Whether you’re a fan of it or not, there’s no denying that the sharing economy has created a bevy of new options for consumers.
Airbnb is a prime example, allowing you to enjoy a more local experience at your destination – even in new, fast-growing markets. The sharing economy has also transformed transportation in many cities around the world, with ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft providing a convenient alternative to traditional methods.
As ride-share apps continue to rise in popularity, they've has become a common bonus category for both travel credit cards and cash-back credit cards. Use this guide to make sure you’re using the right credit card for each trip.
The best cards for Lyft and Uber purchases
- Chase Sapphire Reserve.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited.
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Card.
- Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Card.
- American Express® Green Card.
- Apple Card.
- Blue Cash Preferred Card® from American Express.
- Citi® Double Cash Card.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Overview of the best cards for Uber and Lyft
Card
Earn rates and benefits
Annual fee
Value (cents per dollar on ride-share purchases, per TPG valuations)
Chase Sapphire Reserve®10 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.Complimentary Lyft Pink All Access membership.
$300 in annual travel credits.
$550.20 cents.Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.$95.10 cents.Capital One Savor Cash Rewards CardUnlimited 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership, through Nov. 14, 2024.$95.10 cents.Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards CardUnlimited 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership, through Nov. 14, 2024.$0.10 cents.American Express® Green Card3 points per dollar on transit, including ride-share services.$150 (see rates and fees).6 cents.Chase Freedom Unlimited
5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.1.5% cash-back on all other purchases, including Uber.
$0.5 cents on Lyft.1.5 cents on Uber.
Apple Card
3% Apple Cash on Uber and Uber eats.$0.3 cents.Blue Cash Preferred® Card3% cash back on transit, including ride-share services.Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (see rates and fees).3 cents.Citi® Double Cash Card2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you buy, plus 1% as you pay).$0.2 cents.The Platinum® Card from American Express1 point per dollar on ride-share services (but the card offers quite a few Uber perks).$695 (see rates and fees).2 cents.The information for the Amex Green Card ,Capital One Savor Cash Rewards, and Apple Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Card details of the best cards for Uber and Lyft
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Annual fee: $550.
Rewards on ride-shares: 10 points per dollar on Lyft purchases; 3 points per dollar on travel, which includes Uber.
Why it’s great for Lyft and Uber: The Chase Sapphire Reserve — one of the best travel credit cards on the market— offers an unbeatable 10 points per dollar on Lyft purchases and a solid 3 points per dollar on Uber expenses, which code as travel on your statement.
The Lyft and Uber benefits with the Sapphire Reserve don’t end with the earning structure — there’s also the $300 in annual travel credits. Because Chase considers ride-share services to be a travel expense, you can also potentially get up to $300 off your rides every year. Chase automatically reimburses you in statement credits for your travel credits.
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Finally, as of Nov. 15, 2022, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders get a complimentary Lyft Pink All Access membership. This grants members benefits like priority pickups, free cancelations and 10% off all Lux rides.
Read our full card review for more details.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Annual fee: $95.
Rewards on ride-shares: The Sapphire Preferred offers 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 (3 points in addition to the 2 points earned on all travel).
Why it’s great for ride-shares: While it's got a lower earning rate than the Sapphire Reserved (and no travel credit), the Preferred could be your card of choice if you prefer not to pay a steep annual fee or juggle lots of other benefits.
Read our full card review for more details.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Card
Annual fee: $95.
Rewards on ride-shares: The Savor offers unlimited 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership, through Nov. 14, 2024.
Why it’s great for ride-shares: If you're willing to pay a modest annual fee, the Savor offers great ride-sharing benefits along with 4% back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 3% back at grocery stores.
Read our full card review for more details.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards on ride-shares: Just like the Savor, the SavorOne offers unlimited 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership, through Nov. 14, 2024.
Why it’s great for ride-shares: For Capital One fans who don't like paying an annual fee, this card offers solid value and benefits, along with unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores.
Read our full card review for more details.
Apply here: Capital One SavorOne
American Express Green Card
Annual fee: $150 (see rates and fees).
Rewards for ride-shares: 3 points per dollar on transit, including ride-share apps like Lyft and Uber.
