As the largest card network in the U.S., Visa can claim more than 900 credit cards under its name, issued in partnership with almost 300 different banks and credit unions across the country. If choosing from nearly 1,000 credit card options feels like an almost impossible task, don’t worry.
We’ve sifted through the best cards Visa has to offer and identified the top selections in multiple categories, making it simple for you to find a Visa credit card that delivers the highest value and most lucrative rewards based on your financial needs. Keep reading to find out which cards made the cut.
Best Cards for Credit Card Churning by Brand
Our Picks For The Best VISA Credit Card For Credit Card Churning
Below, we’ve identified the top VISA Credit Card in six categories and broken down the fees, benefits, and rewards associated with each so you can make your own comparisons and choose accordingly.
Best Cash Back Card: Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Welcome Bonus: $200
- Annual Fee: None
- APR: 14.99% – 23.74%
- Credit Score: Good/Excellent (690 – 850)
Benefits of Chase Freedom Unlimited® from Chase Freedom
There’s plenty to love about the Chase Freedom Unlimited Visa card. In addition to earning 1.5 percent cash back on the spending you already do, you can also earn bonus cash in categories like restaurant meals and rides through the Lyft app.
You won’t pay an annual fee, and the card offers a lengthy introductory period of 15 months with no APR on purchases. New cardholders are also eligible for a free three-month subscription to DashPass from DoorDash, which eliminates delivery fees and reduces service fees on eligible orders from local restaurants.
Other card benefits include zero liability fraud protection, fraud monitoring services, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, damage and collision protection on car rentals, travel and emergency assistance services and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Earning Points and Rewards
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers a solid, straightforward cash back rate of 1.5 points per $1 on all purchases. Currently, the card earns bonus rates of 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 5 points per $1 on rides with Lyft, and 3 points per $1 spent at restaurants and drugstores.
If you love your Chase Freedom Unlimited Visa as much as we think you will, you can earn $100 for every person you refer who ultimately opens an account (limited to five referrals per year).
Points are worth one cent each and can be redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal for cash, statement credits, gift cards, travel and shopping on Amazon. Rewards never expire.
Welcome Bonus
When you spend $500 in your first three months of card ownership, Chase will reward you with a $200 cash bonus, which is unusually generous for a cash back credit card.
Best Card for Foreign Travelers: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Welcome Bonus: 50,000 or 100,000 points
- Annual Fee: $95 (waived first year)
- APR: 17.24% – 24.49%
- Credit Score: Excellent/Good Good/Excellent (690 – 850)
Benefits of Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Like the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, the lure of the Capital OneVenture Rewards Credit Cardlies in the simplicity of its rewards-earning and redemption structure. All purchases earn 2 miles per dollar across the board, with no bonus categories to manage, and the miles are easy to redeem through the Capital One website, with no blackout dates on flights or hotels. If you prefer, you can even request reimbursement for travel spending up to 90 days after your purchase and receive a check or statement credit from Capital One.
The card delivers added value in the form of a $100 statement credit toward your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, and you won’t pay foreign transaction fees when you travel overseas.
Earning Points and Rewards
Every dollar you spend adds two miles to your Venture Miles account. There’s no limit on how many miles you can earn, and your miles never expire.
When you’re ready to redeem your rewards, Capital One gives you plenty of options. You can book travel directly through Capital One using your miles, or you can book through any other travel site or service and request reimbursement for your expenses. You can also transfer your miles to one of more than a dozen airline and hotel loyalty programs, use them to purchase gift cards through Capital One, redeem them for cash or a statement credit or shop with them on Amazon.
Welcome Bonus
To earn 50,000 bonus miles, simply spend $3,000 in the first three months after opening your account, which is enough to pay for $500 in travel costs. If you manage to spend $20,000 in the first year, you’ll double your reward and score 100,000 bonus miles.
Best Card for Luxury Benefits: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Welcome Bonus: 60,000 points
- Annual Fee: $550
- APR: 16.99% – 23.99%
- Credit Score: Excellent (720 – 850)
Benefits of Chase Sapphire Reserve®
As you might guess from the steep annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card confers substantial luxury benefits to those who can afford it. Its most valuable perk is the complimentary Priority Pass Select membership—a value of more than $400—which grants members and up to two guests entry into more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world, where they can relax and enjoy free refreshments as they wait for their flights.
Cardholders also receive a credit of $100 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees every four years and an automatic annual travel credit of up $300 toward flights, hotel stays and ride-sharing services. All travel booked with the card includes insurance to coverdelays, cancellations, lost luggage and emergency evacuation in case of an injury or illness during your trip.
Other benefits of the card include a free one-year membership to Lyft Pink, which provides 15 percent off rides, three waived cancellation fees per month and priority airport pickups; and a one-year DashPass membership from DoorDash, which includes waived delivery fees and reduced service charges. You can also earn up to $60 in DoorDash credits each year when you use your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to pay for your orders.
Earning Points and Rewards
You’ll earn three points for every $1 in travel and dining purchases and one point per $1 on all other purchases. From now until March 2022, you can also earn a whopping 10 points per $1 spent on the ride-sharing service Lyft.
When you redeem your points for trips through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you’ll get a 50 percent bonus on their value, or you can transfer them on a 1-to-1 basis to specific airline and hotel partners’ loyalty programs.
Welcome Bonus
If you spend $4,000 with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card within the first three months, your account will be credited with 60,000 bonus points—worth $900 toward travel booked through the Chase portal and potentially more when transferred to travel partners’ loyalty programs.
