5 Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit (February 2023)

WalletHub's Research

Why people trust WalletHub
Our picks
How we picked the best credit cards for excellent credit
Tips for credit cards for excellent credit
The competition
Sources
About the author
User questions & answers
Expert opinions

Why People Trust WalletHub

Unlike other sites that only promote cards they're paid by, WalletHub's editors focus on finding the best cards. WalletHub makes it easy to find the best credit card for excellent credit.

Our picks for the best credit card for excellent credit in 2023

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Why We Like It: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the best credit card for excellent credit because it offers elite rewards at an affordable price. Capital One Venture gives a bonus of 75,000 miles (worth $750 in travel) for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. That bonus covers the cost of the Venture card’s annual fee for several years. So the 2 - 5 miles per $1 spent that the card yields on purchases will be pure savings.

What We Don’t Like: The annual fee is $95, and carrying a balance from month to month will result in expensive interest charges.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the Capital One Venture Card if you like to travel but don’t want to commit to a single airline or hotel chain.

Alternatives to Consider: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a supercharged version for big-spenders.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Why We Like It: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best credit card for excellent credit for people who want a big initial bonus and a high credit limit. Sapphire Preferred starts new cardholders with a spending limit of at least $5,000 and gives a bonus of 60,000 points for spending $4,000 within 3 months of opening an account. That bonus is worth $750 in travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Plus, cardholders earn 1 - 5 points per $1 in rewards on purchases.

What We Don’t Like: There is an annual fee of $95 and a high APR.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for Chase Sapphire Preferred if you’ll be able to comfortably spend $4,000 in the first 3 months after opening an account.

Alternatives to Consider: Big-spenders might enjoy the Chase Sapphire Reserve® even more.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Why We Like It: Wells Fargo Active Cash is the best everyday rewards credit card for people who want hassle-free cash back earnings. It gives 2% cash rewards on purchases, which is roughly twice what the average cash back credit card gives. Wells Fargo Active Cash also offers an initial bonus of $200 cash rewards after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. It has a $0 annual fee, too.

What We Don’t Like: This card has a high regular APR.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for Wells Fargo Active Cash if you want to earn generous rewards without much hassle.

Alternatives to Consider: The Citi Double Cash Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® are excellent options for earning cash rewards and avoiding annual fees.

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Why We Like It: The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card is the best 0% APR credit card for people with excellent credit. It offers an introductory APR of 0% for up to 21 months from account opening on new purchases and qualifying balance transfers. It also has a $0 annual fee.

What We Don’t Like: The regular APR is 17.24% - 29.24% Variable, and the balance transfer fee is 3% intro for 120 days, then up to 5% (min $5).

Who Should Get It: Apply for the Wells Fargo Reflect Card if you needs months to pay off big-ticket purchases or to get rid of lingering high-interest debt.

Alternatives to Consider: The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is another great option for balance transfers.

Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus

Why We Like It: The Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus is one of the best rewards credit cards for business owners with excellent personal credit, in large part because of its big initial bonus. New cardholders get $500 for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months. Plus, you’ll earn 1.5 - 5% cash back on purchases normally, and the card has a $0 annual fee.

What We Don’t Like: Carrying a balance from month to month would be expensive with this card, given its high APR.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for this card if you’re a small business owner who wants simple yet generous rewards.

Alternatives to Consider: There are lots of really good business rewards credit cards available to applicants with excellent credit. Check out the rest of the best options.

At the end of the day, credit cards for excellent credit tend to be the best cards on the market. But it’s still important to compare your options before applying if you really want to find an excellent credit card deal – at least the right one for your needs. WalletHub’s editors compared 1,000+ offers to find the very best credit cards for people with excellent credit scores. You can see a recap of their top picks in the most popular categories below.

Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Comparison

Credit Card	Best For	Editor's Rating
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Overall	5/5
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	High Limit	5/5
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card	0% Intro APRs	4.8/5
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card	Everyday Cash Back	4.7/5
Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus	Business Rewards	4.2/5

It’s important to note that you don’t have to pick just one of the best credit cards for excellent credit. You could try the Island Approach, by getting a card for each of your biggest needs. For example, you could apply for a rewards credit card to use for everyday expenses and later get a 0% credit card to avoid interest on big purchases or balance transfers. It's a great way to save because you can assemble the best rewards and the best rates rather than settling for average terms on a single card. Just don’t apply for multiple cards at once.

That’s not our only tip, either. If you’d rather come to your own conclusions about which excellent-credit credit card best meets your needs, take these pointers to heart. It will lead to the best results.

How we picked the best credit cards for excellent credit

To find the best credit cards for people with excellent credit, WalletHub’s editors regularly compare more than 1,500 credit card offers in search of the most elite options in the most popular usage categories. We consider a range of card terms, from rewards and fees to interest rates and special promotions, and crunch the numbers to find the cards best positioned to maximize cardholder savings.

Tips for credit cards for excellent credit

Cut your options in half. Do you want rewards or financing? It’s as simple as choosing between paper and plastic at the grocery store, and this decision will split the universe of credit cards for excellent credit into an even smaller segment. It all comes down to whether you plan to pay your bill in full each month. If you do, go with rewards. If you don’t, focus on 0% cards.
From there, you can reduce your list of viable options even further by choosing between cash back and travel rewards or 0% purchases and 0% balance transfers.
Be realistic about your travel habits. A lot of people want travel rewards credit cards but don’t really need them. If you’re in the market for rewards, as opposed to 0% rates, you need to consider what type of card will allow you to earn the most value and redeem often enough to actually enjoy the fruits of your labor. So leave the travel cards to frequent travelers, not the folks who take a trip or two per year.
Use the Island Approach. No credit card is perfect, offering the best possible terms in every category, from fees to rewards to interest rates. So don’t go looking for a single card to meet all of your needs. Instead, consider using a few different cards, each of which is designated for a specific type of transactions. For example, one card could be for gas rewards, another for everyday cash back and another still for paying down a big-ticket purchase over time. That’s called the Island Approach.
Don’t be scared of annual fees. Paying an annual fee isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you have excellent credit. If doing so enables you to get far better terms than are available from no annual fee credit cards and thus save more money overall, then it’s money well spent. You just have to factor such fixed costs into your calculations.
Understand excellent credit won’t always cut it. Excellent credit doesn’t guarantee you approval for an excellent-credit credit card. A number of other factors are in play, too, including your income and existing debt obligations. So if you want to maximize your chances of getting your top credit-card choice, focus on improving your complete financial picture.

Finally, if you’d prefer not to do the legwork, you can simply sign up for a free WalletHub account to get customized card recommendations as well as free credit scores, reports and 24/7 monitoring.

The competition

There are lots of really good credit card for excellent credit offers on the market right now. The following offers didn’t quite make the cut for our editors’ best-card selections, but they can still save cardholders a lot of money.

Info	Sponsored Capital One Spark Cash Plus	Sponsored Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	Sponsored Citi Premier® Card
Annual Fee	$150	$395	$95
Bonus Offer	$1,000	75,000 miles	60,000 points
Rewards Rate	2 - 5% Cash Back	2 - 10 miles / $1	1 - 3 points / $1
Purchase Intro APR	N/A	N/A	N/A
Transfer Intro APR	N/A	N/A	N/A
Regular APR	Not Applicable	21.24% - 28.24% (V)	20.24% - 28.24% (V)
Editors' Rating	4.8	4.8	4.6
Details, Rates & Fees	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More

Sources

WalletHub actively maintains a database of 1,500+ credit card offers, from which we select the best credit cards for excellent credit for different applicants as well as derive market-wide takeaways and trends. The underlying data is compiled from credit card company websites or provided directly by the credit card issuers. We also leverage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop cardholder profiles, used to estimate cards’ potential savings.

