5 Credit Cards That Save on Alternative Transportation

The Citi Custom Cash® Card comes with a spending cap, but you won’t have to activate or enroll to earn rewards. The card automatically earns 5% cash back on your top eligible spending category each billing cycle, on up to $500 spent (then 1% back). There are 12 total spending categories, including select transit, and as long as it’s your highest spending category for the month, you’ll earn up to 5% back (until you hit the cap).

The Citi Custom Cash’s select transit category encompasses a lot of purchases, including bus lines, subways, passenger railways and ferries. You’ll even earn on niche expenses, like bridge and road tolls and parking lots. (Note that bike and scooter rentals are excluded.)

The card earns an unlimited 4% cash rewards on purchases across three overarching themes: self-care purchases; select sports, recreation and entertainment; and planet-friendly purchases. The last category is the most relevant, as it includes spending on bus lines, local and suburban commuter passenger transportation, ferries, passenger railways and “other transportation services.”

One potential downside is that some Reddit users report the card doesn’t earn 4% back on rideshare services, like Uber or Lyft — but there are other credit cards that do (more on that below).

Outside of applying for a credit card with rewards on subways, buses, trains and more, you may already have a card in your wallet that can help cover the cost of alternative transportation.

Uber (including Lime e-bikes and scooters)

In addition to a comped Uber One membership, Amex Platinum cardmembers also get up to $200 in Uber Cash each year after adding your card to your Uber account, spread out as $15 in Uber Cash per month (and an additional $20 Uber Cash in December). Uber Cash can be used for rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction (terms apply and enrollment is required).

If you live in a relatively dense city, chances are you’ve seen bike-sharing companies. Bike sharing can be a great way to get around town fairly quickly, but the fees can add up over time, especially if you use it for commuting or routine excursions. Luckily, the Uber Cash Amex Platinum cardholders earn can also be applied to unlock Lime e-bikes and scooters through the Uber app.

Lime bikes are typically pedal-assist, while the scooters are fully electric and have roughly the same speeds, so it’s mostly down to preference. While these probably aren’t ideal for cross-town trips, they can be great for shorter journeys.

Lyft (including Citi Bike)

Bilt and Lyft also have a partnership that helps you earn rewards on rideshares. Once you connect your Lyft and Bilt Rewards accounts, you’ll earn 2X Bilt points on Lyft rides. You can also use Bilt Points to pay for Lyft rides. While these two perks don’t require you to have a Bilt credit card, owning one can help you accelerate your points earning for use throughout the Lyft ecosystem. The Bilt Obsidian Card (see rates and fees), for example, earns 3X Bilt Points on either dining or groceries (if you choose groceries as the category, there’s a $25,000 yearly spending cap).

One of the pain points of credit card statement credits is enrolling and tracking your usage. Some credit cards, though, offer a larger, blanket travel credit that automatically applies to qualifying purchases.

Even after you hit the $300 annual limit, the card earns 5X total points on Lyft rides and offers up to $120 in Lyft credits (up to $10 in monthly in-app credits for use on rides). Both of these perks are available through Sept. 30, 2027.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.