Top Metal Credit Cards For 2019

Metal credit cards promise sturdy construction and a premium in-hand feel. These cards are often heavier and thicker than regular cards, which helps prevent damage and theft. Plus, whipping out a metal card at checkout means that you’ll stand out compared to other basic plastic cards.

Besides a deluxe build, metal credit cards usually come with better-than-average perks and rewards. Most metal cards are also targeted towards frequent travelers; however, there still are options for those who want more general reward categories.

Business owners will want to note that most of the credit cards listed below are marketed as personal cards. As such, they may not come with business-specific perks, such as employee cards or rewards targeted towards business-spending habits. However, personal cards are still a viable option for small businesses.

Curious to learn which metal credit card is best for your business? Keep reading to find out!

Best Metal Credit Cards For Travel

If you’re looking for a travel card, you won’t be lacking options if you also want one that comes in metal. While many metal cards include high annual fees, there are a few that are more affordable. Below are a couple of options with sub-$100 annual fees:

Venture from Capital One

This card from Capital One features a simple two miles per dollar spent on all purchases. You also get the bonus of no annual fee during your first year (though it’s $95 thereafter).

For other perks, Venture comes bundled with 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $3,000 in your first three months. Until January 2020, you’ll further be able to snag 10 miles per dollar on eligible hotels when you book at Hotel.com. There’s additionally up to a $100 credit available for your Global Entry and TSA PreCheck applications.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

For our other travel-focused metal card with a budget-range annual fee, it’s hard to go wrong with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. This card will net you two points per dollar spent on travel and dining, and one point everywhere else. Like with the Venture card, the annual fee will run you $95, although it’s waived the first year.

The real bonus of Chase’s card is that when you redeem points for travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, your points will be worth 25% more. That means the card’s bonus offer of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months is worth about $750 when redeemed for travel. If Chase’s redemption portal isn’t for you, there are over 10 travel partners where you can transfer points on a 1:1 basis.

Best Metal Credit Card For Points

Points credit cards can be a great tool for businesses, especially if you can redeem points for more than they’d be worth as cash back. Unfortunately, there aren’t many metal credit cards that deal out points not directly related to travel. Here’s our top pick, though:

American Express Business Gold Rewards Card

If you’re in the market for a metal credit card, but don’t want something directly aimed at travel, the Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express could be a great option for business owners. While all purchases net one point per dollar spent, you’ll collect four points per dollar on your two highest spending categories. The eligible categories for the bonus points are:

• Airfare purchased directly from airlines
• US advertising purchases in select media (online, TV, radio)
• US purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
• US gas station purchases
• US restaurant purchases
• US shipping purchases

Note that this card does require an annual fee of $295. However, you gain access to a range of perks, including: 25% airline bonus when you book flights through American Express Travel, hotel credit, and employee cards. There’s an additional welcome offer of up to one year free of G Suite Basic for three users and up to one year of ZipRecruiter Standard. Amex rates those bonuses up to $3,200 combined.

Curious to learn more about the Amex Business Gold card? Visit the Merchant Maverick review.

Best Metal Credit Cards For Cash Back

With usually simple redemption methods, cash back cards are a popular option for those who don’t want to worry about jumping through hoops. Like with points cards, metal cards with strictly cash back redemption methods are somewhat of a rarity. Still, there are a couple worth considering:

Capital One Savor Rewards

If cash back is more your thing, Capital One offers a metal card in the form of Savor Rewards. Like with Capital One’s other card on this list, this card requires a $95 annual fee that’s waived the first year. In terms of rewards, you’ll score 4% cash back on dining and entertainment purchases, 2% back on groceries, and 1% back on everything else. On top of those base rewards, ticket purchases through Vivid Seats earn 8% cash back until May 2020.

You’ll additionally receive a complimentary membership to Postmates Unlimited through December 2019. This is a potential boon for businesses that buy employees lunch because orders above $15 avoid paying delivery fees. You can further receive $300 cash back by spending $3,000 within your first three months.

Amazon Business Prime American Express Card

A rarity in the world of metal credit cards, the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card does not have an annual fee. However, you will need to have an Amazon Prime account (which annually costs $59 for students, $119 for personal accounts, and $179 for business accounts) to take full advantage of the cards benefits—including receiving a metal card.

It’s also worth mentioning that this is a business-specific card, so you’ll get employee card options as well as various spending tools. You’ll also snag a $125 Amazon gift card upon approval and you can refuse rewards in exchange for an extended interest-free period on purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market.

Get the full picture of the Amazon Business Prime Card by checking out our review.

Best Luxury Metal Credit Cards

The highlight of metal credit cards, luxury cards often feature solid rewards with some unique perks, like travel credit and special hotel benefits. However, they also come with extravagant annual fees and usually require an excellent credit history. Here’s a couple of our favorites:

Mastercard Black Card

When it comes to premium cards, the Mastercard Black Card from Luxury Card is among the first names to pop into people’s minds. With 46 patents globally, the steel and carbon fiber build is instantly recognized for its classy design and exclusivity. It’s also one of the heaviest metal cards available.

With this card, you’ll get an effective 2% back on travel redemptions, 1.5% on cash back, and 1% back on all other redemption methods. You will need to keep in mind the $495 annual fee, but the Black Card comes with an array of extra benefits, including:

• 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge
• “Luxury Gifts” from name brands
• $100 annual airline credit
• Global Entry & TSA PreCheck application credit
• Priority Pass Select VIP airport lounge access
• Complimentary hotel benefits with an average total value of $500 per stay

These benefits are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Black Card. Want to learn more? Read the Merchant Maverick review for all the deets.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Those looking for a more low-key card, but still want some luxury benefits, may find the Chase Sapphire Reserve to be a good fit. This card’s reward rates start at three points per dollar on travel and restaurant purchases. You’ll then snag the standard one point per dollar on all other purchases.

Like with the Black Card, you’ll need to fork over a hefty annual fee (this one clocks in at $450 per year). However, points redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards generate 50% more value (effectively giving you 4.5¢ per dollar on travel and restaurant purchases and 2¢ per dollar on everything else). You’ll also collect a $300 annual travel credit, a $100 fee credit for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credits, and special benefits at a range of hotels.

Want to find out more about luxury credit cards? Check out our more in-depth article on premium-level cards.

How To Destroy A Metal Credit Card

Because these cards are made of metal, things can be tricky when it comes time to get rid of them. You probably won’t be able to cut them with scissors, like you might with a standard plastic card. It’s also not recommended to shred the card—the metal may damage your shredder.

Instead, your best bet will to send the card back to your issuer. Contact the company that issued your card to find out if they’ll take back the old card. Your issuer may also include an envelope for this very purpose along with your new card. If this is the case, you’ll simply need to seal your old card in the envelope and drop it in the mail.

Final Thoughts

With plenty of options, there should be a metal card that fits within your business’s needs. Especially when it comes to travel, most metal cards include stellar rewards with enticing perks, from travel credits to impressive welcome offers.

Can’t find the right card? Keep looking by checking out Merchant Maverick’s best all-around business cards.