Best credit cards for Uber and Lyft

New technology has changed the way many people get around. Ridesharing has become an incredibly popular transportation option, and that’s especially true in big cities where Uber and Lyft drivers are easy to find. With just your smartphone and a few taps of your finger, you can get a ride to the airport, dinner with friends or anywhere else you want to go.

Unsurprisingly, some of the best cash back and rewards credit cards now offer perks like bonus rewards, ridesharing credits and limited-time promotions, which can be especially beneficial to frequent rideshare users. Check out the best cards for Uber and Lyft.

Top cards for rideshare

A handful of rewards credit cards offer special benefits for Uber, Lyft or both. Find out which are the top cards for Uber and Lyft below.

Best credit cards for Uber

These cards offer exclusive benefits, such as bonus rewards on Uber rides and Uber Eats or statement credits for Uber. Some even offer travel insurance for added peace of mind while you’re on the go, and others even offer rewards for both Lyft and Uber.

Best for Uber Cash credits

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Recommended credit score:Good to Excellent

Reward Details

• 5XEarn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• 5XEarn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

Bankrate’s view

The Platinum Card® from American Express is an excellent choice for rideshare users because it offers up to $200 in annual Uber Cash credits which can be used for rides or food deliveries plus you’ll be automatically enrolled as an Uber VIP. On top of that, the Amex Platinum features numerous other credits you can take advantage of when you pay with your card.

Pros

• This card has a generous travel rewards program, including airport lounge access, credit for airline incidental fees, extensive travel protections and insurance, annual hotel credits and more.
• Annual credits, such as for entertainment services like Hulu and Disney+, Equinox fitness membership and Walmart+ membership, can help offset the annual fee.

Cons

• It has a high annual fee, which may be a dealbreaker for some potential cardholders.
• The welcome bonus has a high spend requirement that might be unattainable for some.

Best for dining credits

American Express® Gold Card

Recommended credit score:Good to Excellent

Reward Details

• 4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• 4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• 3XEarn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• 2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
• 1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

Bankrate’s view

With the American Express® Gold Card, you can enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash per year ($10 per month), which can be used toward U.S. rides and U.S. Uber Eats orders. In addition, you can earn 4X Membership Rewards points on restaurants worldwide which can help offset the cost of frequent rides or food orders.

Pros

• It has a highly valuable rewards program, as you can earn well on everyday food-related purchases.
• You can potentially save even more with this card’s credits for dining and hotel experiences.

Cons

• With a relatively high annual fee, this card can be disadvantageous for those who want to benefit from rewards without having to pay a yearly fee.
• Unlike some Amex cards with extensive travel perks, it doesn’t offer high-end travel benefits like airport lounge access or trip cancellation insurance.

Best for digital wallet users

Cardholder rating

4.1

Bankrate score

3.5

Bankrate review

Bankrate review

18.24% to 28.49% Variable

Reward Details

• 3%3% cash back with Apple and select merchants when you use Apple Card with Apple Pay.
• 2%2% cash back when you use Apple Pay.
• 1%1% cash back when you use the titanium card or ⁠your virtual card number wherever ⁠⁠Mastercard is accepted.

Bankrate’s view

If you’re a fan of both Apple and Uber, you may want to consider the no-annual-fee Apple Card. It currently offers an unlimited 3 percent cash back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases when you use your Apple Card with Apple Pay and is low on fees in general. Just remember that you need to have an Apple phone or other device to benefit from this exceptional rewards rate.

Pros

• This card’s rewards structure can be especially beneficial for frequent Apple customers, allowing them to earn cash back on their Apple-related expenses.
• The card also offers features like Daily Cash, where cash back is added to the user’s Apple Cash card on a daily basis, allowing for quick and convenient use of the rewards.

Cons

• While this card can be used anywhere that accepts Mastercard, some merchants and businesses do not support Apple Pay, which may limit the card’s usability in certain locations.
• It doesn’t offer some of the traditional benefits commonly found with other credit cards, such as travel rewards, introductory APR offers or balance transfer options.

Best for flexibility

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Bankrate score

4.6

Bankrate review

Bankrate review

Recommended credit score:670 – 850

18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

Reward Details

• 3%Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases).
• 2%Earn automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases).
• 1%Earn unlimited 1% on all other purchases.

Bankrate’s view

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers decent cash back rates in the category of your choice (limited to $2,500 in combined 3 percent and 2 percent category purchases each quarter, then 1 percent). One of the eligible 3 percent categories is travel, which includes rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. And if you notice you’re taking fewer rideshares one month, you may appreciate the ability to swap your chosen category each month.

Pros

• It offers a flexible cash back program that allows you to tailor your rewards to your spending habits and maximize cash back earnings.
• If you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25 percent to 75 percent more in each rewards category, depending on your membership tier.

Cons

• Some cash back redemption options have a minimum requirement — meaning you need to accumulate a certain amount of cash back before being able to redeem.
• The quarterly spending cap impacts how much you earn with this card.

