Best Credit Cards for Transit
This article was last updated Dec 26, 2019. Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
There are gas rewards credit cards for commuters and there are travel rewards credit cards for those who like to explore. But what if you’re more interested in earning rewards for spending on public transportation and rideshares? Fear not — there are cards that match better with your lifestyle, too.
We’ve compiled a list of the best credit cards that earn rewards on transit expenses. We chose cards with strong rewards rates, broad transit and/or travel categories, and either with no or low annual fees. Here are our recommendations.
In this article:
- Best transit card with no annual fee: Navy Federal More Rewards American Express® Card
- Best card for transit and travel: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best for transit and supermarkets: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- The bottom line
Best transit card with no annual fee: Navy Federal More Rewards American Express® Card
The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express® Card is another $0 annual fee card with strong rewards in a variety of categories. Earn .
The transit category includes:
- Railways
- Ferries/water trip
- Taxis and limousines
- Bus lines, charters and tour buses
- Tolls and road/bridge fees
- Parking
There’s one catch with this card. You have to be eligible to join Navy Federal Credit Union. Membership is open to the following applicants:
- Active duty military members
- Veterans, retirees and annuitants
- Family and household of military members
- Department of Defense civilians
Best card for transit and travel: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of our favorite mid-range travel cards. With a $95 annual fee, it’s not as expensive to carry as more premium travel cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (with a $550 annual fee), but it still packs a lot of value into its rewards structure and travel perks.
Earn 2X points on dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases worldwide. The travel category includes the following purchases:
- Operators of passenger trains
- Buses
- Taxis and limousines
- Ferries
- Toll bridges and highways
- Parking lots and garages
- Airlines
- Hotels, motels and timeshares
- Car rental agencies
- Cruise lines, travel agencies and discount travel sites
- Campgrounds
When redeeming rewards, you can get 25% more value when redeeming points for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal. You can also transfer points at a 1:1 value to 10 airline travel partners and three hotel partners. Finally, for travel perks, this card offers trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement and more.
And if you can meet the spending requirement, there’s a very valuable sign-up bonus: Our best offer ever! Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,250 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Best for transit and supermarkets: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Come for the generous cashback rate on U.S. supermarket purchases, stay for the transit rewards. With the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, you can earn 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more), 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Terms apply. Cash back rewards are redeemed as statement credits.
Purchases eligible for the transit category include:
- Trains
- Taxis and ride-sharing services
- Ferries
- Tolls
- Parking
- Buses
- Subways
The card’s annual fee is $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. There’s a welcome offer, too: earn $150 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card within the first 6 months of card membership.
To see rates & fees for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express please click here.
The bottom line
Whether you take the bus on your way to work, use Uber to get home after a night out with friends or if you prefer to travel by train, there’s a credit card that can reward your transit habits. And if you go with one of the cards on this list, you can get rewarded for other purchases (such as dining out at a restaurant or going to see a concert) as well.
