Best Credit Cards for Good Credit of September 2023
ALSO CONSIDER: Best credit cards of 2023 || Best cash back credit cards || Best travel credit cards || Best 0% APR credit cards
When you have good credit, you have great options in credit cards. You can get generous cash back rewards, travel points and perks, or a year or more of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers. Although credit score alone doesn't guarantee approval for any card — income and other factors also come into play — the possibilities expand as your credit gets stronger.
Some of the best credit cards for good credit are available through NerdWallet, while others might not be. Below, you'll find application links for the credit cards from our partners that are available through NerdWallet, followed by the full list of our picks.
Show summary
NerdWallet's Best Credit Cards for Good Credit of September 2023
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best for Cash back: High rate on everything
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for Cash back: Superb rates for households
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Cash back: Food and entertainment
Discover it® Cash Back: Best for Cash back: Rotating bonus categories
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for Travel: High rate on everything
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for Travel: Bonus rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: Best for Travel: No annual fee
Best Credit Cards for Good Credit From Our Partners
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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.
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.
Cash back: High rate on everything
Cash back: Superb rates for households
Cash back: Food and entertainment
Cash back: Rotating bonus categories
Travel: High rate on everything
Travel: Bonus rewards
Travel: No annual fee
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST CREDIT CARDS FOR GOOD CREDIT
Before applying, confirm details on issuer's website.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Our pick for: Cash back — high rate on everything
Among flat-rate cash-back cards, you'll be hard-pressed to beat the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It earns an unlimited 2% back on all purchases, which is excellent. But in addition, the card offers a rich sign-up bonus and a generous 0% intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers. That's an impressive, hard-to-find combination of features on a card with a $0 annual fee. Read our review.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Our pick for: Cash back — superb rates for households
If your household spends a lot on groceries, gas, transit and streaming services, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is for you. The rewards it pays in those categories — particularly at U.S. supermarkets and on select streaming services — are among the richest of any card. There's a nice welcome offer for new cardholders and an introductory 0% APR period, too. The generous benefits come at a cost, though: Unlike most cash-back cards, this one charges an annual fee. Read our review.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Cash back — food and entertainment
Love the night life but dead-set against paying an annual fee? Consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. It pays a lower cash-back rate on dining and entertainment than the regular Savor card, but the rewards are nevertheless quite good. The sign-up bonus is smaller than on the annual-fee version, too, but it's still solid. Read our review.
Discover it® Cash Back
Our pick for: Cash back — rotating bonus categories
The Discover it® Cash Back earns bonus cash back in quarterly categories that you activate. In past years, those categories have included common spending areas like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and Amazon.com. Category activation can be a hassle, but if your spending aligns with those categories (and for most households, it probably will), you can rake in serious rewards. You also get the issuer's signature "cash-back match" bonus in your first year. Read our review.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Travel — high rate on everything
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is probably the best-known general-purpose travel credit card, thanks to its ubiquitous advertising. You earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. Miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece for any travel purchase, without the blackout dates and other restrictions of branded hotel and airline cards. The card offers a great sign-up bonus and other worthwhile perks. Read our review.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Our pick for: Travel — bonus rewards
For a reasonable annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus rewards (up to 5X) on travel, dining, select streaming services, and select online grocery purchases. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. The sign-up bonus is stellar, too. Read our review.
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Our pick for: Travel — no annual fee
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers so much value, it's hard to believe there's no annual fee. Start with a great bonus offer, then earn extra rewards in a host of common spending categories — restaurants, gas stations, transit, travel, streaming and more. Read our review.
BankAmericard® credit card
Our pick for: Balance transfers or financing big purchases
The BankAmericard® credit card isn't flashy, nor does it aim to be. You get one of the longest 0% introductory APR periods available anywhere, providing plenty of time to whittle down debt or finance a large purchase. And that's about it. Read our review.
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What is good credit?
The exact definition of "good credit," particularly as it pertains to eligibility for credit cards, depends on who you ask. At NerdWallet, we generally define it as a credit score of 690 or better. Others might define it as anything in the 700s or 800s. Some issuers and institutions draw a distinction between "good" credit and "excellent" credit, while others use the terms interchangeably. (In general, if a card requires good credit, you can qualify for it with excellent credit, but if the card requires excellent credit, then "good" might not be ... good enough.)
In any discussion of credit scores and credit cards, it's important to understand that a credit score by itself is not usually enough to qualify you for any card. Credit card companies have their own formulas and criteria for determining who would be a good customer, and credit scores are just one factor in the decision. Expect the issuer to look at your income and your other debts and financial obligations when considering your application.
It's possible to be rejected for a card despite having sterling credit, and it's possible to be approved for a card even if your score doesn't fall exactly within a "recommended" range.
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To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page.
Last updated on September 21, 2023
Methodology
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.