Best card for families

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Recommended credit score:Good to Excellent

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Reward Details

• 6%6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
• 6%6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• 3%3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
• 1%1% Cash Back on other purchases.

Bankrate’s view

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is often listed as one of the best credit cards for families since it offers limited elevated cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases. But this card also offers unlimited cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit purchases, which includes rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. You also have access to Amex Offers, which occasionally features limited-time promotions on rideshare services like Uber.

Pros

• The card has great perks such as a Disney bundle credit, return and purchase protection and more.
• It offers a decent intro APR offer and welcome bonus with a relatively reasonable spending requirement.

Cons

• The card has an annual fee after the first year, which may not be ideal for those looking to avoid additional costs.
• The highest-earning rewards category has a spending cap — which limits your overall earning potential.

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Best credit cards for Lyft

With these top cards, you can enjoy exclusive benefits, such as cashback rewards, ride discounts and complimentary subscriptions for your Lyft purchases. You can also enjoy premium travel benefits with some cards.

Best for annual travel credit

Bankrate score

4.3

Bankrate review

Bankrate review

Recommended credit score:740 – 850

20.24% – 28.74% Variable

Reward Details

• 10xEarn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠.
• 5xEarn 5x total points on flights through Chase Travel℠.
• 3xEarn 3x points on other travel and dining.
• 1xEarn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Bankrate’s view

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is easily the most valuable rewards card for Lyft rides. You’ll earn 5X points on Lyft rides plus a $10 ride credit each month (through September 2027), which can add up quickly if you’re a frequent Lyft passenger. This card also offers an annual up to $300 travel credit on qualifying travel purchases, which includes rideshares, hotels and flights. 

Pros

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a range of valuable travel benefits, including complimentary access to hundreds of airport lounges worldwide through the Priority Pass Select program.
• Points are worth 1.5 cents each when e redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal or can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Cons

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a higher annual fee, which can impact earning potential.
• While many popular travel expenses are included in the annual travel credit, some niche purchases such as RV and boat rentals and public campgrounds are excluded.

Best for beginner travelers

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Bankrate score

4.3

Bankrate review

Bankrate review

Recommended credit score:670 – 850

19.99% – 28.24% Variable

Reward Details

• 5x5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
• 3x3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
• 2x2x on all other travel purchases.
• 1x1x on all other purchases.

Bankrate’s view

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the top entry-level travel credit cards on the market today and comes with a variety of perks for a $95 annual fee. In terms of rideshare benefits, you’ll earn 5X points on Lyft purchases (through September 2027). You’ll also earn 2X points on travel and 3X on dining, so you can quickly accumulate points for future travel or cash back. Additionally, the card offers valuable travel benefits like trip cancellation insurance and no foreign transaction fees — making it a well-rounded option for frequent rideshare users.

Pros

• According to Bankrate’s valuations, Chase Sapphire Preferred points can be worth around 2.0 cents if transferred to the right travel partner, adding significant value beyond the points’ cash value.
• It comes with a very generous sign-up bonus for new cardholders, which increases this card’s first-year value.

Cons

• This card’s annual fee may be a drawback for individuals looking for a no annual fee option.
• If you tend to carry a balance, this card may not be the best option as it does not offer any intro APRs to help manage credit card debt.

Best for no annual fee

Bankrate score

5.0

Bankrate review

Bankrate review

Recommended credit score:670 – 850

18.99% – 28.49% Variable

Reward Details

• 5%Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more.
• 3%3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service.
• 1.5%1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Bankrate’s view

If you’re a regular Lyft rider but don’t want to pay an annual fee to earn bonus rewards on rideshare purchases, you should consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. You’ll earn 2 percent cash back on all eligible Lyft spending through September 2027 as well as a base rate oft 1.5 percent cash back for all purchases made with your card outside of the bonus categories. You can redeem rewards for statement credits to cover purchases (such as Lyft rides), gift cards, merchandise, experiences and travel.

Pros

• It offers a boosted rewards rate in select categories and an unlimited flat-rate cash back on every purchase, with no minimum redemption amount or rotating categories.
• This card offers a terrific sign-up bonus for new cardholders with a decent rate of return, which can boost your rewards earning potential greatly in the first year.

Cons

• Foreign transaction fees apply when using the card outside of the United States.
• The bonus categories may not be lucrative if you who spend heavily in specific bonus categories offered by other cards, like gas or groceries.

Best for renters

Recommended credit score:670 – 850

Reward Details

• 3X Points3x points on dining
• 2X Points2x points on travel
• 1X Points1x points on other purchases
• 1X PointsEarn 1x points on rent without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points in a calendar year. When you use the card 5 times each statement period using your Bilt Mastercard, you’ll earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases.

Bankrate’s view

Renters who use Lyft frequently can benefit a lot from this card. Once you’ve linked your Bilt Rewards account to your Lyft account, you can earn 5X points on Lyft rideshares. Plus, you can enjoy a $5 Lyft credit if you take three or more Lyft rides a month. The Bilt card also offers decent travel rewards with a high estimated redemption value, according to Bankrate’s valuations. So you can redeem those Lyft rewards toward your next trip. 

Pros

• Even if you don’t link your Bilt Reward and Lyft accounts, you can still earn bonus rewards for Lyft rides when you pay with your Bilt card.
• This card features unique redemption options, such as using your points toward a down payment.

Cons

• You have to use the card five times each statement period before you start earning rewards on the travel, rent and dining bonus categories.
• This card has no sign-up bonus or intro APR offers to take advantage of.

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Comparing the best cards for rideshare

With popular rideshare services like Lyft and Uber, discover which credit cards offer the most features and perks for an enhanced ridesharing experience.

Best cards for Uber

Cards with ridesharing benefits typically require a good-to-excellent credit score. If you have bad or fair credit, consider our top picks for cards for fair/average credit.

Best cards for Lyft

Cards with ridesharing benefits typically require a good-to-excellent credit score. If you have bad or fair credit, consider our top picks for cards for fair/average credit.

How to choose the right credit card for ridesharing

If you’re struggling to decide which rewards credit card could help you maximize ridesharing to the hilt, ask yourself the following questions:

• What type of rewards do you want to earn?
  

  Some cards let you earn cash back or credits for ridesharing, but others offer flexible points you can redeem in more than one way. Make sure you compare rewards programs so you wind up with the type of rewards that will benefit you the most.

• Is the annual fee worth it?
  

  Several of the top cards for Uber or Lyft come with pricey annual fees, but these fees can be well worth it if you travel often and can take advantage of benefits like annual travel credits, airport lounge access and credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. If you don’t want to pay an annual fee, choose a card for ridesharing that offers superior rewards for Uber or Lyft purchases without the extra travel perks.

• Uber, Lyft or both?
  

  Some of the travel cards featured above only offer exceptional rewards or credits for Uber or Lyft, but not both. If you only use one of these services, this should narrow down your options. Otherwise, you may want to consider a card that earns rewards on general transit purchases, including rideshare services.

• What’s your card pairing strategy?
  

  Finally, don’t forget to consider pairing cards that help you reach different objectives.

How to maximize cards for ridesharing

Cards with ridesharing benefits are often found on some of the top rewards cards. Here’s how you can maximize your rewards to optimize your earnings.

Take advantage of any welcome offers

If your card offers a sign-up bonus, make sure to earn the bonus within the time frame without overspending. For example, with the Blue Cash Preferred you can earn a $250 statement credit after your spend $5,000 within the first six months of opening your account. Some cards also offer intro APR offers for purchases and balance transfers. These short-term bonuses can be an added boost to your ridesharing perks.

Meet ridesharing benefits requirements

While cards may offer Lyft or Uber credits, they may also come with some restrictions or requirements to earn the benefit. For the Bilt card, for instance, you’ll need to take three Lyft rides or more in a month using your Bilt card to earn the $5 Lyft credit. Read the fine print so that you don’t miss out on credits or rewards.

Use a rewards strategy

Whether it’s a multiple-card strategy like the Chase trifecta or using your card to earn rewards in its top bonus categories, you’ll want to optimize your spending so that you rack up rewards. Frequent Lyft or Uber riders can potentially stack up hefty rewards with cards that feature ridesharing as bonus category, but you might consider using a different card that lets you earn a higher rate of rewards for all of your regular purchases not just rideshares. Research redemption options as well to get the most out of your rewards.

What’s next?

The bottom line

If you rideshare often, it makes sense to earn rewards on the cost of your rides. Whether you’re loyal to Uber or Lyft or simply go with whichever service has better availability at the time, there’s a card that can reward you for every ride you take.

You’ll also have the opportunity to earn rewards on other spending with one of these cards, whether that’s dining, other travel expenses or even groceries, so it’s important to pick the right card for your spending habits and lifestyle. Depending on how much you’re willing to pay for a card with rideshare rewards, you can enjoy quite a few other travel and entertainment perks along the way.

For more travel tips & tricks, check out Bankrate’s travel toolkit.

Frequently asked questions

• What are the benefits of using a credit card for rideshares?
  

  Using a credit card for rideshares can offer benefits such as cashback or rewards on your rides, fraud protection and the ability to track and manage your transportation expenses easily.

• Which credit cards offer the best rewards or cashback for rideshare services?
  

  Some credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the American Express Platinum Card and the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, offer excellent rewards or cashback specifically tailored for rideshare services.

• What features should I look for in a credit card if I frequently use rideshare services?
  

  When choosing a credit card for rideshares, you should look for features like bonus rewards on transportation spending, travel insurance coverage, no foreign transaction fees (if you travel internationally) and additional perks like roadside assistance or discounts on related services.

*The information about the Apple Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited® has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.