John S Kiernan, Managing Editor
@John
The best credit card overall is the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer because it has a $0 annual fee, a 0% introductory APR, and an excellent rewards rate: 2% Cash Back. Citi Double Cash earns a WalletHub editor’s rating of 5.0 / 5 as a result of its low costs and simple, yet generous rewards.
There are plenty of other contenders for the title of best credit card overall, however. Credit cards are not one-size-fits-all, either. Which card is best really depends on your credit standing, current debt situation and whether or not you’re going to pay your monthly bills in full.
Fortunately, there are some rules of thumb you can follow to find the best overall credit card for your needs.
- The lower your credit score is, the more important it is to get a credit card with no annual fee.
- If you have existing credit card debt or are planning a big-ticket purchase that will take months to pay off, try to find a card with a 0% intro APR and no balance-transfer fee, if applicable. Avoiding annual fees is important in this situation, too.
- If you have good or excellent credit and plan to pay in full every month, your goal should be to find the best possible rewards for your spending habits.
No matter your specific situation, there are a few easy ways to find the right credit card. For starters, you can check out our editors’ picks for the market’s best overall credit cards right now, selected from more than 1,000 credit card offers. You can also sign up for a free WalletHub account and get a personalized recommendation based on your overall credit score. Or, you can try our free CardAdvisor tool to get anonymous recommendations based on your answers to a few simple questions.
2021's Best Credit Cards
ELIJAH NASH, Annuity Wholesaler
@EliEliO
I think the best overall credit card is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card. The amount you get back from grocery purchases alone (6%) makes the annual fee ($95) worth it. But you also get 3% back at gas stations and on transit. Seriously, it’s the most practical credit card I’ve ever had.
RHONDA STEWART, New Grad
@rhonda
Definitely the Citi Double Cash. You really can’t argue with 2% back on everything for a $0 annual fee.
People also ask
HECTOR MOLINA, High School Econ Teacher
@hectormolina
I would say the Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, but they canned that one. RIP SPG. So personally, I’d probably suggest the Chase Sapphire Reserve for greatest of all time. It has so many benefits it’ll make your head spin.
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