Best Luxury Credit Cards in December 2024

You’ve probably seen one at the checkout: The customer in front of you casually unsheaths a gleaming steel rectangle and hands it to the cashier. The ultra-luxurious credit card is exposed for only a moment before it’s discreetly returned to a mahogany billfold that looks like it’s been hand-crafted in the Andes from the leather of rare baby vicuña.

Luxury credit cards aren’t exclusively for the rich. In fact, you can qualify for just about any credit card if you’ve got a “good” credit score (670 or above, according to FICO).

Most luxury credit cards are travel rewards credit cards. If you travel enough, some of those cards more than pay for their high annual fees. Those that aren’t are often overpriced and focus more on status than practicality. Let’s take a look at the best luxury credit cards for earning rewards—and help you decide which is the best for your lifestyle.

Our recommendations

Best for less-frequent travelers: card_name

The card_name is great at most things—but not the best in any single category. The card is the least expensive in the group; it earns rewards that can be transferred to airline and hotel partners for (nearly) free travel; it provides excellent travel insurance; it offers solid airport lounge access, and it provides hundreds of dollars worth of bonus miles and statement credits each cardmember anniversary.

These are all solid attributes, but none are industry-leading. In short, the card_name offers the best value for its annual fee of annual_fees. If you travel even once or twice yearly, this card is well worth the price tag.

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Best for travel insurance: card_name

The card_name has many excellent features, but its crowning achievement is its unparalleled suite of travel insurance benefits. For example, you’re entitled to up to $500 in expense reimbursements (such as meals, hotel room, transportation, etc.) when your flight is delayed by at least six hours or requires an overnight stay. You’ll also receive up to $75,000 in primary rental car insurance.

This is a great all-around travel rewards credit card. Its only drawback is a steep annual_fees annual fee. Still, with up to $300 in yearly travel statement credits and Priority Pass airport lounge access, frequent travelers won’t have an issue offsetting that fee.

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Best for airport lounge access: card_name

The card_name is an exclusive travel rewards credit card with an annual fee to match. You’ll pay annual_fees (Rates & Fees) for what is perhaps the most prestigious publicly available luxury credit card on the market. It comes with thousands of dollars in annual statement credits (though some are quite obscure), various free memberships and elite statuses upon enrollment, and more. But its bread and butter is airport lounge access.

To name a few, you’ll get:

• Access to Amex Centurion Lounges, widely regarded as the highest-quality domestic airport lounges.
• A Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), allowing you and two guests to enter over 1,400 lounges around the world as often as you like.
• Delta Sky Club lounges for those with a same-day Delta boarding pass.
• Plaza Premium airport lounge access, which includes hundreds of locations worldwide.
• Lufthansa lounges for those with a same-day Lufthansa Group boarding pass.

The lounge access alone is miles ahead of what’s offered by most other cards. Between that and the plethora of statement credits the card offers, you can easily negate the card’s annual fee.

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Best for hotel stays: Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express

Thanks to its many easy-to-use perks, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express is one of the most valuable luxury hotel rewards credit cards. Those who stay at Hilton hotels and resorts will get the most value. Still, there are benefits any traveler will appreciate.

For a $550 annual fee (See Rates), you’ll get automatic Diamond elite status, Hilton’s highest status tier. It comes with perks like free (or discounted) breakfast, room upgrades when available, 100% bonus points on your stay, and more. It also provides Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (enrollment required), $400 per year in Hilton statement credits, and $200 in free airfare. But the card’s best perk is a Hilton Free Night Reward worth up to 150,000 points, which you can use at nearly any Hilton hotel worldwide. This could be worth literally thousands of dollars, depending on the hotel at which you redeem it.

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Best for flights: card_name

The card_name injects luxury into your commute in several different ways. If you fly Delta regularly, you can easily get your money’s worth despite the annual_fees annual fee.

Beyond normal airline credit card benefits such as priority boarding and a free first checked bag, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card gives you complimentary seat upgrades—even if you don’t have Delta elite status. You aren’t going to find another consumer credit card with this perk.

Also worth noting is the access both to Delta Sky Club lounges when you’ve got a same-day Delta boarding pass and to Amex Centurion lounges. And you can use the annual companion certificate to bring along a travel buddy anywhere Delta flies in the Continental U.S. for just the cost of taxes and fees.

