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Best Credit Cards of December 2023
Discover the right card for you
Whether it's increasing your credit or maximizing rewards, our top credit cards cater to a variety of needs. Find the right credit card today.
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Five points per $1 spent (up to the first $500 spent per billing cycle) in your top spending category
One point per $1 spent on everything else
Welcome Bonus: $200 cash back once you spend $1,500 on purchases within six months of opening the account
Intro APR: 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
See Rates & Fees
Pros
- No annual fee
- Generous intro APR period
Cons
- Requires a good credit score
- Low rewards rate outside of top category
- No annual fee
- Earn 5% cash back on your top spending category
- No limit to how much cash back you can earn
- Welcome bonus of $200 if you spend $1,500 in the first six months
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time
Plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24
Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back
Intro APR: 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers
See Rates & Fees
Pros
- 2% unlimited cash back on purchases
- 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 18 months
Cons
- No 0% introductory APR on purchases
- No sign-up bonus
- Earn up to 2% cash back on every purchase
- Get 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months after account opening
- No annual fee
- Redeem your reward points in multiple ways
5% cash back on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal
3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases
Cash back never expires as long as your account is open
Welcome Bonus: Unlimited Matched Cash Back. Chase will automatically match all the cash back you earned at the end of your first year. There is no limit to how much cash back you can earn
Intro APR: Get 0% intro APR for 15 months on new purchases and balance transfers
Pros
- Earn up to 5% cash back
- 0% intro APR for 15 months
Cons
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- Requires a minimum credit score of 670
- Welcome bonus: Unlimited Matched Cash Back. Chase will automatically match all the cash back you earned at the end of your first year. There is no limit to how much cash back you can earn
- Introductory APR: Get 0% intro APR for 15 months on new purchases and balance transfers. After that, the card carries an APR of 20.24%-28.99%
- $0 annual fee
- 5% cash back on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal
- 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases, plus 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
- Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more
5 points per $1 for travel bought via Chase Ultimate Rewards
3 points per $1 on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
3X points on dining at restaurants
$50 in annual hotel credits for stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
On each card anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of the previous year’s total purchases
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
Intro APR: N/A
Pros
- High reward points on several spending categories
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- No premium benefits like airport lounge access
- No introductory APR
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening
- 5 points per $1 for travel bought via Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3 points per $1 on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
- $50 in annual hotel credits for stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- On each card anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of the previous year’s total purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
3x points on travel, groceries, restaurants, hotels, and gas stations, and 1x points on everything else
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
Intro APR: N/A
See Rates & Fees
Pros
- No fee on foreign transactions
- Flexible reward points that don’t expire
Cons
- Doesn’t offer as many points per purchase as similar cards
- Doesn’t include travel protections
- Earn 3x points on supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, air travel, and gas stations, and 1x points on all other purchases
- Transfer points to participating airline loyalty programs, including TrueBlue®, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Redeem points for gift cards, travel rewards, or shopping online at select retailers
- Get $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more each calendar year
- No fees on foreign transactions
- No limit on points and points never expire
$300 annual credit for travel purchases
10X points on hotels and rental cars plus 5X points on flights
3X points on dining at restaurants
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
Intro APR: N/A
Pros
- $300 annual travel credit
- Up to 10X points for travel purchases
Cons
- Steep $550 annual fee
- Welcome bonus requires $4,000 spent in three months
- Introductory offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- $300 annual credit for travel purchases
- 10X points on hotels and rental cars plus 5X points on flights
- 3X points on dining at restaurants
- Free TSA PreCheck or NEXUS enrollment
- Free Priority Pass enrollment for access to 1,300+ VIP lounges
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases
Welcome Bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Intro APR: 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
Pros
- Unlimited 3% cashback on dining, entertainment, and more
- No annual fee
Cons
- Requires excellent credit to qualify
- Very limited travel benefits
- Earn a $200 bonus when you spend $500 in the first 3 months
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, and grocery purchases, plus 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel
- Earn 8% cash back when you buy tickets through Vivid Seats and on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Bonus categories don't rotate, and your cash back doesn't expire as long as you keep the card
- 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After that, there is a variable APR of 30.74%
5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
1.5% cash back on every purchase you make
Welcome Bonus: $200 when you spend $500 within the first 3 months
Intro APR: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Pros
- Generous 1.5% cash back on any and all purchases
- No annual fee
Cons
- Good to excellent credit required
- 3% balance transfer fee
- Earn $200 when you spend $500 within the first 3 months
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make
- No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and 30.74% variable APR after that
- Earn 5% cash back when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel
- No need to worry about rotating spending categories, and your cash back rewards never expire as long as you keep the card
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%
6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
3% cash back on U.S. gas stations and transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
1% cash back on other purchases
Welcome Bonus: $250 when you spend $3,000 in the first 6 months
Intro APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
Terms Apply, See Rates & Fees
Pros
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 per year
Cons
- Requires good to excellent credit
- Annual fee after the first year
- Earn $250 when you spend $3,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn 6% cash back on your first $6,000 at U.S. supermarkets (then 1%), unlimited 3% cash back on U.S. gas stations and transit, and 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 6% cash back on U.S. streaming subscriptions and also earn up to $84 in annual credits (split up into monthly statement credits) for the Disney Bundle
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months. After that, there is a variable APR of 19.24% to 29.99%
- Terms Apply
3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%
3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases, up to $6,000 per year, then 1%
1% cash back on other purchases
Welcome Bonus: $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in the first 6 months
Intro APR: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Terms Apply, See Rates & Fees
Pros
- High cash back rate
- No annual fee
Cons
- Requires good to excellent credit
- Spending caps on rewards
- Earn $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in the first 6 months
- 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After that, there is a variable APR of 19.24% to 29.99%
- Earn 3% cash back on the first $6,000 in annual spending across three categories: U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases, then 1%
- No annual fee
- Up to $84 in annual credits for the Disney Bundle and up to $180 in annual credits for Home Chef (up to $15 in statement credits monthly). Enrollment required
- Terms Apply
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Everything You Need to Know About Applying for a Credit Card Online
Applying for a credit card online offers a number of advantages over the other application methods that include applying by phone, mailing a written application, or in person.
