This is the time of year when many of us take advantage of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft. We need rides to/from airports. Some folks should have someone else handle the driving at least from holiday parties.
If you’re into sports or attending other live events, it’s sometimes easier just to have someone drive you to a game and pick you up after — instead of paying through the nose for parking and sitting in the stadium lot forever afterward.
But a lot of people have travel rewards cards that feature ride-share benefits — and they don’t even know it. Or they want ride-share benefits and better earnings but do not know which cards to get.
So, let’s take a look at a few of them that might help.
American Express Cards
Two Amex cards offer Uber Cash benefits while a few others feature bonus points for general travel or transit spending.
(Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.)
The Platinum Card® from American Express members receive up to $200 each calendar year in Uber Cash deposits good for Uber rides or Uber Eats purchases. The deposits are disbursed up to $15 each month from January through November. December’s deposit is up to $35.
Meanwhile, American Express® Gold Card members get up to $10 each month in Uber Cash deposits (up to $120 each calendar year).
The deposits are a Use ‘em or Lose ‘em situation: you can’t roll them over to the following month(s). Also, you do not need to use your Amex Platinum Card or Amex Gold Card card to pay for an Uber ride or Uber Eats purchase. (Though the Amex Gold Card earns 4X per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. In my experience, food delivery services such as Uber Eats generally code as restaurants.)
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 3% cash back on transit purchases. (Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars redeemable toward statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.)
Meanwhile, the American Express® Green Card earns 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on transit purchases. (All information related to the American Express® Green Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer.)
You can earn 4X points on transit purchases using the American Express® Business Gold Card — but that comes with a little wrinkle. The card automatically gives you 4X Membership Rewards points for the top two categories in which you spend for a given billing cycle. (Transit is one of those categories.) While your top 2 categories may change each billing cycle based on where your business spent the most, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories from this list each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
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Chase Cards
A lot of Chase cards offer Lyft benefits or bonus points for transit purchases — or both!
The features are spread across a wealth of Ultimate Rewards cards and co-branded products. Let’s check them out.
Ultimate Rewards Cards Rideshare Benefits
Chase’s Ultimate Rewards cards offer increased earnings on Lyft rides. Plus, one offers a complimentary Lyft Pink membershiptrial.
- 10X total points on Lyft Rides through March 2025.
- Get two (2) free years of Lyft Pink All Access and a third year at 50% off when you activate by December 31, 2024. Membership auto-renews.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- 5X total points on Lyft Rides through March 2025.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ (a no-annual-fee card)
- 5% total cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025.
- (All information about the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card (a no-annual-fee card)
- 5% total cash back on Lyft rides
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- 5X total points on Lyft Rides
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (a no-annual-fee card)
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5% total cash back on Lyft rides
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (a no-annual-fee card)
- 5% total cash back on Lyft rides
Sapphire
- 5X total points on Lyft Rides
- (All information about the Sapphire card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
Ink Plus
- 5x total points on Lyft Rides
- (All information about the Ink Plus was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
Chase Student
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5% total cash back on Lyft rides
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(All information about the Chase Student was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
Ink
- 5% total cash back on Lyft rides
- (All information about the Ink was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
Ink Business
- 5% total cash back on Lyft rides
- (All information about the Ink Business was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
Co-Branded Cards
All five of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Cards offer 2X per eligible $1 spent on local transit and commuting — including rideshare.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
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Likewise, four United Airlines MileagePlus cards offer 2X for categories awarding rideshare spending:
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- 2X miles on non-United travel, including airfare, trains, local transit, cruise lines, hotels, car rentals, taxicabs, resorts, ride share services and tolls.
- card_name
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- 2X miles on local transit and commuting including ride share services, taxicabs, train tickets, tolls, and mass transit.
- card_name
- 2X miles on United purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting
(All information about the Southwest and United cards was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card awards 2X for every $1 spent on travel purchases (except for hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Those earn 3X). That said, the other three cards in the Marriott portfolio offer a base of 2X for all eligible purchases. All information related to the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer.
Capital One
Capital One offers a host of cards with amazing Uber benefits. Four of its cards will earn unlimited 10% cashback on Uber and Uber Eats purchases made through November 14, 2024.
- Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card
- $95 annual fee
- All information related to the Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer.
- card_name
- annual_fees annual fee and no foreign transaction fee!
- Current early spend bonus: bonus_miles_full
- 10% cashback on Uber and Uber One purchases through November 14, 2024
- 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
- 3% on dining
- 3% on entertainment
- 3% on popular streaming services
- 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 1% on all other eligible purchases
- Learn here how to apply.
- card_name
- No annual fee!
- 10% cashback on Uber and Uber One purchases through November 14, 2024
- 1.5% cashback on every eligible purchase
- Current welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
- Learn here how to apply.
- card_name
- No annual fee!
- 10% cashback on Uber and Uber One purchases through November 14, 2024
- 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
- 3% on dining
- 3% on entertainment
- 3% on popular streaming services
- 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- Current welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
- Learn here how to apply.
No enrollment is required. The cashback bonuses are automatically applied. Cashback can be applied toward statement credit or deposited to your bank account.
These cards are eligible for a complimentary Uber One membership through November 14, 2024:
Three cards are eligible for up to six months of Uber One membership credits through November 14, 2024. They are:
- card_name
- No annual fee
- Current early spend bonus: bonus_miles_full.
- Learn here how to apply.
- card_name
- annual_fees annual fee
- No early spend bonus
- Learn here how to apply.
- card_name
- annual_fees annual fee
- Learn here how to apply.
All you have to do is make your eligible Capital One card the default form of payment for membership. You’ll be billed the membership fee each month and receive an equal statement credit for that amount. (Currently valued at $9.99. The Uber One statement credit purchase earns only 1%.)
Look at it this way: If you spend $100 on Uber rides each month, you’re earning $10 back. That’s very good — especially for no-annual-fee cards.
I still think this is one of the best benefits out there for frequent Uber (and Uber Eats) users. Yes, the promotion is set to expire in November 2024. But Chase and Lyft extended their partnership. I won’t be at all surprised if CapOne and Uber do the same with theirs.
I hold the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card not only for its Uber benefits but also because it’s a great 3X card — especially considering it has no annual fee.
Citi Cards
Citi doesn’t feature anything too exciting. The card_name cards and its business version offer unlimited 3% on restaurants and eligible travel, including Costco Travel. (Cash back is awarded as an annual credit card reward certificate in February billing statements, redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses. All information related to the card_name was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer.)
Cardholders of Mastercard World, World Elite Mastercard® or card_name credit cards may earn a $5 Lyft credit after taking three eligible rides within a month and charging them to their card. (All information related to the card_name was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer.)
My Personal Strategy
I use both Uber and Lyft.
When I have Uber Cash deposits and need a ride, I generally opt for Uber. I pay any cash balance with my Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
When I use Lyft, I pay with my Chase Sapphire Reserve®®.
Final Approach
Dozens of reward credit cards offer rideshare benefits. Some people aren’t even aware they could enjoy bonus points or cashback on cards they already hold or can get. What’s your strategy for using credit cards to maximize your rideshare earnings and benefits?
To see rates and fees for the American Express® Business Gold Card, please visit this link.
To see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
To see rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this link.
To see rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this link.
To see rates and fees for the American Express® Green Card, please visit this link.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.