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Best for small businesses: card_name

The small-business sibling of the card_name, card_name has similar benefits (such as identical airport lounge access, hotel elite status, etc.) for a similar annual_fees annual fee (Rates & Fees). However, you’ll find some business-focused twists to its yearly statement credits. For example: Each year, you’ll receive up to $400 in Dell statement credits, up to $120 in wireless credits (to offset your phone bill), up to $360 in Indeed credits, and up to $150 in Adobe credits.

You must own a business to qualify for this card, but even driving for Uber or selling items on Etsy counts.

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Best luxury credit cards compared

Our methodology

In analyzing the best luxury credit cards, we examined qualities such as the value of each card’s welcome offer, the simplicity and flexibility of rewards programs, the practicality of annual statement credits, and the value of complimentary memberships. We then compared those valuations against each card’s annual fee to determine which premium credit cards were the best.

As a bonus, we also factored in aesthetics—an important aspect of a luxury card. All of the above cards are made of metal, making them shinier and heavier than most credit cards on the market.

Who should apply for a luxury credit card?

Again, the best luxury credit cards are travel-oriented. Because of this, frequent travelers will often get the most value from these premium credit cards. If you value travel insurance, spend hundreds of dollars on airfare and accommodation annually, and appreciate extravagant benefits such as hotel room upgrades and airport lounge access, a luxury credit card will likely fit your lifestyle.

You can easily determine if a luxury credit card is right for you by doing some simple math. If a card’s ongoing benefits will save you more than you’re spending for the annual fee, it’s likely worth applying.

How to select the best luxury credit card for you

When searching for the ideal luxury credit card for your situation, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to narrow your options quickly:

• What are your credit card goals? Figure out what you want from your credit card. Whether it’s cash back, airplane seat upgrades, or complimentary insurance coverage, there’s a luxury credit card for your lifestyle.
• Are the ongoing benefits worth more than the annual fee? Luxury credit cards incur annual fees that are considerably higher than mid-range credit cards. But it shouldn’t be a concern as long as the card’s additional benefits will save you more than the annual fee.
• Which card has the best welcome bonus? All things being equal, go for the luxury credit card with the most valuable intro offer.

More about luxury credit cards

What is considered a luxury credit card?

Most luxury credit cards share the following characteristics:

• Offer high-end perks, such as travel upgrades and hundreds of dollars in annual statement credits.
• Charge high annual fees (think between $395 and $695).
• Are made of metal.

There are exceptions, but you can bet that if at least two of these bullets describe the card you’re looking at, it’s considered a luxury credit card.

Pros and cons of premium credit cards

Luxury credit cards provide elite travel insurance benefits, easy-to-use statement credits, and lucrative welcome bonuses. They’re the best of the best among rewards credit cards, potentially worth thousands of dollars per year to someone who will use their perks regularly.

However, annual fees are very high—higher than mid-range credit cards, in many cases. And they tend to overlook helpful benefits common on lower-tier credit cards, such as 0% intro APR offers.

TIME Stamp: Luxury credit cards can be worth every penny of their annual fees

A luxury credit card can upgrade how you travel. Don’t be spooked by the price tag—with high annual fees come valuable benefits. Find a premium credit card with perks that complement your lifestyle so that you can easily recoup the money you’re paying in fees. If the match isn’t good, reconcile yourself to a plain plastic card with a much lower (or no) annual fee.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the most luxurious credit card to have?

Perhaps the most luxurious card is the Centurion® Card from American Express (also known as the “Black Card”). It’s invitation-only, meaning that you can only open the card if American Express reaches out to you with an offer.

Which credit card do most millionaires use?

Surprisingly, data points show that the card_name is one of the most popular credit cards among millionaires. It’s not exclusive to millionaires (those with a credit score of 670 and above can qualify), but its lush rewards make it one of the best value options.

What is higher than a platinum credit card?

Above the Amex Platinum Card is the Amex Centurion Card. American Express will reach out to those with income and spending habits that it believes suit this prestigious card.

What are high-end cards?

High-end cards are those that offer benefits the everyday consumer might not use. Things like cash back and 0% intro APR can be found on many no-annual-fee credit cards. But features like airport lounge membership or statement credits for travel, dining, and rideshare services belong to high-end cards.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, click here

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here

For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here