Why it’s great for ride-shares: When Amex relaunched its iconic Amex Green Card, it added expanded bonus categories to the benefits list — including 3 points per dollar on transit. Lyft and Uber purchases both fall under that transit. The card earns Membership Rewards points, which TPG values at 2 cents each. That means you’re getting a 6% return on all of your ride-share spending.
Read our full card review for more details.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards on ride-shares: For no annual fee, the Freedom Unlimited offers 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025, along with 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases, which includes Uber and other ride-sharing apps.
Why it’s great for ride-shares: The Freedom Unlimited is the card for you if you prefer cash back over points and miles (and enjoy not paying an annual fee).
Read our full card review for more details.
Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Apple Card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards for ride-shares: 3% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats.
Why it’s great for ride-shares: In 2019, Uber became one of the vendors to earn 3% cash back (Daily Cash) on the Apple Card.
The truth is, this card is best for true Apple loyalists, since you only earn the highest Daily Cash at select merchants like Apple, Uber and Walgreens. You receive Daily Cash right after each purchase. That’s good if you’re a fan of simple cash back, but if you’re going for points or miles, this card isn’t the best choice.
Read this for more details.
Blue Cash Preferred Card
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for one year, then $95 (see rates and fees).
Rewards for ride-shares: 3 points per dollar on transit, including ride-share apps like Lyft and Uber.
Why it’s great for ride-shares: The Blue Cash Preferred is another Amex card that received a makeover in 2019, adding expanded earning categories.
One of those additional categories was transit, which includes Lyft and Uber purchases. This card isn’t a top earner on this list, since the 3% you earn is cash back, not Membership Rewards points through Amex. However, it remains a strong card option to use on your ride-share expenses.
Read our full card review for more details.
Apply here: Blue Cash Preferred Card
Citi Double Cash Card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards for ride-shares: 2% back on every purchase (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay your bill).
Why it’s great for ride-shares: The Citi Double Cash offers up to 2% across every purchase, including Lyft and Uber purchases. This is the highest-earning, flat-rate cash-back card on the market, and it’s a common choice for those who want a straightforward way to earn rewards across every purchase. Now, you can also convert your Double Cash rewards into ThankYou points when you also have an eligible ThankYou credit card from Citi, such as the Citi Premier® Card.
Read our full card review for more details.
Apply here: Citi Double Cash Card
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees).
Rewards for ride-shares: 1 point per dollar on ride-share purchases, plus various benefits (see below).
Why it’s great for ride-shares: While you’re not earning bonus rewards on Uber or Lyft purchases, the Platinum Card is one of the best options out there for Uber perks.
The highlight of those benefits is up to $200 in Uber Cash to use annually (for U.S. services). That is broken down as $15 to use each month, plus a $20 bonus in December ($35 total for that month).
To get the credits, you just need to add your Platinum Card as a payment option in your Uber app — the monthly credits will then be loaded into your Uber Cash account automatically at the beginning of each month. As an Amex Platinum cardholder, you’ll also get Uber VIP status, which allows you to request top-rated drivers in select cities.
Read our full card review for more details.
Apply here: Amex Platinum Card
Another option: Gift cards
Gift cards earn a special mention in this article.
That’s because many users can sometimes earn a better return when they purchase Uber gift cards with a credit card, as opposed to paying for Uber rides directly with a credit card. There are some caveats: Uber gift cards can only be used for rides or UberEats orders in the country where the gift card was purchased, and they can’t be used for UberRUSH, family profiles or scheduled rides.
Buying Uber gift cards can be a good way to earn a solid return if you have a credit card that offers high bonus earning for merchants where you can purchase gift cards, such as grocery stores, gas stations or office supply stores.
Three popular options for purchasing gift cards at select merchants are the Ink Business Cash Credit Card, the American Express® Business Gold Card and the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. You’ll just need to find a store in the bonus category for your card that sells Uber gift cards and will allow you to purchase gift cards with a credit card.
Bottom Line
With rideshares an integral part of modern travel, there's no reason to think card issuers won't continue offering benefits and partnerships with your app of choice. The trick is to find the card or cards that work for you — and as you can see, there's no shortage of solid options available.