Best credit cards of December 2023

Anyone who wants a simple earning structure plus straightforward redemptions and value-added perks (like a statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership) could be a good candidate for the card.

“The Capital One Venture is a great card that can add value to pretty much anyone's wallet. I use it to earn 2 miles per dollar on the purchases that fall outside of my other cards' bonus categories. The annual fee is low, Capital One miles are easy to redeem and the card does come with a few nice perks — including TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee reimbursement.” — Madison Blancaflor, senior editor

Even if you’re a casual traveler, consider this card’s sister product, the very popular Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees). The card’s up to $300 annual credit for purchases made with Capital One Travel immediately covers the higher annual fee — and that’s not even considering the added perks you’ll enjoy.

Anyone with frequent restaurant and grocery purchases can get a ton of value from the Amex Gold, especially if you utilize the issuer’s array of lucrative transfer partners.

“Groceries and dining at restaurants are two of my top spending categories, and I love that the Amex Gold rewards those purchases with 4 points per dollar. When you factor in the $10 dining credit and $10 in Uber Cash each month, the $250 annual fee is a net cost of $10.” — Senitra Horbrook, credit cards editor

If you still want extra rewards at restaurants along with additional bonus categories and other valuable perks at a lower fee, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

This card has long been a favorite of luxury travelers, but you don’t have to be a high spender to get value from it. Its assortment of travel and shopping credits plus automatic elite status with Hilton and Marriott makes it a great option for even leisure travelers looking to maximize their rewards.

“The Amex Platinum includes a lucrative combination of luxury travel benefits along with non-travel perks that save me hundreds of dollars every single year. I love earning 5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with an airline or via Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year), and the airport lounge access is unparalleled in the world of premium cards.” — Nick Ewen, director of content

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) can be a great alternative to the Amex Platinum, with a notably lower annual fee, similar perks and a more rewarding earning rate on everyday purchases.

This card is a great fit for someone who wants to dip their toes into the world of premium credit cards without paying over $400 a year in annual fees. It provides a healthy collection of perks and rewarding everyday earning rates.

“The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the card that rewards me for every purchase I make with 2 miles per dollar spent that I can then use toward my travel goals. I also love how easy it is to earn and redeem my miles either through transferring to partners or covering travel purchases, big or small.” — Ashley Onadele, writer

Those turned off by the Venture X’s annual fee could opt for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which has a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) and similar earning rates and redemption options.

There are two types of business owners who will benefit from this card. The first is the person looking for a card with a lucrative earning structure but no annual fee. The second is someone who needs a card for those “other” expenses that fall outside the bonus categories offered by other rewards cards in their wallet. This is an ideal card for everyday business expenses.

“I have the Chase Ink Business trilogy — the Ink Business Cash Credit Card, Ink Business Preferred Credit Card and Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card. The first two cards maximize my points-earning on things like office supply, internet and phone purchases, while the Ink Unlimited covers everything else with a flat 1.5% earn rate. The fact that I have the Ink Preferred means I can convert my cash back from the Ink Unlimited into more valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. This no-annual-fee card will stay in my wallet for years to come.” — Matt Moffitt, senior credit cards editor

If you’re looking for a card that rewards you based on your banking relationship, the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card earns 1.5% back on all purchases. Those with banking and investment accounts at Bank of America can bump their earning rate up to 2.625% on all purchases thanks to Bank of America Preferred Rewards for Business.

Any small business that wants a low-annual-fee card with a lucrative welcome offer and rewarding spending bonuses is a great fit for this card.

“I originally signed up for the Ink Business Preferred primarily for its sign-up bonus. But, over the last year, I've found myself making it my go-to card when booking travel. After all, the Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar spent on travel and provides excellent travel protections, including trip delay protection and rental car insurance.” — Katie Genter, senior writer

If you don’t want to worry about maximizing specific purchases and are looking for a lower spending requirement to earn a sign-up bonus, consider the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card, which offers a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases and carries no annual fee.

If your everyday spending correlates with the Citi Premier’s bonus categories, the card can be a great way for you to earn on spending you are already doing. 

“Out of all of my credit cards, the Citi Premier Card is often my everyday card and a card I typically recommend to friends and family. Earning 3 points per dollar at gas stations, supermarkets and restaurants allows you to rack up points even when you’re not on the road. Being able to transfer Citi ThankYou points to valuable partners like Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and Avianca LifeMiles is also a key reason this card stands out, all while having a modest annual fee of $95.” – Danyal Ahmed, credit cards writer

If you love the bonus earning of the Citi Premier but are looking to get a high reward rate, additional travel benefits and don’t mind a higher annual fee, consider the American Express® Gold Card.

Anyone new to the world of travel rewards who wants a simple earning rate plus the potential for higher value could find this card to be a good fit.

“I wanted a credit card that earns Capital One miles without an annual fee, and this is a winner. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of some other cards, but I’m happy earning 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases without paying a fee to keep this card year after year. I’ll never cancel this card.” — Ryan Smith, credit cards writer

For a small annual fee, many travelers could benefit from the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. You’ll earn at least 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and receive an up to $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership.

