To stand out in the highly competitive credit card market, issuers often load up their advertising with features and perks that sound impressive. But the truth is, many of these benefits are offered by most credit cards. They’re nice to have, but they won’t help differentiate one card from another.
Take “zero fraud liability,” for example. This isn’t so much a feature as it is U.S. federal law. Essentially, all cards have it.
Free credit score? If this was the early 2010s, that might be special. Not anymore.
When choosing a card, it can help to know which features truly set a card apart, and which are table stakes. You can safely scroll past the extra padding on the marketing bullet points and focus on attributes that truly help you make a good decision, like annual fees, rewards, interest rates and sign-up bonuses.
You can also consider other features that aren’t standard, but should be, like the ability to pre-qualify for a credit card without affecting your credit scores, or gaining instant access to your card upon approval.
The market is brimming with good credit cards right now, whether you’re looking for cash back, travel points or a break on paying interest. As you’re deciding on your next credit card, feel free to gloss over marketing that makes it sound like something standard is a special extra.
1. Zero fraud liability
Nobody wants to be liable for unauthorized or fraudulent charges on their credit card when it’s so common. The number of “data compromises” in 2025 hit an all-time high, with the financial services industry being hit by the most data breaches, according to the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center.
But U.S. consumers have been protected from fraudulent charges for decades by the federal Fair Credit Billing Act. Technically, you might be on the hook for $50 in some cases, but banks and credit card networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, as a standard practice waive all liability. The point is, it’s not a special feature to base a decision on.
Many cards tout their early fraud warning systems, as well. This is a common feature (credit card issuers have been using artificial intelligence to detect fraudulent activity for decades). It’s certainly helpful to get a notification of a suspicious transaction, but pretty much any card will do that. And, again, you’re generally not responsible for fraudulent charges.
2. Free credit score
Checking credit scores periodically is a good idea. And while you used to have to pay to get them, you mostly don’t anymore. You can get them not only from your credit card company or bank, but also from a variety of other third-party sources.
If you need access to your credit reports, which scores are based on, you can get them at annualcreditreport.com weekly for free.
3. No over-limit fees
Credit cards used to assess a penalty fee if you charged more than your credit limit. They generally don’t anymore, thanks to federal protections, namely the Card Act of 2009.
According to a 2013 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report that analyzed the effects of the Card Act on the consumer credit card market, over-limit fees dropped from an average of $34.80 in 2008 to $0 in 2010, as most issuers stopped charging this fee entirely.
So again, “no over-limit fees” is marketing talk that sounds good, but it’s not unique to any one particular card.
4. No foreign transaction fees (on travel cards)
Some overhyped marketing points depend on the type of card. For example, some cash-back credit cards do charge a foreign transaction fee — typically an extra 3% or so on anything you buy abroad. So if you’re trying to choose between two cash-back cards, and one of them doesn’t charge this fee, it can be a legit tie-breaker perk.
But no self-respecting travel card should charge them, and the vast majority don’t. Yet you can bet it will be a prominent feature listed for some points-and-miles-earning cards anyway.
5. Metal cards
If you’re shopping around for your next card, the one that would make for a cool unboxing video might win out on looks alone. Sure, appearances matter, but they aren’t everything. The best credit card for you might be a humble plastic one.
Choose a credit card based on the quality of the card itself, not what it’s made of — or whether it makes a tinkling sound when you drop it on the table. Your wallet will thank you.
6. Porch piracy protection
Credit card purchase protection, which covers theft or damage to a recently purchased item, is a benefit offered by many credit cards.
Some cards also market their “porch piracy protection,” which compensates you when a stranger helps themselves to recent deliveries left on your doorstep. It’s a cute name (seriously, love the alliteration), but this benefit isn’t materially different from purchase protection. You’re still subject to similar terms — upper limits on how much compensation you can receive, a time limit on when you can file a claim, and the requirement to file a police report and a claim with your homeowners or renters insurance provider.
7. Card lock
Called various names — like a freeze or quick lock — this service helps you foil thieves by letting you essentially “turn off” a credit card that you’ve lost or misplaced. It’s a neat and potentially highly useful feature, but it’s not unique, at least not anymore. Most of the major card issuers offer some version of card lock.
And again, ultimately it’s a feature to protect the issuer, not you. Remember, you’re not liable.
8. Contactless pay
Also called “tap to pay,” this is often touted. But it’s not a differentiator because it’s pretty much standard now, at least among newly issued and replacement cards.
Visa’s 2025 annual report shared that 66% of all in-person transactions made by Visa cardholders in the U.S. that year used tap to pay. Mastercard, meanwhile, began doing away with magnetic stripes on their cards in 2024, with a goal of eliminating them by 2033.
9. Mobile app
Smartphones have been around for nearly 20 years. If your credit card account doesn’t have a mobile app, it should be a red flag.
Other common tech features that shouldn’t sway your card decision: EMV chip technology, compatibility with digital wallets, paperless statements, text/email notifications, or the ability to autopay from a bank account or choose your payment date. It’s all standard fare now.
10. 24/7 customer service
Again, pretty much expected nowadays. (Round-the-clock customer service doesn’t speak to the quality of that service, of course.)
It’s not outright deception when issuers make these fluffy claims; they really do offer these features. But so do almost all of their competitors, and it would be a shame if these claims swung your decision to the wrong card.
