Best credit cards for Lyft

Only a decade ago, people called a taxi company when they needed a ride. The same act is now as simple as hitting a few buttons on your smartphone. Now, rideshare companies like Lyft make getting a ride to almost anywhere a breeze, and the service may cost a lot less than you think.

If you charge your Lyft rides to a credit card that doles out points or miles, that’s even better. In this guide, we’ll go over the absolute best Lyft credit cards to use when you ride with Lyft as well as other ways to maximize your rideshare dollars.

Chase Sapphire Reserve: Best for Lyft discounts

Why we picked it: One of the top travel credit cards on the market, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is known for its generous rewards, including 10X points on Lyft purchases through March 2025. Not only does it give points on Lyft, but it also offers a one-year complimentary Lyft Pink membership. Worth $199 per year, Lyft Pink offers passengers 15% off all car rides, in addition to priority airport pickups, special discounts and more flexibility in cancellations, among other benefits.

Besides these perks, the card comes with 10X points on hotels and rental cars purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5X points on air travel bought through Chase, 3X points on general travel and dining, and 1X on other purchases.

Pros

• $300 annual travel credit (applies to Lyft rides)
• 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months
• Redeem 50% more per point on the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
• Multiple travel insurance perks

Cons

• $550 annual fee
• Lower rewards value for merchandise

Who should apply: People looking for a well-rounded travel card that also gives plenty of Lyft benefits will love the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Who should skip: Anyone for whom the $550 annual fee seems outrageous should skip – one must travel quite often to make that annual fee worth it. If you only use Lyft occasionally, you could opt for a different card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Best for extra value at a lower annual fee

Why we picked it: Similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card rewards cardholders for eating out (or ordering takeout) and traveling and offers 5X points on Lyft purchases through March 2025. The base rewards rate is 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3X points on dining, 2X points on other travel and 1X point on other purchases, but the annual fee is also lower at $95.

If you’re not ready to shell out the $550 per year that the Reserve charges, the Preferred is the perfect alternative.

Pros

• $50 Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit
• 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months
• Redeem 25% per point through the Ultimate Rewards portal

Cons

• Limited-time offer on 5X points for Lyft purchases
• $95 annual fee

Who should apply: Someone with a good credit score (or excellent) who would like to get started on travel credit cards won’t go wrong with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Who should skip: If that $95 annual fee is too steep for your wallet, there are plenty of other travel cards with no annual fee out there for you.

American Express Green Card: Best for budget-minded travelers

Why we picked it: The American Express® Green Card* offers rewards for travel and transit (including rideshare services such as Lyft). It’s our budget option because its annual fee is easily made up by its up to $200 in annual bonuses – just be sure that you take full advantage of them.

With this card, you can get 3X points on dining, travel and transit worldwide, and 1X point on everything else. Despite its modest benefits, the Amex Green card can really bring in a good number of points for cardholders who ride with Lyft frequently.

Pros

• 3X points on travel, transit (including Lyft) and dining worldwide
• 30,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first three months
• Up to $100 credit for Clear membership and up to $100 for LoungeBuddy purchases
• Points transferrable to Amex travel partners

Cons

• $150 annual fee
• Must book rewards travel through American Express Travel

Who should apply: If you use Lyft pretty regularly (for your daily commute or weekly grocery run), this card will earn you solid rewards. Anyone who wanted to start earning Membership Rewards points will find the Amex Green card is a great introduction.

Who should skip: Occasional Lyft riders do not need to apply for this card, since you may find it difficult to maximize the 3X points and justify the annual fee.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express: Best for cash back rewards

Why we picked it: So far, all the cards on this list give you rewards in points. However, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express gives pretty generous cash back rewards. This pick is incredibly popular among families, and it’s one of the best for grocery spending due its 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%). It also gives 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit and rideshare services as well.

