My Credit Card Setup For 2025
By Michael • May 8, 2025
Which credit card should I use? It’s a question I ask myself often—because the truth is, there’s no single “best” card for every purchase. Over the years, I’ve built a carefully chosen lineup of personal and business credit cards that help me earn the most cash back, points, and perks based on where and how I spend. Some of these cards are everyday workhorses I rely on constantly; others are backups I keep around for specific categories, welcome offers, or valuable long-term benefits.
In this article, I’ll walk you through every card I currently use—including the key rewards, fees, and what I personally like (or don’t like) about each one. I’ve grouped them into Personal Credit Cards and Business Credit Cards, and I’ve included notes on how I actually use them to maximize value in real life.
Personal Credit Cards
Unlimited 1.5% cash back with no category tracking.
- 1.5%: On all purchases
- 3%: On dining at restaurants
- 5%: On travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% for 15 months
- Welcome Offer: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months
How I use this card: The Chase Freedom Unlimited is our go-to card for everyday purchases that don’t fall into a specific bonus category covered by another card. I appreciate the unlimited 1.5% cash back on all spending, and I really like the flexibility of Chase Ultimate Rewards—whether I want to redeem points for travel or just cash them out.
Great rotating category cash back card.
- 5%: On rotating categories (up to $1,500 per quarter)
- 1%: On all other purchases
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% for 15 months
- Welcome Offer: $200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months
How I use this card: The Freedom card is no longer available as it has been replaced by the Flex card. I don’t use this card much anymore because, even with the 5% rotating categories, I often find ways to save even more using other cards and strategies—which I hope to share soon!
Ideal for travelers who want strong points and perks.
- 5x: On Chase travel
- 2x: Travel & dining
- 1x: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $95
- Welcome Offer: 100,000 points after $5,000 in 3 months
How I use this card: This is my newest card, and I grabbed it mainly for the limited-time welcome offer: 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. I’m not sure how much I’ll use it long-term—or if I’ll even keep it—but that sign-up bonus was too good to pass up!
Cash back on groceries and Instacart orders.
- 5%: Instacart & Chase Travel
- 2%: Grocery stores & gas stations
- 1%: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $0
- Welcome Offer: $100 Instacart credit after $1,000 in 3 months
How I use this card: We use the Chase Instacart card exclusively for saving 5% on all Instacart purchases. Occasionally, we're able to save over 20% on Instacart purchases using other cards and strategies, which I hope to write about at some point.
Great for foodies and entertainment lovers.
- 3%: Dining, entertainment, streaming, grocery
- 1%: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $0
- Welcome Offer: $200 after $500 spend in 3 months
How I use this card: This used to be our go-to card for groceries—until we got the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred, which earns 6% back on the first $6,000 spent annually. Now, with this card earning a solid unlimited 3% on groceries, it makes a great backup once we’ve maxed out the AMEX grocery rewards.
Earn high cash back at supermarkets and on streaming.
- 6%: Supermarkets (up to $6K/year), streaming
- 3%: Transit & gas
- 1%: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $95 (waived first year)
- Welcome Offer: $250 back after $3,000 spend in 6 months
How I use this card: I use this card for grocery store purchases and streaming services like Hulu, which even comes with a $7/month statement credit. I like it so much that both my wife and I have one—effectively doubling our 6% cash back limit on groceries from $6,000 to $12,000 per year.
Luxury Marriott benefits with Platinum Elite status.
- 6x: Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 3x: Restaurants & airfare
- 2x: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $650
- Welcome Offer: 185,000 points after $6,000 spend in 6 months
How I use this card: This is my go-to premium card for Marriott stays. The $650 annual fee might seem steep at first, but it’s easily offset by the benefits: the annual Free Night Award, automatic Platinum Elite status (which gets my whole family free breakfast every morning), lounge access with complimentary food and drinks, and a $25 monthly dining credit. All of that adds up to way more value than the fee.
Auto-chooses your top 5% category each month.
- 5%: Top eligible spend category (up to $500/month)
- 1%: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $0
- Welcome Offer: $200 after $1,500 spend in 6 months
How I use this card: This is my dedicated gas card. By using it exclusively at gas stations, I guarantee that gas is always my top eligible category and earns 5% cash back. I actually get a lot of free gas throughout the year (something I plan to write about soon), but even in a worst-case scenario, I know I’m saving 5% on every fill-up with this card.
Everyday savings at Target.
- 5%: Off Target purchases in-store & online
- Annual Fee: $0
- Welcome Offer: $50 in Target rewards after $50 spend
How I use this card: This one’s simple—I use it whenever I shop at Target, whether online or in-store, to get 5% off instantly. While I usually save even more using other cards and stacking strategies, this card is a solid backup that’s always reliable when I need it.
