REWARDS CREDIT CARDS
Rewards / Cash Back / Travel / Gas

LOW INTEREST CREDIT CARDS
Low APR / Balance Transfer

OTHER CREDIT CARDS
Business / Student / Bad Credit

NerdWallet's Best Credit Card Picks

Don't want the hassle? Here's our take on the best credit cards out there. Nerds know best! Just tell us a little bit about yourself, and we'll tell you our top picks for the card that best suits your lifestyle.

Want to find the best credit card tailored to your spending habits? Check out our rewards credit cards and low interest credit cards pages to find the perfect fit.

Please select one:

I pay off my balance every month.
I have credit card debt or tend to carry a balance.
I'm a small business owner.
I'm a college student.
I have bad or no credit.

Best Rewards Credit Cards

I Want...	Best Credit Card	Why We Love It
...the best travel rewards card.	Capital One® Venture^℠ Rewards Credit Card	Money® Magazine’s “Most Rewarding Card if you crave free airline flights” 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day Earn 10,000 bonus miles, equal to $100 in travel Redeem your miles for ANY travel expense No limit on the miles you can earn and miles won't expire Fly free on any airline, any time with no blackout dates No foreign transaction fees $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $59 after that
...the most rewards possible.	Starwood American Express	Best rewards rate around, if you stay at SPG hotels We think Starwood Points are worth 2.3 cents on average, so your rewards rate is 2.3%! Signup bonus worth $575 $65 annual fee waived the first year You need excellent credit to qualify
...rewards on family purchases.	American Express Blue Cash	6% rewards on groceries 3% on gas and department stores 1% elsewhere Great card if you shop for the entire family $100 cash back $75 annual fee
...a no-fee rewards card.	Chase Freedom	No annual fee $200 cash back 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories like gas, clothes and airfare 1% elsewhere High rewards rate, easy to redeem

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Best Low Interest Credit Cards

I Want...	Best Credit Card	Why We Love It
...the longest 0% APR period.	Citi Platinum Select	Longest 0% purchase and transfer period First 21 months are interest-free Lower-than-usual balance transfer fee Requires solid credit
...to earn rewards and have a 0% APR period.	Citi Dividend Platinum Select	Fairly long 15-month 0% APR period Earn 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories Earn 1% back elsewhere $100 cash back bonus Rewards capped at $300/year
...to avoid as many fees as possible.	Citi Simplicity	0% APR for 21 months on purchases and transfers No late fees No penalty APR No annual fee Lower-than-usual balance transfer fee

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Best Small Business Credit Cards

I Want...	Best Credit Card	Why We Love It
...to earn rewards on my business purchases.	Chase Ink	5% back on office supplies, cable and telecom services up to $25k/yr 2% back on gas and dining up to $25k/yr Unlimited 1% back elsewhere $250 cash back bonus No annual fee 0% purchase and transfer APR for 6 months
...to minimize my interest payments.	SimplyCash Business	0% purchase and transfer APR for 12 months That's one of the longest intro periods out there Unlimited 5% back on wireless and office supplies 3% back on gas 1% back elsewhere

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Best College Student Credit Cards

I Want...	Best Credit Card	Why We Love It
...rewards on typical student purchases.	Citi Forward for College Students	5% rewards on books, music, movies and dining out up to 75k points a year Translation: 5x rewards on Amazon.com, campus bookstore, textbooks, first dates and Pizza Hut No annual fee 0% purchase APR for first 7 months Additional bonus points if you sign up for paperless statements, pay on time and stay under your credit limit
...to keep my interest payments low.	Citi Dividend Platinum Select for College Students	0% APR period of 7 months One of the best ongoing interest rates for students: 11.99% for good credit

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Best Credit Cards for Limited or No Credit

I Want...	Best Credit Card	Why We Love It
...the lowest annual fee possible.	Capital One® Secured Mastercard®	Get the credit you need with no processing fees or application fees Automatic reporting to the 3 major credit bureaus Track credit with access to your credit score and other tools Your refundable security deposit can get you a line up to $3000 You may qualify for credit line increases with no further security deposit required Use it like any MasterCard credit card, accepted at millions of locations worldwide
...the lowest interest rate possible.	Orchard Bank Card	Low 7.9% APR on secured credit card $35 annual fee waived the first year Helpful for reestablishing credit Doesn't consider FICO score or bankruptcy status when you apply for a secured card

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Want to learn more about credit card fees and rates?

The Federal Reserve offers a general guide to credit cards and a more detailed explanation of credit card fees.
The Federal Reserve Board of San Francisco also has a good rundown of your rights as a consumer.
The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau makes a persuasive case against students co-signing for their friends' credit cards.

Please share your tips about hot credit card deals!

bruce

question We have a time share which we owe 16000 on we can pay it off with cash but would rather get a credit card pay off the card promply and get some rewards we have ecellent credit any thoughts on cards????

http://www.nerdwallet.com/ Tim

Might be tough to get a card with that high of a credit limit on short notice. But you may be able to get an Amex Platinum or Gold card, with no pre-set spending limit, and try using that?

*Disclaimer: We try to keep information accurate and up to date, however we cannot make warranties regarding the accuracy of our information. Please verify FDIC Insurance / NCUA Insurance status, credit card information, and interest rates during the application process.

OTHER CREDIT CARDS

NerdWallet's Best Credit Card Picks

Please select one:

Best Rewards Credit Cards

Best Low Interest Credit Cards

Best Small Business Credit Cards

Best College Student Credit Cards

Best Credit Cards for Limited or No Credit

Want to learn more about credit card fees and rates?