Best Credit Cards RIGHT NOW – September 2023

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 👀

card_name – Why We Like It: 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.

More Cash Back Credit Cards

Best Travel Credit Cards

Travel credit cards are difficult to rank because travelers have different needs in terms of budget, frequency of travel, perks desired, etc. Think about your needs/wants as you consider these cards:

card_name – Why We Like It: HUGE new cardholder bonus opportunity, good everyday rewards, yearly 10% points bonus, and a cornerstone of the “Chase Trifecta.”

EARN: 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the card’s $50 Annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit), earn 2x on other travel purchases, earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out, earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), earn 3x points on select streaming services, earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Chase Trifecta: Use the Chase Sapphire Preferred as the foundation of a larger strategy to obtain multiple Chase cards and combine points to redeem at a 25% premium through Chase’s travel booking site or to get access to Chase travel transfer partners including United, Southwest, Hyatt, Marriott and more.

NEW CARDHOLDER BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full

(Also, each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. For example, if you spend $20,000 on purchases, you’ll get 2,000 bonus points.) Annual Fee: annual_fees.

card_name – Why We Like It: Offers the desirable features of more expensive travel cards, but strips away the fluff to keep the annual fee reasonable. That annual fee is annual_fees, but you can get up to $300 in travel credits when you book through Capital One Travel, and there is an Early Spend Bonus: bonus_miles_full The Anniversary Miles Bonus kicks in starting on your first anniversary, with 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel).

In terms of rewards on everyday purchases, earn unlimited 10 miles per dollar in purchases on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, plus unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases. And don’t forget airport lounge access through the Priority Pass network & the new Capital One Lounges, plus quite a bit more.

card_name – This is sort of a hybrid card in that its everyday rewards are not highly travel-focused, but it gives points in the Membership Rewards® program, which most people end up redeeming for travel rewards. Lots of point-earning opportunities and perks/credits. You’ll have to do the math to see if it fits your spending patterns. annual_fees annual fee. New Cardholder Bonus Opportunity: bonus_miles_full card_name. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

card_name – Rewards and perks galore including 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com, probably the best, most extensive airport lounge network of all the luxury travel cards, strong travel insurances/protections, and many potential credits on certain airline and hotel purchases as well as certain purchases from Uber, Clear, Saks Fifth Avenue, Equinox and more. annual_fees annual fee. card_name American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

More Travel Credit Cards

Best Business Credit Cards

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

card_name – Why We Like It: Generous, simple-to-understand rewards with no annual fee. Great option if you’re already earning Membership Rewards® points with other American Express credit cards.

Your business earns: 2X Points on eligible business purchases, on up to $50,000 in spending per calendar year. (Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits.) Your business then earns 1X Points on other eligible purchases after the first $50K spent with the card. Points can be redeemed within the popular Membership Rewards program toward a variety of travel rewards as well as other options.

New Cardholder Welcome Bonus Opportunity: bonus_miles_full card_name. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

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: Generous, simple CASH BACK rewards formula with no annual fee. Choose this if you want great rewards without having to think too hard about those rewards while you’ve got your mind on your business.

Your business earns: 2% Cash Back on eligible business purchases up to $50,000 per calendar year, automatically credited to your statement. (Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits.) Your business then earns 1% cash back on other eligible purchases after the first $50K spent on your Card, automatically credited to your statement.

New Cardholder Welcome Bonus Opportunity: bonus_miles_full card_name. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.

More Business Credit Cards

Best Cards in Other Categories/Credit History

Author: Adam Jusko