Rotating 5% categories and unmatched first-year match.
- 5%: On rotating categories (up to quarterly max)
- 1%: On all other purchases
- Annual Fee: $0
- Welcome Offer: Cashback Match – all cash back doubled in year one
How I use this card: I originally got this card for the 0% APR on a larger purchase we were planning—it offered 15 months interest-free, which came in handy. Like the Freedom card, I don’t use it much now since I usually have other options that earn more than the 5% offered in its rotating categories.
Business Credit Cards
Great for small businesses loyal to Marriott.
- 6x: Marriott hotels
- 4x: Gas, shipping, cell services, restaurants
- 2x: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $125
- Welcome Offer: 3 Free Night Awards after $6,000 in 6 months
How I use this card: I mainly keep this card for the annual Free Night Award and the Elite Night Credits, both of which help me reach Lifetime Platinum status with Marriott faster. It’s a simple way to stack long-term value without much effort.
Flexible rewards for top 2 spend categories monthly.
- 4x: Top 2 spending categories (on up to $150,000/year)
- 1x: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $375
- Welcome Offer: 100,000 points after $10,000 spend in 3 months
How I use this card: This is one of two cards I use for online advertising since it earns 4x points in that category. I also keep it active for the $12.95 monthly Walmart+ credit and a $20 monthly credit on office supplies—both of which add even more value throughout the year.
Premium travel perks and rewards for large businesses.
- 5x: Flights & hotels through Amex Travel
- 1.5x: On big purchases ($5,000+) or eligible categories
- 1x: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $695
- Welcome Offer: 120,000 points after $15,000 in 3 months
How I use this card: I originally got this card because I couldn’t pass up the welcome offer—250,000 bonus points was just too good. I’m still not sure if I’ll keep it long-term, but the $200 Dell credit (split across two halves of the year) definitely comes in handy since I shop there anyway. I also like that I can transfer points to my AMEX business checking at a 1:1 ratio on up to one million points per year, which is a nice perk since I don’t do a lot of business travel.
Straightforward 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- 1.5%: On all purchases
- Annual Fee: $0
- Welcome Offer: $750 after $6,000 in 3 months
How I use this card: I originally got this card for the welcome bonus, and it served as my main business card for general spending. But now that I have the Chase Ink Business Premier, which earns 2% on all purchases, I mostly keep this one as a backup for when I hit the credit limit on the Premier card.
High value for travel and ad spend.
- 3x: On travel, shipping, ads, internet/phone (up to $150K)
- 1x: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $95
- Welcome Offer: 100,000 points after $8,000 in 3 months
How I use this card: This is the second card I use for ad spend on platforms like Google, Microsoft, and Pinterest. The 3x points add up fast and it’s great for transferring points to travel partners.
Best for large purchases and big rewards.
- 5%: Chase Travel
- 2.5%: Purchases $5,000+
- 2%: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $195
- Welcome Offer: $1,000 after $10,000 in 3 months
How I use this card: This is my go-to card for all business purchases that don’t fall under advertising. I like knowing I’m earning an extra 0.5% on every transaction compared to the Ink Unlimited, especially on high-volume expenses.
Great for office supply and internet expenses.
- 5%: Office supplies, internet, cable, and phone (first $25K)
- 2%: Gas stations and restaurants (first $25K)
- 1%: All other purchases
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% for 12 months
- Welcome Offer: Up to $750 bonus cash back
- Extras: Free employee cards, purchase protection
How I use this card: I originally got this card for the welcome offer, but I still use it for the 5% bonus categories. With no annual fee, it’s one of those “why not keep it?” cards that continues to earn value without costing me anything.
As you can see, I don’t use every card the same way—and that’s the point. Each one plays a role, whether it’s maximizing 5% rotating categories, earning big travel rewards, or unlocking statement credits and elite status perks. If you’re just getting started with rewards cards, I recommend focusing on one or two solid options that fit your spending habits, then gradually expanding from there.
And of course, don’t forget: always pay your balance in full and on time. The rewards are only worth it if you’re not paying interest.
I’ll be writing more soon about how I stack rewards, optimize redemptions, and save hundreds (or even thousands) each year using these strategies—so stay tuned!
About the Author
Michael Johnson
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for informational purposes only and reflects my personal experience and opinions. I’m not a financial advisor, and this is not financial advice. Please do your own research and consult with a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links, which means I may earn a commission or bonus if you use them. There’s no extra cost to you—and it’s a great way to support the site if you find the content helpful.