Every card · 33 checked by hand
Every card we compare, by what it’s for.
Each list runs in the order our math puts it for one sample reader, named under its heading, and no bank can pay to move a card up. American Express Gold sits in two lists, so the lists add up to 34.
Cash Back
15 cards, 3 still marked as estimatesIn the order of what each pays the family on our home page in year one. See their numbers
- American Express Blue Cash Preferred$95 a year
- American Express Gold$325 a year
- Citi Double Cash$0 a year
- Robinhood Gold Card$50 a year
- Chase Freedom Unlimited$0 a year
- Wells Fargo Active Cash$0 a year
- Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards$0 a year
- Capital One Quicksilver$0 a year
- Chase Freedom Flex$0 a year
- Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature$0 a year
- Apple Card$0 a year
- U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature$0 a year
- Discover it Cash Back$0 a year
- Prime Visa$0 a year
- Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi$0 a year
- American Express Blue Cash Preferred$95 a year
- American Express Gold$325 a year
- Citi Double Cash$0 a year
- Robinhood Gold Card$50 a year
- Chase Freedom Unlimited$0 a year
- Wells Fargo Active Cash$0 a year
- Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards$0 a year
- Capital One Quicksilver$0 a year
- Chase Freedom Flex$0 a year
- Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature$0 a year
- Apple Card$0 a year
- U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature$0 a year
- Discover it Cash Back$0 a year
- Prime Visa$0 a year
- Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi$0 a year
- American Express Blue Cash Preferred$95 a year · estimate · for groceries, 6x up to $6,000 a year
- American Express Gold$325 a year · estimate · for dining and groceries, 4x
- Citi Double Cash$0 a year · for one card on everything, 2x
- Robinhood Gold Card$50 a year · for one card on everything, 3x
- Chase Freedom Unlimited$0 a year · for dining, 3x and 1.5x on the rest
- Wells Fargo Active Cash$0 a year · for one card on everything, 2x
- Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards$0 a year · for your pick of gas, dining or travel, 3x
- Capital One Quicksilver$0 a year · for one card on everything, 1.5x
- Chase Freedom Flex$0 a year · for rotating categories, 5x each quarter
- Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature$0 a year · for Fidelity account holders, 2x when deposited into Fidelity
- Apple Card$0 a year · estimate · for iPhone users who pay with Apple Pay, 2x, and 1x on the physical card
- U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature$0 a year · for one card on everything, 2x
- Discover it Cash Back$0 a year · for rotating categories, 5x each quarter
- Prime Visa$0 a year · for Prime members, 5x at Amazon and Whole Foods, and 2x on gas and dining
- Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi$0 a year · for Costco members, 4x on gas up to $7,000 a year
Building Credit
6 cardsIn the order of our ranking: what it costs, how easily you get in, and how reliably it builds real credit. See the ranking
- Capital One Platinum Secured$0 a year
- Capital One Quicksilver Secured$0 a year
- OpenSky Plus Secured Visa$0 a year
- Varo Believe$0 a year
- Chime Card$0 a year
- Self Visa Secured Card$25 a year
- Capital One Platinum Secured$0 a year
- Capital One Quicksilver Secured$0 a year
- OpenSky Plus Secured Visa$0 a year
- Varo Believe$0 a year
- Chime Card$0 a year
- Self Visa Secured Card$25 a year
- Capital One Platinum Secured$0 a year · for fair credit or a thin file, $49 refundable deposit
- Capital One Quicksilver Secured$0 a year · for fair credit or a thin file, $200 refundable deposit
- OpenSky Plus Secured Visa$0 a year · for no credit history, no credit check and $300 refundable deposit
- Varo Believe$0 a year · for no credit history, no credit check and no deposit
- Chime Card$0 a year · for no credit history, no credit check and no deposit
- Self Visa Secured Card$25 a year · for no credit history, no credit check and $100 refundable deposit
Travel
7 cards, 2 still marked as estimatesIn the order of what each pays in year one for the family on our home page, with travel raised to $500 a month and points valued at travel rates. See their numbers
- American Express Gold$325 a year
- Chase Sapphire Preferred$95 a year
- Capital One Venture X$395 a year
- Capital One Venture$95 a year
- Citi Strata Premier$95 a year
- Wells Fargo Autograph$0 a year
