What is the best credit card overall?

The best cash back credit cards for excellent credit are the market’s best overall cash rewards cards. People with excellent credit scores of 750 or higher have the luxury of picking the best offer for their needs from not only the pool of cards that require a minimum of good credit for approval but also those reserved for the highest creditworthiness tier. The better an applicant’s credit score is and the less debt they already owe, the higher their odds of approval will be for one of the top cash back credit cards for excellent credit.… read full answer

The very best card for you will depend on the types of purchases that you plan to charge to your credit card, along with which secondary features you value most. Some cash back credit cards offer rewards at a flat rate on all purchases, while others give more cash back in certain spending categories. Some also offer initial rewards bonuses, while others have low intro APRs.

The terms available from top cash back cards also change from time to time. But these popular offers figure to be around for a while.

Best cash back credit cards for excellent credit:

• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer
• Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card
• Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card
• American Express Cash Magnet® Card
• Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card

When using one of the best cash back credit cards for excellent credit, it’s best not to carry a balance between months (unless you have a 0% APR). If you carry a balance, your rewards will be diminished by interest.

The best flat-rate cash back credit cards are the Citi Double Cash card (a total of 2% Cash Back on all purchases), the PayPal CashBack card (2% Cash Back on all purchases), and the Alliant CU Visa Signature card (3% cash back on all purchases the first year; 2.5% after that). These credit cards all offer above-average cash back on every purchase with no limits, and none have spending categories that earn more or less rewards. Only the Alliant CU Visa card has an annual fee, which is $0 the first year and $99 after that.… read full answer

The Citi Double Cash card is unique in that it offers cardholders cash back on the same purchases at 2 separate times: you’ll get 1% back at the time of purchase, and another 1% back when you pay Citi for the purchase. It can also double as a balance transfer credit card with its intro period of 0% for 18 months on balance transfers. Good credit is required for approval.

In a way, the PayPal CashBack card is the least fussy of the 3 cards, because it doesn’t split up the cash back or charge an annual fee. You’ll simply earn 2% Cash Back on every purchase. But redeeming the cash back has an extra step, as you can’t redeem it as a statement credit. You’ll have to transfer your earned cash back to your PayPal account, then a linked bank account before you can use it without restrictions. If you plan to carry a balance, it’s worth noting that the regular APR for this credit card is from 21.49% to 28.49% (V), which is on the high end. Good credit is required for approval.

The Alliant CU Visa card has the highest flat-rate cash back of these 3 cards. All purchases earn 3% cash back in the first year and 2.5% back after that. But the card isn’t without its downsides. For starters, you have to be a member of Alliant Credit Union before you can be eligible for this credit card. You’ll either have to meet certain requirements to join or make a $5 donation to the Foster Care to Success organization. You’ll also need excellent credit to be approved for the Alliant Visa card. The card’s annual fee is waived in the first year, which is a plus. But even with the annual fee, this card’s high cash back rate would still be worth it.

The best cash back / travel credit card is Capital One Savor because it has no foreign transaction fee and offers 1% - 4% cash back on purchases. The card gives 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, which makes it great for vacations. In addition, there’s 2% cash back on groceries and 1% on all other purchases. Plus, the card offers an initial bonus of $300 for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, which can provide a nice chunk of money to put toward a trip. Capital One Savor has a $95 annual fee.… read full answer

Capital One Quicksilver is another good cash back credit card for travel. It gives a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases with a $0 annual fee. It also has an initial bonus of $150 for spending $500 in the first 3 months.

Both the Savor and Quicksilver cards require good credit for approval.