Credit Cards for Excellent Credit

The best high end credit card is the Amex Platinum card because it offers a $200 annual airline fee credit, a $200 annual Uber credit, a $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue Credit and free access to 7 major airport lounges. On top of that, new cardholders get 60,000 bonus points for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. Amex Platinum also provides 5 points per $1 spent on select travel. And it has a high end price, with a $550 annual fee.

Another good high end credit card is Chase Sapphire Reserve because it offers a $300 annual travel credit and free access to the Priority Pass airport lounge network. Plus, it gives 50,000 initial bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. This bonus is worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Sapphire Reserve also offers 3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining purchases. And there are plenty of other high end cards on the market, like the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite card and the UBS Visa Infinite card.

High end credit cards aren’t necessarily the most exclusive credit cards, but a stellar credit profile is required to be in the running to get one. Those who qualify will have a card with credit limits, benefits, and rewards far above and beyond those offered by a regular, every day credit card.

5 Highest End Credit Cards Right Now:

• American Express Platinum. $550 annual fee. $200 annual air fee credit. $200 annual Uber credit. $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit. Free access to 7 major airport lounges. 60,000 bonus points for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. Up to 5 points per $1 spent. Good credit required.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve. $550 annual fee. $300 annual travel credit. Free access to over 1,000 Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide. 50,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. 3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining and 1.5 on all other purchases. Excellent credit required.
• Chase Ink Business Preferred. $95 annual fee. Free employee cards. 80,000 bonus points for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. 3 points per $1 spent on travel and select business categories, up to $150,000 annually. 1 per $1 on all other purchases. Good credit required.
• UBS Visa Infinite Credit Card. $495 annual fee. Free access to over 1,000 Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide. $500 total credit for access to any other airport lounge. $700 total credit at Villas of Distinction hotels. $250 annual air travel credit. 3 points per $1 spent on travel, 2 on gas and groceries and 1 on everything else. Excellent credit required.
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite card. $495 annual fee. $325 annual travel credit. 12-month Priority Pass Select lounge membership. 12 complimentary Gogo inflight Wi-Fi passes per year. 50,000 bonus points for spending $4,500 in the first 90 days. 3 points per $1 spent on travel and mobile wallet purchases and 1 on everything else. Excellent credit required.

The best high end credit cards offer much more than lucrative bonuses and generous rewards. High end credit cards tend to boast an array of valuable perks. You’ll typically have a whole host of benefits at your disposal including things like travel insurance, complimentary airport lounge access, purchase and price protection, extended warranties and more.

The best credit cards for a 720 credit score include Capital One Venture, which offers an initial bonus of 50,000 miles, and Citi Double Cash, which gives a combined 2% cash back on all purchases. Another top card is the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa. It offers at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

A credit score of 720 falls within the “Good” range, which is from around 700 to 749 on the 0 to 850 credit scale. Consumers in this category generally have a credit history of more than three years, more than $5,000 in available credit and no late payments in the past 12 months.

Also among the best credit cards for a 720 credit score is the Blue Cash EveryDay card from American Express. It gives you an introductory APR of 0% for 15 months on purchases and 0% for 15 months on balance transfers. The Discover It Cash Back card earns 5% on purchases on different categories each quarter and matches all cash back earned at the end of the first year.

With a 720 credit score and a steady income, you should have little trouble securing a credit card with a low interest rate, a high credit limit and good rewards.

Here are the best credit cards for a 720 credit score:

• Best for travel rewards: Capital One Venture. 50,000 miles when you spend $3,000 in the first three months, worth $500 toward travel. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all purchases; 10 on hotels booked through hotels.com/venture. No annual fee the first year, $95 after.
• Best for cash back: Citi Double Cash card. 2% cash back on all purchases; 1% when you buy and an additional 1% when you pay. Intro APR of 0% for 18 months on balance transfers, 15.49% to 25.49% (V) after. 3% (min $5) transfer fee. $0 annual fee.
• Best for cash bonus: Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa. Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Up to $600 in cell phone protection with a $25 deductible. Introductory APRs of 0% for 15 months on purchases and 0% for 15 months on qualifying balance transfers on transfers. 15.49% to 27.49% Variable APR after. 3% for 120 days, then 5% transfer fee. $0 annual fee.
• Best for 0% APR: Blue Cash EveryDay Card from American Express. $150 statement credit when you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Earn 3% cash back at supermarkets (first $6,000 spent yearly), 2% at gas stations, and 1% on all other purchases. Intro APRs of 0% for 15 months on purchases and 0% for 15 months on balance transfers. 14.49% to 25.49% (V) APR after. 3% (min $5) transfer fee. $0 annual fee.
• Best for low APR: Discover it Cash Back. Earn 5% on purchases (up to $1,500) in categories such as restaurants, gas stations and Amazon.com that rotate each quarter. Receive matching cash back at the end of the first year. Intro APR of 0% for 14 months on purchases and 0% for 14 months for balance transfers. 13.49% to 24.49% (V) APR after. 3% transfer fee. $0 annual fee.

A 720 credit score will put you in the running for some of the best credit cards on the market, provided you meet the card’s minimum income requirements. The very best cards, however, require excellent credit. That’s a credit score of 750 or better. To move up to that next level, maintain a history of timely payments and try reducing the amount of credit you use to less than 30%. The lower the ratio, the bigger the jump in your credit score. Also, avoid closing any credit cards or applying for new credit in a short period of time.

You might assume that the best credit cards are the cheapest. But with rewards in particular, it’s often a case of getting what you pay for. Issuers can only give away so much free stuff, after all. So those that offer truly generous rewards may use annual fees to offset some of the cost. But such offers can still end up saving you more money than the no-fee alternatives, assuming you pick the right one and use it strategically.

This is one reason comparing rewards credit cards can be so confusing. It’s also why crunching the numbers to see how much net rewards value each card will provide based on your own spending habits is so important.

With that being said, things are a bit different if you don’t plan to pay your bill in full every month or make purchases on a regular basis. You don’t want to pay a fee to finance a big-ticket purchase or transfer a balance, as doing so would be like paying interest in advance. And most 0% credit cards for people with excellent credit don’t charge annual fees in recognition of the fact that prospective customers want to minimize costs. Similarly, you’ll want to choose from one of the many no-annual-fee credit cards for excellent credit if you plan to use your card sparingly because you might not earn enough rewards to break even.

It usually takes a few years to truly establish excellent credit. But it’s possible to get there much quicker, even in a matter of months, if only temporarily. The exact timeframe depends on your starting point and how responsibly you manage your finances. For example, someone with no prior credit history who gets a credit card and makes on-time payments every month will reach excellent credit much faster than someone with severely damaged credit who regularly pays late.

It’s also worth noting that having an excellent credit score isn’t always enough to get an excellent-credit credit card. Your income and debt obligations play a big role, too. For one thing, you have to demonstrate the ability to make payments on a card with a fairly high spending limit.

You can see where your credit stands at the moment, get personalized advice for how to improve it as quickly as possible, and track your progress from day to day by signing up for a free WalletHub account. You can also learn more about credit improvement and how long it typically takes from this WalletHub guide.

I definitely agree that cards requiring "excellent" credit most always have the best perks, as there is less liability involved. As someone who had credit problems in the past, I do not recall any of the "so-so' cards having lucrative rewards programs (in fact, most offered no points and involved paying high annual maintenance fees). After re-building my credit and responding to an offer for the Chase Sapphire card in the mail, I gained approval and access to some of the best benefits on the market! I now use my card for nearly all purchases and pay it off in full each billing cycle.