Best Metal Credit Cards of 2023

Our experts answer readers’ credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

Metal credit cards are perceived by some to be a status symbol.

They shouldn’t necessarily be. Some metal cards don’t even charge an annual fee — and you can be approved with a less-than-excellent credit score. In other words, the ting that a credit card makes when you drop it on the table at a restaurant doesn’t intimate that you’re part of the 1%.

Still, a surge of dopamine occurs every time you hand a metal credit card to a cashier. If you’re looking for a metal credit card, we’ve highlighted the best credit cards from each major category. 

No matter your money goals or financial situation, you’ll find a metal card that suits your lifestyle below.

Compare the Best Metal Credit Cards

Best Metal Credit Cards

Methodology: How We Chose the Best Metal Credit Cards

We chose the metal credit cards on our list because they have one or more of the following attributes:

• A sizable welcome bonus
• Above-average return rates
• Valuable ongoing benefits

Insider has already painstakingly ranked just about every credit card in existence by category (best cash back cards, best travel credit cards, best no annual fee cards, etc.). Check out our credit card reviews hub to see which cards are at the top of their respective food chain. From there, we’ve simply chosen the metal credit cards that rank highly on those lists.

Why you should trust our recommendations

Insider’s credit cards team examines each card’s merits and strives to spotlight the cards that offer the most value to each type of financial goal. We do review poor cards, as well. But we will clearly state when we think a credit card is subpar or predatory.

Here’s more about how we rate and review credit cards at Insider.

Metal Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions

Best Overall Metal Credit Card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Based on Insider’s valuation of Capital One miles, that’s worth an average of $1,275 in travel when you transfer your points Capital One’s partners like Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, and Wyndham.

There’s one big reason this card takes the cake among metal credit cards: Its $395 annual fee is so easy to justify. With just a couple of simple-to-use benefits, you’ll make a profit from the card by taking even a single trip per year.

Take a look at what you’ll get:

To boot, you’ll earn tons of bonus miles when booking travel through the Capital One Travel portal — 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5 miles per dollar on flights. You’ll get 2 miles per dollar on everything else.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Review

Best Starter Metal Credit Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening — worth $1,080 in travel, according to Insider’s valuation of Chase points.

This was my first travel credit card — and I’ve kept it for eight years with no intention of canceling it. For a $95 annual fee, you’ll get overperforming travel insurance (such as primary rental car insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay insurance, etc.) and a solid return on everyday expenses such as dining, streaming, and online grocery purchases.

The card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points — one of the most valuable travel rewards currencies available. With this card, you can buy airfare, hotel stays, rental cars, cruises, and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point. Or, you can transfer your points to airline and hotel loyalty programs such as Hyatt, United Airlines, Southwest, etc. for a much greater potential value. 

This card also comes with a slew of statement credits (some of which are temporary):

If you’re just beginning in the world of award travel, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great first card — and one that’s worth keeping forever.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review

Best Metal Credit Card for Travel Insurance

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening — worth $1,080 in travel.

This card is a beefed-up version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It’s got several of the same benefits, but the Sapphire Reserve’s are more valuable. For example:

• Your points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeeming them for travel through the Chase Travel Portal (instead of 1.25 cents).
• The temporary DoorDash, Gopuff, and Instacart benefits are more generous.
• The card’s earning rates are significantly higher in select categories.
• Its primary rental car insurance covers more expensive cars than the Sapphire Preferred.
• Its trip delay insurance kicks in up to six hours earlier than the Sapphire Preferred.

Talking of credit card travel insurance, there’s literally no credit card you can apply for that matches this card. Booking your travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® will give you the most peace of mind you can get without purchasing expensive coverage from a third-party travel insurance provider.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® charges a $550 annual fee. But it can be easily offset if you use the following ongoing benefits:

There’s also currently an offer of two free years of Lyft Pink All Access Membership, with 50% off the third year. You must activate the deal by December 31, 2024.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card Review

Best Metal Card for Airport Lounge Access

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership. That’s worth an average of $1,440 in travel when you utilize Amex Membership Rewards points transfer partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Hilton, and Delta.

The Amex Platinum is widely regarded to be the most valuable card on the market — if you can use its many benefits. It’s possible to receive thousands of dollars in annual statement credits alone. For example, you’ll get:

If you would organically use a few of those benefits, this card could easily save you money despite its lofty $695 annual fee.

The Amex Platinum is sort of a jack of all trades — but there is one thing this card masters: Airport lounge access. No credit card gives you a wider variety of lounges to choose from. With this card, you can freely enter:

• Amex Centurion lounges, inarguably some of the most quality lounges you’ll find. You’ll get free cocktails and hot meals, and sometimes even things like free massages, showers, and wine tasting.
• Priority Pass lounges, of which there are more than 1,300 locations worldwide. You can even bring two guests with you. The free snacks and alcohol generally aren’t quite as fancy as Centurion Lounges, but they’re still a great way to save money and enjoy the airport.
• Delta Sky Club lounges, as long as you’re flying Delta and are carrying your Platinum Card at the front desk.
• Plaza Premium lounges, with more than 100 locations around the world
• Escape Lounges
• Certain Lufthansa lounges, as long as you’re flying Lufthansa that day.
• Aspire Lounges
• Select Virgin Clubhouses

In other words, if you can’t get enough of fancy airport lounges, no other card will better feed your addiction.

