By Ben Luthi3 Reasons to Diversify Your Credit Card Rewards
By Ben Luthi
Credit card rewards come in many different forms and provide many different ways to earn. While it can be simpler to stick to just one credit card, there are many benefits to diversifying your cards to maximize your rewards.
If you're comfortable with using multiple credit cards, getting cards across multiple rewards programs can be a good idea. Here's how to diversify your credit card rewards, and what to watch out for.
How Credit Card Rewards Work
Many credit cards earn rewards whenever they're used to make eligible purchases. These rewards typically come in the form of cash back, points or miles:
- Cash back: Cash back credit cards earn rewards that can be directly redeemed for cash, statement credits, gift cards and other options.
- Points: You may earn general rewards points or travel points. With a travel credit card, you may earn general travel points that give you a lot of flexibility with how you redeem, or you might earn airline or hotel points, which limit you to a specific travel brand.
- Miles: This rewards currency is generally restricted to airline credit cards and select general travel credit cards. Miles can be flexible with a general travel card, but they're more restrictive with airline loyalty programs.
Best rewards cards of 2026
Compare cards from our partners that earn points, cash back or miles on everyday spending.
Offers from our partners
Citi Double Cash® Card
Intro APR:0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as $200 cash back after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
Intro APR:0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 3% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Discover it® Chrome
Intro bonus:INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 6 Months on Purchases and 0% intro APR for 18 Months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1% - 2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
The opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
Ongoing APR:23.89% Variable
Rewards:10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$35
Credit One Bank American Express® Card for Rebuilding Credit
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$75 First year. $99 thereafter, billed monthly at $8.25
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as $300 cash back after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
Intro APR:0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 12 months
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 6% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Intro APR:0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 10x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$95
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Ongoing APR:18.74% - 26.74% (Variable)
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
American Express® Gold Card
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 4x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$325
First Latitude Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards
Ongoing APR:27.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99, waived for first 12 months
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$75*
Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 6x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$350
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:Introductory fee of $75 for the first year. After that, $99 annually.*
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$39*
Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa® Metal Card
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards
Ongoing APR:13.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$49
First Progress Select Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards
Ongoing APR:17.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$39
Credit One Bank® Premier American Express® Credit Card
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$39
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Discover it® Miles
Intro bonus:UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Credit One Bank® Premier American Express® Unlimited Rewards Card
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 130,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 12x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$150
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
One Key™ Card
Intro bonus:Limited Time Offer: Earn $300 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
One Key+™ Card
Intro bonus:Earn $350 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® - With A Higher Credit Limit
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$125*
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0*
See all our best rewards credit cards for 2026.
3 Reasons to Diversify Your Credit Card Rewards
If you like getting rewards in return for using your credit cards for everyday spending, you may be leaving value on the table if you only stick to one credit card or rewards program. Here's how getting and using cards across multiple programs can help.
You'll Get More Flexibility
While some credit cards provide a lot of value in certain areas, they may leave you hanging in others. Having more than one type of rewards card in your wallet can give you more flexibility and help you earn more rewards.
For example, a good travel card may offer a lot of flexibility with its miles redemption: You could use your rewards to do things like book travel with your card and use your miles to get a statement credit, or transfer your miles to a partner airline or hotel. But if you like the idea of getting cash back sometimes, too, the travel card's redemption rate could be low.
You might want to add a good cash back rewards credit card to your wallet to get the best of both worlds. A cash rewards card could offer up to 5% in certain categories (usually with some limitations) or up to 3% cash back in dining, entertainment or groceries. Cash back cards may offer up to 2% back for all other purchases.
You'll Save More Money
Saving up cash back or general travel points to book a flight or hotel stay can be a great way to save money. But if you have an airline credit card or a hotel credit card, you might be able to get more value with that rewards program.
Alternatively, you may choose to get one cash back credit card that offers great rewards on gas and groceries and another that provides bonus rewards when you shop online.
The more rewards programs you're earning with, the more opportunities you'll have to take advantage of the special savings each one provides. The downside is that you'll have more cards to manage, which can become a hassle.
You Won't Feel the Effect of Devaluations as Strongly
It's unfortunately common for frequent flier programs and hotel loyalty programs to devalue their rewards programs. This can happen if a program increases the number of points or miles required for certain flights or hotel stays, or even for all reservations.
If you have all of your rewards with one program, you may feel the sting of the devaluation more strongly. But if you have rewards across multiple programs, a negative event with one program won't be as detrimental to your overall value.
What to Keep in Mind When Diversifying Credit Card Rewards
Although there are many benefits to earning rewards with multiple credit card programs, it's important to focus on responsible credit card use and to maintain a good balance based on your preferences and needs:
- Set up automatic payments. The more credit cards you're using, the harder it is to keep up with the monthly payments. Set up autopay on all of your accounts to avoid missing a payment. Also, make it a goal to pay your bill in full to avoid interest charges.
- Consider the time investment. Optimizing your credit card rewards can save you money, but it can also be very time-consuming. Find a good balance that works well for you. If you start missing opportunities to maximize your rewards because you're overwhelmed, you may have too many cards.
- Focus on what's best for you. Think about the types of rewards that work best for you. While travel points and miles can be appealing, there's a steep learning curve when it comes to maximizing their value. If you prefer simplicity, stick with cash back. But if you have the time and desire, focus on travel rewards.
How to Find the Right Credit Cards for You
As you search for different card options, use a tool like Experian's card comparison tool to get an idea of which cards you may qualify for based on your credit profile. You can break down card options by type of rewards, rewards rates, welcome bonuses and more. Pick cards that work best for you based on your spending habits, preferences regarding rewards and other features, and your credit profile.
Get the rewards you deserve
Cash back? Miles? Points? Whatever suits your goals, we can help match you to personalized rewards card offers. Start with your FICO® Score for free.
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About the author
Ben Luthi
Ben Luthi has worked in financial planning, banking and auto finance, and writes about all aspects of money. His work has appeared in Time, Success, USA Today, Credit Karma, NerdWallet, Wirecutter and more.
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