The Best Credit Cards Of 2024

In-Depth Look At The Best Credit Cards On The Market

If you want to get into the nitty gritty details of the credit cards we recommend, we get into it here:

Best credit cards for travel

Excellent credit

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card®

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the top travel cards available.

Not only does it offer one of the best travel reward bonuses around ($750 towards Travel or $600 in cash after spending $4,000 in the first three months), but it also provides 2X points on travel and dining, and also has no foreign transaction fees.

Though it doesn’t offer a 0 percent introductory APR, it does provide a low rate for the first year, for both purchases and balance transfers.

Introductory APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Regular APR: 15.99%-22.99% Variable on both purchases and balance transfers
Annual Fee: $95
Credit Needed: Good/Excellent (750+)
Sign-up Bonus: 60,000 bonus points (worth $750 toward travel or $600 in cash) after spending $4,000 in the first three months
Rewards: 2X points on travel and dining, 1X points on all other purchases. As an added bonus, all Chase Sapphire^® Preferred cardholders will earn 2x points per dollar spent (on a max spend of $1,000 per month) on groceries through April 30th, 2021.
Unique Features: No foreign transaction fees; get 10,000 bonus points for each referral

Good Credit

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Disclaimer – The information about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by MoneyUnder30.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Another one of the top travel credit cards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card provides a generous bonus of 50,000 miles (equal to $500 in travel) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months.

Plus you can also earn 2X miles per dollar on every purchase – every single day.

Balance Transfer Fee: $0
Regular APR: 17.24% – 24.49% (Variable)
Annual Fee: $95
Credit Needed: Excellent (750+, No late payments over 60 days, no bankruptcy or loan defaults)
Sign-up Bonus: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Rewards: 2X points on every purchase
Unique Features: Receive up to a $100 credit on Global TSA Pre✓

See card details/apply or read our full review.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Disclaimer – The information about the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by MoneyUnder30.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

A variant of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers similar terms and benefits.

But the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers a sign-up bonus of 20,000 miles (equal to $200 in travel) after spending $500 on purchases the first three months from account opening.

Regular APR: 15.49% – 25.49% (Variable)
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Needed: Good/Excellent (700+, No late payments over 60 days, no bankruptcy or loan defaults)
Sign-up Bonus: 20,000 bonus miles after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months
Rewards: Unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase
Unique Features: Use your Venture miles on hotels and flights and even transfer miles to 10+ travel partners.

See card details/apply or read our full review.

Fair Credit

Journey Student Rewards from Capital One

The Journey Student Rewards Card from Capital One is perfect for students and non-students alike.

You don’t need excellent credit, and you can even earn rewards. You’ll start with 1% back on all your purchases, but if you pay your bill on time, you’ll jump to 1.25% cash back.

You’ll also get travel benefits like 24-hour assistance in case of an emergency.

Introductory APR:
Balance Transfer Fee: $0
Regular APR: 26.99% (Variable)
Annual Fee: None
Credit Needed: Fair (640+)
Sign-up Bonus: N/A
Rewards: 1% cash back on all your purchases. Pay on time to boost your cash back to a total of 1.25% for that month
Unique Features: 24-hour assistance including emergency card replacement in case your credit card is lost or stolen while you’re traveling; for every month that you pay on time, you’ll receive an additional 0.25 percent in rewards for every dollar

Travel cards for poor credit

The best travel cards by far are for those with excellent or at least good credit. These cards come with the most generous bonuses and rewards. But if you have poor credit, options are extremely limited.

One alternative is the Discover it® Secured card. This is basically a credit builder card, that will require a deposit to support your credit limit. But it will give you a credit card you can use for travel.

There is no annual fee, and you can earn 2% cash back on up to $1,000 in combined quarterly purchases at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% on all other purchases. Discover will also match all your cash back at the end of your first year.

It’s not a dedicated travel card, but it will provide you with cash back rewards, while helping to rebuild your credit.

Best credit cards for cash back

Excellent credit

Discover it® Cash Back

Discover it® Cash Back offers very generous cash back rewards, including 5% on select categories each quarter, like groceries, restaurants, and gas stations. Activation is required and the max spend per quarter is $1,500.

