My 2025 Credit Card Report Card: Ranking 25 New (and Product Changed) Cards
Hey friends, what's up? Philip here with Points of Phillip, and as the year starts winding down, I've been reflecting on my credit card strategy. I've opened or acquired quite a few cards this year – about 25, by my count – and I want to walk you through each one, why I got it, what it did for me, and how I'd rank them. Let's dive in!
The S-Tier: Essential & Always in the Wallet
These are the cards that consistently deliver exceptional value, seamlessly integrate into my life, and are almost always part of my spending strategy.
American Express Personal Platinum Card:
Annual Fee: $695 (plus $195 for authorized user).
How I Got It: Product changed from my Gold card.
Why It's S-Tier: This card brings incredible value. I got a 125,000-point bonus with a reasonable spend, and the benefits perfectly align with my lifestyle. The Resy, Lululemon, and entertainment credits are all utilized, making the high annual fee worthwhile. I essentially use all the benefits.
American Express Personal Gold Card:
Annual Fee: $250.
How I Got It: Product changed from my Green card, picking up a 30,000-point bonus.
Why It's S-Tier: This is an absolute workhorse. Earning 4x on groceries and dining makes it an everyday essential. It's always in my wallet, no matter what.
Rakuten Credit Card:
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account, secured a $100 signup bonus (though the current one-day offer is $200 – grab it!).
Why It's S-Tier: This card is a marvel of versatility! It earns 4x back on top of Rakuten portal purchases, and crucially, you can choose to earn this as cash back, American Express Membership Rewards points (if you have an MR-earning card), or even Bilt Rewards points. This flexibility to earn in different point ecosystems with a no-annual-fee card is unmatched, making it a perfect complement to almost any setup.
Capital One Venture X Card (my wife's, I'm an AU):
Annual Fee: $395.
How I Got It: As an authorized user on my wife's account.
Why It's S-Tier: Despite recent changes to lounge access, this card remains incredible value. The $300 travel credit (through the Capital One portal) and the consistent 2x earning on everything, plus 5x/10x on portal purchases, make it a powerhouse. The lounge changes don't significantly impact my personal use case.
The A-Tier: Strong Performers, Great Value
These cards offer fantastic benefits and earning rates, making them highly valuable, even if they don't quite hit the "always in my wallet" S-tier status.
Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card:
Annual Fee: $450.
How I Got It: Product changed from a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card in February.
Why It's A-Tier: While not a new account this year, I started utilizing it. The benefits are stellar: a free night award (I used a 35k point FNC from my Boundless), and the $300 travel credit which I easily redeemed by paying taxes on a London points redemption. The lounge access, especially to the Chase Sapphire Lounge in Philadelphia, is a massive perk. I don't put a lot of spend on it, but the benefits alone make it A-tier.
Citi Strata Premier Card:
Annual Fee: $95.
How I Got It: Product changed (Citi was stingy with signup bonuses for me this year).
Why It's A-Tier: This is a true workhorse. With 3x on dining, restaurants, gas, travel, and transit, it covers a huge chunk of everyday spending. The $100 hotel credit (via the Citi travel portal) and excellent transfer partners like American Airlines, Choice, and I Prefer make it a "GOAT card" in its category.
American Express Business Platinum Card:
Annual Fee: $895.
How I Got It: New account this year.
Why It's A-Tier: It has an even higher annual fee than the personal version, and getting full value without specific spend can be trickier. However, the benefits are compelling: 5x on travel through the Amex portal, 2x on purchases over $5,000, $200 Hilton credits, $150 Dell credits, and $600 in Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits. It's a solid card, but requires more intentionality to maximize.
Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card:
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account.
Why It's A-Tier: My favorite card that I hardly ever use! It offers 2% cashback on everything, has no foreign transaction fees, comes with Visa Signature travel protections, and (crucially!) a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit. You can direct the cashback to any Fidelity account (529, Roth IRA, brokerage). For a cashback card, this is the GOAT.
The B-Tier: Good, Specific Use Cases
These cards are solid additions, often with niche benefits or good earning for specific categories, but they might not be for everyone or every situation.
American Express Business Gold Card:
Annual Fee: $375.
How I Got It: New account, with a 150,000-point signup bonus for $15,000 spend (timed for tax season).
Why It's B-Tier: This card offers 4x on your top two spending categories, which are broad (transit, gas, dining, ad suppliers, online retailers). The $20/month business credit (for Office Supply, UPS, GrubHub, and now Squarespace) makes it valuable, especially since I use Squarespace. It requires spending to maximize, but for the right business, it's very strong.
Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Card:
Annual Fee: $95.
How I Got It: New account.
Why It's B-Tier: This is a niche card. It offers Amtrak lounge access, class upgrades, and valuable Amtrak points. If you live in the Northeast and commute via Amtrak, it's a solid choice. It's my only FNBO card, but it serves a specific purpose.
Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) Card (my wife's):
Annual Fee: $95.
How I Got It: My wife opened it, capitalizing on a 100,000-point offer.
Why It's B-Tier: It’s a great entry-level travel card, earning 3x on dining, online grocery, and streaming. It also provides Visa Signature protections and access to valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners like United and Hyatt. However, the "online grocery" category can be tricky to maximize, requiring some thought, which keeps it out of the A-tier for me.
