the order to grab it.
Personal
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Annual fee: $95
To earn the bonus: $5,000 in the first 3 months
- 75k points to start
- So many transfer partners — Hyatt is the one I use most
- 3x on dining
What you get back
- $100 hotel credit each year through Chase Travel
- 10% bonus points on your anniversary
- No foreign transaction fees
- Trip delay and rental car coverage
Business
Chase Ink Business Preferred
Annual fee: $95
To earn the bonus: $8,000 in the first 3 months
- 90k points to start
- Same great transfer partners, especially Hyatt
- The fastest way I know to pile up Chase points
What you get back
- Cell phone protection on your monthly bill
- Free employee cards
- No foreign transaction fees
- Trip cancellation and rental car coverage
Personal
Capital One Venture
Annual fee: $95
To earn the bonus: $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 75k miles to start
- Lots of transfer partners
- TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
- 2x on everything you buy
What you get back
- $120 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
- 5x on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No foreign transaction fees
Business
Amex Business Gold
Annual fee: $375
To earn the bonus: $15,000 in the first 3 months
- Up to 200k points to start
- The spend requirement is high — if it's out of reach, skip ahead to a co-branded business card
What you get back
- $240 a year in flexible business credits ($20 a month)
- $155 a year in Walmart+ credits
- Free employee cards
Personal
Citi Strata
Annual fee: $95
To earn the bonus: $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 60k points to start
- Really good transfer partners, American Airlines above all
What you get back
- $100 off a hotel stay of $500 or more each year
- 10x on hotels, rental cars and attractions through Citi Travel
- No foreign transaction fees
Business
Chase Ink Business Unlimited / Cash
Annual fee: $0
To earn the bonus: $6,000 in the first 6 months
- $750 back, or 75k points if you move them
- Points have to be combined onto a Preferred or Reserve before they can go to partners like Hyatt
- Once per lifetime now, and word is you can't hold both Unlimited and Cash
What you get back
- Free employee cards
- Cell phone protection
- 0% intro APR on purchases for the first year
Personal
American Express Gold
Annual fee: $325
To earn the bonus: $8,000 in the first 6 months
- Up to 100k points to start
- Lots of transfer partners
- 4x on groceries and dining
What you get back
- $120 a year in dining credits
- $120 a year in Uber Cash
- Resy and Dunkin' credits on top of that — more than the fee if you use them
Business
A co-branded business card
Annual fee: Usually $0–$150
To earn the bonus: Usually $1,000–$5,000 in the first 3 months
- Here I'd pick whichever airline or hotel I actually want to fly or stay with
- Atmos and American Airlines are the ones worth collecting for us
What you get back
- Usually a free checked bag, which pays for itself in one round trip
- Priority boarding or hotel elite status
- Often a free night or companion certificate each year
Personal
Capital One Venture X
Annual fee: $395
To earn the bonus: $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 75k miles to start
- TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
- Lounge access for you plus two guests at Capital One and Priority Pass lounges
- 2x on every dollar, and a $300 annual travel credit
What you get back
- $300 travel credit each year through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 anniversary miles every year
- Lounge access for you and two guests
- $120 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
Business
Another co-branded business card
Annual fee: Usually $0–$150
To earn the bonus: Usually $3,000–$5,000 in the first 3 months
- Same idea — an airline or hotel you'd genuinely use
- Capital One has some great business options, though the spend is higher
What you get back
- Free checked bags or a yearly free night
- Elite status perks with the airline or hotel
- Free employee cards
This is a suggestion, not a rulebook — swap the order around based on your own goals or whatever offers happen to be elevated. And if you decide to open any of these, I'm always happy to share my links.
Other cards I write about
These didn't make the opening ten, but they've each earned a place in our wallet at some point — mostly for a specific hotel chain or airline we keep coming back to.
Chase
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority
- Welcome offer
- 60,000 Rapid Rewards points
- Annual fee
- $229
The offer went up to 60,000 points after $2,000 in three months, but so did the fee: it is $229 now, not $149. It earns its keep for us because of the free checked bags, the 7,500 anniversary points, and the Companion Pass points that come with it. If you do not fly Southwest a few times a year, skip it.
Read the breakdownChase
World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Welcome offer
- 30,000 World of Hyatt points
- Annual fee
- $95
This is the card that quietly pays for our family weekends. 30,000 points after $3,000 in three months, plus up to 30,000 more for doubled points in the first six months. The free Category 1-4 night every anniversary is usually worth more than the $95 fee on its own, which is why we have never cancelled it.
Read the breakdownChase
Freedom Unlimited
- Welcome offer
- 200 dollars cash back
- Annual fee
- $0
The easiest welcome offer on this list: a $200 bonus after only $500 of spending in three months, with no annual fee. We keep ours for everyday purchases that do not fall into a bonus category, and the points combine with our Sapphire Preferred when we want to transfer them.
Read the breakdown