Best credit cards for retirees of December 2024

Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! Also, take advantage of an intro 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (then, RegAPR).

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards: Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining; and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

PROS:

• This card's rewards – Chase Travel, to be precise – can be combined with rewards points earned through several other Chase cards and, in some cases, that can make these points even more valuable.
• Offering unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases, this card has a higher cash-back rate than what is offered by some other no-annual-fee flat-rate cash-back cards.
• New cardholders receive intro 0% APR for purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (then RegAPR).

CONS:

• Although its 1.5% cash back is more than that offered by other cash back cards, you'll want to be strategic and take advantage of the bonus categories to make the most of this card.
• There is a foreign transaction fee on this card, which is a drawback for anyone who travels internationally or makes purchases in a foreign currency regularly.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 in the first three months.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards: Earn 5% back on up to $1,500 in purchases in quarterly bonus categories when you sign up (then 1%). Additionally, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, 3% at restaurants and on drugstore purchases, and 1% on all other eligible purchases.

PROS:

• Enjoy intro 0% APR on new purchases for 15 months (then RegAPR).
• Take advantage of up to $1,000 a year in cell phone insurance when paying your monthly cell phone bill with your Flex^SM card.
• This card offers complimentary ShopRunner membership for free two-day shipping from more than a hundred online retailers and complimentary three-month DoorDash DashPass, followed by a 50% discount for the following nine months.

CONS:

• You have to remember to activate quarterly categories to earn the bonus 5% cash back.
• What's more, the 5% cash back for these categories is capped at $1,500 in combined purchases every quarter.
• International travelers may want to use a different card when out of the country since this card charges foreign transaction fees.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus if you spend at least $1,000 within the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards: Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice - now with expanded categories, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishings purchases. Furthermore, if you are a Preferred Rewards client with Bank of America, you can boost your rewards earning on every purchase by 25%-75% depending on your tier.

PROS:

• With 3% cash back in a category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores, this card offers plenty of opportunities to maximize rewards on the purchases you make most often. Plus, you get 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• No annual fee.
• You earn a welcome bonus of $200 online cash back when you spend at least $1,000 within the first 90 days after opening an account.
• If you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member you could earn up to 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase made. That means the 3% choice category rewards could be worth as much as 5.25% and the 2% categories could be worth as much as 3.5% back!

CONS:

• The higher reward levels of 3% and 2% cash back are capped at $2,500 of combined purchases each quarter.
• You'll need a Bank of America or Merrill account if you want your cash rewards directly deposited.
• This card charges foreign transaction fees so it's not best for international travel.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus:Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards:Earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

PROS:

• The 60,000 bonus points offered to new cardholders is a solid bonus worth $750 in travel through Chase Travel.
• Enjoy a $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠.

CONS:

• To earn the 60,000 bonus point welcome offer, you'll need to spend $4,000 within the first three months after opening an account which may be difficult for some users.
• As with many other travel rewards cards, this card charges an annual fee.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Enjoy a 25,000-point online bonus – worth $250 in travel or dining statement credit – when you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards: Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on every purchase. Those miles can be redeemed as statement credit to offset eligible travel and dining purchases on your card. Furthermore, if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards client, you can earn 25%-75% more rewards on every purchase.

PROS:

• The rewards program is super simple. You earn 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all eligible purchases and then redeem those points as statement credit to cover eligible travel and dining purchases made to your card.
• Preferred Rewards clients can earn as much as 2.62 points per $1 spent depending on your Preferred Rewards tier.
• This card does not charge foreign transaction fees so it's great for traveling both near or far.

CONS:

• There is no annual fee with this card, but there also aren't a lot of bells and whistles common with travel rewards cards that do charge annual fees.
• Often the best value with credit cards travel rewards comes from the ability to transfer rewards to hotel and airline travel loyalty programs; however, that's not an option with this card, so the value is pretty set.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: NA

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards: Earn 4% cash back on gas and EV charging purchases worldwide, including gas at Costco, for up to the first $7,000 per year in spending (1% after that). Additionally, earn 3% cash back on restaurant purchases and eligible travel purchases worldwide, including airfare, hotels, car rentals, travel agencies cruises, and Costco Travel; 2% cash back at Costco and Costco.com; and 1% on all other purchases.

PROS:

• This card earns one of the best rewards rates on gas and EV charging stations on the market.
• Rewards aren't limited to gas/EV charging stations, or even just Costco purchases for that matter. Earn bonus rewards on travel and dining out as well.
• Road-tripping abroad? Don't forget this card! It does not charge foreign transaction fees so it's great for all of your international travel needs.

