Introduction:

This post will outline the best credit card strategies for normal people who want to maximize their value, without paying unnecessary fees.

These setups lean cash back rather than travel rewards with investing as the primary focus, with some moderate amount of travel perks and travel insurance.

For most people, who travel three times a year or less, my setups are much more reasonable than opening a AMEX Plat, Chase Sapphire Reserve as most influencers recommend.

If you want pure travel rewards, look elsewhere.

However, these systems are a hybrid between pure cash back and travel because the author cares about travel insurance and travel perks, and some travel redemptions.

It is the optimal mix of high reward rates, travel perks, and investment dollars.

I’m one of the few unpaid voices about credit cards on the internet besides random commenters.

My opinions on this page are entirely my own and I am not being paid 1 cent by the credit card companies (unlike every credit card influencer you have ever heard of).

I will continue updating this page until the end of 2025, then I will make one for 2026.

An Amazon credit card and a Citi custom cash can be added to almost any setup, therefore they will not be mentioned here unless they are critical to the strategy.

Business cards will not be mentioned in this post.

“Jeff Mode”

Citi Strata Premier

$95 Yearly Fee

3% Dining, 3% Gas/EV, 3% Grocery
10% Hotel, Car Rentals, and Attractions on the Citi Travel Portal (best in industry afaik)
$100 back on 1 Hotel purchase totaling over $500 or more on the Citi Travel Portal
3% on Other Air Travel, other 3% Hotel Purchases
Best extended warranty in the industry (two extra years for US manufacturers)
Overall good travel insurance imo, review it for yourself
No FTF

Note: After August 2025 you cannot use Citi points from the Strata Premier for 1 cent per point when redeemed as cash.

Redeem as a gift card (and do what you will with it) or redeem for travel.

What’s a good bonus? 75,000 points worth $750 or higher in Travel for $4000 spend.

Fidelity 2%

No Fee

2% Back redeemed to investment account with auto redeem and any investment account
Free Global Entry/TSA Pre Check
No FTF but may require travel to be authorized (unconfirmed)

What’s a good bonus? $150 is live for $1000, or targeted offers for $200-$250.

Chase Freedom Flex

No Fee

5% Back Categories
3% Drugstores (if you don’t care about drugstores, this becomes less relevant though still good)
Cell Phone Insurance
3% Dining (can be redeemed for 3% cash back for investments)
No FTF

What's a good bonus? $200-$250 for $1500. Sometimes it can be had with 5% groceries and 5% gas for a year, and 9% during the bonus quarter for those categories.

Sometimes it can be had with 5% groceries and 5% gas for a year, and 9% during the bonus quarter for those categories.

Total fee: $95 a year

“Capital One Duo”

Venture X

$395 Yearly Fee

2% Everything
Priority Pass Lounge Access
Capital One Lounge Access
Global Entry
A $300 credit for travel in the Capital One Travel Portal
10,000 points every anniversary (roughly $100)
Good Travel Insurance
No FTF
$-5 expected return due to credits

SavorOne

No fee

3% Dining and Grocery
5% Entertainment
No FTF

What's a good bonus: $200 for $500 spend in Capital One Points.

“It’s AMEX Bro”

AMEX Gold

$325 Yearly Fee

AMEX swag
Top tier customer service
4% Restaurants
4% Dining
3x Flights
2x Prepaid Hotels and other travel purchases through AMEX Travel (not great)
If the travel insurance is good enough for you this becomes a lot better of a deal, otherwise if you travel get the Chase CSP or another card with good travel insurance. Gold Card Travel Insurance & Coverage - American Express CA
It’s got a coupon book, rather than me to list everything here, just review it for yourself. The Resy credit and maybe the Dunkin or Five Guys credit are the most useful ones imo. You’ll likely face some breakage (unclaimed rewards) with this card.

What’s a good bonus? 100k points or better + some other freebie, like 20% on restaurant purchases to a cap.

Note: If you get approved for the AMEX Gold, you may forfeit your opportunity for an AMEX Green bonus.

Note: This is more a lifestyle pick than a financial one. You will likely never get best value with this setup but overall, if you’re living the lifestyle and eat out a lot, I think of it as a “complete package” that provides social status benefits to the user.

If the AMEX Gold had solid travel insurance akin to CSP or the Citi Strata Premier, it would be top tier imo.

Fidelity 2% OR Double Cash

No Fee

2% Back redeemed to investment account with auto redeem and any investment account
Free Global Entry/TSA Pre Check

What’s a good bonus? $150 is live for $1000, or targeted offers for $200-$250

Chase Freedom Flex

No Fee

5% Back Categories
3% Drugstores (if you don’t care about drugstores, this becomes less relevant)
Cell Phone Insurance
No FTF

What's a good bonus? $200-$250 for $1500. Sometimes it can be had with 5% groceries and 5% gas for a year, and 9% during the bonus quarter for those categories.

Total fee: $325 or more if you need a card with better travel insurance

FAQ

Why did you not mention the Chase trifecta?

In my opinion, it is dead.

Especially with the new rules for claiming bonuses and removal of 1.25% of the CSP and 1.5% value of points for the CSR in the Chase portal.

Without these, it becomes harder to value the 1.5% catch all of the CFU as a higher value than 1.5%.

Everyone should be getting 2% as their catch all in 2025.

You could try to justify it with the value of Hyatt points, but this is the only thing this setup has going.

If you are able to redeem Hyatt points for extremely good redemptions, you don’t need me to tell you the value of that.

The Hyatt gravy train will not last forever.

It is hard to recommend an entire credit card setup based on one transfer parter.

The Chase setup has always been fueled by frequent large bonuses, (and is otherwise suboptimal) which are now harder to get.

The Chase setup has been hyped up by influencers who are being paid by Chase to push their cards.

Why did you not mention of the Citi Trifecta/Quadfecta?

You can just figure that one out of your own.

It’s everywhere and obvious.

Fidelity card is superior anyways due to free Global Entry, and having to wait until you pay with the Citi Double Cash to receive your points is sort of ridiculous in 2025.

Though make sure you are paying in full every month or close this guide immediately.

Why did you not mention of Wells Fargo/Bilt?

If you pay rent just add Bilt to your setup.

Bilt also might be going away due to the recent partnership/acquisition with Cardless.

If you’re dead set on Wells Fargo you don’t need to hear it from me, either.

Why did you not mention of the AMEX Plat?

If the AMEX Plat makes sense for you, you don’t need me to tell you.

Very few readers live the lifestyle that AMEX Plat is meant for.

Very few of you will live even the AMEX Gold lifestyle.

The Best Credit Card Setups (2025)