The Best Credit Cards in 2018
J.D. Power recently issued its annual study of the best credit cards. Not surprisingly, cash back cards are still the most popular.
American Express, Discover, and Capital One topped the charts for customer satisfaction. Yet J.D. Power also found that customer satisfaction varied based on the cardholder’s age.
While these surveys are helpful, nothing beats a detailed analysis of the best credit card offers available today. So we’ve conducted our own research, the results of which are below. We’ve included a brief explanation as to why each credit card made the list.
Cash Back Credit Cards
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is best known for its 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets. What many don’t know is that it also pays 3% on gas and department stores. Add to that a $200 cash bonus when you spend $1,000 on the card in the first three months, and this card tops our list. Here are the cash back details:
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations
- 3% cash back at select U.S. department stores
- 1% cash back on other purchases
Find out how to apply for this card here.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is the newest brand of cash back credit card from Chase. In place of offering 5% cash back categories and 1% cash back on everyday purchases, this card offers a flat 1.5% cash back on everything. No tiers, no limits to the amount you can earn and it never expires.
- Cash Back: 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- Sign up bonus: Earn $150 after you’ve spent $500 in the first three months of card membership.
- Annual Fee: None.
- Introductory APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
Find out how to apply for this card here.
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card
As a final cash back card to make the list, the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card pays 1.5% on all purchases. There are no rotating categories or sign ups required. Capital One also pays a $150 cash bonus if you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months. There is no annual fee.
- Cash Back: 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- Sign up bonus: Get a $150 bonus when you spend $500 on the card in the first three months.
- Annual Fee: None.
- Introductory APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 9 months.
- Other Benefits: Every 10th Uber ride is free up to $15 when you pay with your Quicksilver card through March 31, 2017
Find out how to apply for this card here.
Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred changed the way issuers value travel points. Cardholders will earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months and those points are worth 25% more when you use them to book travel through Chase.
- Travel Rewards: Double miles are earned on all travel and dining purchases and single miles are earned on everything else.
- Sign up Bonus: New cardmembers will earn a 50,000 point bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months. You can also earn an additional 5,000 bonus points after adding an authorized card user (and they make a purchase).
- Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
Find out how to apply for this card here.
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture card is effectively a 2% card. You’ll earn 2 miles on every purchase. When you use those miles to pay for travel, they are worth 1 cent each. Thus, $50,000 in purchases will earn 100,000 miles. These miles are worth $1,000 when used to pay for travel expenses. On top of that, you can earn a 50,000 mile bonus when you spend $3,000 on the card in the first three months.
- Travel Rewards: 2 miles for every $1 in purchases
- Sign up Bonus: Enjoy a one-time bonus of 40,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months of approval, equal to $400 in travel
- Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
Find out how you can apply for this card here.
Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Arguably the best hotel rewards card, the Starwood offers 25,000 bonus Starpoints® after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Starpoints can not only be used for hotel stays at Starwood properties, but they can also be transferred to many airlines and other travel partners.
- Travel Rewards: Get up to 5 Starpoints® for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG® hotels‡ – that’s 2 Starpoints for which you may be eligible as a Card Member in addition to the 2 or 3 Starpoints for which you may be eligible as an SPG member. Get 1 Starpoint for all other purchases.
- Sign up Bonus: Get 25,000 bonus Starpoints® after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Find out how you can apply for this card here.
Balance Transfers Cards
Chase Slate
There are only a couple of credit cards that offer no balance transfer fee, and the Chase Slate is one of them. You’ll have the opportunity to recieve a 0% intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months with no balance transfer fee. To qualify for the no transfer fee, you must make your balance transfer within the first 60 days of account ownership. You’ll also receive a free FICO score every month.
- 0% on Balance Transfers: 15 months
- Balance Transfer Fee: Nothing, if the balance transfer is made within the first 60 days.
- 0% on Purchases: 15 months
- Annual Fee: None.
Find out how to apply for this card here.
It’s always important to read the issuer’s terms, but the 0% introductory APR that applies to purchases and balance transfers would be a good option for buying a larger item. If you’ve saved up to purchase some furniture, for example, you can use an introductory purchase APR of 0% to use the credit card issuer’s money to improve your cash flow — however, this leverage technique is risky. If you end up using the credit card for an emergency, you can make it more difficult to repay your balance before the introductory period is complete. On the other hand, it could leave you with more cash in your bank account.
