A couple of years ago if you wanted a credit card that stands out then a metal credit card was a sure fire way to do so. The best metal credit cards gave you a feeling of status and prestige because you were able to separate yourself among all the other plastic cards out there. Many actually viewed them as a status symbol. But in recent years metal credit are becoming quite common. But they do boast some awesome rewards and benefits that other plastic credit cards can’t compete with.
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More: Best Travel Credit Cards Of The Year
By Matthew Coan
Best Metal Credit Cards
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Weighing in as one of the heaviest cards the Amex Platinum Card is one of the best travel rewards credit cards in the market. With so many included benefits that you get a book outlining all of them when you receive your card. From access to airport lounges, to an awesome welcome bonus offer, TSA PreCheck® credits and more. The Amex Platinum Card is an excellent choice when it comes to the best metal credit cards available. You can also take advantage of some great travel deals that you can find through the American Express Travel Portal as well. It has held its place near the top of best travel credit cards for a while now and rightfully so. Not bad that it is also one of the heaviest cards on this list as well.
Weight: 18.5 grams
Key Features (see rates and fees)
- 80,000 Membership Rewards® points welcome bonus after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months
- 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year)
- 5x points on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel
- $200 annual statement credit on prepaid Hotel Collection & Fine Hotels + Resorts®. Minimum 2 night stay required (terms apply)
- Up to $240 digital entertainment credit given in up to $20 monthly (enrollment required)
- $12.95 monthly statement credit for Walmart+ membership (enrollment required)
- Airport lounge access
- Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for baggage fees and more on your selected qualifying airline
- Up to $200 annual Uber Cash credit
- $695 annual fee
Citi Prestige® Card
Next on the list is the Citi Prestige Card. It is also one of the heaviest cards on this best metal credit cards list. So make sure to remove your wallet before you go through any metal detectors. Coming with a hefty annual fee but plenty of benefits to match, makes it a great choice in the metal credit card category. You get an annual travel credit along with some great hotel perks as well. Which can help make any vacation you take that much better. Def a worthy contender in the competition for the best metal credit card.
Weight: 18 grams
Key Features
- 5 points for dollar spent at restaurants, airlines, and travel agencies
- Earn up to 2 forth night free awards per year
- $250 annual travel credit
- Airport lounge access
- TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Want a step up from a standard plastic credit card? Then the Chase Sapphire Reserve is an awesome choice. Once upon a time this was the hottest credit card on the market. Setting the trend for what all other high end travel credit cards are these days. Being one of the of the best premium travel cards on the market and having a decent weight to it as well, you can be sure to use some of the included benefits that come with it. With its annual travel credit being one of its best features, combined with everything else it has, you can be sure to get the value you want even though it comes with a decent annual fee. Making the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card a good option in the heavy metal card category.
Weight: 12.6 grams
Key Features
- 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. Equal to $900 toward travel expenses when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 annual travel credit (after initial $300 in travel purchases is spent)
- 5x points on flights booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards® after initial $300 in travel purchases is spent
- 10 points on rental cars and hotels booked with Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x points on travel and dining purchases (after initial $300 in travel purchases is spent)
- Airport lounge access
- $550 annual fee
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Making a splash in the best metal credit cards conversation is the Capital One Venture X. Packing a solid weight to it means that it also has some serious rewards potential and benefits to match. It is another card in the high annual fees conversation, but it can be worth it if you utilize everything that comes with it. Including unlimited access to their own branded airport lounges. As with most metal credit cards you will need an excellent credit score to qualify for the Capital One Venture X. With an awesome rewards rate on all purchases that you make, this is a serious contender in the best metal credit cards conversation.
Weight: 18 grams
Key Features
- 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- $300 annual credit for travel bookings made through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 anniversary bonus points every year
- 10 miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on all other purchases
- Airport lounge access
- $395 annual fee
Check Out: Best Capital One Metal Cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On with the list we go and up next is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Being a little brother to the Reserve Card it boasts a smaller rewards rate and less benefits. But it does have a lower annual fee. It is one of the best credit cards in it’s lower tier of travel cards and new cardholders can still take advantage of a great sign-up bonus. While it may not have the rewards of the Reserve Card, it is still capable of providing a ton of value. Utilizing the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal you can find plenty of ways to maximize the rewards that you do earn. And get awesome value out of them as well. Coming in on the lighter side, it is still a great option for your next metal credit card.
