Best Credit Cards for Big Spenders

Anyone that loves to earn points and miles that can be redeemed for free travel understands that each purchase they make needs to be on a credit card. They also know that the purchases need to be paid off each month or finance charges will wipe out any reward earned.

If you find yourself with a big budget each month, whether it’s personal spending or for business, you might want to consider getting one of the following credit cards so that you can take advantage of their perks:

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is one of the best credit cards currently available for everyday spending. If you regularly spend a lot of money each month to dine out at restaurants or on entertainment then you will love that you can earn 2x Ultimate Reward points on those purchases. For all other purchases you will earn 1x points.

• Signup Bonus – Right now the signup bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card has been increased to 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months.
• Rewards – You will earn 2X points on purchase made at any restaurants (everything from fast food to fine dining) and also on entertainment. For all other purchases you will earn 1 point per dollar. Rewards can be redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards at a value of 1.25 cents per point. Otherwise you can transfer your points to one of the many transfer partners including Hyatt, Southwest Airlines, Marriott, United and more.
• APR – This card has a variable APR of 20.24% to 27.24%.
• Fees – The annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is $95 which is waived for the first year. There are no foreign transaction fees when used outside of the United States.

Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite^™ Mastercard^®

If you find yourself flying American Airlines frequently then a great credit card to keep in your wallet is the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite^™ Mastercard^® from Citi, a Credit Cards House advertiser. Not only does it currently have a 75,000 mile sign up bonus if you spend $7,500 in the first three months, but it also awards 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles if you spend $40,000 in a year. If you are planning to spend a lot with the card then this is a great way to work your way towards Elite status.

A few other perks with this card are that you will receive a complementary Admirals Club membership for yourself and any guests with you. Every five years that you have your card you will receive a $100 statement credit to cover Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. You can also get your first checked bag for free, not only for yourself, but for up to eight people traveling with you.

• Limited Time Offer – The current signup bonus for the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite^™ Mastercard^® is 75,000 American Airlines miles when you spend $7,500 within the first three months of being a cardholder.
• Rewards – You will receive 2x miles on any eligible American Airlines purchases. For all other purchases you will receive 1x miles.
• Fees – This card has an annual fee of $450. If you travel internationally you will not be subject to any foreign transaction fees.

United MileagePlus^® Explorer Card

Frequent United Airlines customers love to carry the United MileagePlus^® Explorer Card. New cardholders can earn 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months.

Some of the other great benefits that the card offers includes priority boarding on flights operated by United Airlines, free first checked bag, and each year you will receive two United Club passes.

• Signup Offer – When signing up for the United MileagePlus^® Explorer Card you receive 40,000 bonus United miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months. You will receive another 5,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user and they make a purchase in the same three month period.

• Rewards – You will earn 2x United miles on most United Airlines purchases. For other purchases you will earn 1x miles.

• Fees – The annual fee is $95, which is waived for the first year. If you transfer a balance from a different card there is a fee or $5 or 5% whichever is greater. If you will be using the card outside the United States there is no foreign transaction fee.

Delta Reserve^® Credit Card from American Express

_{Editorial Note: The information related to Delta Reserve^® Credit Card from American Express has been collected by Credit Cards House and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.}

The Delta Reserve^® Credit Card from American Express, a Credit Cards House advertiser, offers a welcome bonus of 40,000 Delta Miles and 10,000 Medallion^® Qualification Miles (MQM) after you spend $3,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. It also offers a nice bonus of 15,000 Delta miles and 15,000 MQM after spending $30,000 in a year.

If you fly Delta Airlines frequently this card will give you the chance to relax between flights with a free membership to the Delta Sky Club^®. You will also receive priority boarding and your first checked bag will travel with you for free. You will also receive a domestic first or main cabin round-trip companion certificate each year you renew your credit card.

• Welcome Bonus – When you apply for the Delta Reserve^® Credit Card from American Express you will receive a bonus of 40,000 Delta miles and 10,000 Medallion^® Qualification Miles after you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months.

• Rewards – You will receive 2x Delta miles for most purchases through Delta Airlines and 1x miles for all other purchases. Each calendar year that you spend $30,000 using your card you will receive a bonus of 15,000 Delta miles and 15,000 MQM. If you spend $60,000 you will receive another 15,000 Delta miles and 15,000 MQM.

• Fees – There is a $450 annual fee and if you want to add additional cards for other users those have an annual fee of $175. There is a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% whichever is greater. If you choose to use your card outside of the United States you will not be charged a foreign transaction fee.

Starwood Preferred Guest^® Business Credit Card from American Express

If you run a small business and want to take advantage of large annual expenditures then a great card for you might be the Starwood Preferred Guest^® Business Credit Card from American Express, a Credit Cards House advertiser. American Express is currently offering a welcome bonus of a 100,000 points if you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. This offer ends 10/31/2018.

With this card, starting in 2019 you will automatically receive credit for 15 nights towards the next level of Elite status each year. You will receive complementary access to the Sheraton Club lounge when staying at select Sheraton properties. Card members will also receive free Boingo Wi-Fi anywhere in the world.

• Welcome Bonus – New cardholders can earn a 100,000 points if you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. This offer ends 10/31/2018.
• Rewards – You will receive up to 6x points when you use your card at a Starwood or Marriott property. You will receive 4x points for purchase at U.S restaurants, U.S. gas stations, U.S. wireless telephone service providers and on U.S. shipping. For all other purchases you will receive 2x point. When you spend $35,000 in a calendar year you will receive free Gold Elite status through the end of the next calendar year.
• APR – The standard APR is a variable rate of 20.24% to 29.24% for both purchases and balance transfers.
• Fees – For the first year you are a card member there is no annual fee, however each subsequent year the fee is $95. If you choose to transfer a balance then you will be charged $5 or 3% whichever is greater. You can use your card outside of the United States without a foreign transaction fee.

Bottom Line

If you find yourself spending big bucks each month then it’s important to have the right credit card. It should give you bonus points for different types of purchases and even bonuses when you hit different spending thresholds during the year.

_{Editorial Note: The information related to United MileagePlus^® Explorer Card has been collected by Credit Cards House and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.}

First published May 5, 2016, last updated June 3, 2021

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashton Stewart is a Denver based freelance writer specializing in travel, credit cards and personal finance. With nearly 10 years of writing experience his work has appeared in many of the industries top publications. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics. He also runs OneSmartDollar.com. When not working Sean enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and dog Charlie and can frequently be found on his bike or snowboard.

Learn more about Ashton Stewart

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

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