Best Credit Cards for Good Credit
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As I was building up my credit by paying down my debt, one thing kept me focused on achieving my goals: improving my score to open a credit card with cashback rewards. While I’d never had bad credit, I didn’t use that to my advantage when I opened up my first credit card to pay for my wife and my honeymoon to Costa Rica. Instead of looking at credit card offers and exploring what my creditworthiness could net me, I just opened a card from my local Fifth Third branch with a credit line to cover the trip and 0% intro APR for the first year.
While getting 0% introductory APR for a purchase that maxed out my card was great, I now know that I should have also been looking at credit cards with travel rewards, no foreign transaction fees, and bonus points. Instead, I left money and perks on the table by wasting a good credit score on a card that only offered a 0% interest rate.
Learn from my mistake and leverage your good credit history to maximize your sign-up bonus and bonus categories! Here are some of the best credit cards for cardholders with good credit.
Jump To
Overview of the best credit cards for good credit
Credit card | Best for |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Travelers who want well-rounded perks |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Heads of household looking to earn for everyday expenses |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Unlimited travel rewards |
Citi Double Cash® Card | Debt consolidators who want a card worth keeping |
Discover it® Cash Back | Cashback lovers |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Fans of Chase Ultimate Rewards who don’t like annual fees |
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card | Consumers who want to build their cashback card |
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Best credit cards for good credit
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Card Name
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
APR
21.49%-28.49%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Rewards Rate
Enjoy benefits such as 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.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus points offered.
- High points for travel and dining purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and points on all purchases.
- Complimentary one-year access to DashPass.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Card Name
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
APR
19.24% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Good, Excellent
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Special Offer
Earn a $250 statement credit
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Rewards Rate
6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
Why We Like It
- Buy Now, Pay Later options.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Card Name
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
APR
19.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Limited-time offer: For a limited time, earn 75,000 Miles
Special Offer Terms
once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
Rewards Rate
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Terms
Why We Like It
- 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, which is equivalent to $750 in travel
- You can earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges
- 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Citi Double Cash® Card
Citi Double Cash® Card
Card Name
Citi Double Cash® Card
APR
19.24% - 29.24%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good, Fair
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer
Earn $200 cash back
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Rewards Rate
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Unlimited cash back earned on every dollar spent.
- Earn cash back when paying your bills on time.
- Intro 0% on balance transfers for 18 months (after which is an ongoing APR of 19.24% - 29.24%)
Discover it® Cash Back
Discover it® Cash Back Card
Card Name
Discover it® Cash Back Card
APR
18.24% - 27.24%
Recommended Credit Score
670 to 850
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer Terms
0% intro APR for 15 months from date of account opening.
Intro Offer
0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers and 3% Intro Balance Transfer Fee until November 10, 2023.
Rewards Rate
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically. Unlimited Cashback Match.
Why We Like It
- No annual fee.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com,4 grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.
- Get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Card Name
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
APR
20.49% - 29.24%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year)
Special Offer Terms
— worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Rewards Rate
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
Terms
Why We Like It
- Higher cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back.
- No annual fee.
- Monitor your credit for free access using Chase Credit Journey.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Card Name
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
APR
19.24% to 29.24%
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer Terms
Online $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening
Intro Offer
- $200 Online Bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
- Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice — with newly expanded options
Rewards Rate
- 3% cash back in the category of your choice: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings Learn more cash back categories
- 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- You'll earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%
- There's no annual fee and your cash rewards don't expire. Each month, as you plan for future purchases, to change your 3% choice category you must go to Online Banking or use the Mobile Banking app. You can change it once each calendar month, or make no change and it stays the same.
Why We Like It
- No annual fee
- Up to 3% cash back
- 0% APR for first 18 months
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Best credit cards for good credit summary table
Credit card | Annual Fee | Regular APR | Rewards |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | $95 | 21.49%-28.49% | Enjoy benefits such as 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. |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. | 19.24% - 29.99% | 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | $95 | 19.99% - 29.99% | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. |
Citi Double Cash® Card | $0 | $0 | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24. |
Discover it Cash Back | $0 | 16.74% to 27.74% Variable | 5% rotating categories, 1% all else |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | $0 | 20.49% - 29.24% | 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 |
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards | $0 | 17.74% to 27.74% Variable | 3% category of choice, 2% grocery, 1% all else |
FAQs
What FICO score constitutes a “good” score?
If you have a credit score of 670 to 739, your credit score is in the range credit bureaus deem good.
Is cashback really a good deal?
If you can use your credit card responsibly, there’s no reason not to take advantage of cashback or points programs. Even when the cashback only constitutes 2% to apply back towards your statement each month, those savings can add up to $720 in savings if you earn cashback on $36,000 of purchases each year.
Is a card with an annual fee worth it?
It ultimately depends on whether or not you think the perks are things you’d get use out of; however, in many cases, extra bonuses and discounts quickly add up to pay for an annual fee.
Why should (or shouldn’t) you use these cards
If you can trust yourself to use a credit card responsibly, there’s almost no downside to opening any of the above rewards cards. After all, who doesn’t like free money? However, if you’re worried that chasing rewards tiers may cause you to exceed your credit limit, it may be wiser to open a secured card while you better learn how to use credit cards effectively.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
The bottom line
You can qualify for many exciting credit cards when you have a good credit score in the high 600s or even low-to-mid 700s. From travel cards to cashback cards, there are cards to fit various needs and profiles. Whether you’re a frequent home cook who wants to get 6% back on your trips to the grocery store or are interested in using a welcome bonus to help fund your dream vacation, the right credit card can make a world of difference in your personal finances.
While some of the best credit cards for good credit have annual fees, in almost every case, that fee will pay itself in perks and bonuses. Many annual cards go above and beyond to give their cardholders extra perks, such as a free year of DoorDash’s DashPass or earning up to $200 back from Amazon.com.
Of course, it’s tempting to maximize rewards tiers and use balance transfers with 0% APR to fund bad habits, so be sure that you’ve done a gut check on what sorts of perks you need and how to go about using your card responsibly. Ultimately, choosing the right credit card comes down to personal preference. Any of the above credit cards is worth considering, so make a list of your pros and cons and apply for the card that would give you the most value.
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Writer
Brent Ervin-Eickhoff is a Chicago-based writer, stage director, and filmmaker with a background in digital marketing and content creation. In addition to Joy Wallet, Brent has written for Complex, Volkswagen, HowlRound, Picture this Post, and Third Coast Review, among others. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Marketing for Content Creation at Court Theatre at the University of Chicago. Brent graduated from Ball State University with Academic Honors in Writing.
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