CONS:

• Rewards redemption is automatic and only occurs once a year.
• You'll need to wait until February of each year to redeem your cash rewards from the previous year's purchases.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

PROS:

• After your first year as a cardholder Discover will match, without any limit, all the cash back you earned that year.
• Cardholders get 5% cash back on different spending categories each quarter, up to $1,500 spent in those categories each time you activate, and all other purchases earn 1% cash back.
• Cash back can be redeemed as a direct deposit, statement credit or used to pay for purchases on Amazon or via PayPal.

CONS:

• To get 5% cash back, you'll need to activate each quarterly bonus category. Cardholders who forget will only receive 1% cash back.
• The 5% cash back rate offered is excellent, but it's capped at $1,500 of purchases each quarter.
• Although Discover is now more widely accepted than ever, you may find some merchants aren't set up to take payments using this card.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. Addtionally, if you need a few extra months to pay off an existing balance from another card, that introductory 18 months of no interest on balance transfers could certainly be considered a bonus for your wallet. After the intro period, the regular APR of RegAPR applies.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

Rewards:Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, and an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. Not too shabby for a no-annual-fee credit card.

PROS:

• At 18 months the intro 0% APR period for balance transfers is one of the better offers on the market.
• Being able to earn up to 2% cash back on all purchases makes this one of the best no-annual-fee flat-rate cash-back cards you can own.
• There is no annual fee, and there is no charge for the first late payment.

CONS:

• You won't get the 2% cash back all at once which could be considered a drawback. This card provides 1% cash back at the time of purchase and 1% cash back at the time of payment.
• While this card is a great choice for balance transfers, the introductory 0% APR doesn't extend to purchases.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within the first six months.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards: Earn 6% back on up to $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets annually (then 1% thereafter), unlimited 3% back at U.S. gas stations, and 1% back on other purchases. Users can also earn 6% back on select U.S. streaming services and 3% back on transit purchases.

PROS:

• The earn rate that can be earned at U.S. supermarkets is huge. This is an excellent card for grocery shopping.
• This card also rewards well for at U.S. gas stations. If you're spending a lot of time on the road, or perhaps are planning a big roadtrip, make sure to bring it along.
• New cardholders receive 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening (then RegAPR).

CONS:

• If you don't spend a lot at U.S. supermarkets, the annual fee might not be worth it.
• There is a foreign transaction fee on this card so it's not the best for international travel.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards: Earn 5X points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). You'll also earn five points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com. Additional perks include access to the Global Lounge Collection of airport lounges across the globe, an airline fee credit of up to $200 per calendar year to cover baggage fees and more with one pre-selected airline, and credits with Saks Fifth Avenue, Equinox, on certain hotel purchases and more each year. Enrollment required for select benefits.

PROS:

• This card makes it easy for travelers to earn rewards by awarding five points per $1 spent on some airfare and hotel bookings.
• Included airport lounge access, and up to $200 airline fee credit, make this card a nice partner for your travels.
• The Membership Rewards points earned with the Platinum Card® are extremely valuable and the new cardmember bonus of 80,000 Membership Rewards points earned after spending $8,000 in the first six months can help to get you well on your way to your next redemption.

CONS:

• If you are someone that prefers to have low or no annual fee cards the Amex Platinum may be a poor fit for you.
• Unlike typical credit cards, this card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all. If you are looking to carry a balance from month to month this probably isn’t the card for you.
• You'll only receive five points per $1 spent on airfare and hotels if you book through Amex or directly with an airline. There's not a lot of rewards earning potential here outside of those limited categories mentioned above.
• Enrollment required for select benefits.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: You can think of the the intro APR periods as bonuses in and of themselves (there isn't a traditional rewards bonus). New cardholders can enjoy 0% intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers (from the date of first transfer and transfers must be completed within four months) and for 12 months on new purchases. After the promotional periods, regular RegAPR APR applies.

Annual Fee:AnnualFees

Balance Transfer Fee: BalanceTransferFees

Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee

The Rewards: This isn't a rewards card, so no traditional rewards are earned on purchases. The big reward with this card is the generous 0% intro APR period.

PROS:

• The intro period on balance transfers is one of the longest we've seen.
• This card has no annual fee.
• If you have excellent credit, the standard interest rate of RegAPR APR can be very competitive.
• One of the best benefits of this card is access to Citi Entertainment®. Get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events annually, including presale tickets and exclusive experiences for the year's most anticipated concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more.

CONS:

• You need excellent credit to be approved for this card.
• This card has no rewards program, so if cash back or accruing miles is important to you, you might want to look elsewhere.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.