American Airlines Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard:
Annual Fee: $99 (waived first year).
How I Got It: Targeted mailer for an 80,000-point bonus.
Why It's B-Tier: For an airline co-branded card, it's not bad. Free checked bags and Group 5 priority boarding are genuinely useful when flying American. I got it for the signup bonus and will keep it for the benefits when flying AA.
Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card:
Annual Fee: $0 first year, then $150.
How I Got It: New account, with a 70,000-point signup bonus.
Why It's B-Tier: If you fly Delta, this card is a must. It gives 15% off points bookings, Group 5 boarding, and free checked bags for everyone on your reservation. The $150 Delta credit also helped offset some costs, even if the value was slightly less than advertised.
Robinhood Gold Card:
Annual Fee: $50 (I'm calling it an annual fee, despite their marketing).
How I Got It: New account.
Why It's B-Tier: It offers 3% cashback and comes with nice benefits from the Robinhood Gold membership. For cashback-focused users, it has potential, but I'm not entirely sold on its backend workings.
The C-Tier: Niche, Flawed, or Just Okay
These cards either serve a very specific purpose, have drawbacks, or are simply outshined by other options.
Discover It Miles Card:
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account, to help with home repairs.
Why It's C-Tier: While it offered 0% APR for 18 months (which was key for my fence replacement after a hurricane) and effectively 3% cashback in the first year (1.5% doubled), its long-term cashback rate isn't the best, and Discover's acceptance isn't universal. I respect its utility, but it's not for most people.
American Express Blue Business Cash Card (BBC):
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account for home maintenance expenses.
Why It's C-Tier: It offers 2% cashback on all purchases up to $50,000 annually. However, Amex's cashback redemption method (statement credits only after statement close) isn't my favorite, and there are better Amex cards for earning.
Expedia Group OneKey Card (No Annual Fee):
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account, with a $400 OneKey Cash bonus.
Why It's C-Tier: It offers 3% on dining and gas and some status perks. While the cashback bonus was solid, the "OneKey Cash" is restrictive, only redeemable through Expedia/Vrbo. It has its uses, especially for my upcoming Vrbo trip, but the limited redemption options keep it lower.
Hilton Honors Card (No Annual Fee):
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account, with a 100,000 Hilton points + $100 statement credit bonus.
Why It's C-Tier: I got it for the large signup bonus. It only offers Hilton Silver status, which isn't very impactful, and its earning rates aren't great. Its main purpose for me is a stepping stone to potentially getting a second Aspire card later.
Chase Ink Unlimited (CIU):
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account, with a 90,000-point bonus.
Why It's C-Tier: It earns 1.5x on everything, which is good for a no-annual-fee business card, and has some compelling 3x categories. I'm glad I have it for business spending, but it's a bit harder to get, and it's not my primary "catch-all" card due to other options.
Virgin Atlantic Red Rewards Card:
Annual Fee: (Not specified, typically around $99).
How I Got It: New account, for a signup bonus.
Why It's C-Tier: It earns 3x on Virgin purchases and offers perks like bar credits or upgrades on Virgin Voyages after $15,000 in spend. Virgin miles are useful, which is why I got it. However, I recently closed it as I was trying to "recycle" the bonus, and it didn't work out. It's a good card, but other airline cards might offer more direct benefits.
The D-Tier: Disappointing or Barely Used
These cards are either not performing as expected, have significant drawbacks, or simply aren't seeing much use in my wallet.
Gemini Credit Card:
Annual Fee: (Not specified, but crypto cards often have associated fees/dynamics).
How I Got It: New account.
Why It's D-Tier: It earns immediately in cryptocurrency, with 4% on gas/transit (though transit excludes tolls, which is a problem), 3% on dining, and 2% on groceries (all capped). I'm not a fan of the overall system and how it works. I'm putting no spend on it.
OnePay Card:
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account, with a very weak $20-30 signup bonus.
Why It's D-Tier: It offers 5% cashback with a Walmart+ subscription, 3% at Walmart without, and 1.5% on everything else. Issued by Synchrony, it doesn't integrate with any of my budgeting or card tracking apps, making it a pain. Since I'm points-focused, and it's a cashback card with integration issues, I rarely use it and will likely close it after the first year.
Walgreens Card:
Annual Fee: $0.
How I Got It: New account.
Why It's D-Tier: It offers higher multipliers at Walgreens. While I got some initial use out of it, I don't anticipate much further use. It's too niche for my spending habits.
The E-Tier: Dead and Gone
Mesa Homeowner Card:
Annual Fee: (Irrelevant).
How I Got It: Had it for mortgage payments and 3x on utilities.
Why It's E-Tier: This card spectacularly died last week. It's dead, and for that, it goes straight to E-tier. Nothing else to know, they suck.
So there you have it – a rundown of my credit card acquisitions and rankings for 2025! There are definitely some winners and some stinkers that likely won't be in my wallet much longer.
Let me know in the comments below: What did I get wrong? Would you have ranked any of these differently? I can't wait to hear your thoughts!