Weight: 12.4 grams
Key Features
- 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 5x points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x points on dining purchases
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- $95 annual fee
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
You would think that there would be a business credit card included on the list of the best metal credit cards. And you would be right. The Amex Business Platinum Card weighs in right there with the consumer Amex Platinum card and it comes with a ton of great features as well. While most of the rewards it offers are geared towards business purchases you can still find a ton of benefits that you can use personally as well. Most of these benefits are focused on travel, but you can be certain that there are tons of business perks as well. And just as with the consumer Amex Platinum Card you will get a book detailing all of them upon receiving your card. The Amex Platinum business card is one that should def be included on the list of best metal credit cards.
Weight: 18.5 grams
Key Features (see rates and fees)
- 120,000 Membership Rewards Points welcome bonus after you spend $15,000 within the first 3 months
- 5x points on prepaid hotels and flights booked through Amex Travel
- $200 annual airline fee credit (up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year)
- Airport lounge access
- $695 annual fee
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Sticking with the younger brother theme we have the Capital One Venture Card. With a smaller annual fee and less perks and benefits than the Venture X, you still earn a great rewards rate and one of the highest welcome offers for this tier of credit cards. Pair that along with the deals you can get through the Capital One travel portal and you can be sure to find great value in the Venture Card. Once being offered as just a plastic card it has now earned the right to be offered exclusively in metal. And it will makes a solid contribution to your wallet as well. Coming in with a weight comparable to it’s higher annual fee counterparts isn’t bad either.
Weight: 16.6 grams
Key Features
- 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 2x miles earned on every purchase
- 5x miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Up to $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
- 2 complimentary visits per year to Capital One airport lounges
- $95 annual fee
American Express® Gold Card
The Amex Gold Card is a mid tier credit card where you can also take advantage of being able to earn rewards at U.S. Supermarkets as well. It does not pack nearly as many travel perks as the Amex Platinum Card, but if you are looking for something a little different this is a great choice. Being able to earn rewards with a bunch of different categories makes this a well rounded metal credit card that might be perfect for where you spend the majority of your money. The American Express Gold Card also has the option to choose between two different colors as well. Making you next metal credit card stand out a little more than the rest.
Weight: 14.7 grams
Key Features (see rates and fees)
- 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first 6 months
- 4x points at restaurants
- 4x points on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x points)
- 3x points on flights booked with Amex Travel or directly with airlines
- Up to $120 annual Uber credit
- Up to $120 annual dining credit at select establishments (enrollment required)
- Choose Gold or Rose Gold for card color
- $250 annual fee
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
If you love the portfolio of Bonvoy Hotels then the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is worth looking at as it qualifies as a metal credit can and actually has a decent weight to it as well. You get instant Bonvoy Status when you get this card as well as the ability to earn Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Pair that with free night awards and you can have the best of both worlds. The collection of Bonvoy hotels is pretty robust and you can find their hotels all over the world. Giving you a new metal credit card along with awesome hotel benefits as well.
Weight: 14.6 grams
Key Features (see rates and fees)
- Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 3 months
- Up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 monthly) at restaurants worldwide
- 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotel participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 3 Marriott Bonvoy points on restaurants worldwide and flights booked directly with airlines
- 1 free award night every year after your renewal month
- $650 annual fee
U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
The US Bank Altitude Card comes with loads of benefits and with a slightly lower annual fee than some of the other cards featured here. Being a luxury card in the travel section you can enjoy annual statement credits, airport lounge access, TSA Precheck or Global Entry credits, passes for in-flight wifi, and more. It is important to note that before your account opening for the US Bank Altitude Card you need to become a US Bank general account member first. Then see if you can qualify. Not a bad option if you are already a member of US Bank and looking for a good choice amongst premium travel cards.
Weight: 13 grams
Key Features
- Earn 50,000 bonus points when your spend $4,500 in the first 90 days
- 5x points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked with the Altitude Rewards Center
- 3x points on travel and mobile wallet spending
- 1x points on everything else
- $325 annual statement credit on dining and travel purchases
- $400 annual fee
Possible Included Benefits That Come With Some Of The Best Metal Credit Cards
From the heaviest metal credit card to other common stainless steel cards, we will cover the best metal credit card benefits available today so that you can find the perfect new credit card for you. While you may not stand out as much as you would of a few years ago, a metal credit card still feels awesome when you pull of your wallet and you get an awesome sense of worth when you use it. So let’s dive in and take a look at the best metal credit cards available today. We are certain that you can find one of these cards to add a little extra weight to your wallet.
