CardRewardsEditorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Our analysis is based on publicly available card data and is reviewed regularly by our editorial team. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content. Last updated: May 2026.
Ranked by effective value per dollar at Thrifty Car Rental — including welcome offer math, redemption value, and annual fee.
Rankings are generated by our algorithm based on earn rates, point valuations, fees, and benefits — not paid placement. We don't accept compensation to rank cards higher. How we rank
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns the top spot for Thrifty Car Rental purchases at 18.5¢ per dollar — a $395 annual fee, factoring in welcome offers and ongoing rewards. We ranked every card in our database against Thrifty Car Rental purchases using the same scoring engine that powers our search. The list below orders cards by net value to you, not by what pays the biggest affiliate commission. Cards 4–10 are still solid picks; they just trade off some of the headline value for fewer fees, broader networks, or simpler redemptions.
Capital One
Ranked by effective value per dollar at Thrifty Car Rental — including welcome offer math, redemption value, and annual fee.
Rankings are generated by our algorithm based on earn rates, point valuations, fees, and benefits — not paid placement. We don't accept compensation to rank cards higher. How we rank
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns the top spot for Thrifty Car Rental purchases at 18.5¢ per dollar — a $395 annual fee, factoring in welcome offers and ongoing rewards. We ranked every card in our database against Thrifty Car Rental purchases using the same scoring engine that powers our search. The list below orders cards by net value to you, not by what pays the biggest affiliate commission. Cards 4–10 are still solid picks; they just trade off some of the headline value for fewer fees, broader networks, or simpler redemptions.
Capital One
Ranked by effective value per dollar at Thrifty Car Rental — including welcome offer math, redemption value, and annual fee.
Rankings are generated by our algorithm based on earn rates, point valuations, fees, and benefits — not paid placement. We don't accept compensation to rank cards higher. How we rank
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns the top spot for Thrifty Car Rental purchases at 18.5¢ per dollar — a $395 annual fee, factoring in welcome offers and ongoing rewards. We ranked every card in our database against Thrifty Car Rental purchases using the same scoring engine that powers our search. The list below orders cards by net value to you, not by what pays the biggest affiliate commission. Cards 4–10 are still solid picks; they just trade off some of the headline value for fewer fees, broader networks, or simpler redemptions.
Capital One
Citi
Capital One
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 18.5¢ per dollar at Thrifty Car Rental, the highest in our database. The $395 annual fee pays for itself once you're spending at least the equivalent each year. It's the right pick if you want maximum value on this category and don't mind paying for a premium card.
All 10 cards ranked by effective value per dollar.
| Card | Car Rentals Rate | Effective Value | Annual Fee | Fee Offset | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 10x Venture Miles | 18.5¢/$ | $395 | — | visa |
| Citi Strata Premier CardCiti | 10x ThankYou Points | 15.0¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardAmex | 7x Hilton Honors | 3.5¢/$ | $550 | $100 | amex |
| U.S. Bank Shield Visa CardUsbank | 4% cash back | 4.0¢/$ | $0 | $10 | visa |
| Savor Rewards from Capital OneCapital One | 5% cash back | 5.0¢/$ | $0 | $119.88 | mastercard |
| The AARP® Travel Rewards Mastercard®Barclays | 3x points | 3.0¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Citi Strata Elite℠ CardCiti | 1.5x ThankYou Points | 2.3¢/$ | $595 | $597.50 | mastercard |
| One Key+ CardWells Fargo | 2% cash back | 2.0¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
Other brands in Car Rentals where the top picks above also earn well.
Want to filter by spend amount, network, or fee preference?
Open in full search with filters →Citi
Capital One
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 18.5¢ per dollar at Thrifty Car Rental, the highest in our database. The $395 annual fee pays for itself once you're spending at least the equivalent each year. It's the right pick if you want maximum value on this category and don't mind paying for a premium card.
All 10 cards ranked by effective value per dollar.
| Card | Car Rentals Rate | Effective Value | Annual Fee | Fee Offset | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 10x Venture Miles | 18.5¢/$ | $395 | — | visa |
| Citi Strata Premier CardCiti | 10x ThankYou Points | 15.0¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardAmex | 7x Hilton Honors | 3.5¢/$ | $550 | $100 | amex |
| U.S. Bank Shield Visa CardUsbank | 4% cash back | 4.0¢/$ | $0 | $10 | visa |
| Savor Rewards from Capital OneCapital One | 5% cash back | 5.0¢/$ | $0 | $119.88 | mastercard |
| The AARP® Travel Rewards Mastercard®Barclays | 3x points | 3.0¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Citi Strata Elite℠ CardCiti | 1.5x ThankYou Points | 2.3¢/$ | $595 | $597.50 | mastercard |
| One Key+ CardWells Fargo | 2% cash back | 2.0¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
Other brands in Car Rentals where the top picks above also earn well.
Want to filter by spend amount, network, or fee preference?
Open in full search with filters →Citi
Capital One
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 18.5¢ per dollar at Thrifty Car Rental, the highest in our database. The $395 annual fee pays for itself once you're spending at least the equivalent each year. It's the right pick if you want maximum value on this category and don't mind paying for a premium card.
All 10 cards ranked by effective value per dollar.
| Card | Car Rentals Rate | Effective Value | Annual Fee | Fee Offset | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 10x Venture Miles | 18.5¢/$ | $395 | — | visa |
| Citi Strata Premier CardCiti | 10x ThankYou Points | 15.0¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardAmex | 7x Hilton Honors | 3.5¢/$ | $550 | $100 | amex |
| U.S. Bank Shield Visa CardUsbank | 4% cash back | 4.0¢/$ | $0 | $10 | visa |
| Savor Rewards from Capital OneCapital One | 5% cash back | 5.0¢/$ | $0 | $119.88 | mastercard |
| The AARP® Travel Rewards Mastercard®Barclays | 3x points | 3.0¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
| Citi Strata Elite℠ CardCiti | 1.5x ThankYou Points | 2.3¢/$ | $595 | $597.50 | mastercard |
| One Key+ CardWells Fargo | 2% cash back | 2.0¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
Other brands in Car Rentals where the top picks above also earn well.
Want to filter by spend amount, network, or fee preference?
Open in full search with filters →
