Apple Card vs Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®

Apple Card
VS
Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
The short answer: The Apple Card delivers a bit more value for most spenders, but choose the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® if you spend more on groceries, gas.

Side-by-side comparison

Apple CardChoice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
Annual feeNo annual fee$95
Welcome offerNo current offer60,000 points
Dining2x1x
Groceries2x5x
Gas2x5x
Travel2x1x
Streaming2x1x
Everything else2x1x
Est. yearly rewards*$583$618
Points typeCash back onlyLocked to Choice Privileges
NetworkMastercardMastercard

*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.

The verdict

On a typical year of household spending, the Apple Card earns about $583 a year in rewards and the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® about $618, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Apple Card has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® charges $95, which you clear through its rewards and perks. Counting rewards, fees, and any credits, the Apple Card delivers more total value, about $60 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and dining. Neither leans on transferable points, so the deciding factors are the welcome offer, the card network, and which everyday perks you will actually use. On the sign-up bonus, the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.

Pick the Apple Card if your spending leans toward dining, travel, streaming. Pick the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® if your spending leans toward groceries, gas.

Read the full reviews

Frequently asked questions

Is the Apple Card or the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® better?
On typical household spending, the Apple Card comes out ahead, by roughly $60 a year with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. But the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® can be the better fit if your spending lines up with its stronger categories. Run both through the Cardocrat calculator to see your own numbers.
Can I have both the Apple Card and the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®?
In most cases yes, as long as you meet each issuer's approval rules (for example Chase's 5/24 rule). Many people hold complementary cards to cover more bonus categories, then pool or redeem the rewards together where the program allows.
Which has the better welcome bonus, the Apple Card or the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®?
As of June 2026, the Apple Card offers no current offer and the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® offers 60,000 points. Welcome offers change often, so confirm the current offer on each card's page before applying.