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, 13.99% to 23.99% (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. 13.99% to 25.99% 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. 12.99% to 23.99% (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 6 months on purchases and 0% for 18 months for balance transfers. 11.99% to 22.99% (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.

More than one-third (38%) of U.S. adults have excellent credit, according to WalletHub data. And another 17% are in shouting distance, with good credit. If you don’t know which group you’re in, you can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub.

Doing so will make it easier to gauge your odds of approval for an excellent-credit credit card. Just remember that you credit score isn’t the only factor that an issuer will take into account. Your income and existing debt obligations also contribute to your overall creditworthiness, for example.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit score requirement is 750+. Chase says this card is for people with excellent credit, the highest tier in the credit score range. And while excellent credit is generally thought to start at 720,  we really recommend a credit score of 750+ to maximize your chances of approval. With a lower score, the risk of rejection will be higher if Chase finds any negatives on your credit report or income-wise.

You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub to gauge your odds. Just bear in mind that you’ll need more than a high credit score to get approved for Chase Sapphire Reserve. Let’s take a look at some of the other essential requirements.

Here are Chase Sapphire Reserve’s credit score & other approval requirements:

• 750+ credit score. You might find yourself getting approved with a lower score or denied with a higher one. But a credit score of 750 or higher definitely helps to maximize your chances.
• Eligibility. You must be over 18 years old with a U.S. mailing address and a Social Security number.
• Income. You don’t absolutely need a job, but you must have some kind of income and/or assets  to prove to Chase that you have the means to pay for the charges you make.
• As little debt as possible. Chase will weigh your income against your debts to determine how much you can afford to borrow.
• No bankruptcy. You probably won’t be in this situation if you have an excellent credit score. But you won’t get approved while in active bankruptcy and will have a tough time as long as any record of bankruptcy is on your credit report.

So as you can see, a lot more than just your score goes into approval. But having an excellent credit score is still a very important requrement. If you’re not sure where you stand right now, you can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub, the only site with free daily updates to your scores and reports. And if you find out that your credit isn't quite up to par, working to improve it can drastically increase your approval chances. For advice on what to do, check out your custom credit analysis.

The best high-limit credit card for excellent credit is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card because new cardholders start with a credit limit of $10,000 or more. The stronger your credit profile is, the more likely you are to get a credit limit higher than $10,000. Sapphire Reserve also has a bonus of 50,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. But it charges an annual fee of $550 too.

If you’re looking for a cheaper high limit credit card for your excellent credit score, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a $5,000 minimum credit limit, great rewards, and a $95 annual fee that’s waived for the first year.

Reports from cardholders suggest that Sapphire Preferred and Reserve occasionally offer credit limits as high as $75,000 - $100,000 and up. Such claims are anecdotal, though, so you can’t count on a limit that high. That’s one reason why you shouldn’t apply for cards just for the highest possible credit limits. Instead, assess all of a card’s features and any fees it may charge to find the right fit.

You could get approved for a credit card with a $20,000 limit if you have excellent credit, a lot of income, and very little debt. But there are no credit cards with $20,000 limits guaranteed as a minimum. The best you’ll find is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, which has a $10,000 minimum credit limit. If Chase thinks you can handle twice that much spending power, you could be approved for $20k.

There are several other good candidates, too.

Here are the best credit cards with $20,000 limit potential:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve: $10,000 minimum limit. 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. 3 points per $1 on travel and dining and 1 on everything else.
  Points worth 50% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. $300 annual travel credit. $450 annual fee. Requires excellent credit.
  
• Chase Sapphire Preferred: $5,000 minimum limit. 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. 2 points per $1 on travel and dining and 1 on everything else.
  Points worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. $95 annual fee, waived the first year. Requires excellent credit.
  
• Capital One Venture: $5,000 minimum limit. 50,000 miles when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. 2 miles per $1 on all purchases. $95 annual fee, waived the first year. Requires good credit.
  
