Top Recommended Credit Card Offers From Our Partners
By JL Collins
In my foreword for her book, “Quit Like a Millionaire” I quote Kristy Shen saying:
“If you understand money, life is incredibly easy. If you don’t understand money, life is incredibly hard.”
So, too, with credit cards.
If you understand them and use them well, they are an incredible tool that can simplify your life and yield lucrative bonus benefits every time you spend money.
If you fail to understand them and use them poorly, they can become an endless source of misery and debt.
Using them well is not hard. Here’s the core rule: Pay them off in full every month and never carry a balance.
With that understood, the right cards can offer lucrative signup/welcome bonuses, cash rewards, points for flights and hotels, awesome perks, and are great for everyday purchases.
This is precisely how we use them ourselves.
With guidance from our friends at CardRatings, and noting that the following are affiliate links that will result in this blog earning a commission if you sign up, here are the JL Collins picks for the best of the best.
Choose a category that best suits your needs
About Our Ratings
All credit cards are rated objectively based on the features the credit card offers, the fees and interest rates, and how a credit card compares with other cards in its category. The ratings are the expert opinion of our editors, and not influenced by any remuneration this site receives from card issuers.
Travel Rewards Cards
CardName
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Welcome Offer signup_reward bonus points*
Annual Fee AnnualFees
APR RegAPR
Key Benefits
*Earn signup_reward bonus points after you spend signup_bonus_spend_amount on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Ongoing benefits include 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. This is a great and recommended starter travel card with a low annual fee.
CardName
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Welcome Offer $250 plus 75,000 bonus miles*
Annual Fee AnnualFees
APR RegAPR
Key Benefits
*Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, that’s equal to $1,000 in travel. This card has a low annual fee and earns an easy 2x miles on all purchases without worrying about any categories, and an additional 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. You can get up to $120 fee credit towards your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
CardName
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Welcome Offer 60,000 bonus points*
Annual Fee AnnualFees
APR RegAPR
Key Benefits
*Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. You will earn 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Citi is a CardRatings advertiser
CardName
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Welcome Offer signup_reward bonus points*
Annual Fee AnnualFees
APR RegAPR
Key Benefits
*Earn signup_reward bonus points after you spend signup_bonus_spend_amount on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Earn 5 points on flights and 10 points on car rentals and hotels when you book through Chase Travel℠ (on purchases after earning your $300 annual travel reimbursement); earn 3 points per $1 on all dining and on other travel (after the travel credit). Earn 1 point per $1 elsewhere. Points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed through Chase Travel.
CardName
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Welcome Offer Earn signup_reward bonus points after spending signup_bonus_spend_amount on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Annual Fee AnnualFees
APR RegAPR
Key Benefits
Earn 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases; local transit and commuting (including rideshares); and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming. Earn 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases. Enjoy 3,000 bonus points each year after your cardholder anniversary.
CardName
discontinuedAll information about Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Cardratings.com.
Welcome Offer Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Annual Fee AnnualFees
Intro APR RegAPR
Key Benefits
Earn three points per $1 on Southwest purchases as well as two points per $1 on local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming and one point per $1 on other eligible purchases. Receive 6,000 bonus points each year after your cardholder anniversary.
Cash Back Rewards Cards
CardName
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Special Offer For a limited time, earn a signup_reward bonus after you spend signup_bonus_spend_amount on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
Annual Fee AnnualFees
Intro APR 0% intro APR on purchases and balance
transfers for 15 months (then, RegAPR)
Key Benefits
Enjoy 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; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service; and 1.5% on all other purchases.
CardName
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Welcome Offer $200 cash back bonus*
Annual Fee AnnualFees
Intro APR 0% intro APR on purchases and balance
transfers for 15 months (then, RegAPR)
Key Benefits
*Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months of owning your card. On an ongoing basis, earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent in quarterly rotating categories (quarterly activation required), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% back at restaurants (including takeout and delivery), 3% at drugstores, and 1% back on all other eligible purchases.
Information related to Chase Freedom FlexSM has been collected independently by CardRatings and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer
CardName
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Rewards 2% back on every purchase*
AnnualFees AnnualFees
Balance Transfer Offer 0% intro APR on balance transfers
for 18 months (then, RegAPR
Key Benefits
*You can earn an ongoing and unlimited 2% back on every purchase – 1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay for your 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. Take advantage of a lengthy 18 months intro 0% APR on balance transfers. No annual fee. Citi is a CardRatings advertiser.
CardName
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Welcome Offer N/A
Annual Fee AnnualFees
APR RegAPR
Key Benefits
Earn 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter; 3% cash back at restaurants and on eligible travel purchases (including Costco Travel); 2% back on your Costco and Costco.com purchases and 1% back on your other purchases. Citi is a CardRatings advertiser.
Small Business Rewards Cards
CardName
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Welcome Offer 90,000 bonus points*
Annual Fee AnnualFees
APR RegAPR
Key Benefits
*Separate your personal expenses from your business expenses with a small business card. This card offers a 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. With a low annual fee, you earn 3x points per $1 on travel and selected business categories on the first $150,000 spent each anniversary year.
CardName
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Welcome Offer Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
Annual Fee AnnualFees
Intro APR 0% intro APR for IntroAPRDuration on purchases
(then, RegAPR)
Key Benefits
Earn 5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services on up to $25,000 combined spending each anniversary year. Earn 2% back on the first $25,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants each year. No annual fee.
CardName
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Rewards Earn 2% cash back (up to a cap)*
Annual Fee AnnualFees
Intro APR 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then, RegAPR)
Key Benefits
Earn a signup_reward statement credit after you make signup_bonus_spend_amount in purchases on your card in your first three months. Take advantage of a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months (then RegAPR). Earn 2% cash back on up to $50,000 spent each year across all eligible categories, then 1% after reaching the cap.
For rates and fees of American Express cards mentioned in this article, please see the following links: CardName (See Rates and Fees)
Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.