The best credit cards on the market today stand out for various features and characteristics, from exclusive travel perks to intro APR offers, and everything in between. Each card is built with different consumer profiles in mind, which means the best card option varies from person to person.
To help you evaluate your options, we created this list of the best credit cards for various purposes, each of which stands out among its peers as a top option in its category.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the best credit cards of 2024.
Earn 6% cash back on up to $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each year (then 1% back), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
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Although this card has an annual fee, most families will be able to easily get enough value out of the everyday categories to make it worth it.
Earn 5X points on Chase Travel℠ purchases, 3X points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services, and 1X points on other purchases.
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% back on all other purchases. Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases when you book through the Capital One Entertainment portal. Earn 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
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The cash-back categories and welcome bonus are pretty solid, especially for a card without an annual fee.
Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, 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 travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Earn 10X points on hotels and car rentals booked through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually, 10X points on Chase Dining purchases, 5X points on flights booked through Chase Travel, 3X points on non-Chase travel and dining, and 1X points on all non-bonus spending.
Earn 10X miles on hotel and rental car purchases made through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on airfare and vacation rentals purchased through the portal, and 2X miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.
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With a lower annual fee than some premium cards and extremely valuable benefits, this card can easily be worth the annual fee for the frequent traveler.
Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotel stays, vacation rentals or rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases.
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The massive sign-up offer and generous, flexible rewards make this card a great option for casual travelers.
Earn 3% cash back on up to $6,000/year spent at U.S. supermarkets (then 1%), 3% cash back on up to $6,000/year at U.S. gas stations (then 1%), 3% cash back on up to $6,000/year on U.S. online retail purchases (then 1%), and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
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For a no-annual-fee option, the reward rate on this card is pretty solid, but for heavy spenders, other cards may offer more value.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, and 1X points on other eligible purchases.
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This is quite a spectacular card with incredibly valuable benefits, but the annual fee is objectively very high.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X. Earn 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases
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If you like to dine out frequently, the $200+ worth of dining-related annual statement credits can easily help justify the yearly fee.
Credit cards work by allowing you to borrow up to a certain limit to make purchases. You’re expected to pay back the borrowed amount, plus any interest if you don’t pay the balance in full by the due date. This differs from a debit card where any transaction is deducted directly from a connected bank account.
Let’s say you get approved for a credit card with a $1,000 credit limit and make a $500 purchase. Now you have $500 of your credit line remaining for other purchases.
You can pay off what you owe at any time; it doesn’t only have to be at the end of the month. So if you pay $300 of your $500 balance, your remaining credit line goes back to $800.
At the end of the month, you’re expected to pay off any balance. In this example, that would mean you have to pay the remaining $200 of your debt. Any balance you carry from one month to the next accrues interest charges, gradually increasing the amount you owe until you pay your balance entirely.
Credit card interest is calculated using the annual percentage rate (APR). If you carry a balance, interest compounds, meaning you can end up paying more over time. It’s best to pay your balance in full each month to avoid these charges and keep your finances healthy.
For example, if you carry over a $200 balance and have an interest rate (APR) of 20%, you’ll be charged roughly $3.42 in interest the next month, making your new debt $203.42. Every month that you don’t pay off your balance, that debt continues to grow.
Many credit cards give you points for every dollar you spend. You can use these points for travel, merchandise, or to reduce your statement balance. Points are a flexible way to earn rewards that fit different spending habits.
Miles-based cards often partner with airlines, making them ideal for airline loyalists. Some general travel credit cards also offer miles, but they’re similar to points in their redemption ability.
Cash-back cards give you a percentage of your purchases back in cash. This is the most straightforward reward type and can be a great way to earn rewards on everyday spending, providing you with cash or statement credits.
Credit-building cards are ideal for students or those with bad credit or no credit who are looking to build or improve their credit scores. They often come with lower limits and higher interest rates, but they can help establish a positive credit history with responsible use.
There are two main types of travel credit cards: co-branded and general. Co-branded cards offer rewards specific to a particular hotel or airline brand like Marriott, Hilton, United, Delta, and Southwest.
On the other hand, general travel cards offer flexibility, earning points or miles that can be redeemed in various ways. General cards are often not affiliated with a specific brand, but some may offer perks like hotel elite status with a select chain.
As mentioned before, cash-back credit cards focus on offering monetary rewards (often via statement credit) instead of travel rewards. Typically, the bonus categories on cash-back cards are more suitable for earning rewards on everyday purchases.