Comparing and Using the Best Credit Cards
Even the best credit cards won’t fulfill their potential if used incorrectly. With that in mind, consider the following tips when comparing and using a credit card:
Pay off the balance in full each month: If you use credit cards as a tool for convenience, pay your bills in full every month, and are otherwise financially self-aware, consider some of these credit cards. If you use credit cards to pay for things you can’t afford, paying interest every month, then start thinking about paying off debt.
Consider your spending habits: Many of the above cards pay increased rewards for certain categories of spending. Therefore, consider how you’ll use the card before selecting the best option for your spending patterns.
Consider how you’ll redeem your rewards: Earning credit card rewards is just half the battle. Once earned, you should consider how you will use them. Many cards offer increased rewards when you use points or miles for travel. If you don’t travel frequently, a cash back card is probably best.
Enjoy the signup bonus: Signup bonuses are a great way to increase miles or points quickly. In some cases, they put cold hard cash in your pocket. But make sure you will meet the spending requirements to earn the bonus. And keep in mind that bonuses are just one feature to consider.
The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying. This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company.
Article comments
Right away I am ready to do my breakfast, wheen having my brreakfast coming yet again to read further news.
Hi, I’m trying to apply for a business credit card unlimited for bad credit with no security deposit please. Thank you.
I am a non consumer commenting on the illegal acts of 2009 Sheriffs and Police citizenship establishment domestic preparation by foreign prosecutors whom are either pocketing, or stealing my money which I’ve earned through my employment I am unable to open an account, cash a check establish credit due to verbal harassment tactics which I’m forced through on a daily basis what can do in situations like this ??
You really should mention a chip-and-pin card for European travelers who might want to buy tickets on the London Underground or Barcelona subway (or elsewhere) from an unattended ticket machine (as I did last October). To the best of my knowledge the Barclay Arrival+ MasterCard is one of the best and most easily available. The bonus points for $3K of purchases in the first 90 days made for a nice partial payment on a statement.
I just got a snail-mail solicitation for the Fidelity Investment Rewards card. It screamed “2% cash back on all purchase” plus 5,000 bonus points. Sounded great, but then I read the fine print…
It said you earn 2 points per dollar spent and points are valid for 5 years (what happens after 5 years?). It also said points are forfeited upon account closure. Which account – the AMEX card or the Fidelity account receiving the cash back?
But here’s what really confused me:
“…if you have at least 5,000 points available…[we will] initiate an electronic transfer…to your Fidelity account at the end of each calendar month. The deposit will be made in US dollars in an amount equal to the points balance multiplied by 1% ($0.01 USD)…”
So it sounds like you get only 1% of your points balance each month (only 12% per year) deposited in the Fidelity account. It also sounds like you can never get the “base” 5,000 points deposited into the Fidelity account because you need “at least 5,000 points available” for them to initiate a monthly deposit.
While you may *earn* 2 points per dollar / 2%, I don’t see any way, given the legalese, to actually *get* 2% back. I tried calling the number on the solicitation to ask about this, but they were closed on the weekend. Guess they don’t want me to sign up for the card too badly!
As consumers we are all seduced by glossy ads and promises. Credit card companies are just as adept at preying on us.
When you sign up for a credit card, you need to understand the terms and you need to know that some companies are exercising the fine print with incredible bullying.
Specifically, American Express has demonstrated a rather unique business model that changes the relationship from a partnership to one that can be likened to an owner staring at the wide eyed gold fish in a bowl.
After you have adjusted to using the card and begin to depend on it along with using it to pay recurring charges….they suspend the card and it stops working.
American Express calls it a ‘financial review’. During the financial review, you will be bullied into sending them the last 3 to 6 months of your bank statements. You will be forced to sign IRS documents authorizing them to pull the last several years of tax returns. (yes–they want copies of you tax returns!!). This is just the beginning of a probe into your life. The insidious credit score that you strive to keep up is only valued as 20% of the American Express evaluation. When American Express is done, they will have a trove of information about you that exceeds the databases of the credit bureaus, the IRS, your accountant and your lawyer combined.