Statement Credits
Be sure to check the full and detailed offer of the metal credit card that you are interested in. You may find that it comes with statement credits for things like
- TSA Precheck
- Certain airline or hotel purchases
- Delivery food service charges
- Select streaming platform charges
- And more
These statement credits are a nice benefit to take advantage of as they can help offset the high annual fee that comes with a lot of metal credit cards. It’s also nice to know that you are saving some money as well. So, again be sure to check out the full and detailed offer that comes with the card you are looking at. If you already have a metal credit card then take some time and explore your online account and in the benefits section you should find a full list of what is included.
Extra Rewards For Travel Purchases
As of now most metal credit cards that are offered are more geared towards travel benefits and rewarding you for travel related purchases. Be on the look out for bonus rewards for travel purchases, credits for certain travel expenses, and more. If you are someone who travels frequently then it may be worth it to get a metal credit card that offers extra rewards for travel purchases, as they can add up quickly. These rewards can then be used to offset the cost of future travel purchases as well. It is also nice to know that the rewards you are earning are going towards something that you will actually enjoy as well.
Airport Lounges
With most metal credit cards being featured in the travel category it would make sense that some of them come with access to airport lounges. Some cards have their own branded airport lounges, while others cover the cost of a membership for more general airport lounges. Either way this is something that you should take full advantage of. Nothing is better than being able to relax in relative peace and quiet with a nice meal while on a long layover. This is also another benefit that can greatly offset the annual fee that comes with more metal credit cards. Airport lounges used to be exclusive to the elite, but now with the right credit card you can have access to it as well.
What Is the Main Difference Between Metal And Plastic Cards?
The obvious answer to this is that one is metal and the other is plastic. The type of metal can vary but most would come with stainless steel or something similar. After that the rewards and benefits that come with metal credit cards are usually much greater than that of plastic cards. Plus the fact that it is nice to have the look and feel of a metal credit card in your wallet over a plastic one.
After that the annual fees are usually much lower on plastic credit cards. And rightfully so because of the fewer options and benefits that they have to offer. The is the main reason why card companies started switching their top tier cards over to metal. To give them further separation from the other cards in their portfolio. There are also many customers who view a metal credit card as a status symbol as well. But all in all the main difference between the two is solely the material that they are made out of.
Best Metal Credit Cards Conclusion
When it comes to the best metal credit cards these are some of the top options available. From being able to feel like a boss every time that you use it, to also being able to take advantage of the great benefits that come with them, you can’t go wrong with any of these cards. Things like statement credits, earning bonus rewards on eligible purchases, TSA Precheck® or Global Entry credits, no foreign transaction fees, and much more. You can be sure to find your next metal credit card that matches all of the things that you want.
While metal credit cards seemed to be geared towards rewards for travel purchases and travel rewards, there are some options that cover other categories as well. You can find a metal credit card that earns rewards points for things like dining out and supermarket purchases as well. With the popularity of the best metal credit cards increasing every year you are bound to find one that fits the needs that you have.
Once upon a time even seeing a metal credit card was something that was rare. Now a days it seems that they are every where. But that doesn’t mean that having one doesn’t make you feel special. Or that you can take advantage of all of the great rewards and perks that come with them. While the trend to come out with more and more metal credit cards will continue, so will the special bonuses as well. Credit card companies want you to feel unique and draw you to their products.
So they will continue to come out with different ways to make them. From different colors, to different kinds of metals, we think there will be a lot of new and exciting credit cards to come out in the near future. But for now these are the best options available and rightfully so because of the awesome things that come with them.
So go ahead and take a look at all of the cards available and the current offers that come with them. Then be ready to move up a level on the status chart next time you open up your wallet and pull out your shiny new metal credit card. Who knows, you still might be the only one in your inner circle that has a metal card and everyone else can listen to that sweet sound it makes when you throw it down. And believe us, it’s a sound that never gets old.
About the author: Matthew Coan is the founder of Casavvy and a credit card expert. He has appeared in various media outlets including Yahoo Finance, Credit Karma, Market Watch, Mens Journal, and more. Continue reading