SmartAsset’s Best Credit Cards of 2024

Details

The Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you the opportunity to earn a total of 5x points on air travel and a total of 10x points on car rentals and hotels when you purchase through Chase Ultimate Rewards immediately after you spend the first $300 on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on all other travel and when you dine at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and eligible delivery services), and receive 1x points per dollar spent on everything else. Your points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed as cash back, but travel purchases made through Chase’s travel portal receive a 50% bonus, making one point worth 1.5 cents.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve carries an annual fee of $550, but as long as you spend $300 in a year on travel expenses, the $300 annual travel credit makes the effective annual fee just $250.

Cardholders can also get up to $100 in statement credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Cardholders can also earn a 60,000 point early spend bonus after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. This bonus is worth $900 when spent on the Chase travel portal. This card has no foreign transaction fees.

Why We Like It

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best all-around rewards cards out there, even with its high annual fee. It has a solid early spend bonus. The card’s $300 annual travel credit is also hugely beneficial for a card that carries such a high annual fee. And since the travel category is so broadly defined, it’s not too difficult for cardholders to take advantage of the credit. Cardholders will also get built-in trip delay and cancellation protections, purchase protections and other perks.

We especially like the Chase Sapphire Reserve due to its versatility when it comes to redeeming rewards. You’ll earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are an incredibly versatile point currency. You can transfer them to a variety of airline and hotel partners, almost always at a 1:1 ratio or better or you can redeem them through the Chase travel portal, where points are worth 1.5x as much. So instead of a $300 ticket costing 30,000 points at a value of one cent per point, cardholders will only need to redeem 20,000 points for such a ticket.

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The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns unlimited 2x miles on all purchases and charges a relatively low annual fee of just $95. Miles earned with this card are fairly versatile. You can transfer them to a variety of hotel and airline partners, or you can redeem them for one cent per point to offset or pay for travel expenses. Another bonus is that cardholders can receive up to a $100 Global Entry or TSA Precheck® statement credit every four years. You’ll receive a one-time early spend bonus of 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months and enjoy access to perks such as travel accident insurance and roadside assistance. You won’t pay any foreign transaction fees when using this card abroad.

Why We Like It

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a powerful yet simple travel card. Other cards might make you keep track of bonus categories and various statement credits to offset an annual fee. The Venture Card, on the other hand, just earns 2x miles on all purchases; those miles can be used to cover the cost of any travel purchase, but you can also transfer them to a variety of hotel and airline transfer partners. Transfer rates typically sit at a rate of 2 Capital One miles for 1.5 partner miles, slightly worse than the 1:1 ratio you’ll find with some other travel cards. However, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid option for those who don’t want things to get too complex when it comes to travel rewards.

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With the Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer (a SmartAsset advertising partner), you’ll earn unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. The catch is that you’ll earn 1% back as you spend and 1% back when you pay your bill, so you’ll need to make payments in order to receive the full 2%. This card doesn’t charge an annual fee. You’ll be charged a 3% foreign transaction fee when using your card abroad.

Why We Like It

Not many personal credit cards offer unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases with no annual fee. If you decide to go with the Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer, it’s important that you remember to pay your bill in full and on time, as cardholders will only receive the full 2% cash back advertised upon paying their statement. Other than this requirement, the lack of caps, categories or annual fees makes this card a potential winner for a wide variety of people.

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Holders of the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card will earn 3x points on travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines on up to $150,000 in combined purchases every calendar year. After you cross that threshold, you’ll earn 1x points like you do on all other purchases.

With the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, you can earn a generous early spend bonus of 100,000 points after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of card membership. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed through the Chase travel portal. They are also available to transfer to a variety of travel programs. You’ll also have access to certain travel and purchase protections when you make purchases using your card. There is an annual fee of $95 but the card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Why We Like It

Businesses looking to earn valuable and versatile rewards from their spending should definitely look to the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card. Points are redeemable for travel, cash back and a variety of other uses. It also offers one of the best early spend bonuses on the market. Note that the travel category for this card is broadly defined. As a result, you’ll be able to earn points for everything from public transit to hotels and airfare.

WIth the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, cardholders can redeem points through Chase directly or transfer them to airline and hotel transfer partners. These transfer rates typically sit at or above a rate of one-to-one. When it comes to redeeming points directly through Chase, you can redeem points at a value of one cent per point for cash back or statement credits, or you can redeem through the Chase travel portal, where each point will be worth 1.25 cents. That means that instead of paying 25,000 points for a $250 ticket, you’ll only need to pay 20,000 points. This card is a great option for any business looking to earn valuable rewards.

