Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit

One of the best cash back credit cards for excellent credit is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express because it offers a $300 statement credit for spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. You also get 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent per year), 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% back on all other purchases, earned as statement credits.

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.

Best Cash Back Credit Cards for Excellent Credit

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.

Finally, when using one of these cards, 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.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of the best credit cards for excellent credit with no annual fee as it offers 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases (plus an additional 1.5% cash back on everything, up to $20,000 spent the first year). In addition to its $0 annual fee, Chase Freedom Unlimited also offers an introductory APR of 0% for 15 months on purchases, which also makes it a good financing option.

While the Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great overall option, the best credit card for excellent credit with no annual fee will depend on your individual needs. And some of the best cards on the market with no annual fee will only require good credit or better.

Here are the best credit cards for excellent credit with no annual fee:

• Best Overall: Chase Freedom Unlimited. $0 annual fee. 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases (plus an additional 1.5% cash back on everything, up to $20,000 spent the first year). Introductory purchase APR of 0% for 15 months, coupled with an introductory balance transfer APR of 0% for 15 months. Each balance transfer is subject to a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days (5%, min $5 after). 15.24% - 23.99% (V) regular APR.
• Best for Cash Back: Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer. $0 annual fee. 2% cash back on every purchase (half when you make a purchase and the other half as you pay for it).
• Best for Travel: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card. $0 annual fee. 25,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases. 0% foreign fee.
• Best for Financing: U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card. $0 annual fee. Introductory purchase APR of 0% for 20 billing cycles, coupled with an introductory balance transfer APR of 0% for 20 billing cycles for transfers within 60 days of account opening. Each balance transfer is subject to a balance transfer fee of 3% (min $5). 15.24% - 25.24% (V) regular APR.

With excellent credit, you'll qualify for the best credit card offers on the market. Such cards offer everything from low interest rates and high credit limits to substantial rewards and perks. A $0 annual fee is a highly sought-after perk because it allows the cardholder to enjoy all of the card's rewards and benefits without having to pay for the privilege of owning the card every year.

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 best business credit card for balance transfers is the U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card, because it has a balance transfer APR of 0% for 20 billing cycles and a $0 annual fee. But there is a 3% (min $5) balance transfer fee.

There aren’t many business credit card balance transfer offers with 0% interest rates to choose from. But you could also use a personal credit card for a business balance transfer. Just make sure to only put business expenses on the card, or else your bookkeeping will get tricky.

The best personal card for this purpose is the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card because it offers an introductory APR of 0% for 20 billing cycles on balance transfers, with a 3% (min $5) balance transfer fee and a $0 annual fee.

Best Business Credit Cards for Balance Transfers

A business credit card balance transfer allows you to move business debt from one loan or credit card to another credit card. Good balance transfer cards offer an introductory interest rate lower than the regular APR, sometimes as low as 0%. You’ll pay interest at the regular APR on any balance remaining after an introductory APR expires.

Keep in mind that in most cases, you’ll be charged a 3%-5% transfer fee on each balance transferred. There are cards that do not charge a transfer fee, but they tend not to offer an introductory balance transfer APR.

You need an excellent credit score for Chase Sapphire Reserve; the highest tier in the credit score range.

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:

• Excellent 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.
• 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 requirement. 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 highest end card is The Platinum Card® from American Express because it has a wide array of high-end benefits, including airport lounge access and yearly credits of up to $200 for fees on a pre-selected airline, up to $200 for Uber, up to $200 hotel credits (requires a minimum two-night stay), and up to $100 for Saks Fifth Avenue, when enrolled. American Express Platinum card also has a high-end annual fee, at $695. And it’s only available to people with good credit or better.

6 Highest End Credit Cards Right Now

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® 
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card 
• UBS Visa Infinite Credit Card  
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card 
• Centurion® Card from American Express 

To be clear, the best high end credit cards aren't necessarily the most exclusive credit cards. Being hard to get does not automatically make a card one of the highest end options. But a stellar credit profile still is required to be in the running for the highest end credit cards. 

The difference is that qualified applicants who get approved for one of the highest end credit cards will find themselves with credit limits, benefits, and rewards that are far superior to what's available from a regular, everyday credit card. In other words, the highest end credit cards are at the intersection of the best credit card offers on the market and the most prestigious options.

The best high-limit credit card for excellent credit is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® 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. Chase 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.

Here are some of the best high-limit credit cards for excellent credit:

• Best Overall – Chase Sapphire Reserve: $10,000 minimum credit limit. 50,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. $550 annual fee. Excellent credit required.
• Best for travel with added versatility - Chase Sapphire Preferred: $5,000 minimum credit limit. 80,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase, 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases, 3 points per $1 on dining and online grocery purchases, 3 points per $1 on select streaming services, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. $95 annual fee. Good credit or better required.
• Best for cash back – Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer: $500 minimum credit limit. 2% cash back on every purchase – half when you make a purchase and the other half as you pay for it. $0 annual fee. Good credit required.
• Best for financing – Wells Fargo Platinum card: $1,000 minimum credit limit. Introductory purchase APR of 0% for 18 months matched by an introductory APR of 0% for 18 months on qualifying balance transfers, with a 3% intro for 120 days, then up to 5% (min $5). $0 annual fee. Good credit required.

Alternatively, you could consider charge cards as they generally either have higher spending limits than regular credit cards, or don’t have don’t have preset spending limits at all. But they do require you to pay your balance in full every month and attract considerable late fees if you fail to do so.

Keep in mind that not all issuers list their minimum credit limits in their terms and conditions. Your credit limit could be higher than the minimum listed, based on your creditworthiness and other factors including employment, housing information and debt. Users report credit limits upward of $100,000 for some of these cards, but such claims are anecdotal, 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.