Small businesses looking for luxury travel perks and discounts on business-related services can benefit greatly from this card.

“I find that the annual perks and credits vastly outweigh the large annual fee. By using the benefits with Priority Pass and Amex lounges, airline incidental credits, statement credits for Clear, our cellphone plan and restocking our printer with ink and paper from Dell, we are getting more value out of the card than it costs to keep it. Plus, it earns my favorite points — American Express Membership Rewards — and we earn 5 points per dollar on flights and hotels booked with Amex Travel.” — Ryan Smith, writer

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

For less-frequent travelers, consider the American Express® Business Gold Card, which offers 4 points per dollar spent on your top two spending categories each month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter).

Those with variable spending habits are ideal candidates for the Custom Cash card, as you don’t have to worry about rigid bonus categories. Spend away, and you’ll be automatically rewarded based on where you spend the most — even if it changes from one month to the next.

This card helps you to maximize purchases that don’t fit into other traditional bonus categories, especially if you hold another Citi card.

If you want to maximize rewards, consider the Chase Freedom Flex instead. You’ll earn 5% back on rotating quarterly bonus categories (on up to $1,500 in combined spending) after activation. More importantly, you can effectively convert these rewards into more valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points if you carry a higher-end Chase card as well.

If you don’t want to mess with travel redemptions and airline award charts, the Blue Cash Preferred is a fantastic option with lucrative cash-back rates and a $0 introductory annual fee in the first year, then $95 (see rates and fees). Just be sure you earn enough in rewards to justify the annual fee starting in the second year.

“The Blue Cash Preferred Card is the card I recommended to my parents when they were looking for a new cash-back rewards card for their groceries. My parents prefer the simplicity of cash-back rewards and I knew they'd benefit from earning 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in purchases at U.S. supermarkets. Compared to the 1.5% cash back they were earning on these purchases, the elevated earnings easily justified adding the Blue Cash Preferred to their wallet.” — Katie Genter, senior writer

If you aren’t a big spender, you may not be able to justify the annual fee on the card. In that case, opt for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, which comes with slightly lower earning rates but also charges no annual fee (see rates and fees).

Business owners who spend in the card’s bonus categories will love its up-to-8% return (based on TPG’s valuations). Bonus categories where you can earn up to 4 points per dollar include transit purchases; U.S. purchases for online, TV and radio advertising; monthly wireless phone service charges made directly from U.S. service providers; U.S. purchases at gas stations; U.S. purchases at restaurants; and U.S. purchases from electronic goods retailers and cloud system providers. You’ll also enjoy perks like Amex Offers.

“No other card provides the earning potential and adaptability this card has. Sure, its annual fee isn’t cheap, but I love the fact that I don’t need to think about what purchases I put on this card. It will automatically adapt and provide 4 points per dollar in my top two spending categories monthly (up to $150,000 of these purchases yearly).” — Ryan Smith, credit cards writer

If you’re looking for a lower annual fee or a card that earns bonus points on more purchase categories (not just your top two per month), consider the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card. You’ll earn 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel, shipping, select advertising purchases and internet, cable and phone services (on up to $150,000 in annual purchases, then 1 point per dollar). Its annual fee is just $95.

The card is best suited to casual Delta flyers who may not fly often enough to earn elite status but would enjoy elite-like perks such as priority boarding and a free checked bag.

“As someone who likes flying Delta but doesn’t fly with them often enough to earn elite status, my Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex still gives me elite-like perks to help upgrade my travel experience.” — Madison Blancaflor, senior editor

If you are a regular Delta flyer interested in earning elite status, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is a strong alternative. You’ll get the same elitelike benefits as with the Gold, but you’ll also get a Medallion Qualification Dollar waiver that can help you earn elite status faster — up to Platinum Medallion.

If you don’t want to worry about travel rewards and want to minimize the out-of-pocket cost of your card, this card can be a perfect fit.

“This is my oldest credit card, but I’ve kept it open for more than just its history to aid my credit score. With no annual fee and a fair earning structure, it’s a good option for purchases that don’t fall into bonus categories on my other credit cards. I’m happy knowing I’ll never earn less than 1.5% back on spending.” — Ryan Smith, credit cards writer

If you still want to avoid fees but increase your potential for cash back, consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees). It offers 3% back on dining, select streaming services, grocery store (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®) and entertainment.

This card is best for two groups of people: those who want to keep rewards lucrative but simple, earning 1% cash back as you buy things and 1% cash back as you pay them off, and those who want to ramp up rewards-earning by converting these rewards to Citi ThankYou points, which TPG values at 1.8 cents each.

"This cash-back card comes with no annual fee, unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase and a long introductory APR period on balance transfer, which is why the Citi Double Cash will always have a place in my wallet." — Christina Ly, credit cards writer

If you want an even simpler rewards-earning structure, also with no annual fee, check out the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees), which earns 2% back in cash rewards on purchases.