Below we list some of the best credit cards on the market right now, with an emphasis on cash back and travel rewards cards:

Best Cash Back Credit Cards

card_name – Why We Like It: Maybe the best rewards credit card for grocery purchases with no annual fee, plus a rare 3% reward for general online purchases. EARN: 3% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% cash back on gas at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 1% cash back on all other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full card_name. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

card_name – Why We Like It: Good cash-back on everyday categories, and a nice “catch all” reward rate on other purchases, with no annual fee. Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services), 3% on drugstore purchases, and 1.5% on all other purchases. INTRO OFFER FOR NEW CARDHOLDERS: bonus_miles_full 👀

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The best business credit cards have generous business-focused rewards while allowing you to separate business expenses from personal:

card_name – Why We Like It: High reward opportunities (as high as 5%) on common small business categories, big new cardholder bonus opportunity, and no annual fee.

EARN: 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

NEW CARDHOLDER BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full

card_name – Why We Like It: Simple rewards formula with no annual fee, big bonus opportunity for new cardholders. EARN: 1.5% cash back on all purchases with the card.

NEW CARDHOLDER BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full

card_name – Why We Like It: Your business earns a ton of rewards in common business categories, you get access to Chase’s valuable travel transfer partners or you can enjoy a 25% boost on the value of your points when you redeem them through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. And don’t forget a hefty bonus opportunity for new cardholders.

EARN: 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year: Shipping purchases, Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, Internet, cable and phone services, and Travel. You’ll earn 1 Point Per $1 on all other purchases. Annual fee: annual_fees.

NEW CARDHOLDER BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full

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Sometimes I hear from people who have been rejected for a credit card or other loan despite having a high credit score. The ones who feel the most frustrated are people who know someone else that got approved for the same card with a lower credit score. How can that be? Why would a credit card company turn down a person with better credit and approve someone with lower credit?

There are four possible reasons (or at least four that we consider the most likely):

#1. Not Enough Credit History

It’s very possible to get your credit score up into the 700s even with very little experience in actually using credit. (This is especially true if you’ve been an authorized user on someone else’s credit card.) But many credit card companies treat “newbies” differently than people who have longer track records of paying credit card bills, auto loans, etc.

So, yes, you might have a higher credit score than an older family member (for example), but their longer credit history of on-time payments and no defaults could still make them more attractive to card issuers.

Some credit card lenders won’t even consider you for their cards until you’ve built up at least a year of credit history with a different lender. And in reality you might need five years from the first credit card or loan you open before a card issuer really feels that they can “trust” your credit score as a signal that you are low risk.

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FICO defines fair credit as credit scores between 580-669, but credit card issuers often think of fair credit starting at a 600 credit score and going as high as 700. The cards below may be available to fair credit or average credit customers, but what you qualify for may depend on where you fall in the credit score range.

– Mission Lane branded credit cards are for people who are still building toward excellent credit. If you’re in that fair credit/average credit zone, this card has no annual fee and offers rewards of up to 1.5% cash back. You’ll get an instant decision on your application, and you could qualify for a higher credit line after making your first 6 payments on time.

The good news: You can see which offer you could prequalify for on the website with NO HARD PULL on your credit report. If you like the terms, you can go ahead and complete a firm application, which would then result in a hard pull.

Worried that your application could still be denied after being prequalified? After prequalification, the only way your application can be declined is if Mission Lane cannot verify your identity or income with the information you’ve provided. Pre-qualify for the now with No Hard Pull.

card_name – This card may be available to those a little higher in the fair credit zone, but probably not for those with credit score in the low 600s. Easy-to-understand cash back credit card gives 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make with the card, so it’s not necessary to think about different purchasing categories. No annual fee to worry about, either. EARLY SPEND BONUS: bonus_miles_full.

card_name – No frills, but this no-annual-fee credit card is often friendly to fair credit credit card customers, even if you’re at the lower end of the credit score scale. If approved, Capital One says you’ll be “automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months.”

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No credit card reward is more flexible than cash. That’s why cash back credit cards are the favorite type of card for most people. Depending on where your purchasing dollars are spent each month, you might consider one or more of these credit cards that return some of your hard-earned cash back to you:

card_name – Why We Like It: The Blue Cash Everyday is maybe the best rewards credit card for grocery purchases with no annual fee, plus a rare 3% reward for general online purchases. EARN: 3% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% cash back on gas at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 1% cash back on all other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full card_name. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

card_name – Why We Like It: Chase Freedom Unlimited offers good cash-back on everyday categories, and a nice “catch all” reward rate on other purchases, with no annual fee. Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services), 3% on drugstore purchases, and 1.5% on all other purchases. INTRO OFFER FOR NEW CARDHOLDERS: bonus_miles_full 👀

card_name – Why We Like It: Capital One SavorOne offers generous cash back in everyday categories where you are likely to be doing real spending, with no annual fee! Earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases.

EARLY SPEND BONUS: bonus_miles_full

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Based on our research, the following credit cards may give you instant approval (instant approval is never guaranteed), and in some cases you’ll be able to use that gas credit card today. Note that we are including credit cards from specific gas stations as well as general bank credit cards that offer an enhanced reward on gas purchases:

card_name – This no-annual fee card lets you earn 3% cash back on gas at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), PLUS 3% cash back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), PLUS 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full card_name. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

card_name – Offers 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in purchases at U.S. supermarkets (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back on transit purchases, 1% cash back on all other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full Annual fee: annual_fees card_name. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

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