- Capital One VentureOne$0 a year
- American Express Gold$325 a year
- Chase Sapphire Preferred$95 a year
- Capital One Venture X$395 a year
- Capital One Venture$95 a year
- Citi Strata Premier$95 a year
- Wells Fargo Autograph$0 a year
- Capital One VentureOne$0 a year
- American Express Gold$325 a year · estimate · for dining and groceries, 4x
- Chase Sapphire Preferred$95 a year · estimate · for dining, 3x, and 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel
- Capital One Venture X$395 a year · for one card on everything, 2x, and 10x on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Capital One Venture$95 a year · for one card on everything, 2x, and 5x on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Citi Strata Premier$95 a year · for travel, dining, groceries and gas, 3x
- Wells Fargo Autograph$0 a year · for dining, travel and gas, 3x
- Capital One VentureOne$0 a year · for one card on everything, 1.25x, and 5x on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
0% Interest
6 cards, 1 still marked as estimatesIn the order of what each saves on a $5,000 balance at 24%, paid down $250 a month. See the math
- Citi Diamond Preferred$0 a year
- Wells Fargo Reflect$0 a year
- U.S. Bank Shield Visa$0 a year
- BankAmericard$0 a year
- Citi Simplicity$0 a year
- American Express Blue Cash Everyday$0 a year
- Citi Diamond Preferred$0 a year
- Wells Fargo Reflect$0 a year
- U.S. Bank Shield Visa$0 a year
- BankAmericard$0 a year
- Citi Simplicity$0 a year
- American Express Blue Cash Everyday$0 a year
- Citi Diamond Preferred$0 a year · for moving a balance, 21 months at 0% and a 3% fee
- Wells Fargo Reflect$0 a year · for moving a balance, 21 months at 0% and a 5% fee
- U.S. Bank Shield Visa$0 a year · for moving a balance, 21 months at 0% and a 5% fee
- BankAmericard$0 a year · for moving a balance, 21 months at 0% and a 5% fee
- Citi Simplicity$0 a year · for moving a balance, 18 months at 0% and a 3% fee
- American Express Blue Cash Everyday$0 a year · estimate · for moving a balance, 6 months at 0% and a 3% fee
Ranked and compared
Best for, and head to head
5 rankings and 8 comparisons, each run through the same math for a reader it names.
- Best card for diningFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $500 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Robinhood Gold Card first, at $760 a year.
- Best card for groceriesFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Citi Double Cash first, at $668 in year one.
- Best card for travelFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $500 on travel and $600 on everything else, Capital One Venture X first, at $1,319 in year one.
- Best card for a 0% balance transferOn a $5,000 balance at 24%, paid down $250 a month, Citi Diamond Preferred first, at $1,233 saved.
- Best card for building creditCapital One Platinum Secured first, from a $49 deposit.
- Citi Double Cash vs Chase Freedom UnlimitedFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Citi Double Cash pays $81 a year more than Chase Freedom Unlimited, year one and every year after.
- Wells Fargo Active Cash vs Citi Double CashFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Citi Double Cash pays $100 more in year one, then the two pay the same.
- Capital One Quicksilver vs Citi Double CashFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Citi Double Cash pays $117 a year more than Capital One Quicksilver, year one and every year after.
- Wells Fargo Active Cash vs Chase Freedom UnlimitedFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Chase Freedom Unlimited pays $19 more in year one, then Wells Fargo Active Cash pays $81 more every year after.
- Chase Freedom Flex vs Chase Freedom UnlimitedFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Chase Freedom Unlimited pays $105 a year more than Chase Freedom Flex, year one and every year after.
- Discover it Cash Back vs Chase Freedom FlexFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Chase Freedom Flex pays $14 more than Discover it Cash Back in year one and $48 more every year after.
- Capital One Venture vs Capital One Venture XFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $500 on travel and $600 on everything else, Capital One Venture X pays $100 a year more than Capital One Venture, year one and every year after.
- Wells Fargo Reflect vs Citi Diamond PreferredCiti Diamond Preferred saves $100 more on a $5,000 balance at 24%, paid down $250 a month.
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