They also offer 1% cash back on all other purchases. But rather than giving you an upfront bonus, instead they match 100 percent of your rewards within the first year.

They also provide a See Terms introductory APR on balance transfers for the first See Terms.

Introductory APR: See Terms introductory APR on balance transfers for the first See Terms
Balance Transfer Fee: See Terms
Regular APR: See Terms
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Needed: Good to Excellent (700+)
Sign-up Bonus: Your cash back will be 100% matched at the end of the first year
Rewards: 5% cash back on quarterly merchants, like gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants; 1% cash back on all other purchases. Max spend is $1,500 per quarter and activation is required
Unique Features: Redeem rewards for cash at any time; no late fee on your first late payment and paying late won’t raise your APR; no foreign transaction fee; free FICO credit score

Good credit

Blue Cash Preferred® from Amex

The Blue Cash Preferred® from Amex is an excellent card for cash back rewards. You start by earning $250 cash back after spending just $1,000 in the first three months. That’s like getting a 25 percent discount on everything you spend.

But then you get 6% back at supermarkets on purchases up to $6,000, worth $360. You also get 3% cash back at gas stations, and 1% on all other purchases.

Introductory APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers in the first 12 months
Balance Transfer Fee: Higher of $5 or 3%
Regular APR: 15.24% to 26.24% variable
Annual Fee: $95
Credit Needed: Good (700+)
Sign-up Bonus: $250 cash back after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards: 6% cash back at US supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year, then 1%; 3% cash back at US gas stations; 1% cash back on other purchases
Unique Features: Cash back is received as Rewards Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit, or for gift cards or retail merchandise

Fair credit

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the very best for both cash back and general rewards. It provides unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, which can be redeemed for cash at any time.

It’s designed specifically for consumers with average credit, even if you’ve defaulted on a loan within the past few years. The weak spot on this card is the APR. The regular rate is high among credit cards, and there is no introductory APR offer.

Introductory APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: $0
Regular APR: 26.99% (Variable)
Annual Fee: $39
Credit Needed: Average (640+; You have limited credit or you’ve defaulted on a loan in the past 5 years)
Sign-up Bonus: N/A
Rewards: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
Unique Features: Redeem rewards for cash at any time

Poor credit

Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® with Cash Back Rewards

The Credit One® Unsecured Visa with Cash Back Rewards is a credit card designed for people with poor credit, but also offers cash back. In fact, you can get 1% cash back for eligible purchases, and even get automatic account reviews to have your credit line increased.

You also get access to your monthly Experian credit score and credit report summary.

The major negative with this card is that the annual fee will be charged immediately. If you’re given an initial credit limit of $300, a $75 annual fee will reduce it to $225.

However, this is typical with credit cards for poor credit. Also be aware that cash back rewards are limited to specific services, such as gas, groceries, dining, and certain communication services.

Introductory APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
Regular APR: 17.99% to 23.99% Variable
Annual Fee: $0 – $99
Credit Needed: Poor (Less than 640)
Sign-up Bonus: None
Rewards: 1% cash back on eligible purchases
Unique Features: Automatic account reviews to have your credit line increased; access your monthly Experian credit score and credit report summary

Best credit cards for balance transfers

Excellent credit

BankAmericard® credit card

BankAmericard® is a top credit card for balance transfers, but it requires excellent credit. It offers a very generous See Terms.

The downside to this card is the lack of either a sign up bonus or ongoing rewards. Its primary strength is as a balance transfer card.

Introductory APR: See Terms
Balance Transfer Fee: Either $10 or 3% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
Regular APR: See Terms
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Needed: Excellent (750+)
Sign-up Bonus: N/A
Rewards: N/A
Unique Features: Paying late won’t raise your APR; access to your monthly FICO score

See card details/apply or read our full review.

Good credit

Citi Double Cash®

The Citi Double Cash® is an outstanding card for balance transfers if your credit falls something short of the excellent category.

The card has a unique reward system. Instead of paying a flat percentage on purchases, they pay 1% on purchases, and 1% on the payments you make on the card.

So if you charge $1,000 on the card for the month, you’ll receive $10 cash back. But if you pay the balance in full, you’ll receive another $10. It’s a good incentive to get you to pay back what you purchase while intending to take advantage of the rewards.

But the bigger story with this card is they offer a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for a full 18 months.

Introductory APR: 0% on balance transfers for 18 months
Balance Transfer Fee: Greater of $5 or 3%
Regular APR: 15.49% to 25.49% variable
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Needed: Good (700+)
Sign-up Bonus: N/A
Rewards: 1% on purchases plus 1% on account payments
Unique Features: Rewards can be redeemed for statement credits or checks; no late fee on your first late payment; free monthly credit score

Balance transfer cards for average/fair/poor credit

There aren’t any obvious alternatives here, because balance transfers are primarily reserved for excellent and good credit profiles.

If you have average/fair credit, you can consider using a card specifically for that credit profile, such as the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.

The card doesn’t offer a balance transfer option, but you can use each card to pay expenses, while dedicating income to paying off high interest credit cards.

Unfortunately, there really aren’t any options for lower credit profiles.

Best credit cards for sign-up bonus

Excellent credit

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card hits our list of the top credit cards, again.

It offers what we believe is the top travel reward bonuses around ($750 towards travel or $600 in cash after spending $4,000 in the first three months). Couple that with 2X points on travel and dining, and no foreign transaction fees.

Introductory APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Regular APR: 15.99%-22.99% Variable on both purchases and balance transfers
Annual Fee: $95
Credit Needed: Good/Excellent (750+)
Sign-up Bonus: 60,000 bonus points (worth $750 toward travel or $600 in cash) after spending $4,000 in the first three months
Rewards: 2X points on travel and dining, 1X points on all other purchases
Unique Features: No foreign transaction fees; get 10,000 bonus points for each referral

Good credit

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Another amazing sign-up bonus credit card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card provides a generous bonus of 50,000 miles (equal to $500 in travel) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months.

Plus you can also earn 2X miles per dollar on every purchase – every single day.

Balance Transfer Fee: $0
Regular APR: 17.24% – 24.49% (Variable)
Annual Fee: $95
Credit Needed: Excellent (750+, No late payments over 60 days, no bankruptcy or loan defaults)
Sign-up Bonus: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Rewards: 2X points on every purchase
Unique Features: Receive up to a $100 credit on Global TSA Pre✓

Average/fair/poor credit

This is another category where options are few and far between. If you can qualify for the Discover it® Student Cash Back (included in this list), you can get a 100 percent cash back match at the end of the first year.

But that will require at least fair credit, and it’s the only option we’ve found in that credit range.

For poor credit, there are no sign-up bonus credit cards available. The best option will be to work to improve your credit, including using credit builder credit cards.

Best credit cards for general rewards

Excellent credit

Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards card is one of the top rewards cards available. You’ll get an incredible bonus of $300 cash when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first three months,

You also get 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, which includes a diverse range of merchants, including cafes, bars, fast food chains and even bakeries.

Entertainment includes record stores and video rentals, dance clubs, pool halls, bowling alleys. Cash back rewards never expire and can be redeemed at any time.

Introductory APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: $0
Regular APR: 15.99% – 24.99% (Variable)
Annual Fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Credit Needed: Excellent (750+; No late payments over 60 days, no bankruptcy or loan defaults)
Sign-up Bonus: $300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first three months
Rewards: Unlimited 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores, 1% on all other purchases
Unique Features: Redeem cash back for any amount; no foreign transaction fees

Good credit

Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card

Disclaimer – The information about the Wells Fargo Propel American Express card has been collected independently by MoneyUnder30.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card covers a host of different rewards.

It offers 3x rewards points on travel (including flights, hotels, car rentals, homestays), gas stations, rideshares and transit, eating out & ordering in, and popular streaming services. Plus you’ll get 1x rewards points on everything else.

But that’s not all, the sign-up bonus is hefty, at 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first three months. And the cherry on top of all these rewards is the no annual fee!

Introductory APR: 0% for 12 months on qualifying balance transfers
Balance Transfer Fee: 5%
Regular APR: 13.99%-25.99% (Variable)
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Needed: Good (700+)
Sign-up Bonus: 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first three months
Rewards: 3x rewards points on travel, gas station purchases, eating out, and popular streaming services; 1x on all other purchases
Unique Features: Wells Fargo offers cell phone protection up to $600 per claim (subject to a $25 deductible).

Best credit cards for students

Student cards for excellent credit

This is the exact opposite of the situation with other card types and credit profiles in this section. If you’re a student looking for a credit card, and you have excellent credit, you may want to apply for any credit card that requires excellent credit.

The reason is those cards offer the most generous rewards and benefits. They’re not specifically designed for students, but the benefits they provide will do more than just get the job done.

For example, Discover it® Cash Back (from our list of cards above) has extremely generous rewards, starting with 5% cash back on quarterly categories, like grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants when you activate. $1,500 max spend per quarter.

They also provide a 100 percent match on your cash back rewards in the first year. That can be a big plus in your freshman year of college.

Be aware however that even with excellent credit, the lender will be looking to determine that you have a stable income. You may qualify with just a part-time job, but you may need a cosigner if you have no income.

Good credit

Citi Rewards Student Card

The Citi Rewards Student Card is an excellent card for students with good (but not necessarily perfect) credit. It’s perfect for students because it has no annual fee, and can enable you to build up 2,500 points after spending just $500 in the first three months.

It then pays 2X points on supermarkets and gas stations, expenses you’re certainly likely to incur as a student. They also offer plenty of points enhancements to give you even greater benefit.

Introductory APR: 0% on purchases for the first 7 months
Balance Transfer Fee: Greater of $5 or 4%
Regular APR: 15.99% to 25.99%
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Needed: Good (700+)
Sign-up Bonus: 2,500 points after spending $500 in the first 3 months
Rewards: 2X points at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 per year, then 1X points thereafter; 1X points on all their purchases
Unique Features: Automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase, with no cap; 10% points back on the first 100,000 Thank You points you redeem each year (20,000 points redeemed gets you an additional 2,000 points); spend points at Amazon.com or BestBuy.com

See card details/apply.

Fair credit

Discover it® Student Cash Back

Discover it® Student Cash Back is designed for students, including those with fair credit. In fact, this card is perfect for students.

Not only does it provide generous rewards of up to 5% on select categories each quarter, but you’ll also get a $20 statement credit each school year your GPA is 3.0 or higher.

And also perfect for students, there’s no late fee on your first late payment, and paying late won’t raise your interest rate.

Introductory APR: See Terms for See Terms
Balance Transfer Fee: See Terms
Regular APR: See Terms
Annual Fee: $0
Credit Needed: Fair (640+)
Sign-up Bonus: Your cash back will be 100% matched at the end of the first year
Rewards: 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, select rideshares and online shopping ($1,500 max spend per quarter, activation required).
Unique Features: Get a $20 statement credit each school year your GPA is 3.0 or higher; paying late won’t raise your APR, and there’s no late fee on your first late payment; no foreign transaction fee; free FICO credit score

See card details/apply or read our full review.

Poor credit

Secured Mastercard® from Capital One

The Secured Mastercard® from Capital One can be an option for students with either poor or no credit. If fact, it’s an option for anyone who has bad credit. It’s designed specifically to help you rebuild your credit.

You start with a $200 credit line. You’ll need to make a refundable security deposit of $49, $99 or $200, based on your creditworthiness.

You can then use the card just as you would any other, and Capital One will report your payment history to all three major credit bureaus—TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. And after you make your first six monthly payments on time, you’ll have access to a higher credit limit.

Introductory APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: $0
Regular APR: 26.99% (Variable)
Annual Fee: None
Credit Needed: Poor (Less than 640; “Rebuilding” you’ve defaulted on a loan more than once or you’ve been declined for a credit card in the last three months)
Sign-up Bonus: N/A
Rewards: N/A
Unique Features: Your payment history will be reported to all three major credit bureaus, helping you to rebuild your credit, or build it for the first time