Best Card for Students: Bank of America® Travel RewardsCredit Card for Students
- Welcome Bonus: 25,000 points
- Annual Fee: None
- APR: 14.99% – 22.99%
- Credit Score: Good/Excellent (670 – 850)
Benefits of the Bank of America® Travel RewardsCredit Card for Students
Establishing credit can be tricky for many students, given that most credit card issuers evaluate applicants’ credit history before approving them for a card. However, the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students takes students’ relative lack of credit history into account when considering their applications, removing that barrier and giving first-time cardholders a chance to begin their credit journey on the right foot.
Not only does the Bank of America Travel Rewards Card for Students not penalize applicants for a spotty credit history, it actually rewards them for their purchases as they build credit and demonstrate financial responsibility. The card offers 1.5 points per $1 spent in most categories and double that rate for travel booked through the Bank of America Travel Center. It also includes a generous welcome offer, a one-year introductory period with zero percent APR and no annual fee or foreign transaction fees—ideal for students planning to study abroad.
Earning Points and Rewards
Every dollar spent on the Bank of America Travel Rewards Card for Students earns 1.5 points, except for spending on travel through the Bank of America Travel Center, which earns 3 points per $1. Points may be redeemed for cash back, gift cards or travel, with no restrictions on airline or hotel partners and no blackout dates.
Welcome Bonus
Spend just $1,000 in the first 90 days after you open the account and Bank of America will reward you with 25,000 bonus points.
Best Airline-Branded Card: Chase United Explorer Card
- Welcome Bonus: 40,000 to 65,000 miles
- Annual Fee: $95 (waived first year)
- APR: 16.49% to 23.49%
- Credit Score: Good/Excellent (680 –800)
Benefits of the Chase United Explorer Card
For travelers loyal to United Airlines, the Chase United Explorer Card offers outstanding value in the form of travel perks. Cardholders and one travel companion on the same reservation get priority boarding privileges and one free checked bag,which could add up to a savings of $120 on a round-trip flight—more than enough to cover the card’s $95 annual fee.
The card conveys a 25 percent statement credit on in-flight purchases on United and United Express travel. Cardholders also receive two United Club passes each year, providing access to United Club airport lounges with complimentary refreshments, quality Wi-Fi service and a relaxing atmosphere.
You’ll also receive a $100 statement credit toward application fees for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years. Other perks of the card include lost or delayed baggage insurance, rental car collision damage coverage, trip delay reimbursement and cancellation insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage.
Earning Points and Rewards
The Chase United Explorer card delivers the best bang for your buck on travel purchases, earning two miles per $1 spent on United Airlines purchases, dining and meal delivery services and hotel stays booked directly with the hotel. All other spending earns one mile per $1. When redeeming miles for travel on United, you won’t have to worry about blackout dates, and MileagePlus miles never expire.
Welcome Bonus
When you spend $2,000 in your first three months of card membership, Chase will credit you with 40,000 bonus miles. If you can hit $10,000 in spending in the first six months, you’ll receive another 25,000 miles, for a total welcome bonus of 65,000 miles.
Best Card for Business: Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Welcome Bonus: 100,000 points
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 15.99% – 20.99%
- Credit Score: Good/Excellent (700 – 850)
Benefits of the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card offers some of the best rewards-earning rates among business cards, and its low annual fee further enhances its value. Additionally, the card carries a plethora of benefits. When you use the card to pay your company’s mobile phone bill, all phones under the plan are covered up to $600 in case of damage or theft, with a limit of three claims per year and a $100 deductible per claim.
Other items are covered with the card’s robust purchase protection policy, which will reimburse you up to $10,000 if an item is lost, damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase. Items bought with the card are also covered with an extra year of warranty protection.
You’ll enjoy unparalleled peace of mind around any travel booked with the card, as this spending is covered by trip cancellation insurance for nonrefundable travel expenses, trip delay reimbursement to cover meals and hotel stays, and primary car rental coverage.
Earning Points and Rewards
The card earns an impressive three points per $1 on the first $150,000 per year spent on travel, shipping, online advertising and cable, phone and internet service. All other spending yields one point per $1.
Welcome Bonus
When you open a Chase Ink Business Preferred Card, you’ll earn 100,000 bonus points if you spend $15,000 within the first three months, which equates to $1,250 in travel rewards when you book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best VISA Credit Card
Similar to Mastercard credit cards, Visa cards can be categorized into three main tiers: traditional Visa, Visa Signature and Visa Infinite, each of which offers increasing benefits levels.
· Traditional Visa: These base-level cards include zero liability on unauthorized purchases, emergency card replacement, emergency cash disbursement, auto rental collision damage waiver and roadside assistance.
· Visa Signature: With the mid-level family of Visa cards, you’ll receive price and return protection, extended warranty protection, travel and emergency assistance, travel accident insurance, trip delay and cancellation coverage and lost luggage coverage.
· Visa Infinite:These top-tier cards provide all the benefits of the lower-level cards, with the addition of 24/7 concierge service and access to special deals on travel.
Additionally, the bank issuing the card may include supplemental benefits that boost its value.
Best Cards for Credit Card Churning by Airline or Hotel Travel Partner
Final Thoughts on the Best VISA Credit Card for Churning in 2022
With more than 1.1 billion Visa cards in circulation in over 200 countries, Visa is a dominant force in the financial world, offering credit cards through a wide variety of banks and credit unions as well as travel and retail partners.
As you weigh your options, you’ll want to consider how each card’s everyday benefits and rewards—as well as the size of the welcome bonus—stack up against any fees and interest rates. Based on our research, the cards listed above deliver the best value in their individual categories, but if none of them meet your needs, you’re sure to find the right card among the nearly 1,000 options under the Visa name.