The best credit cards, honestly reviewed
In-depth analysis of every major travel, cash back, and business card — organized by issuer, by type, and by airline or hotel co-brand. Updated monthly.
Our #1 overall pick
If you’re going to carry one travel card, this is the one we’d start with — and the one we recommend most often to friends and family.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The benchmark mid-tier travel card. Access to Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners — including Hyatt, United, and Southwest — at a reasonable annual fee makes it the right starting point for most travelers. The 60,000-point welcome bonus is worth roughly $1,200 in travel through transfer partners, and ongoing earning rates on travel and dining keep it useful long-term.
Browse by issuer
Each issuer has its own rules, application strategy, and rewards currency. These guides cover every card from that issuer plus the application rules that determine who gets approved.
Browse by type
Whether you want maximum travel rewards, a no-fee starter card, or something to balance a business expense load — start with the category that fits your goal.
Best Travel Credit Cards
Maximize points on flights, hotels, and travel-related spending.
Best Cash Back Cards
Simple, predictable rewards — no redemption strategy required.
Best Business Credit Cards
Separate business expenses while earning serious rewards.
Best No Annual Fee Cards
Strong rewards without the recurring cost — ideal for starter portfolios.
Best Premium Cards
$500+ annual fee cards with lounge access, status, and credits.
Best Cards for Beginners
The right first card depending on your goals and credit history.
Best Cards for Fair Credit
Build or rebuild credit while earning modest rewards.
Best Balance Transfer Cards
Pay down debt with extended 0% APR periods and low transfer fees.
Best 0% APR Cards
Interest-free financing on purchases for 12–21 months.
No Foreign Transaction Fee Cards
Avoid 3% surcharges on every international purchase.
How we review every card
Every card on this site is scored across the same five factors — welcome bonus value, ongoing earning rates, redemption flexibility, benefits, and total cost. Affiliate commissions never influence rankings.
Airline co-branded cards
Co-branded airline cards earn directly into a specific airline’s loyalty program. Best for loyal flyers who value status, free bags, priority boarding, and companion certificates.
By airline
Each guide compares every available card for that airline, ranked by value.
Hotel co-branded cards
Hotel co-brand cards earn into a specific chain’s loyalty program. Best for travelers who stay at the same chains often — most include annual free night certificates that can offset the entire annual fee.
By hotel program
Most hotel co-brands include free night certificates that often pay back the annual fee alone.
Popular card reviews
The reviews readers reference most often. Each is a deep dive on a single card with the full review framework applied.
Credit card FAQ
The questions we hear most often about choosing and using rewards credit cards. For more, see our full FAQ page.
What is the best credit card for beginners?
For most beginners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the strongest starting point. It earns into Chase Ultimate Rewards (one of the most valuable transferable points currencies), has a reasonable $95 annual fee, and a strong welcome bonus. If you’d rather start with no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Amex Blue Cash Everyday are solid alternatives.
How many credit cards should I have?
There’s no single right answer. Most points-and-miles enthusiasts carry between 4 and 10 cards strategically — one or two for travel earning, one for cash back on everyday spend, one or two co-branded cards for airlines or hotels they’re loyal to, and possibly a business card. Quality matters more than quantity.
Will applying for a credit card hurt my credit score?
Every application generates a hard inquiry that drops your score by a few points temporarily. The impact usually disappears within a few months, and the increased credit limit from a new card typically improves your score over the medium term — as long as you pay balances in full each month and keep utilization low.
What’s the difference between travel cards and cash back cards?
Travel cards earn points or miles that can be redeemed for flights, hotels, and transfers to airline/hotel partners — often at 2x or more the value of cash back when redeemed strategically. Cash back cards earn straightforward dollar-value rewards that are simple to use. Cash back is better for predictability; travel cards are better for maximum value if you’ll actually book travel.
What is the Chase 5/24 rule?
Chase will typically not approve you for most of their cards if you’ve opened 5 or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months. There’s no easy workaround — most points enthusiasts get their Chase cards first, then move on to other issuers. We cover the full implications in our 5/24 guide.
How do you choose which cards to review?
We review every major rewards credit card from the eight largest U.S. issuers, plus the strongest co-branded airline and hotel cards. We deliberately skip cards that don’t pass our methodology — even when they pay high commissions. Read our full review methodology for the framework.