Best Credit Cards RIGHT NOW – March 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 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: No-brainer opportunity to earn 5% cash back in the everyday category you shop most each month, with no annual fee! EARN: 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter and on all other purchases. The 5% eligible categories are: Restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, live entertainment. NEW CARDHOLDER WELCOME BONUS OPPORTUNITY: 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

card_name – Why We Like It: 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, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, 1% cash back on 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.

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 👀

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 – This annual_fees annual fee card recently beefed up its rewards (including 3 points per dollar on dining purchases and 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®), making it attractive as an everyday credit card. It’s maybe even more attractive, though, as the foundation to a larger strategy of obtaining multiple Chase cards and combining 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

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. $250 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.

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 – Why We Like It: Despite a annual_fees annual fee, a frequent traveler can often find the value to justify that fee, including yearly travel reimbursements of up to $300, airport lounge access, good travel insurances, a 50% boost in reward point value when booking travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and a great list of travel transfer partners, allowing you to transfer points into the loyalty programs of Southwest, United, Hyatt, JetBlue, Marriott, and a number of international airlines. NEW CARDHOLDER BONUS OPPORTUNITY: bonus_miles_full.

In terms of everyday rewards, each year after you’ve exhausted the yearly $300 annual travel credit, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on flights purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and 3x points on other travel. Also, you’ll earn 3x points on dining right from the start, including restaurants, eligible delivery services, and takeout (and earn 10x if dining reserved through Chase Dining), and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

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Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards

card_name – Balance Transfer Offer: balance_transfer_intro_apr,balance_transfer_intro_duration. After the introductory period ends, a variable APR of reg_apr,reg_apr_type, based on your creditworthiness. Balance Transfer Fee: balance_transfer_fees. NO ANNUAL FEE.

card_name – Balance Transfer Offer: balance_transfer_intro_apr,balance_transfer_intro_duration. After that, the APR will be reg_apr,reg_apr_type, based on your creditworthiness. Balance Transfer Fee: balance_transfer_fees

REWARDS: Earn 2% cash back on purchases: 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay — no categories to worry about, and no cap on the 2% cash back you can earn.

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Best Bad Credit Credit Cards

The Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card – Mission Lane branded credit cards are for people who are rebuilding credit after past credit problems. Card terms vary, with the possibility of a $0 annual fee up to a $59 annual fee, depending on your credit history. 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 their 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 now with NO Hard Pull.

card_name – This up-and-coming credit card company may have a no-annual-fee credit card for you even with bad credit. Your credit limit might start a little lower, but your first credit line increase could come as soon as 6 months after approval. No guarantees, but Petal does offer a pre-approval process to give you an idea if you’re likely to qualify for the card. Petal credit cards are issued by WebBank, Member FDIC.

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Best Business Credit Cards

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.

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

More Business Credit Cards

Best Cards in Other Categories/Credit History

Author: Adam Jusko