Etihad does not offer any co-branded credit cards to US-based members, so you'll need to use credit cards offered by transfer partners if you're looking to earn Etihad Guest Miles on everyday spending. Review our top picks for best credit cards for Etihad Guest Miles and calculate which cards can earn you the most miles and best return.
Best Credit Cards For Etihad Guest Miles
This page details our top picks for the best credit cards for earning Etihad Guest Miles. There's also a Rewards Calculator at the bottom of this page that you can use to estimate which credit cards can earn you the most miles and best average return on your spend.
The cards on this page are updated periodically. New cards are introduced from time to time and the benefits of current cards could change at any time. If you're looking for credit cards based on other criteria, you can check all of our best credit cards lists.
You can also use our Credit Card Finder Tool to search by spend across all credit cards in our database.
Best Card Overall For Etihad
If you're looking to earn a steady stream of Etihad Miles, the Citi Premier® Card is going to be the best option.
The card earns 3X ThankYou Points on restaurants, supermarket, gas station, air travel, and hotel purchases and 1X points on all other purchases. These points can be transferred directly to Etihad Guest at a rate of 1:1.
The Citi Premier Card offers an annual $100 hotel credit when you book a $500+ hotel stay though the thankyou.com portal.
- Annual $100 Hotel Savings Benefit
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Best For Restaurants & Big Supermarket Spenders
The American Express® Gold Card is one of the best travel credit cards in the market due to it's high earning rates and dining benefits.
It earns 4X Membership Rewards Points at restaurants and on U.S. supermarket purchases, 3X on airfare purchased directly with an airline, and 1X on all other purchases. These points can be transferred to Etihad Guest at a rate of 1:1.
The American Express Gold Card offers up to $120 in annual Uber Cash as well as up to $120 in annual dining credits.
- Rose Gold is back. You can now choose between Gold or Rose Gold.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- Get up to 12 complimentary months of an Uber Eats Pass subscription when you enroll with your Gold Card by 12/31/21.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Best For Airfare & Lounge Access
If you don't have lounge access with Etihad or you're looking for multiple lounge options, The Platinum Card® from American Express is here to provide for you.
The primary benefit of the card is access to the American Express Global Lounge collection which grants access to American Express Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass Lounges, Delta SkyClub Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, and Escape Lounges.
The Platinum Card also offers up to $1,400 in credits, complimentary elite status with Marriott, Hilton, and several car rental agencies, travel insurance, and much more.
In terms of points, you'll earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on airfare purchases and 5X on airfare and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com. These points can be transferred to Etihad Guest at a rate of 1:1.
If you spend heavy on airfare tickets, this is the best route to take when it comes to maximizing your spend for airlines.
- Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Plus, earn 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required.
- New! American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Now there are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on select Equinox memberships. Enrollment required.
- $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Best For Small Business & Miscellaneous Spending
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is one of the best small business credit cards and is great for earning points at a flat rate.
The card earns 2X Membership Rewards Points on the first $50,000 in purchases made during the calendar year. After that, you'll earn 1X for the remainder of the calendar year. These points can be transferred to Etihad Guest at a rate of 1:1.
If you're looking to make the most of the Membership Rewards Program regardless of whether you're transferring points to Etihad or any of AMEX's other airline and hotel partners, you'll want to make sure that The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card is part of your credit card line up with American Express.
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
- You've got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
- *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.24% - 19.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply.
Best For Flat-Rate Earnings
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the best option if you're looking for a single rewards credit card that you can use to build your Etihad Guest Miles.
It earns an unlimited 2X Venture Miles on all purchases ran through the card. These miles can be transferred directly to your Etihad Guest account at a 1:1 ratio meaning you'll be earning the equivalent of 2X Etihad Guest Miles on all purchases.
The Venture Card comes with up to a $100 statement credit towards a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application which can be useful if you travel frequently.
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®
- Redeem on travel—including flights, vacation rentals, car rentals and more. Plus transfer your miles to over 15+ travel loyalty programs
- No foreign transaction fees
Best For Heavy Business Spending
If you're larger business that easily spends more than $50,000 per year, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business is a solid option for building rewards transferable to Etihad and other partners.
It earns an unlimited 2X Spark Miles on purchases with no limits or category restrictions. These miles can be transferred directly to Etihad Guest at a rate of 1:1 which is fantastic if you're looking to easily build your Etihad Guest Miles.
The Spark Miles for Business offers a statement credit of up to $100 towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application which can help you fly through security.
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Transfer your miles to 15+ leading travel loyalty programs like JetBlue™, Air Canada, and Emirates™
- Redeem miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- Fly through security with one statement credit for either the $85 TSA Pre✓® application fee or the $100 Global Entry application fee
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
- Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 2X miles on all purchases
Best Credit Cards For Etihad Guest Miles Summary
| Credit Card | Annual Fee | Best For | Rewards Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Premier® Card | $95 | Dining & Travel | Learn More |
| American Express® Gold Card | $250 | Dining and U.S. Supermarket | Learn More |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | $695 | Best For Airfare & Lounge Access | Learn More |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | $0 | Small Business Spending | Learn More |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | $95 | Flat-Rate Earnings | Learn More |
| Capital One Spark Miles for Business | $0 the first year, then $95 | Heavy Business Spending | Learn More |
Best Credit Cards For Etihad Guest Miles Calculator
The Best Credit Cards For Etihad Guest Miles Calculator will give you an idea of which credit cards will earn you the most Etihad Guest Miles based on your spend.
Results will be sorted by net return which is the average value of the rewards earned, plus annual credits, and minus annual fees. You'll want to take into consideration the benefits a card offers as well on top of the estimated value calculated.
Results will consist of top-rated credit cards that either earn Etihad Guest Miles directly or earn rewards that can be transferred directly to the Etihad Guest program.