About the author

John S Kiernan

John Kiernan has covered the credit card industry for more than 10 years as a writer and editor for WalletHub. His work has been featured by major media outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times and has been cited by industry regulators such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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Credit Cards for Excellent Credit FAQ

Comparing credit cards for excellent credit can be tough. But you’ve got the knowledgeable WalletHub community on your side. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge while respecting our content guidelines. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not the financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.show more
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What are the best credit cards for an 800 credit score? Reply 4 0

Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer

The best credit card for an 800 credit score is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. This card offers an initial bonus of 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, as well as 2 - 10 miles per $1 spent on purchases. The card charges a $395 annual fee, but it has plenty of perks to make up for it.

Some of the Best Credit Cards for an 800 Credit Score

Overall: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
No Annual Fee: Wells Fargo Active Cash® CardWells Fargo Active Cash® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Cash Back: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American ExpressBlue Cash Preferred® Card from American ExpressLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Intro Bonus Offer: The Platinum Card® from American ExpressThe Platinum Card® from American ExpressLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
0% APR: Wells Fargo Reflect® CardWells Fargo Reflect® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website

An 800 credit score is considered excellent credit, which means you can qualify for the best credit card offers on the market. But it’s important to note that simply having excellent credit does not guarantee approval. You must still meet other underwriting requirements, such as having enough income to afford a new credit line.

If you want more options, you can easily compare the best credit cards for excellent credit on WalletHub.

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4 Upvotes

Best Credit Cards for Good Credit 0 0

WalletHub

Credit cards for good credit are best for people with credit scores of 700 or higher. Many credit cards for people with good credit offer elite rewards, such as a $500+ initial bonus or 1.5%+ back on purchases. Other credit card offers for good credit have 0% APRs for 12+ months. And most have $0 annual fees. So it should come as no surprise that the best credit cards for people with good credit scores are usually among the best credit cards on the market overall (some cards are from WalletHub partners).

If you want some advice on which card to pick, check out WalletHub’s editors’ recommendations for the best credit cards for good credit below. And if you’re not sure whether you have good credit, you can also check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub.

5 Best Credit Cards for Good Credit (February 2023)

Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited®Chase Freedom Unlimited®Learn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Travel Rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardCapital One Venture Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Cash Back: Wells Fargo Active Cash® CardWells Fargo Active Cash® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Bonus Cash Back: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American ExpressBlue Cash Preferred® Card from American ExpressLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Long Intro APR: Wells Fargo Reflect® CardWells Fargo Reflect® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website

Whether you plan to pay your bill in full or carry a balance from month to month, there are plenty of credit cards for good credit capable of saving you money. Keep reading to learn more.

View entire answer

0 Upvotes

What credit card starts you off with the highest limit? 22 0

WalletHub

The best high limit credit cards offer spending limits of $10,000+ to the most creditworthy applicants. But each person’s definition of a “high” credit limit may differ depending on their credit score, income and expenses (some cards are from WalletHub partners). A high limit for someone with limited/bad credit, for example, will be far lower than a high limit for someone with good/excellent credit. With that in mind, WalletHub’s editors compared 1,500+ credit cards to find some of the best high limit credit card offers for different types of applicants.

Best High Limit Credit Cards of February 2023

Overall: Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardChase Sapphire Preferred® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Cash Back: Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offerCiti® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offerLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Highest Limit: Chase Sapphire Reserve®Chase Sapphire Reserve®Learn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Balance Transfers: Wells Fargo Reflect® CardWells Fargo Reflect® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
0% Purchases: Chase Freedom Unlimited®Chase Freedom Unlimited®Learn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website

View entire answer

22 Upvotes

What Is An Excellent Credit Score? Inside The 720+ Club 21 0

John S Kiernan, Managing Editor

A credit score of 720 or higher is typically considered excellent credit. That’s great news for the roughly 38% of us with scores in this top tier of the standard 300 to 850 credit-score range, according to WalletHub data. Excellent credit can save you a lot of money each year, not to mention make it easier to find an apartment or even a job.