To validate what is being reported here, Google American Express Financial Review to read about some real traumatic experiences. Families have become stranded while traveling. Cell phone bills not getting paid because the card was turned off. The cell phones report your delinquency to the ‘credit bureau’s’, so your credit score starts getting trashed.
Hidden in the fine print of the terms and conditions of the Amex card, it reads that they can ask for some financial documents at any time. The fine print also says that American Express can share information they collect on you with the various consumer reporting agencies….in other words the credit bureaus. You see where this is going. Privacy went out the window with the invention of the FICO score along with the social insecurity card. Plan to drop your drawers if you get to the Amex card.
For me personally, the conversation with the representative started off nice enough and she professed that this review can be completed in a few minutes. Please understand, I am in business and I understand the need to protect your interests. I really do not object to Amex protecting its interests. I have had the card for over 20 years. I paid the bill every month. Customer service always referred to me as a good customer.
The gal said she needed the last few months of bank statements. I cheerfully sent over the bank statements. I had not Googled American Express Financial Review yet cuz it was new to me. But it did not end there. A bunch days later, the invasion began. They wanted more and more documents.
I tried taking the high side of the matter and simply said lets cut to the chase. I offered that we were both busy and that it was OK with me that they just set a credit limit on the card. They did not accept that. Then I suggested that I simply put 10000 on deposit. They did not accept that. The gal explained that once the financial review was started, they need to collect all information, then they would decide if they wanted to keep me as a customer or establish a credit limit. So now I find out that I can be doing all this work, and spend all this time and their was no guarantee of success. Further, Amex would not give me the formula for assuring success. I was led to believe that success was ‘subjective’.
All in all I decided that I was not going to continue with Amex. I had proved myself over 20 years. Since I offered to make the card secured with 10000 and they refused, they demonstrated a total lack of commitment to our relationship.
I let them know that I wanted to just cancel my account. Amex reported that the credit was canceled by the issuer to those loving credit bureaus. Because they reported that ‘the issuer’ canceled the credit, that loving credit report was dinged again.
My company does not now accept Amex. I have explained the situation to my employees and they all support terminating contact with Amex. Everyone has agreed to not use Amex for company expense reports and many have canceled their accounts.
Let us be clear, before this fiasco, the credit bureau’s reported me with a score of 815 and I always paid the card on time and the account that paid the bill had cash flow and always had the money from legitimate sources. I am a boring old man in my 50’s. I have no criminal record. I have no bankruptcy. I have no DWI. I own real estate free and clear from the bank and the house we live in now is ahead on the repayment (I pay more to the bank than required for the mortgage). I own two cars outright.
In summary, you are urged to not get an American Express card. If you have a card, you need to think about canceling the account. Where do we draw the line to corporate intrusion. If I sound disgruntled, simply Google American Express Financial review and judge for yourself.
PS. the fine print also says you lose any points you have accumulated! The internet is full of stories about the victims of financial review losing their points
I would like to know what is the best credit card or gas card to carry and receive gas discounts. I use only shell gas but there are times when I have forgotten to get gas and go to the nearest gas station.
I made a mistake getting the Fidelity American Express Card. Fidelity stands for fair, faster service. This card has the worst customer service. It’s not fast, its not fair and the customer reps act like they are beaten daily with a stick on a daily basis by FIA Card Services.
Fidelity would do well to drop FIA Card Services. It dilutes the Fidelity brand.
If you read the very fine print below you will notice all of these cards paid this site to post. This is not a true comparison site…just another advertising site. Bet you won’t post this.
All please note:
American Express. Amex charges a higher % to retailers than any other card, like Visa or Master Card.
Here is the latest for scalping retailers.
And ripping off consumers.
I stopped using them. Be informed because how your retailer is treated and charged determines the actual price you pay. That is why many established businesses refuse to take Amex cards.
Your money choices count big in this banking game.
Is there any place I can go and get the dates of specific offers that Citibank was making on the AA Advantage rewards card? I applied in December 2012 for one bonus program and they enrolled me in a different program than the offer.
I like my Chase Freedom card—and they have already announced the categories for 2013. The first quarter bonus categories are gas stations, drugstores, and Starbucks. All four quarters are outlined on the Chase site……including Amazon next year right before the holidays!
