Key takeaways
- Commuters of all kinds can earn points on many different modes of transit.
- Check your credit card to see exactly what transit modes it covers.
- Add transit apps to your phone for easy contactless payments.
Citi is an advertising partner.
Are you a fan of mixing up the ways you get from point A to point B and beyond? Consider adding a transit-friendly credit card to your wallet. Many different cards exist that let cardholders earn more points, miles and cash back for a variety of transit options, from trains to parking to rideshares and more.
| Card Name | Transit earning rate | Spending categories | Annual fee |
| American Express Green Card®* | 3X | Trains, taxicabs, rideshares, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways | $150 |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | 3% cash back | Trains, taxis, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. |
| Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card | 3% cash back | Buses, rideshares, taxis, passenger railways and tolls (with ‘Travel’ category selection) | $0 |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | 2X | All purchases | $95 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | 2X | Travel category purchases, including trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways | $95 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | 3X | General travel purchases, including trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways and parking lots and garages (after earning your $300 travel credit) | $550 |
| Citi Custom Cash® Card* | 5% cash back on top spending category each billing cycle, up to $500 | Ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis, limousines, car services, passenger railways, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages and bus lines (in the ‘Select Transit’ category) | $0 |
| Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard®* | 2X to 3X | Amtrak travel (3X); Transit, travel and rideshare purchases (2X) | $99 |
| Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard®* | 2X | Amtrak travel | $0 |
| U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card* | 5% cash back in two select categories | Trains, rideshares, buses, taxis, ferries, car sharing, ferries, light rail and subways (in the ‘Ground Transportation’ category) | $0 |
| Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card* | 4% cash back | Buses, trains, commuter transportation, ferries and other ‘Planet-Friendly Purchases’ | $0 |
Common transit categories
Each card issuer has its own way of defining what falls under the transit categories. For example, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers cash back for public transit, which includes buses, subways and light rails. The cards from American Express and Chase, along with the U.S. Bank Cash+ and Wells Fargo Attune cards all count ferries as transit.
The best credit cards for transit cover many modes and offer generous definitions of transit. Whether you’re using them at home or when traveling, cards that offer higher points and miles for transit can help you accumulate points, miles and cash back.
If you commute via train, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve are solid options, offering 3X for trains. Those who use buses, trains, commuter transportation and ferries may like the 4 percent cash back offered by the Wells Fargo Attune Card. Don’t want to worry about juggling different categories and transit modes? The Capital One Venture card offers a flat 2X for every purchase, including transit.
Of all the credit cards that earn points and miles on transit expenses, the no annual fee Citi Custom Cash Card is the most comprehensive, covering 10 different transit modes. Pairing it with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card allows you to maximize Citi® ThankYou® Rewards earnings in key categories and redeem points at the Citi Travel℠ site.
Amtrak and train commuting
I’ve always been a train fan. I’m a regular user of Amtrak from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City. I’ve also taken advantage of mid-Atlantic commuter trains, including the Maryland Area Rail Commuter, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, New Jersey Transit, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad trains.
If you’re a regular Amtrak or rail commuter, points can add up as you travel. The Amtrak cards make sense for those living in the East Coast’s Northeast corridor, which stretches from Washington, D.C., to Boston. Amtrak service is plentiful with solid schedules for customers, including on Acela, the popular high-speed train.
But Amtrak’s service can be spotty on longer-haul routes outside the Northeast, and schedules are not as robust. So if you aren’t going to spend more than $3,000 on Amtrak travel and onboard purchases, consider other cards besides the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred or Amtrak Guest Rewards cards.
Money tip:
If you’re taking the train in Europe or elsewhere, you can use your card to purchase a train pass, but make sure there are no foreign transaction fees.
Public and commuter buses
This transit category includes public, commuter, charter and tour buses. Not only are buses convenient for commuting to and from work, they can be a way to get around when traveling for business or pleasure. Traveling by bus also allows you to rack up points, miles or cash back.
More public and commuter buses across the U.S. — from AC Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area to Miami-Dade Metrobus — offer free Wi-Fi, allowing you to stay connected (TikTok videos, anyone?). Tour and charter buses usually come with amenities including reclining seats, restrooms, Wi-Fi, power outlets and free movies.
Money tip:
Check bus websites for daily, weekly and monthly passes and special deals.
Subway and light rail
I’m blessed to have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C./Baltimore regions, both of which have well-established subway and light rail systems. Subway and light rail systems around the world allow customers to use smartphones connected to credit cards to make contactless payments for rides.
Money tip:
Set up the autopay function on your subway or light rail app so you don’t have to worry about running out of money.
Taxis, rideshares, limos and other car services
This category can include taxis, rideshares, limousines, ZipCars and car rentals. All of these are handy transportation options, whether you’re at home or out of town, and they all allow you to pay by credit card. Taxis, rideshares and ZipCar allow you to use your smartphone to pay for services. If you have elite status with a car rental company — via your credit card or by earning it — you can add a credit card to your account, allowing you to skip long lines to pick up your car and have your final bill ready when you return it.
Keep in mind:
Use your rental car elite status to store your credit card, which may allow you to skip long lines to pick up your car and have your final bill when you return it. The Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example, offers elite status with Avis, Hertz and National via the card’s Visa Infinite benefits.
Parking, tolls and ferries
Large metropolitan areas like Washington, D.C./Baltimore are filled with parking options, road tolls and bridge fees. If you use them regularly, connect your credit card to autopay to cover the costs.
For example, I use E-ZPass Maryland to pay for road and bridge tolls not only in the region, but in 20 other states and metropolitan areas spanning from Maine to North Carolina and as far west as Illinois and Kentucky. I load my credit card onto the E-ZPass website, and I keep a $25 balance on my account. If it falls under $10, autopay automatically brings my balance back to $25.
When I commuted from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. by train, I bought a monthly pass and used autopay to cover my fees. Florida’s SunPass also allows you to use a transponder to pay for parking at airports across the state.
Scheduled ferry services are offered in 37 states and nearly 350 routes near or in the U.S., according to informational website FerryGoGo. Nearly 200 companies around the world serve scheduled routes. Apps on the market, like California’s Clipper Card, NYC Ferry and Ferryscanner for international docks, all connect to credit cards for contactless payment.
Money tip:
Look for autopay products — such as SunPass in Florida, TxTag in Texas, Fastrack in the San Francisco area and K-Tag in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas — and add them to your credit card for easy payment.
The bottom line
If you’re not wedded to a car at home or when you travel, transit options are not only a convenient way to get around, but another avenue for earning points, miles or cash back when you use transit-friendly credit cards to pay for them.
For more travel tips and tricks, check out Bankrate’s travel toolkit.
The Bank of America content in this post was last updated on May 31, 2025.
*Information about the American Express Green Card, Citi Custom Cash Card, Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard, Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard, U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card and Wells Fargo Attune Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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