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The cream of the crop among premium credit cards, IMO. The Chase Ultimate Rewards points ecosystem is my favorite due to its excellent travel partners, minimum 1 cent per point (cpp) value for cash back, and ease of quick point accumulation, especially when premium cards are paired with entry-level cards like the Chase Freedom. The Sapphire Preferred enhances the Chase Ultimate Rewards system by offering 3x points on travel and dining and 1.5 cpp value when redeemed for travel. Add that to the Sapphire Reserve's many valuable benefits -- a signup bonus worth at least $750, a flexible $300 travel credit, Global Entry credit, trip delay/cancellation insurance, etc. -- and this becomes a top-of-wallet card for users looking for premium travel benefits.

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My most-recommended card for everyday users. The Chase Ultimate Rewards points ecosystem is my favorite due to its excellent travel partners, minimum 1 cent per point (cpp) value for cash back, and ease of quick point accumulation, especially when premium cards are paired with entry-level cards like the Chase Freedom. The Sapphire Preferred enhances the Chase Ultimate Rewards system by offering 2x points on travel and dining and 1.25 cpp value when redeemed for travel. Its hefty signup bonus (worth at least $625) and a waived annual fee for the first year makes this a no-brainer for someone looking to test drive a premium credit card.

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This card is a winner due to its 5x bonuses on office supply stores and telecommunications, plus its lack of an annual fee. The 2x rewards on . I highly recommend pairing this with a premium Chase Sapphire product, like the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, to stretch these points even further. You can do this by transferring points earned by the Ink Cash to your premium Sapphire points account. In doing so, these points can then be transferred to Chase's many valuable airline and hotel partners, or they can be redeemed at 1.25x (Sapphire Preferred) or 1.5x (Sapphire Reserve) when redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

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Hilton Honors points aren't worth much (I value them around .5 cents per point), but they are awarded plentifully. While the 100,000-point signup bonus offered here isn't as strong as a comparable number of Marriott points, the 12x points on stays and 6x bonus categories for restaurants, gas, flights, car rentals, telecom, and shipping are solid. There are other cards with arguably better multipliers in each of those categories, but none that offer the full range of categories, making this an attractive card for Hilton regulars looking to boost their rewards within that ecosystem. The additional benefits -- including 10 Priority Pass visits and free nights unlocked by meeting spend thresholds -- make this a pretty well-rounded co-branded business card. As with many business cards, the Hilton Honors Business does not report to your personal credit report, keeping your report cleaner. Existing Amex customers may also avoid a hard credit pull.