7 Excellent Credit Cards of 2023
From huge sign-up bonuses to generous rewards, we've picked credit cards that stand out from the crowd. Compare these deals, some of which are from our partners, to find the right one for you.
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NerdWallet's 7 Excellent Credit Cards of 2023
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Dining and Groceries + No Annual Fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best for Cash Back — High Flat Rate + Incentives
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for Flat-Rate Travel Rewards
Discover it® Cash Back: Best for Bonus Categories and First Year Cashback Match
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for Airline Miles and a Large Bonus
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for Luxury Travel Perks
Excellent Credit Cards From Our Partners
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Intro APR | Regular APR | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent for Dining and Groceries + No Annual Fee | $0 | 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers | 19.74%-29.74% Variable APR | Apply Now on Capital One's website | |
| Excellent for Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred® | $0 | 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers | 19.74%-28.49% Variable APR | Apply Now on Chase's website | |
| Excellent for Cash Back — High Flat Rate + Incentives | $0 | 0% intro APR on Purchases for 15 months from account opening and 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers | 19.99%, 24.99%, or 29.99% Variable APR | Apply Now on Wells Fargo's website | |
| Excellent for Flat-Rate Travel Rewards | $95 | N/A | 20.74%-28.74% Variable APR | Apply Now on Capital One's website | |
| Excellent for Bonus Categories and First Year Cashback Match | $0 | 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers | 16.99%-27.99% Variable APR | ||
| Excellent for Airline Miles and a Large Bonus | $95 | N/A | 21.24%-28.24% Variable APR | Apply Now on Chase's website | |
| Excellent for Luxury Travel Perks | $695 | See Pay Over Time APR | Apply Now on American Express' website |
Excellent for: Dining and Groceries + No Annual Fee
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
19.74%-29.74% Variable APR
Recommended Credit Score
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.74% - 29.74% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months
- No foreign transaction fee
- No annual fee
Excellent for: Cash-Back Pairing with Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
19.74%-28.49% Variable APR
Recommended Credit Score
- INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
- Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
Excellent for: Cash Back — High Flat Rate + Incentives
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR on Purchases for 15 months from account opening and 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Regular APR
19.99%, 24.99%, or 29.99% Variable APR
Recommended Credit Score
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 19.99%, 24.99%, or 29.99% variable APR; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5
- $0 annual fee
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open
- Enjoy a premium collection of benefits at a selection of the world's most intriguing and prestigious hotel properties with Visa Signature Concierge
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your eligible Wells Fargo card (subject to a $25 deductible).
- Select “Apply Now” to learn more about the product features, terms and conditions
- View Rates & Fees
Excellent for: Flat-Rate Travel Rewards
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
20.74%-28.74% Variable APR
Recommended Credit Score
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Enjoy two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Excellent for: Bonus Categories and First Year Cashback Match
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
16.99%-27.99% Variable APR
Recommended Credit Score
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- Every $1 you earn in cash back is $1 you can redeem.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 16.99% to 27.99% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- No annual fee.
- Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.
- View Rates & Fees
Excellent for: Airline Miles and a Large Bonus
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
21.24%-28.24% Variable APR
Recommended Credit Score
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
Excellent for: Luxury Travel Perks
Annual fee
$695
Intro APR
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit Score
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Walmart+ members enjoy shopping perks – both online and in-store – at Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive a statement credit that covers the full cost each month. $12.95 plus applicable taxes. Plus Up Benefits not eligible.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Benefit renews annually.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back per calendar year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Learn more.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
- $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
- $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction, and an Equinox+ subscription is required.
- Add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile on the Resy app or website and unlock Global Dining Access by Resy to exclusive tables and events.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- View Rates & Fees