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The U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card is a solid option for anyone looking for a credit card with a 0% intro APR period. During the first 20 billing cycles of card membership, you won’t pay any interest on purchases. While you also won’t pay any interest on balance transfers for the first 20 billing cycles, you’ll be subject to a balance transfer fee of either 3% of the amount of each transfer or a $5 minimum, whichever is greater. After 20 billing cycles, the APR on the card will be 15.99% - 25.99% Variable based on your creditworthiness when you open your account. This card has no annual fee but carries a 2% - 3% foreign transaction fee.

Why We Like It

Those looking for a card with a generous 0% intro APR period should strongly consider the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card. This card has one of the longest 0% intro APR periods for both purchases and balance transfers, so if you need to transfer or carry a balance and aren’t sure how soon you’ll be able to pay it off, this card could be right for you. While the balance transfer fee isn’t zero, it’s lower than many other cards can charge. While this card doesn’t have a rewards program, it makes up for it by having such a lengthy intro 0% APR period.

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The Citi Diamond Preferred Card (a SmartAsset advertising partner) is, first and foremost, a balance transfer-centric credit card. In fact, cardholders will get a 0% introductory APR for 21 months on balance transfers made within four months of account opening and a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months. Following this offer, the ongoing APR for purchases and balance transfers is 15.99% - 26.74% Variable, depending on your creditworthiness. When it comes time to transfer your balance, you'll pay a fee of either $5 or 5%, whichever is greater.

While the Citi Diamond Preferred Card doesn't have a rewards program, it doesn't carry an annual fee either. Even still, outside of its strong introductory purchase and balance transfer offer, the card’s benefits are a bit thin. To qualify for this card, your credit will typically need to be either great or excellent.

Why We Like It

There are other cards out there with good balance transfer offers that also provide perks like cash back, but the Citi Diamond Preferred Card is perhaps the top option for anyone that simply wants to focus on transferring a balance. You'll have a full 21 months before you have to pay interest on your transferred balance. With no annual fee, there isn't much downside to having this card in your wallet, though you should be prepared to pay a standard balance transfer fee.

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The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card earns cardholders unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Cardholders can also earn a $200 early spend bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months of card membership. Cash back from this card calculates as soon as purchases clear, so you don’t have to wait until the end of the month to redeem rewards. You won’t pay an annual fee or foreign transaction fees with this card.

Why We Like It

While there are cards out there that might earn more than just 1.5% cash back, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a simple option for anyone interested in no-strings-attached cash-back. You don’t need to keep track of bonus categories or enroll in anything to earn the rewards. This card is a great option for anyone who is interested in earning cash back without paying significant fees or jumping through hoops.

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With the Journey Student Rewards from Capital One you’ll earn 1% cash back on all purchases. You also have the opportunity to earn an additional 0.25% cash back upon paying your statement on time. It’s easy to be approved for this simple-to-use card even if you have limited income or limited credit history as a student. You won’t pay any annual fee or foreign transaction fees with this card.

Why We Like It

If you’re a younger or new-to-credit user, the Journey Student Rewards from Capital One is a great way for you to familiarize yourself with credit cards, rewards, paying bills and more. You’ll be incentivized to pay your bills on time and you won’t pay any annual or foreign transaction fees. Plus, Capital One will consider you for a credit line increase in as little as six months with responsible card use. Since this card is accessible to those who might not have prior experience using credit cards, it’s a great option for students.

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With the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, cardholders will start off by making a $49, $99 or $200 refundable security deposit that will cover your opening credit line of $200. You can deposit more money before your account opens to receive a higher credit line. Access to an authorized bank account is required to make your security deposit, and you can pick your statement due date and payment method. This card has no annual fee and a maximum credit line of $1,000.

Why We Like It

The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card offers a great way for people to repair their credit or build their credit from the ground up. While this card doesn’t provide any rewards and doesn’t really stand out in any other ways, a secured card may be the only option for individuals who don’t have at least an average credit score. If you’re able to use the card responsibly, you should be able to repair or build your credit score and eventually be able to be approved for a better credit card with lower rates or a rewards program.

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The USAA Rate Advantage Visa Platinum Card has an APR of 6.90% - 23.90% Variable; your APR will fluctuate within this range depending on your credit score. The APR kicks in right away, as there is no 0% intro APR period. This card doesn’t have a rewards program, but it also charges no annual fee or foreign transaction fees. Cardholders will get the same APR on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances.

Why We Like It

The USAA Rate Advantage Visa Platinum Card is a great option for anyone that’s looking for one of the lowest APRs on the market. While there isn’t a 0% intro APR period, the 6.90% - 23.90% Variable rate starts out at nearly half the average credit card APR. If you only plan on carrying a balance for a shorter period of time, a 0% intro APR card may be better for you. However, this card could save you money in the long run if you plan on carrying a balance for a long time, as it is one of the lowest APR cards available.