American Express Platinum Card Review

Best Hotel Metal Credit Card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with an elevated welcome bonus offer of 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 in purchases on the card within the first six months and earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you stay 6 eligible paid nights at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy through 1/31/24 (offer ends 8/9/23). This is worth $1,400 in hotel stays, based on Insider’s valuations.

This card charges an annual fee of $650. That’s nearly as jaw-dropping as the Amex Platinum annual fee — but once again, the card can easily be worthwhile for those who will maximize its perks.

For example, you’ll receive:

• Up to $25 in statement credits per month for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide (a $300 value)
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status
• An annual free night award worth up to 85,000 points
• 25 elite night credits each calendar year
• Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** (again, worth over $400 annually)
• Up to $100 in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit once every four years (memberships last five years)

Insider estimates Marriott points value to be 0.7 cents each. That means an 85,000-point free night award can be worth an average of $595 if you use it on a hotel that costs at least 85,000 points.

Marriott Platinum status can also be wildly valuable, as it offers benefits like suite upgrades (when available), free breakfast, and 50% bonus points on paid Marriott stays.

All to say, if you’ll maximize the monthly $25 statement credits as well as the annual free night award, you’ll easily receive more value than you’re paying. And with the perks like Priority Pass membership and Marriott Platinum status, you’ll be many hundreds of dollars in the black.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex Card Review

Best Airline Metal Credit Card

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months from account opening. This translates to an average of $660 in Delta flights, based on Insider’s valuation of Delta miles.

To enjoy the best benefits of this card, you’ll have to be a frequent Delta flyer.  The Amex Delta Reserve confers:

• Free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta flights
• Annual Delta companion certificate that allows you to bring a friend once per year for just the cost of taxes and fees when flying domestically. Even if you’re flying first class, your companion’s ticket will match your cabin.
• 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year (up to four times)
• Access to complimentary upgrades and upgrade priority
• 20% off inflight purchases as a statement credit
• 15% off Delta award flights with TakeOff 15

The Amex Delta Reserve is exceptional for those looking for airport lounge access. That’s because it gives you free Delta Sky Club access (when flying Delta) and also Amex Centurion Lounge access (when flying Delta and paying for your flight with the card).

Delta Reserve Review

Best Small Business Metal Card

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express currently has a welcome bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first three months of card membership. According to Insider’s estimation of Amex points value, that’s worth $2,160 in travel, on average.

Similar to the personal Amex Platinum, this card is stuffed with valuable statement credits — but they’re much more business-focused. Yes, some benefits overlap, such as identical airport lounge access, up to $200 in annual airline fee credits, Gold elite status with Hilton and Marriott**, and up to $189 annually in credits for CLEAR® Plus membership**. But this card has unique offerings, too:

• Up to $400 in U.S. Dell credits each calendar year**
• Up to $120 in credits for U.S. wireless providers each calendar year
• Up to $360 in Indeed credits each calendar year**
• Up to $150 in Adobe credits each calendar year**

Plus, you’ll get a 35% rebate when you redeem your points with your selected airline (or for business class or first class seats with any airline) through Amex Travel. You can receive up to 500,000 points per calendar year as a rebate.

The Amex Business Platinum charges a $695 annual fee.

You’ll need a business venture — or some activity that warrants a 1099 tax form — to qualify for a small business card. Even if you don’t own an enterprise with multiple employees, you may still have a perfectly legitimate small business. Things like delivering for Instacart, selling products on OfferUp, etc. can be a small business if you regularly engage in those activities.

Amex Business Platinum Card Review

Best Cash Back Metal Credit Card

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card comes with $300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. A $300 intro offer is solid for a cash-back credit card — you won’t find many with bonuses larger than that. However, you can convert the cash back you earn into much more valuable Capital One miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile.

To do this, you must also hold a Capital One miles-earning card such as the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Insider’s points and miles valuations peg Capital One miles value at 1.7 cents each, meaning this $300 bonus is worth an average of $510 in travel.

The Capital One Savor also has one of the best earning rates in the game. You’ll receive:

• 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases through November 14, 2024
• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services
• 3% cash back at grocery stores
• 1% back on all other purchases

As you can see, you’ll receive an above-average return for the vast majority of everyday spending. However, the card incurs a $95 annual fee, so you’ll have to spend quite a bit in the card’s bonus categories before it becomes a better option than a no-annual-fee credit card like the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card or the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. It is metal, though — which not many no-annual-fee credit cards can tout.

To complement this card’s highest return rate (Uber spending), you’ll receive a free Uber One membership through November 14, 2024. Uber normally costs $9.99 per month, and comes with benefits such as unlimited $0 delivery fees on eligible orders, up to 10% off eligible orders with Uber Eats, and more.

Capital One Savor Card Review

Best Metal Credit Card for Mobile Payments

U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card offers 50,000 points after you spend $4,500 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. That equates to $750 in value, as each point is worth 1.5 cents toward travel.

If you’re specifically looking for a metal credit card, you’re probably interested in showing it off — in which case, the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve probably isn’t the best card for you. That’s because this card’s strength is in its return rate when used as the payment method on your phone. You’ll get an incredible 3 points per dollar (effectively 4.5% back) on all purchases made through a mobile wallet such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Because most merchants take mobile wallets nowadays, you can get 3 points per dollar for just about everything.

The card also earns:

• 5 points per dollar for prepaid hotels and rental cars reserved through the Altitude Rewards Center
• 3 points per dollar for travel purchases
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

For a $400 annual fee, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card comes with perks like:

• Up to $325 annual credit toward travel and dining
• 12-month Priority Pass Select membership
• Excellent travel insurance (rivaling cards like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card)
• Up to $100 statement credit every four years to offset the application fee to Global Entry/TSA PreCheck

If you spend at least $325 in travel and dining each year, this card’s annual fee is effectively $75. You’ll have to decide if the remaining card benefits are worth $75 to you.

US Bank Altitude Reserve Review

Best Metal Credit Card for Online Shopping

Prime Visa

The Prime Visa comes with a $200 Amazon gift card upon approval of your credit card application.

While this card technically does not charge an annual fee, you’ll need an Amazon Prime account to get the most from it. Amazon Prime costs $139 per year.

Two features make this card stand out. First are its earning rates. You’ll get:

• 5% back on purchases made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® Travel Portal, with an eligible Prime membership (new)
• 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods Market, with an eligible Prime membership
• 2% back on local transit and commuting, including rideshare (new)
• 2% back at restaurants and at gas stations
• 1% back on all other purchases

You’ll also get 10% back on rotating Amazon items. Offers are limited-time and only for Prime members.

The second notable feature is the card’s ability to give you interest-free payments with Amazon. By doing this, you will not earn rewards on your card. You’ll receive:

• 6 interest-free months for purchases of $50 or more
• 12 interest-free months for purchases of $250 or more

Similar to the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card, this card does its best work while living in your sock drawer — so you may not have as much occasion to show off your metal.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card Review

Best No Annual Fee Metal Credit Card

U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is currently offering 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening. Points are worth 1 cent each, making this bonus worth $0 for things like travel, cash back, and gift cards.

For a no-annual-fee credit card, the return rates for common spending are exceptional:

• 4 points per dollar spent on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery
• 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, gas stations, EV charging stations, and on grocery delivery and eligible streaming services 
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases 

The card even comes with an annual statement credit worth $15 to offset your streaming expenses. When you pay for an eligible streaming service for 11 consecutive months, your credit will post during month 12. Eligible streaming services include Apple Music, Apple TV+, AT&T TV NOW, Discovery+, Disney+, ESPN+, Fubo TV, Google Music, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, SiriusXM, Slacker Radio, Sling TV, Spotify, Tidal, Vudu, and YouTube Music.

Also worth noting is that you’ll receive 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles (then 20.24% – 29.24% Variable). That’s an excellent perk if you’ve got a large upcoming expense that you’ll need to pay off over time.

US Bank Altitude Go Card Review

Best Metal Credit Card for Less-than-perfect Credit

X1 Card

The $0 annual fee X1 Card doesn’t currently offer a welcome bonus. However, you can potentially earn up to 10 points per dollar on up to 30 days of purchases by successfully referring a friend to the card.

This card is good for those with a credit history they wouldn’t brag about. That’s because X1 takes into account more than just your credit score when deciding if you are a good candidate for the card. It looks at your employment income to see how much money you make.

The X1 Card can earn points quickly with a little bit of strategy. You’ll get a flat 2 points per dollar on all spending. But when you spend at least $1,000 on purchases each month, your earnings are boosted to 3 points per dollar (capped at $7,500 in spending, then back to 2x).

You can also earn bonus points by taking advantage of “Boosts” inside the X1 app. They are targeted toward certain merchants and spending categories, and they rotate frequently.

Interestingly, the card allows you to create infinite virtual credit cards, each with custom expiration dates, usage limits, etc. This is great for those who find themselves signing up for free trials and forgetting to cancel — you can simply create a virtual card for the free trial and set the card to expire before the trial ends.

X1 Card Review

Joseph Hostetler, CEPF

Credit cards reporter

Angela Fung

Marketing Compliance Manager