Last checked: October 14, 2026. Every premium card comes with a list of credits that supposedly adds up to more than the annual fee. Whether it does for you depends on which ones you’d really use. Pick a card you’re considering (or already hold), tick what you’d use without changing your habits, and see what it really costs you per year. It covers all 20 cards I review with an annual fee above $200. No affiliate links, as everywhere on this site.
Almost any card is worth it in the first year because of the welcome bonus, so the bonus isn’t the question. The question is whether the credits and benefits you’d really use cover the annual fee every year after that. Points you earn from spending aren’t counted either.
Quick Take
- 20 cards with an annual fee above $200, from the Southwest Priority ($229) to the Amex Platinum ($895).
- Counting only the credits I call easy in each review, 2 cover their fee: the IHG Premier Select and the Venture X.
- The most expensive to keep after the easy credits: the AAdvantage Executive ($595), the Delta Reserve ($530), the Sapphire Reserve ($495).
- Lounge access and elite status start at $0 in the calculator. Put in what they’re actually worth to you.
1. What Would a Premium Card Really Cost You?
2. What Does Each Premium Card Cost After the Easy Credits?
Here’s what each card costs per year after only the credits I call easy in its review, cheapest first. Tap a card’s name to load it into the calculator above.
| Card | Annual fee | Credits I count as easy | What it costs after those |
|---|---|---|---|
| IHG Premier Select | $350 | Airline credit, Anniversary free night (up to 60,000 points) ($430) | Covered, $80 to spare |
| Venture X | $395 | Capital One Travel credit, Anniversary bonus: 10,000 miles ($400) | Covered, $5 to spare |
| Amex Gold | $325 | Uber Cash, Resy credit ($220) | $105 |
| Southwest Priority | $229 | Anniversary bonus: 7,500 points ($98) | $131 |
| AAdvantage Globe | $350 | Inflight purchases credit, Splurge Credit ($200) | $150 |
| United Quest | $350 | United TravelBank cash ($200) | $150 |
| Wyndham Earner Premier | $395 | Anniversary bonus: 30,000 points ($165) | $230 |
| Delta Platinum | $350 | Rideshare credit ($120) | $230 |
| Marriott Bevy | $250 | None | $250 |
| Bilt Palladium | $495 | Annual Bilt Cash ($150) | $345 |
| Marriott Brilliant | $650 | Dining credit ($300) | $350 |
| Hilton Aspire | $550 | Flight credit ($200) | $350 |
| Amex Platinum | $895 | Uber Cash, Digital entertainment credit ($500) | $395 |
| Citi Strata Elite | $595 | Splurge Credit ($200) | $395 |
| Atmos Summit | $395 | None | $395 |
| Mastercard Black Card | $699 | Airline credit, Dining credit ($300) | $399 |
| Premium Rewards Elite | $550 | Lifestyle credit ($150) | $400 |
| Sapphire Reserve | $795 | Travel credit ($300) | $495 |
| Delta Reserve | $650 | Rideshare credit ($120) | $530 |
| AAdvantage Executive | $695 | Inflight and Admirals Club purchases credit ($100) | $595 |
3. How I Count Credits and Benefits
- Each credit counts at its full yearly value, and you can lower any amount you’d only use part of. A monthly credit you’d use 6 months of a year is worth half.
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck and NEXUS credits come once every 4 years, so they count as $30 a year.
- Anniversary points and miles are valued at my minimum values on what points and miles are worth, and free-night certificates at the certificate values on the same page. The Venture X’s 10,000 miles use Capital One’s own $100.
- “Credits I count as easy” are the ones each review’s “Keep it after year one?” section subtracts from the fee. The “Start with the easy ones” button ticks exactly those.
- Benefits without a set dollar value (lounge access, elite status, companion certificates, free bags) start at $0. Put in what you’d otherwise pay for them.
- Left out on purpose: the welcome bonus and points earned from spending. Credits change often; each card’s review has the current list, and my credits calendar shows when each one resets.
4. Quick Answers
In the first year almost always, because of the welcome bonus. After that, only if the credits and benefits you’d use without changing your habits add up to more than the fee. Counting just the credits I call easy, the IHG Premier Select and the Venture X cover their fees; the other 18 cards here still cost $105 to $595 a year.
After the easy $200 Uber Cash and $300 digital entertainment credit, it costs $395 a year. I’d keep it only if you fly a few times a year, use the lounges and would honestly use at least $600 to $700 of the credits without changing how you spend.
After the easy $300 travel credit it costs $495 a year. It’s worth it only if you use the lounges and would use more than $495 of The Edit, dining and StubHub credits without changing your habits; otherwise the $95 Sapphire Preferred does 80% of the job.
Counting only the credits I call easy, two cover their fee: the IHG Premier Select, if you use its anniversary free night (I value it at a minimum of $230), and the Venture X, whose $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles cover the $395 fee. Among the rest, the Amex Gold ($105) and the Southwest Priority ($131) are the cheapest to keep.
Only at what you’d actually pay for the visits you’d really make. That’s why the calculator starts lounge access and elite status at $0 and lets you put in your own number.
If the numbers say a card isn’t worth it, my downgrade and retention offers page covers what to do before the fee posts, and the card reviews have the full details on each card.