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 overall transit credit card: Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
- 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
- Best card for Uber: Uber Visa Card
- The bottom line
Best overall transit credit card: Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card is our top choice, offering a generous rewards rate for purchases in a wide variety of categories. Earn 3X points on eating out, ordering in and popular streaming services, 3X points on gas stations, rideshares and transit, and 3X points on travel including flights, hotels, homestays and car rentals. Earn 1X points on other purchases. And you can get all this for an annual fee of $0.
So what types of purchases are eligible for 3X? Here’s the list:
- Passenger railway
- Taxis and limousines
- Ferries
- Toll bridges and highways
- Parking lots and garages
- Airlines
- Hotels, motels and timeshares
- Vehicle/auto rental
- Cruise lines, travel agencies, and discount travel sites
- Campgrounds
- Bars, restaurants, and fast food
- Gas stations and automated fuel dispensers
Points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back or travel, which means you’re effectively putting 3% back in your pocket on 3X-eligible purchases.
There’s a welcome offer, too: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
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: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn a $50 statement credit towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening.
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.
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 good welcome offer, too: earn a $300 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months.
To see rates & fees for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express please click here.
Best card for Uber: Uber Visa Card
If catching a rideshare is your go-to mode of transportation, and if you turn to Uber Eats to satisfy your food cravings, you’ll like the Uber Visa Card. Plus, if you live in a city where JUMP electric bikes and scooters are available, you can rack up rewards for using those, too. With the Uber Visa Card, you’ll earn 5% back in Uber Cash on Uber rides, Uber Eats, and JUMP, 3% in Uber Cash on restaurants, bars, hotels, and airfare, and 1% back in Uber Cash on all other purchases. The card’s annual fee is $0.
The sign-up bonus should be easy to earn if you’re putting the bulk of your spending on this card: Earn $100 in Uber Cash after spending $500 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
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.
