NerdWallet’s Credit Card Award Winners of 2026
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Last year was full of uncertainty. Since tariffs were announced at the beginning of the year, the threat of inflation loomed over most of 2025. And while some signs pointed to a strong economy, unemployment did rise, leading to general economic anxiety.
Meanwhile, the credit card industry saw several significant shakeups, especially with travel credit cards. Several airlines completely revamped their credit card portfolios. And both American Express and Chase increased annual fees on their premium travel cards, in exchange for additional perks. We kept all of this in mind when we chose the credit card winners for the NerdWallet Best-Of Awards for 2026.
Thankfully, credit cards continue to offer valuable perks and rewards that can help you meet your 2026 goals, whether you’re planning on finally taking that big trip or just aiming to defray everyday household expenses.
Here are our top credit card picks for 2026.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
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Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
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Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
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Citi Simplicity® Card
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Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
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United℠ Explorer Card
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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
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Discover it® Student Chrome
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Discover it® Secured Credit Card
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Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
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Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
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Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card
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Citi Custom Cash® Card
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Award winners from past years
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.
The information related to the Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
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.
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