Best Metal Credit Cards
This article was last updated Jul 10, 2020. Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
Terms apply to American Express credit card offers. See americanexpress.com for more information.
A metal credit card used to be an elite status symbol. They’re more common now, but they still stand out in a world full of plastic cards.
American Express® launched the first metal card in 1999. Since then, there has been an increase in the number of banks issuing metal cards. And metal cards are no longer just for people who can afford high annual fees – there are now metal cards with low annual fees, and even a few with no annual fees.
So, what exactly is your metal card made of? It depends. The materials used vary by issuer and may include titanium, stainless steel, or a combination of plastic and metal.
While you shouldn’t open a credit card just because it’s made of metal, it is a nice perk if the card’s terms and benefits suit your needs. We’ve rounded up the best metal credit cards below (selected through a review of cards available on CompareCards, as well as top issuers) so you can find the best metal credit card for you.
- Best metal card with no annual fee: Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
- Best metal card for online shopping: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card
- Best metal travel card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best metal luxury travel card: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Best metal card for Apple users: Apple Card
- Best metal business card: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Other metal credit cards to consider
Best metal card with no annual fee: Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
Why we like it: For a card with a $0 annual fee, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card offers generous rewards. 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.
Plus, the card comes with a variety of helpful benefits, including:
- Cellphone protection.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary coverage).
- Roadside assistance.
- Lost luggage reimbursement.
What to watch out for: Many travel-focused cards allow cardholders to transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs. However, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card does not.
Read our review of the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card.
Best metal card for online shopping: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card
Why we like it: If you’re a frequent Amazon.com shopper and already have an Amazon Prime membership, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card will reward you handsomely. Earn 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market, 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores, 1% back on all other purchases. Plus, it offers numerous benefits, such as:
- Roadside dispatch.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver (secondary coverage).
- Lost luggage reimbursement.
- Baggage delay insurance.
What to watch out for: Though there’s a $0 annual fee, you do have to have an Amazon Prime membership to qualify for this card. Prime costs $119 per year – or $59 per year for college students.
Without an Amazon Prime membership, you’ll only qualify for the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card, which earns 3% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market, 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores, 1% back on all other purchases.
Also, because the card is issued by Chase, you’ll need to be aware of the unwritten Chase 5/24 rule if you decide to apply. In short, you won’t be approved for any Chase credit card if you’ve been approved for five or more credit cards from any issuer within the past two years.
Best metal travel card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Why we like it: For a reasonable annual fee of $95, this card offers significant value to the regular traveler. Earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants, eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases worldwide.. And when you redeem points for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, you’ll get 25% more value – for example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 in travel. Plus, the card comes with valuable travel benefits, including:
- Auto rental collision damage waiver (primary coverage).
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
- Trip delay reimbursement.
- Baggage delay insurance.
And you can transfer points at a 1:1 value to the following partners:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards®
- Flying Blue Air France KLM
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
- United MileagePlus®
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- IHG Rewards Club
- Marriott Bonvoy™
- World of Hyatt
What to watch out for: There is a $95 annual fee, so consumers who only travel occasionally would likely do better with a no-annual-fee card. However, it’s worth noting the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is cheaper to carry than premium travel cards with annual fees of $500 or more.
Best metal luxury travel card: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Why we like it: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a luxury travel card with great rewards and premium travel benefits. Earn 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, so for example, 50,000 points are worth $750. And you get travel benefits such as:
- Up to $300 annual travel credit.
- Airport lounge access via complimentary Priority Pass membership.
- Fee credit of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA Precheck®.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver (primary coverage).
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement.
- Lost luggage reimbursement.
You’re also able to transfer points at a 1:1 value to the same travel partners as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
What to watch out for: The annual fee is quite high at $550, and there’s also an additional $75 annual fee for each authorized user on your Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Read our review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Best metal card for Apple users: Apple Card
Why we like it: For those who love the iPhone and other Apple products, applying for the Apple Card is likely to be an easy decision. The card is specifically designed to integrate well with Apple Pay and the Wallet app. Cardholders earn 2% Daily Cash every time you use Apple Card with Apple Pay, 3% Daily Cash on all purchases made directly with Apple, including at Apple Stores, apple.com, the App Store, the iTunes Store and for Apple services, and using Apple Pay for Uber and Uber Eats. For every purchase you make, you’ll get an iPhone notification.
And you don’t have to pay to carry the card, because the annual fee is $0.
What to watch out for: If you aren’t dedicated to the Apple ecosystem, you’ll probably be better off with a flat-rate card that earns 2% cash back on every purchase.
Read our review of the Apple Card.
Best metal business card: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Why we like it: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is well worth it for business owners who travel frequently and want to make that travel cheaper and more comfortable. It offers a wide array of benefits, including the following:
- Access to more than 1,200 airport lounges in 130 countries.
- Up to $200 statement credit for Dell purchases (doubled in 2020).
- Up to $200 airline fee credit.
- Up to $100 fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck®.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary coverage).
- Trip delay insurance.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
- Baggage insurance plan.
What to watch out for: At $595, this card’s annual fee is one of the most expensive around.
To see rates & fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
Read our review of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
Other metal credit cards to consider
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Why we like it: If airport lounge access is what you’re looking for in a travel card, you’ll find it hard to beat The Platinum Card® from American Express. With the Global Lounge Collection, you’ll get access to more than 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries.
Plus, the card comes with useful travel benefits such as the following:
- Up to $200 airline fee credit.
- VIP status and up to $200 in savings on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders.
- Up to $100 fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck®.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary coverage).
- Trip delay coverage.
- Trip cancellation coverage.
What to watch out for: There’s an annual fee of $550. And if you want additional cards, you’ll have to pay extra – $175 a year for up to three more cards, and $175 for each card after that.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
Read our review of The Platinum Card® from American Express.
American Express® Gold Card
Why we like it: Looking for a card with great travel benefits but not sure you’re ready to commit to the expensive annual fee on The Platinum Card® from American Express? The American Express® Gold Card might be better for your wallet. You’ll earn Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points on Restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery. Additionally, earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), and 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
Benefits include the following:
- Up to $100 airline fee credit.
- Up to $120 dining credit.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary coverage).
- Baggage insurance plan.
What to watch out for: There’s an annual fee of $250.
To see rates & fees for American Express® Gold Card please click here.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Why we like it: This Amex business card has a unique rewards system. Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month*. The categories are chosen from the following:
- Airfare purchased directly from airlines.
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio).
- U.S. purchases at gas stations.
- U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software and cloud solutions.
- U.S. purchases made at restaurants.
- U.S. purchases for shipping.
Note that the 4X rate applies to the first $150,000 of combined spending (during a calendar year) in your top two categories. After that, you’ll drop to 1 point per $1 spent.
Benefits include:
- Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary coverage).
- Trip delay insurance.
- Baggage insurance plan.
What to watch out for: There’s a $295 annual fee.
To see rates & fees for American Express® Business Gold Card please click here.
Read our review of the American Express® Business Gold Card.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Why we like it: The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card charges a $0* fee and offers generous rewards that will delight foodies. Earn 4X points on dining, takeout and food delivery, 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services and gas stations, and 1X points on all other eligible purchases. Plus, get a $15 streaming service credit after 11 months of streaming service purchases – services such as Netflix and Spotify qualify.
What to watch out for: The rewards the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card offers on dining are excellent, but the card’s earnings on groceries and gas are just OK.
Read our review of the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card.