I saw that but thought that was still the 2012 calendar. Thanks for the info!
I’m surprised that the ‘Capital One Platinum Prestige Card’ isn’t listed. It lacks rewards, but it offers a competitive 10.9% APR and 0% for 15 months. Great for carrying a balance…
The interest rates, the bonus points and the rewards are tempting. But sorry, I say pass for now. I would rather stick to my current credit card. One credit card is good enough at the moment.
Whoo hoo my good old capital one venture card mad the list. I use that card for everything.
I guess Citi had to add that $20 checking account fee so they could afford to give away all those credit card reward points!
Capital One does have decent rewards, but their customer support is horrible. The recent issue we have experienced with them is pulling double payments from our checking account (which resulted in overdraft fees). I’ve gotten to the point of closing the account.
Is there any card i can get if i’m a 21 year old & i have no credit score/no co signer ?
You have not mentioned that there is no foreign transaction fee involved in capital one, only low cost card to offer this service for free. Best for world travelers.
I just found out that my credit union VISA points weren’t accumulating because I didn’t pay the annual fee upfront that no one told me about. I’m looking for a new card, credit score 738, I spend around $1,400 a month, $700 of that in travel, usually United or American, a hotel, and rental car, and I pay the balance off each month. Cash back is fine, and airline miles is fine, as long as they are usable. I usually can’t be flexible with my travel, as its for child visitation and I have a schedule to follow. Any recommendations? Thank you!
I love Amex blue, for each 7500 you spend, you get $100 to spend on travel. The travel item must be charged on the card and has to be $100 or more or you’ll lose some. It doesn’t expire and you can accumulate the credits. I have had this one several years and they have always treated me first class. Only problem is a few smaller businesses don’t take it, so I have a back up from Bank of America which I am looking to replace.
Citi use to have a Home rebate Card (Paid your mortgage from the dollars earned), but recently discontinued it. It was a great rewards program because not only did you get the reward dollars but then the reduction in mortage interest and quicker principle paydown.
Does anyone know if anyone else has this type card?
Thanks,
@InvestorJunkie – I like the Fidelity Amex card too, but you have to open a fidelity account to really take advantage of the point structure. The best card on the market right now is easily the british airways/chase card. Two free transatlantic flights once you open the card and spend $2500 in 3 months. Pretty low acceptance rate though…
Any suggestions??
I had good, Im not sure Id call it ‘great’ but definitely on the positive side of credit and was and have gone through identity theft issues in the past couple of years which are slowly but surely ironing out. As of now, i think im in the clear but god knows. My new job has me traveling a lot(hotel, gas and restaurant charges galore!) and I feel i should upgrade from my Bank of America Preferred Plus Worldpoints Visa to something that may be more beneficial whether it be cashback or rewards of miles, giftcards, etc. I dont know much about cred.cards but I feel like there must be better than what I have. I have a decent amount of money behind my name in bank accounts; money market, savings and checking as well as investments with mutual funds where I feel confident I should be able to get approved for something decent. Any suggestions on a card? Any feedback is appreciated. thanks
I have one credit card and I would like to get a second to use for all my work expenses. This way I can keep my personal separate from work expenses. I travel for a living, usually staying in Marriott properties or similar, often I travel on United Airlines, I shop for catering at Whole Foods or similar, and I often buy items from Target and Best Buy for work as well. I spend anywhere from $2k to $6k a month. I have good credit, 740ish, which rewards card is best for me?
hii can anyone tell me about the blue cash from american express is this a good credit card or what is the best one american express has ! ?
The Costco Amex card shown above is excellent if you happen to live near a Costco store. In addition to gas prices that are usually the best in the area, you will receive 3% back. That’s not too shabby. Do be aware that your annual Costco membership renewal will be automatically charged to your card each year. I also have an Amex Blue card that is gathering dust most of the time. It’s OK but I like the annual Costco cash reward better than the membership rewards points.
I love my AmEx Blue Cash back, it is easy to redeem points and sometimes I’ve spent over my limit and have never been charged a fee for doing so…the only draw back about my AmEx is that many businesses do not accept it as a form of payment where I live but other than that I love it and the card looks pretty cool!