Pros

• $350 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first six months
• 0% intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 12 months (16.99%-27.99% variable thereafter)
• Benefits like purchase protection and car rental insurance

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Caps U.S. supermarket category at $6,000 per year

Who should apply: Cash back lovers will likely love the Blue Cash Preferred card. Outside of Lyft rides, if your spending focuses on groceries, you should really consider this card.

Who should skip: Cardholders with families that spend more on online shopping than groceries should look at other cards.

Chase Freedom Flex: Best for no annual fee

Why we picked it: You cannot go wrong with the Chase Freedom Flex®. It gives fairly rich rewards, such as 5% cash back on Lyft purchases (through March 2025). Plus, as a Mastercard World Elite card, it’ll give you $5 in Lyft credit per month after taking three Lyft rides.

Other than that, the Freedom Flex is known for its 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories (on up to $1,500 per quarter) based on Chase’s quarterly calendar. It also functions well as a travel card with 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases and 1% cash back on everything else.

Pros

• No annual fee
• $200 if you spend $500 in the first three months
• Perks like purchase protection, trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Complimentary DashPass membership for three months

Cons

• 5% cash back on Lyft purchases lasts until March 31, 2025
• $1,500 limit on 5% cash back rotating categories
• Must activate categories by deadline to use them

Who should apply: If you’re that cardholder searching for the no-annual-fee card on this list, the Chase Freedom Flex won’t let you down.

Who should skip: Those who’d like to earn year-round rewards on Lyft purchases should look elsewhere.

Brex 30 Card: Best for entrepreneurs

Why we picked it: The Brex 30 Card, catered toward startup companies, offers impressive rewards considering it’s a no-annual-fee card. Let’s start with the most important one: 7X points on rideshare services. Other rewards include 4X points on travel booked with Brex Travel, 3X points on restaurants and more.

Pros

• No annual fee
• 50,000 Brex Rewards points after you spend $1,000
• Instantly issue virtual cards to employees

Cons

• Charge card
• Must make Brex card your exclusive corporate card (or else you only earn 1X point on every purchase)
• Must have at least $100,000 in your corporate account to qualify (or $50,000 if you’re professionally managed)

Who should apply: E-commerce entrepreneurs (and the like) who want solid, year-round rewards on Lyft purchases will like this card.

Who should skip: Business owners who already have a business credit card they like should skip. If you don’t make Lyft purchases regularly (a few times a month), you also do not need to apply.

Comparing the Lyft credit cards

How to choose a credit card for Lyft

Before committing to any of these cards, there are a few things you should ask yourself to narrow down all the choices:

• What kind of Lyft rider are you? If you’re a ride-or-die Lyft user and you solely use Lyft for rideshare (versus Uber), you should go for a card that will give you year-round benefits on your Lyft rides like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the American Express Green card.
• Do you prefer cash back or travel points? Fans of cash back should obviously go for one of the cash back options, like the Blue Cash Preferred, also an excellent card for grocery spending, or the Chase Freedom Flex, which will earn you good rewards quickly, outside of just Lyft.
• Do you want a travel card, everyday card or business card? Many of our favorite cards for Lyft serve different purposes. People looking to dive in the travel card space should, of course, apply for the Chase Sapphire cards or Amex Green card. Those who want a card for everyday spending won’t go wrong with the Blue Cash Preferred. Of course, for our business owners out there, please consider the Brex 30 card with its lavish rewards on common business purchases and travel.
• Can you fit an annual fee into your budget? If you travel far and wide and often, the Chase Sapphire cards, despite their annual fees, will really prove their worth. For those who prefer to stay closer to home, one of the no-annual-fee cards will serve you just fine.

Bottom line

These cards can help you maximize your potential earnings and savings on Lyft rides, so if you use Lyft frequently, any of these products can be a great addition to your wallet. Whether you opt for a card that provides Lyft credit or rewards on Lyft purchases, any benefit is welcome. Also keep your eye out for other ways to maximize rewards with Lyft, like avoiding rides during a surge, comparing prices with Uber and utilizing coupons like referral codes.

*All information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Cardand the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer.