The 10 Best Credit Cards in America 2023
Which are the best credit cards in America?
The 10 Best Credit Cards in America 2023, Depending on your needs, using credit cards to pay for purchases can be really handy.However, there’s currently no one size fits all credit card that ticks all the boxes in terms of points, cash-back, travel rewards and foreign transaction fees. Also, if you’re looking to rebuild your credit score then there are specific credit cards for that.
So, we’ve put together a list of the 10 best credit cards in America that should give you a good idea of what might work best for you. Don’t forget to consider the annual fee, interest rate after the introductory bonus period and all the general rewards and perks.
Handy tip: Set a reminder in your calendar of your annual fee date of each card a month before it’s due. This will give you some time to cancel the card or renegotiate the terms.
The 10 Best Credit Cards in America
The list of American credit cards and figures mentioned below have been compiled from various sources around the web, such as The Balance, Valuepenguin & The Points Guy.
These are the 10 best credit cards in America:
#1.OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
We thought it would be a good idea to kick off the list with a card that’s suited for people with a low credit score and who are looking to rebuild their credit.
The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card doesn’t require a credit check, which is great news if you’re still in the mix of tidying up your credit history or have some outstanding debts. Applying for the card will also have no impact on your credit score!
Next, you can set your own credit limit. This is done by paying a refundable deposit between $200 – $3000, which becomes the foundation of your credit limit, so you’re in total control of your limit from day one.
You can use your card to make all your normal everyday purchases and set up automated email alerts to make sure you never miss your minimum payment.
With that said, you should always aim to pay your credit card off in full every month. That’s just good practice.
This will build strong financial habits and show the three major credit bureaus that you’re responsible and can manage your money.
The card comes with a small annual fee of $35 and the APR is 19.4% variable.
Once you build-up some good history, you can then start to think about applying for an unsecured credit card from another lender.
#2.Citi Simplicity® Card
Ok, so if you’re already carrying a balance and looking to buy yourself some more time, this could be the card for you.
The Citi Simplicity® Card comes with a 21-month 0% introductory APR on all balance transfers and a 12-month 0% intro APR on purchases.
After the initial introductory period ends, your interest rate will switch to 16.74% – 26.74% variable depending on your credit score.
Something to bear in mind is the balance transfer fee. There’s either a $5 or 5% fee depending on which one is greater on each transfer.
Now, there’s plenty of other cards that don’t charge a fee, but most of their introductory balance transfer periods are much shorter than the Simplicity card.
So, it’s still better for most people to go with this card, as you can save more on interest payments than the balance transfer fee itself.
Also, the Simplicity card comes with no annual fees, late fees or penalty rates!
#3.Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card
The next credit card on the list will appeal to all the business owners out there.
With 80,000 points up for grabs when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, this card is great if you have a lot of business expenses you can purchase with your card.
When you redeem those points through Chases’ Ultimate Rewards Program, it equates to roughly $1,000 worth of rewards.
As with most cards from Chase, this one also comes with no foreign transaction fees and a small $95 annual fee.
In terms of earning points, this card gives you 3 points per $1 spent on the first $150,000 in combined purchases.
Bear in mind that this is limited to certain categories including, travel, advertising, internet and cable services.
For all other purchases, you’ll receive 1 point per $1 spent with no limits on what you can earn.
Seeing as this is a business credit card, you’ll also benefit from free employee cards at no additional expense.
You can set individual spending limits for each employee and keep an eye on your expenses using the mobile app.
The Ink Business Preferred Credit card comes with a 17.99% – 22.99% variable APR depending on your creditworthiness.
#4.Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
The next best credit card in America is the first offering on our list from American Express.
The Gold Delta SkyMiles® card comes with no annual fees in your first year and a 30,000 point bonus when you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months.
You’ll also get a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta payment in your first three months.
When you use the card to make purchases directly with Delta, you’ll receive 2 miles for every $1 spent, and for everything else you’ll receive 1 point per $1 spent.
The APR for this card sits between 17.74% – 26.74% variable on purchases and has no foreign transaction fees.
Your first checked baggage fee is covered by the card and once you’re on an eligible flight, you can use your card to receive an extra 20% off food, beverages and audio headsets.
Just remember that after the first year, you’ll be charged $95 to continue using the card.
#5.Chase Sapphire Reserve®
This card has been highly regarded as one of the best cards in the market for a long time.
To start with, if you spend $4,000 in your first three months, you’ll earn yourself a nice 50,000 bonus points, which can be exchanged for up to $750 in travel credit if you use Chases reward portal.
Next, you’ll receive 3 points for every dollar spent on travel purchases and dining and 1 point on everything else.
On top of that, Chase gives you a $300 travel credit, cardless access to premium business lounges and a $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Now, the card does come with a pretty steep annual fee of $450, but the majority of this can be offset using the $300 travel credit. That leaves $150 which can easily be justified by the global business lounge access.
Bear in mind that you’ll more than likely need an excellent credit history to get approved for this card, so plan your application wisely.
#6.The Platinum Card® from American Express
Probably one of the most recognisable and desired credit cards on the market, the Platinum Card from American Express comes with some pretty good perks.
With a $550 dollar annual fee, it’s easy to start trying to justify what makes this card so good.
Well, after you spend $5,000 in your first three months, you’ll earn yourself 60,000 bonus points.
Then, you can earn 5x membership reward points when you book flights directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.
If you’re an Uber person, you’ll receive $15 a month Uber credit and $20 in December, which equates to $200 in annual Uber savings.
Next, you’ll get $200 airline fee credit per calendar year, global business lounge access and an average total of $550 of hotel and resort benefits.
Once you add up all the discounts and perks, the hefty annual fee is vastly reduced. The total bonus points value equates to approximately $1200.
#7.Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
In fourth place, we have a credit card that offers unlimited 2x miles on every dollar spent, which is awesome if you’re looking for a travel credit that’s simple but still provides high-earning potential.
As a new cardmember, you’ll receive 50,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
The card comes with no annual fee in the first year, no foreign transaction fees and 17.99% – 25.24% variable APR. After your first year, the annual fee comes in at $95.
At the moment, Capital One is also offering 10x miles per dollar spent at hotels.com/venture, through January 2020.
If you’re looking for good travel rewards credit card, then you can’t really go wrong with this one.
It’s not the most optimal card for redeeming points for cash, so you might want to consider another credit card on the list for that.
#8.American Express® Gold Card
The American Express Gold Card is one of the best cards on the market.
It has really good reward point system, allowing cardholders to earn 4 points per dollar spent in U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per year, 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants around the world, 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked through the airline or using Amex travel, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
If the reward points aren’t enough, then how about an extra $100 airline fee credit, no foreign transaction fees and a $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations.
So, if you regularly eat out at one of these places, then you could save yourself an extra $120 a year plus gain a considerable amount of points.
#9.Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express
The forth American Express card on our list is the Blue Cash Preferred® card.
If you’re looking for a cashback card specifically, then this one could be right up your street.
To start with, you’ll get yourself $250 statement credit when you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months.
Next, you’ll earn 6% cash back rewards at U.S supermarkets up to $6,000 in purchases a year, 3% on purchases at U.S gas stations, 3% on ground transportation, 6% on specific US TV and music streaming services, and 1% on everything else.
After the initial 12 months 0% introductory period, the APR will be between 14.99% – 25.99% variable and you’ll pay a $95 annual fee.
If this card is of interest to you, you’ll need to make sure your credit history is in good order as it requires excellent credit.
#10.Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Topping the list of the 10 best credit cards in America is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
This card is a good all-rounder. It has no foreign transaction fees, a small $95 annual fee and a good sign up bonus for new members.
You’ll receive 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months. Similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, if you redeem the points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, they’ll be worth $750!
When spending on the card, you’ll receive two points for every dollar spent on travel and dining purchases and one point for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
Again, if you choose to redeem your points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, then your points will be worth 25% more.
What sets this card apart from the rest is that the points you earn are part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. This means that you can transfer your points to 12 different travel programs, ultimately increasing your travel options, which is far better than all other options out there.
Again, like some of the other premium credit cards on the list, make sure you check your credit score before applying for this card as it requires a good score to be approved.
Summary
We hope you enjoyed our list of the 10 best credit cards in America.
Whether you’re just getting started in the credit card world, or you’re looking for your next card, use this list to find a credit card that’s suitable for your needs.
Just remember to double-check everything, write down key dates and set up automatic payments from the get-go!
Here’s a quick recap of the best credit cards to apply for in the US:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Chase Saphire Reserve®
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
- Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
- Citi Simplicity® Card
- Open Sky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