I saw that you noted some cards here need excellent credit. Which credit card would be best for someone with bad credit history who wants to start gaining good credit? We are looking to get a card just to put gas on and pay off immediately every month to boost our credit score. Any recommendations?
i am using the Captial One’s No hassle Credit Card. I have fair credit and was approved. I am using it primarily for gas because you get the 1-2% back. Plus it is helping me raise me credit score….hope this helps1
Discover Card is a sham. Don’t count on collecting your cashback reward points. They have more excuses than a crooked politician. They should call their card the AGGRAVATION CARD!
I have never had a problem with getting my cash back from Discover. Can you be a little more specific with what the problem was?
I will never do business with Discover, like ever. They sent me the pre-approved offers 27 times in one year, literally as I counted them. When I opened the account, they gave me a credit line which was a couple of grands less than what I make in a WEEK. The reason they gave me, “it is Discover’s policy.” I told them keep your policy with you. I canceled the sham they sent me even before activating it. My credit score took a hit for immediately opening and closing the credit card but I dont give a damn. Immediately applied for American Express which didn’t even send me a pre-approved offer and got a 10 thousand limit with an excellent reward program. Next time if I ever hear from discover, I am going to shove up the offer in their – – -. Mind my french and have a good day. I cant even imagine what these robbers do to folks who have bad credit scores.
Discover does the best when using their online shopping portal for the bonus rewards credits. I have never had a problem getting my rewards. They have even partnered with Amazon so you can pay for your Amazon purchases with your rewards points. No more waiting for them to build up to get your cash back.
Noone has mentioned Iberia Bank’s Visa. You have to have excellent credit, and the application process is a little longer, meaning that you have to send them a copy of your utility bill and proof of employment, but it is the best card by far, and it’s worth the extra effort to get it.
http://creditcards.iberiabank.com/
They recently took over Pulaski Bank out of Arkansas, which has anti-usury laws, and they’ve changed the terms of the credit card slightly, which I hated to see happen. Under Pulaski, cash advances carried the same interest rate as purchases. And I think they still the same terms now, the last time I checked they did, but if you make a late payment, the interest rate would go up to 15% for that month, and after you make your payment, it goes back down to the original interest rate, it doesn’t get jacked up and stay there. I wish there were more banks that operated like this.
I’ve gone for points instead of best intro rate. For me the best card is the Fidelity Investment Rewards Visa Signature Card.
http://personal.fidelity.com/products/checking/content/investment_rewards_card.shtml.cvsr
1.5 points per $1 purchased on the first $15k
2 points per $1 purchased after that.
I know there are slightly better cards (including Fidelity Rewards AMEX) but this one was the best suited for me. It deposits the cash directly into my fidelity account.
A little note about the Citi American Airlines credit cards….they report your credit limit as $0. Consequently, you will be over your limit with every purchase. I learned this lesson recently when trying to refinance some investment property. Citi’s response about not reporting the limit: “Well, you can just not use it if you do not like it.” Nice. 🙁
“Well, you can just not use it if you do not like it.”
I’ve received that level of concern and care each time I’ve called Citi. That is why my card has been relegated to a sock drawer and replaced by Amex SPG who has been nothing short of phenomenal. No hassle CLIs, no hassle charge dispute, extremely friendly customer service.
I learned of the Citi database debacle last night when I called a rep about an unrelated problem. Seems their databases was breached and the following was purged: Your name, credit card # and personal contact (email address). They swear your SS#, DOB , card expiration date and three digit security code on the card back were not comprised, nevertheless they are replacing all cards. I insisted to keep the same card number and they agreed as w/o the exp. date and digit code, no merchant can get an approval and THEY are liable. The rep was authorized to give compensation – miles and cash. Negotiate with them. And this month on all three credit bureaus my AA Citi credit limit (7500.00) was listed for the first time. My scores went up to an avg. of 740 from 703. It’s all a game and I basically look for huge bonus mile/point offers to join (50K from Amex Premier Rewards i.e.) with a 20% bump when points were converted into Delta miles. I’ve managed to get about 400K miles in 3 years without including miles for actual flight. Insofar as FICO is concerned – you must fight these people if you are legitimately in the right and they will eventually acquiesce, although after some excruciating amount of time has passed.