• Chase Ink Business Preferred: $5,000 minimum limit. 80,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. 3 points per $1 on the first $100,000 annually on travel and select business categories. 1 per $1 on all other purchases. $95 annual fee. Requires excellent credit.

If you’re not able to get a credit card with a $20,000 limit right away, you can always call your issuer to request a credit limit increase after 6 months. And you can always get more total credit by applying for another credit card, though you should probably wait a year in between.

Elite credit cards with no annual fee include Capital One VentureOne, Citi Double Cash and Amex EveryDay. These high-end cards require a minimum of good credit for approval and offer perks such as high everyday earning rates, big initial bonuses and 0% introductory APRs. VentureOne gives 1.25 miles per $1 on all purchases and a 20,000-point initial bonus. Citi Double Cash gives 2% cash back on all purchases, plus 0% on balance transfers for 18 months. And Amex EveryDay offers 0% for 15 months with no balance transfer fee for the first 60 days.  

Other elite credit cards with no annual fee include Bank of America Travel Rewards and Chase Ink Business Cash. They too offer benefits worthy of elite status. They also have strict credit requirements. You’ll need a 700+ credit score to even be considered for most of these cards.

Top 5 Elite Credit Cards with No Annual Fee:

• Travel: Capital One VentureOne Rewards
• Cash Back: Citi Double Cash
• Balance Transfer: Amex EveryDay
• 0% Purchases: U.S. Bank Platinum
• Business: Chase Ink Business Cash

​​​​​​​Closer Look: Elite Travel Cards with No Annual Fee

Bank of America Travel Rewards is an elite credit card with no annual fee because it has a large bonus and high earning rates. You get 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in your first 90 days. That ’s worth a $200 statement credit toward travel. You also earn 1.5 points per $1 on all purchases. And people with a Bank of America checking or savings account get an additional 10% per $1 spent on all purchases. Excellent credit is required.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards is an elite no annual fee credit card due to its ample rewards. It gives 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months. That’s worth $200 toward travel. And you get 1.25 miles per $1 on all purchases, with 10 miles per $1 at hotels.com/venture. Good credit is required.

Elite Cash Back Cards with No Annual Fee

Chase Freedom Unlimited is an elite no annual fee card because of its bonus and 0% APR. You get a $150 cash bonus when you spend $500 in your first 3 months. And you earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. There’s a 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (5% transfer fee). Excellent credit is required.

Citi Double Cash is an elite $0 annual fee credit card because it gives one of the highest cash back rates on the market for all purchases: 2% when you pay your bill in full. And there’s a 0% APR for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers (5% transfer fee). Good credit is required.

Elite Business Card with No Annual Fee

Chase Ink Business Cash is an elite no fee card because it has a lot of bonus categories. You get 5% cash back, up to $25,000 spent per year, on purchases at office supply stores and internet, cable and phone services. There’s 2% cash back, up to $25,000 spent per year, on gas and dining and 1% on all other purchases. You get a $500 cash back bonus when you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months. There’s a 0% APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers (5% transfer fee). You get employee cards at no cost. Excellent credit is required.

Elite 0% APR Cards with No Annual Fee

U.S. Bank Visa Platinum is elite because of its very long 0% APR period. You get 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 20 months. Transfers must be requested in the first 60 days to get the 0% rate, and there’s a 3% transfer fee. You also get free cell phone protection. Excellent credit is required.   

Amex EveryDay is elite because of its no-fee 0% balance transfers and extra points on groceries. You get a 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers ($0 transfer fee in the first 60 days). You get 2 points per $1 on your first $6,000 spent on groceries per year and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. Using your card 20 times in a month gets you 20% more points. There’s also a 10,000-point bonus when you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months. Good credit is required.

At the end of the day, elite and no annual fee are not always synonymous when it comes to credit cards. Cards with annual fees tend to offer more rewards and benefits. Generally, the higher the annual fee, the more rewards you get. Some of the most elite credit cards with fees include Capital One Venture and Barclaycard Arrival Plus.