Best Credit Cards

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card is our best overall credit card and best for cash back because of its combination of low fees, low interest, and high rewards earning rate. With no annual fee, you don't need to worry about making sure you're extracting maximum value from the card every year to make it worth it.

The absence of a foreign transaction fee makes this a rare cash back credit card that’s worth bringing on a trip abroad and helps make a compelling case that if you're only going to carry one card, this should be it.

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards credit card is a strong contender for the best overall credit card. It earns an unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and grocery purchases, so you're racking up extra rewards whether you're out with friends or enjoying a quiet night at home.

New cardmembers receive a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 within three months. Plus, there is no annual fee, so all of the cash back that you earn is yours to keep. Travelers will love that there are no foreign transaction fees, so there are no surprises when making international purchases.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is our best credit card for travel because of its competitive one-time point bonus and high rewards earning rate. Add to that the fact that points are worth 40% more if you redeem them for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and the ability to transfer points on a 1:1 basis to eligible hotel and airline partners.

While the annual fee is high, if you're an avid traveler, the annual travel credit can help justify it and it has numerous other travel-related benefits if you're not ready to commit yourself to a single airline or hotel.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is our choice as the best travel card runner-up because it earns 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. These miles can be redeemed to cover all of your travel purchases with no blackout dates. Earn unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, plus 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

New cardholders enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. Although there is a $95 annual fee, the card has no foreign transaction fees and reimburses up to $100 in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees every four years.

This card earns an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps on how much you can receive. Plus, you'll earn a one-time cash bonus of $200 when you spend $500 on purchases within three months of opening your account. New cardholders will also enjoy no interest for 15 months with a 0% intro APR offer. There is no annual fee or foreign transaction fees on international purchases.

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card earns an unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores, and 1% on all other purchases. You can redeem your cash back rewards for any amount, and the rewards don't expire for the life of your account.

When you open your card, you'll receive a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 within the first three months. New cardholders can also take advantage of the 0% intro APR promotion on purchases for the first 15 months. The card has no annual fee, and it does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Based on our analysis, the United Explorer Card offers the highest value per mile earned of any airline credit card, and miles can be redeemed in multiple ways, including for flights on member participating airlines in its Star Alliance, one of the largest global airline partnerships. You'll need to be committed to United as the airline you'll primarily fly with to extract the maximum benefit from the card.

The card's compelling introductory bonus really adds to the card's value because of the high value placed on redeeming those points with United. The $95 annual fee is in line with its competitors and is waived the first year. The card does not charge foreign transaction fees, which helps make it a good choice for international travel.

United has announced that they have permanently eliminated reservation change fees, which should greatly reduce any traveler anxiety around booking future award travel with earned miles and make the introductory bonus on this card that much more appealing.

Travelers looking to get away can earn 50,000 American Airlines miles when they sign up for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select and spend $2,500 within three months. You'll also earn an unlimited 2x miles for every dollar that you spend with American Airlines and at restaurants and gas stations.

When you fly with American Airlines, you and up to four travel companions will get your first checked bag for free. With checked bag fees of $30 each way for domestic flights, that's a savings of $240 on a round-trip flight for a family of four. International travelers can save up to 3% on their purchases with no foreign transaction fees. This card has a $99 annual fee, but it is waived the first year, so you can try its benefits free for 12 months.

Our choice for the best overall credit card for hotels is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card because for a limited time, new cardholders can earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases. Plus, they'll receive another free night on their account anniversary that can be used to book a one-night hotel stay worth up to 35,000 points. The card includes automatic Silver Elite status and 15 Elite Night Credits towards earning an even higher level of status and benefits.

Our choice for the best hotel credit card runner-up is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card because of its generous welcome offer, annual credit, and yearly free night worth up to 75,000 points.

Each year the card offers a $300 annual credit for eligible purchases at participating Marriott properties. Plus, there's a $100 property credit on eligible stays. While traveling, you'll also enjoy unlimited visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, thanks to the complimentary Priority Pass Select membership.

We chose the Citi Simplicity as the best balance transfer card primarily due to its exceptionally long 21-month 0% APR introductory period along with consumer-friendly terms like no annual fee and no late fees or penalty rates.

While Simplicity offers no rewards, we don't consider that a negative in the case of a balance transfer card, as rewards can tempt counterproductive additional spending when trying to dig out from debt. Citi does charge a $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer (whichever is greater), but the length of the introductory period justifies the extra cost in terms of savings potential.

The Citi Diamond Preferred Credit Card is an excellent choice for transferring a balance. It offers a 0% introductory rate on purchases for 12 months and 0% on balance transfers for 21 months.

Balance transfers must be completed within four months of account opening and incur a 5% fee (min $5) of the amount transferred. After the promotion expires, the interest rate reverts to a variable APR ranging from 15.99% to 25.99%, depending on your creditworthiness. The card does not charge an annual fee.

The Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students is our pick for the best student credit card because of the high earning rate on its rewards program that you can then redeem for all sorts of travel expenses.

It also has a long introductory APR on purchases and no annual fee, which adds to the card's strong rating. Plus, the lack of foreign transaction fees makes this an ideal card for student travel outside the U.S. Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students also offers excellent credit education and monitoring services.

Students can earn excellent rewards on their spending with the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students credit card. You'll earn 3% cash back on the eligible category of your choice, plus 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% everywhere else.

The bonus cash back is on the first $2,500 spent in combined categories each quarter. If you need more time to pay off some of your purchases, new cardholders receive a 0% APR promotion on purchases for 15 months. There is no annual fee for this card, and students who want to learn more about their finances can utilize the excellent financial education tools that are available online.

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is the best card for business owners because of its earning power. You'll earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 you spend each year in combined purchases of travel, shipping, online advertising, and internet, cable, and phone services. New cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 within three months. That's worth $1,000 in cash back or $1,250 in travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Points earned with this card can be transferred to airline and hotel partners, redeemed for cash and gift cards, or used to book travel with a 25% bonus through the Chase travel portal. Employee cards are available at no extra cost, and complimentary tools allow you to stay on top of your business. These tools include fraud protection, purchase protection, personalized account alerts, and more.