Zero-APR cards offer an introductory 0% APR period, making them great for large purchases or balance transfers without immediate interest charges.
Business credit cards can help business owners keep their company and personal expenses separate and often provide higher reward rates than personal cards. These cards often come with business-centric perks like Quickbooks integration and free employee cards.
There is no one-size-fits-all credit card, much like there is no “best” credit card provider. Each depends on your needs and what you want out of your card. Some of the most popular credit card providers are American Express, Chase, and Capital One. Each caters to different types of people, meaning “the best” one varies from person to person.
American Express is one of the most popular credit card companies, and it’s easy to see why consumers and small business owners gravitate toward them. With generous rewards on flights, groceries, and restaurants, cardholders can rack up rewards on their everyday purchases. Some AmEx cards offer Membership Rewards points while others provide cash back (usually via statement credit).
Chase is known for their exceptional Chase Ultimate Rewards program, offering cardholders flexible, yet valuable redemption options. They have cash-back cards, beginner travel cards, premium travel cards, co-branded cards, and more, making it one of the best credit card companies around.
While the rewards rates of Capital One cards aren’t as grandiose as other issuers, they offer opportunities for every credit profile and give you a chance to get your credit to a better place so you can apply for “fancier” cards later on. They even offer cards for students looking to start building their credit and do have some competitive rewards on certain cards, making Capital One a great option for many users.
Consider these factors when choosing a credit card:
Your credit score is one of the main factors that may limit or expand your search for a credit card. A low credit score could make it so you don’t qualify for many options. On the other hand, a high credit score gives you the chance to choose from a plethora of offers. Make sure you find out what your credit score is so you can know how broad or narrow your search needs to be.
Determine what you want or need from a credit card— cash back, travel rewards, a 0-APR introductory period, business tools, credit building, or something else. This will help you whittle down your options.
Be mindful of fees like:
Look for perks that align with your lifestyle like travel insurance, airport lounge access, statement credits, and reward categories that suit your spending habits. A card’s perks are only beneficial if you can (and do) use them; otherwise, they’re just collecting dust (metaphorically speaking).
The right number of credit cards varies from person to person. Ideally, you’ll have whatever number of cards you want without getting overwhelmed or racking up debt that you’ll have trouble repaying.
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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this page.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this page.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please visit this page.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this page.
It’s difficult to choose just one credit card as the best, but our top 3 choices are the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for flexible travel rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express for groceries and streaming services, and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® for flexible cash back.
In general, you need to be at least 18 years old with your own income to apply for a credit card. However, you may be eligible to be an authorized user on someone else’s credit card before that age.
You should strive to pay off your credit card balance each month, particularly if your card’s regular APR is high. Because of the high interest rates credit cards charge, they are a poor option if you really need a loan.
Applying for a credit card will result in a hard inquiry on your credit report and credit history. This can temporarily ding your credit score, although the impact shouldn’t last long.
The easiest credit cards to get are typically secured cards, which require a refundable cash deposit as collateral, such as the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card.
The top 4 types of credit cards are cash back, travel, business, and cards for building or rebuilding credit.
The best credit card for beginners is the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card or the Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card, as they’re easy to qualify for with limited credit.
Credit cards are worth keeping if they fit into your lifestyle and spending habits enough to make their annual fee worthwhile. Or, if you have a card without an annual fee, it doesn’t hurt to keep it even if you don’t use it very much. Some of the best credit cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, and the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
Holly D. Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer who covers topics like insurance, investing, credit and family finance. As a leading voice in the travel and loyalty space, Johnson has traveled with her family to more than 50 countries over the last decade.
The author has also written extensively on the power of household budgeting, and she even co-authored a book on the topic. Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You’ll Love was originally published in 2017, and it teaches families how to use zero-sum budgeting to reach their financial goals. She is also the co-owner and founder of the family finance and travel website, ClubThrifty.com.
Johnson’s 10+ years of writing have focused on helping families make important financial decisions at each stage of their lives. The author also applies the financial principles she teaches to her own life, and she is currently on track to retire in her late 40’s with her partner. She currently lives in Central Indiana with her husband and children, and she is a regular contributor for Bankrate, CNN, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report Travel and many other notable publications.
* Opinions expressed here are those of the LA Times Compare Cards Team and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser or entities included within this content. See our editorial policy for more details.
All products or services are presented in this content without warranty. The information, including card details such as rates and fees, is accurate at the time of publish. Please visit each bank's website directly for the most current information.