First, you can apply anytime you wish 24/7 from the convenience of your home. If you are shopping around for the best credit card deal on a credit card comparison site you can move right to the application process once you reach your decision as to the best card for your needs.
If you apply in person at your bank or credit union this involves getting dressed in decent clothes and physically going there. Applying by phone may mean a limited time window during the week in which to apply. Mailing the application means a time lag in having your application reviewed and there is always the chance your application could get lost.
How to Choose the Right Card for You
When looking for a credit card, there are a few things you should do to help guide you to the right card for your situation.
Check your credit
Be sure that you’ve checked your credit and that you are up to speed on your score. Some cards may be better than others for applicants with your credit score and history than others.
Identify the type of card that you need
Before applying for a card, identify the features in a card that are important to you. Are you looking for a card that offers cash back rewards or perhaps one that offers travel rewards? Are you looking for a card that is suitable for those with poor credit? If there are special attributes that you are looking for in a credit card it's recommended to identify these attributes before starting the application process.
Get the card that provides the most value for you
Once you’ve checked your credit and have done your homework to decide the right type of card for your situation, research the cards that will be the best fit and apply for one or more of them.
Credit Cards 101
Credit cards can be a misunderstood topic as there are a lot of aspects to know about them. Here are some basics that you should understand when applying for a new card.
Card types
There are a number of different card types to consider based upon your needs, some of these include:
- Balance transfer cards are those that encourage the consolidation of one or more balances from other cards. Balance transfer cards may offer low or even zero interest for a period of time as an incentive.
- Low interest rate cards may offer a very low or 0% interest for an introductory period and then a low interest rate thereafter. These cards are best for those cardholders who carry a balance on their card.
- Cards for those with poor or bad credit are those that will accept applicants with lower credit scores. The definition of a low credit score will vary among card issuers. These cards can help the cardholder rebuild their credit score. The interest rate on these cards, as well as other terms, may be less favorable than for cards for borrowers with good credit scores.
- Rewards cards are credit cards that offer rewards for purchases in the form of cash back or travel rewards. As long as the other terms and conditions of the card are favorable to you, these cards can be advantageous.
Benefits of having a credit card
There are a number of potential benefits to having a credit card. These include:
- Building your credit by making transactions and paying off the balance in a timely fashion.
- Providing purchasing power for making larger purchases with the card and then paying them off. Using a credit card also can provide recourse in case there are problems with a larger purchase.
- With some cards the cardholder can earn travel or cashback rewards which provide extra value.
- This eliminates the need to carry cash or to use a checkbook when shopping.
FAQs
Here are some FAQs about credit cards with answers to these questions.
What does the application process look like?
While the process might be a bit different for each card issuer, there are some basics that are common among virtually all credit card companies. They will ask for your basic information including your Social Security number.
They will want to know about your income and where it's derived from. If you are employed they may ask for information about your employer as well.
They will want to know about where you live and if you own or rent. They may ask how long you’ve lived there.
Can I have more than one credit card?
You can absolutely have more than one credit card. There is no rule against this. However, a credit card issuer will look at the level of your outstanding credit as a potential consideration deciding whether or not to issue you their card, and if so in determining your credit limit on the card.
In some cases, having credit cards that have no balance or that haven’t been used recently can be an adverse mark on your credit history in that some card issuers may look at these additional cards in terms of the total available credit that you could potentially use.
If you have cards that have not been used in a while, you might find that the issuer of these cards will cancel them on you unexpectedly.
How do I choose the right type of credit card?
As with any financial decision, choosing the right type of credit card for you is a function of your situation. Look at your credit score, how and how often you will use the card, if you travel perhaps a travel reward card might be appropriate.
If you have some balances on other cards that you’d like to consolidate, perhaps a card that offers incentives on balance transfers is right for you. If your credit score is low, a card that indicates that they will accept those with lower credit scores could be the right answer.
