Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
The point of having excellent credit is not to sit there and stare at your credit score. It's to take advantage of the opportunities available to those who have shown they can handle credit responsibly. People with excellent credit get the best terms on financial products — the lowest costs, the richest rewards, the nicest perks. That's especially true with credit cards.
If you've got a credit score of 720 or better, every credit card you carry should reward you in some way for using it, and the cards on this page all do exactly that. Although no single credit card is "best" for every single user, these cards have earned NerdWallet's highest ratings. It's hard to go wrong with these excellent credit cards for excellent credit.
Show summary
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best for Cash back: High rate on all purchases
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for Cash back: Bonus rewards on groceries, gas, streaming & more
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Cash back: Bonus rewards on dining, entertainment, groceries & more
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for Cash back: Bonus categories + 1.5% on everything else
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for Travel: Flexible rewards + big bonus for all-purpose travelers
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for Travel: Rewards and benefits for frequent travelers
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for Travel: VIP travel perks
BankAmericard® credit card: Best for Balance transfers / 0% intro APR period
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card: Best for Balance transfers / 0% intro APR period
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
2%
CashbackIntro offer
$200
Recommended Credit Score
A simple value proposition — a high rewards rate on everything with no categories to remember or track — makes the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card an ideal one-card solution.
You earn 2% cash back on every purchase. No complications, no catches, no gimmicks. The deal gets even sweeter with a solid bonus offer for new cardholders, a 0% intro APR period, a $0 annual fee and even cell phone protection.
You could probably find higher cash-back rates in your biggest spending categories (such as groceries, restaurants or gas), if you're OK with keeping track of the bonus structures on competing cards.
A simple value proposition — a high rewards rate on everything with no categories to remember or track — makes the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card an ideal one-card solution.
Annual fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Rewards rate
1%-6%
CashbackIntro offer
$250
Recommended Credit Score
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is the rare cash back card that charges an annual fee, but the rewards it earns are so rich that you might consider that fee a bargain.
You earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 a year in spending (then 1%); 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including such things as taxis, rideshares, parking, tolls, trains and buses); and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The bonus offer for new cardholders is one of the richest on any consumer cash-back card, and there's even a 0% intro APR period. Terms apply.
There's a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. You'll have to consider if you spend at least $31 a week at U.S. supermarkets to offset that cost. Terms apply.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is the rare cash back card that charges an annual fee, but the rewards it earns are so rich that you might consider that fee a bargain.
Like to go out? You earn unlimited 3% cash back on restaurants and entertainment. Like to stay in? You also earn 3% cash back at grocery stores and on select streaming services. Plus, get 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; and 1% on other purchases. With a nice bonus offer, a 0% intro APR period and a $0 annual fee, it's a winner.
If your spending is more concentrated in one food category over the other — dining out or cooking at home — you could do better with a card that specializes in one of those areas.
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is the rare dinner-and-a-movie card that's just as rewarding for homebodies as for those who enjoy the night life.
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-6.5%
CashbackIntro offer
$300
Recommended Credit Score
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has potentially lucrative bonus categories, but what makes it stand out is the rate it pays on purchases outside those bonus categories — a rate 50% higher than most competing cards offer.
You earn 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase and 3% at restaurants and drugstores. But instead of the typical 1% on "all other purchases," this card gives you 1.5%. There's a solid bonus offer and a 0% intro APR period, and your rewards can be worth even more if you use them strategically within the Chase Ultimate Rewards® system.
Although it can earn you big rewards on travel bookings, this card does charge a 3% foreign transaction fee, so it's not a good companion abroad.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has potentially lucrative bonus categories, but what makes it stand out is the rate it pays on purchases outside those bonus categories — a rate 50% higher than most competing cards offer.
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-5x
PointsIntro offer
60,000
PointsRecommended Credit Score
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an outstanding pick if you want maximum flexibility in a travel rewards credit card. Use it on its own or combine your rewards from other Chase cards.
The card earns 5 points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase; 2 points per dollar on all other travel; 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and eligible online grocery purchases (see terms for details); and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. You can use points to book travel through Chase (they're worth 25% more that way), or you can transfer them to a dozen airline and hotel programs. There's a $50 annual credit for hotels booked through Chase, a giant sign-up bonus and more.
The card charges an annual fee of $95. That's standard for cards in its class, and for all you get, it can even be considered a bargain — but it's still an annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an outstanding pick if you want maximum flexibility in a travel rewards credit card. Use it on its own or combine your rewards from other Chase cards.
Book travel through Chase with this card and get 5 points per dollar on airfare and 10X on hotel stays and rental cars. All other travel earns 3X. Like to eat out? Get 10X points on Chase Dining purchases and 3X at other restaurants. Other spending earns 1X. Use points to book travel through Chase (they're worth 50% more when you do) or transfer them to a dozen hotel and airline partners. You get $300 a year in credit for travel expenses, Priority Pass airport lounge access and reimbursement for the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. And don't forget the big sign-up bonus.
The $550 annual fee is a big upfront cost, no two ways about it. But the $300 travel credit alone more than cuts it in half.
The annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® can be intimidating, but regular travelers will find the card paying for itself with a generous suite of benefits.
Annual fee
$695
Rewards rate
1x-5x
PointsIntro offer
80,000
PointsRecommended Credit Score
The Platinum Card® from American Express isn't designed to squeeze maximum value out of your travel dollar; it's designed to help you enjoy the VIP travel experience. Its high price tag reflects this.
This is a high-end card designed for high-end travelers. The ongoing rewards are decent: 5 points per dollar on airfare and hotels when booked the right way (terms apply) and 1 point per dollar elsewhere. But the real value lies in the perks. There’s an annual credit of $200 for airline fees and up to $200 a year in Uber credit, for example. You’ll be reimbursed for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every five years and enough for a Clear membership. You have access to more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide and exclusive perks at hotels. And don’t forget the big welcome offer for new cardholders.
The $695 annual fee is about as high as it gets for a mainstream card. If you don’t spend a lot on travel, the rewards are poor. And while this card is geared to world travelers, American Express isn’t as widely accepted globally as Visa and Mastercard.
The Platinum Card® from American Express isn't designed to squeeze maximum value out of your travel dollar; it's designed to help you enjoy the VIP travel experience. Its high price tag reflects this.
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
No rewards
Intro offer
N/A
Recommended Credit Score
The BankAmericard® credit card isn't flashy, but with one of the longest introductory 0% APR periods available anywhere, why would it need to be?
You get a 0% intro APR on Purchases for 21 billing cycles and 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 21 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days, and then the ongoing APR of 15.99%-25.99% Variable APR. The balance transfer fee of 3% of the transaction is on the low end; some other cards charge 5%.
There are no ongoing rewards, so the card has limited value once the 0% intro period ends. When you get to that point, though, consider upgrading your account to one of the issuer's rewards cards.
The BankAmericard® credit card isn't flashy, but with one of the longest introductory 0% APR periods available anywhere, why would it need to be?
The selling point of this card is pretty simple: 0% intro APR on Purchases for 21 months from account opening and 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.99%-29.99% Variable APR. You also get cell phone protection if you pay your bill with the card.
The card doesn't offer rewards, so its value beyond the 0% intro period is limited (although you could later ask to switch your account to a different card from the issuer). If you're absent-minded, beware: A single late payment could cause your 0% period to be cut off.
The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card boasts an offer that few other cards can match: a 0% intro APR period potentially approaching two years.
Last updated on June 6, 2023
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen as among the "best" in multiple categories. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.