You can quickly determine whether you’re part of the excellent-credit crowd by checking your credit score for free on WalletHub.

Get My Free Credit Score

View entire answer

21 Upvotes

What Is a Perfect Credit Score & How Do You Get One? 22 0

John S Kiernan, Managing Editor

You don’t need the highest possible credit score (850) to have perfect credit. Rather, a perfect credit score is anything above 799. Some experts even say that perfect credit begins at 751. But our research into credit card approval rates indicates the bar is a bit higher.

Perfect credit is more attainable than you might’ve thought for a simple reason: Higher scores won’t save you more money.

View entire answer

22 Upvotes

How long does it take to build excellent credit? Reply 22 4

John S Kiernan, Managing Editor

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.

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22 Upvotes

What is the best rewards credit card for excellent credit? Reply 22 0

Bianca Smith, WalletHub Credit Cards Analyst

The best rewards credit card for excellent credit is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card because it offers 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Cardholders also get 2 - 10 miles per $1 spent on purchases. The card offers many other worthwhile benefits, too, such as cell phone protection, access to over 1,300 airport lounges, and reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees. Capital One Venture X does charge a substantial annual fee ($395), though paying it might be well worth it given the card’s lucrative rewards.

Best Rewards Credit Cards for Excellent Credit

Overall: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Cash Back: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American ExpressBlue Cash Preferred® Card from American ExpressLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Points: Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardChase Sapphire Preferred® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
0% APR: Wells Fargo Active Cash® CardWells Fargo Active Cash® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
No Annual Fee: Chase Freedom Unlimited®Chase Freedom Unlimited®Learn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
Business Rewards: Capital One Spark Miles for BusinessCapital One Spark Miles for BusinessLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website

If you want to maximize your rewards earnings, it might be worthwhile to use multiple credit cards that complement each other. For help finding the best rewards credit cards for your spending habits, try our free CardAdvisor tool or sign up for a free WalletHub account to get personalized recommendations.

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22 Upvotes

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Expert Opinions

To help people make the best credit card decisions for their excellent credit scores, WalletHub posed the following questions to a panel of experts. You can see who they are and how they answered below.

Do all credit card companies define "excellent" credit the same way?
Do you think excellent-credit credit cards will become more or less attractive over the next 12 months?
How should people with excellent credit decide between all of the offers available to them?
Why do many credit cards for people with excellent credit charge annual fees? Does it ever make sense to pay for plastic when you have excellent credit?
Why do some credit cards for people with excellent credit have APRs that could be higher than the average for cards requiring good, or even fair, credit?

Katherine (Kate) S. Mielitz
Ph.D, AFC®, Assistant Professor - Family Financial Planning, Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University
Read More

Guangli Zhang
Teaching Assistant, University of California, Santa Barbara - College of Letters & Science, Department of Economics
Read More

Amber Gribbins
DBA, Visiting Professor of Accounting, Linfield University, School of Business
Read More

Ashford Maharaj
Ph.D., AFA®, Adjunct Finance Faculty, Metropolitan College of New York
Read More

Matthew L. Carey
Senior Clinical Lecturer, Director of The Center for Financial Market Studies, LaPenta School of Business, Iona College
Read More

Thomas Chiang
Professor, Drexel University's LeBow College of Business
Read More

More Experts

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† Approval Odds are WalletHub estimates intended to gauge your likelihood of approval for a particular product. Approval Odds are based on WalletHub data and are not provided or endorsed by the lender. Approval Odds are not meant to imply or guarantee that you will be approved by the lender or that credit will be extended. WalletHub may share your information with third-parties in order to show personalized offers, as well as enable you to interact more easily with pre-fill forms or applications. You can opt-out of sharing your personal info here.

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Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit