With hotel and airline co-branded cards, the cardholder is enrolled in the rewards program of the partner and points/miles are compiled with that program.
No-annual fee cards are perfect for those interested in earning some type of reward with more limited spending and who will not utilize the benefits of the annual fee cards.
Annual fee card benefits tend to make up for the fee if fully utilized, but we tend to stick in the middle in terms of the annual fee for a healthy blend of benefits and cost (ranging from $69 to $99 a year).