A guide to credit cards for high income earners

Quick insights

If you enjoy the finer things in life, a standard credit card may not match your spending habits. Standard cards often have low annual fees but may have limited rewards and benefits.

If you have a high income and a large budget for travel and dining out, you might find that the top-tier cards offered by some issuers may be a better fit for your spending habits. While these cards often come with higher annual fees, the value of the travel rewards, airport lounge access and other perks may easily outweigh the cost.

Let’s explore what sets credit cards for high income earners apart from standard cards, along with some card features you may want to consider.

What is a credit card for high income earners?

Credit cards for high income earners generally offer features not found on standard cards. They are typically offered for individuals with incomes over $100,000, excellent credit scores (720+), a history of high spending, along with other factors. These cards may provide a range of rewards, travel benefits and personalized services.

If you value luxury travel and lifestyle perks, you may want to consider a credit card designed for high income individuals. While these cards usually carry higher annual fees, it may be worth it if the card’s benefits and rewards align with your spending habits.

4 Credit card features to consider

Some credit cards offer a wide range of features that could benefit high-income individuals, including access to exclusive events and concierge services. Here are some of the features you may want to consider:

1. Rewards

One way to help maximize a credit card’s value is to look for a rewards program that aligns with your spending habits. Some credit cards reward luxury, high-spending lifestyles, providing accelerated rewards earning potential on dining, flight and hotel purchases.

Let’s say a credit card offers 8x points on purchases in their travel portal and 3x points on dining. A cardmember who spends $15,000 on dining and $30,000 on hotels and flights each year could earn 45,000 points on dining and 240,000 points on travel—an annual total of 285,000 points in these spending categories alone.

Beyond the spending categories, you may be able to earn other rewards, such as annual travel, dining and shopping credits.

Flexible rewards redemption options may also factor into your decision. Some common options include:

2. Airport lounge access

Starting your travels off right can help you arrive at your destination refreshed and ready to take in the sights. Airport lounge access can help ease the travel experience, allowing you to retreat into a space with comfortable seating, quiet workspaces and refreshments before you board your flight. With some credit cards, airport lounge access is complimentary, though you’ll generally pay an annual fee for the card.

As you evaluate your options, you may want to consider whether the card comes with access to lounges in the airports you travel with most often.

3. Travel protection benefits

Some cards include a comprehensive suite of travel protection benefits. With these cards, cardmembers can get reimbursed for eligible purchases in certain circumstances when things go wrong during a trip. For instance, if your trip is cancelled for an eligible reason, you can usually get reimbursed for things like non-refundable flights and hotels up to a certain amount.

Credit cards that come with travel protection benefits are often designed to appeal to frequent travelers and may come with other travel-friendly features like no foreign transaction fees.

4. High credit limits

While a range of factors impact the credit limit offered to a cardmember, credit cards for high-income earners typically start at $10,000. Some credit cards may offer credit limits of $50,000 or more to the most qualified applicants.

A high credit limit can be beneficial if you want the card to be your primary payment method for everyday purchases or during an expensive vacation. Additionally, a high limit can help accommodate large purchases.

Explore Chase credit cards

Interested in a credit card that rewards your lifestyle? Chase travel rewards credit cards offer a range of rewards and benefits that may appeal to high-income earners. You can potentially earn rewards that can be redeemed for first-class flights, luxury hotel stays, event tickets and more.

In summary

Depending on your lifestyle, a standard credit card may not be the right fit. You may prefer a credit card that offers more extensive rewards, airport lounge access, travel protection benefits and a line of credit of at least $10,000. Cards with accelerated rewards earning potential in travel and dining, as well as annual statement credits for travel, dining and shopping, might better complement your spending habits.