I just found out that my Chase Freedom is an NPSL card, although I don’t think they all are. I’m going to have to have that changed, though, for the sake of my FICO score. I’m surprised the PenFed cards weren’t listed, though, esp. the Promise VISA, w/ no fees and a flat 7.49% APR. Be cautious when applying for the PenFed cards b/c they’re ultra-conservative in accepting card-holders. I’d recommend reading some of the threads on the MyFICO forums that discuss applying for PenFed VISAs before trying to get approved.
Any possible way you can include which cards are considered a NPSL card, or signature visa, or a credit card that does not report your normal credit limit *but instead reports your current revolving balance only. e.g.Capital one.. And, also, people should know SImmonsfirst bank, the card issuer, requires documentation evidence of income (e.g. w2, or your 1040) to get aproved.
Capital One has been reporting credit limits for non-NPSL cards for several years (2+) now. My C1 Visa Platinum clearly shows my credit limit on all three credit reports.
My Chase Freedom in contrast, like Bonnie’s below, shows my highest balance since it is a Visa Signature. 🙁
Unless you’re spending THOUSANDS of dollars, the annual fees on these cards kill any of the rewards. You have to spend $1950 in order to re-coup a $39 annual fee (assuming 2% cash back). After this $1950, you start earning rewards.
This post is actually very timely; I’ve been researching good rewards credit cards recently. I finally picked a Shell MasterCard that gives me 5% cash back on Shell gas and 1% on everything else. There is a $29 annual fee that is waived if you have 9 Shell gas purchases in the prior year. This is a GREAT card for me, as I only plan on using the card for Shell gas (which is the only gas I use). If I can find a separately good grocery/drugstore card, then I’d be all set.
Well try this American Express Blue cash back.
A friend of mine has had the Shell card for some time and he just mentioned that they are changing the program drastically. You have to spend a certain sum on non-gas purchases and then you get something like 10 cents a gallon rebate and if you spend an even larger amount on non-gas items then you get 20 cents back. Don’t remember the exact details but it greatly reduced the value of the card.
A warning with this card – I had one for 8 years and just had to cancel it. They just drastically changed the terms. You have to spend at least $500 a month to get any rewards. I can’t buy that much gas in a month. Also, I had paperless statements and they discontinued autopay as well as the previous terms (I think it’s a rotating reward program now) and notified me only through the mail, and not electronically. I got a late fee (first in 8 years) because I never received the letter. I called and asked to get it taken off because I never received the notice and they refused. At that point, I canceled the card.
The best gas card is the PenFed “platinum cash rewards” Visa card. They give 5% on ALL gas. It was a little hassle to join as I am not in the military. I had to make a one time $25 (tax deductible) donation to a military charity. That only took me a month to recover.
The best part is that they deduct the 5% every month from the bill automatically!
For Home Improvement, get the Lowes card. 5% off everything. If you get the Home Depot card and show them your Lowes card, they will also give you 5% off.
Now someone tell me a good one for groceries!!!!
I’m still not sure why people like the AmEx Zync card. I don’t see what it offers at all above the no annual fee AmEx Blue Card. Other than that I agree with your suggestions.
If you have “excellent” credit, the Capital One No Hassle Cash card doesn’t have an annual fee (the $39 fee is for “average” credit cardholders).
Never mind, they’ve added a twist to the “excellent” credit version. You get 1% for the first 6k, and then you get 3% on gas & groceries past the first 6k. That must be a relatively recent change.
Thanks for sharing the update!
I believe with the Amex Zync card, you are awarded Membership Express points, which are different and less valuable than regular membership points?
As for Citi, rather than the Diamond card, I think the Citi Forward card is a bit better because you continually receive 5 TY points even after the first year for certain categories (like Amazon). Also the Citi PremierPass card is good for those who like travel as you can rack up points quickly.
Yeah, I love my Citi Forward card for the 5x rewards at restaurants, movie theaters, and book stores including Amazon. Sadly, it’s not available for new cardholders.
If you’re interested in 5x at Amazon though, there is an often-overlooked card: the SallieMae MasterCard. It pays 5x at grocery stores (up to $250 per month), gas stations (up to $250 per month), and book stores including Amazon (up to $750 per month).