Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit (740 To 850 Credit Score)

Congratulations! You’re on the top tier of U.S. credit scores. If you’re shopping for the best credit cards for excellent credit, you’ll have every option open to you, and you’ll qualify for the best terms on every card.

In reality, of course, the best credit cards for excellent credit are often the same as credit cards for good credit. You’ll get the same cards – and many of them are very good ones – but your interest rate offers will be at the low end of the range instead of the high end.

Quick Comparison: The Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit

10 Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit

When looking for the best credit cards for excellent credit we took the following things into account:

• Is there an annual fee?
• Is there a fee on international spending?
• What other fees does the card have?
• What is the APR (Annual Percentage Rate)?
• Does the card offer rewards?
• Does the card have a signup bonus?
• Does the card have any other perks?

Here are our top picks for the best credit cards for good credit:

BEST BASIC CARD

Citi Simplicity® Card

Fees
No annual fee, late fee, or penalty APR

Regular APR
19.24% – 29.99% (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
No

Citi Simplicity is a great fee-free option for people who just want a basic credit card for day-to-day spending. If your spending is too low to make rewards an issue, consider this card. Read More

💳 Intro Offer: 0% purchase APR for 12 months, 0% balance transfer APR for 21 months.

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BEST REWARDS FOR EVERYDAY SPENDING

Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa®

Fees
Annual fee up to $95 plus other fees.

Regular APR
29.24% (Variable)

Intro offer
No

Rewards
Yes

The Credit One Bank X5 Visa card has a top reward package aimed at day-to-day spending. Read more

🎁 Rewards: 5% cash back on first $5000 spent on many basic needs, plus more.

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BEST NO-FEE REWARDS CARD

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Fees
No annual fee.

Regular APR
20.49% – 29.24% (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
Yes

You like rewards. You don’t like fees. The Chase Freedom Unlimited card has your back. Read more

💳 Intro Offer: Bonus, 0% purchase APR, 0% balance transfer APR.
🎁 Rewards: Four-part cash back rewards plan.

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BEST FOR ROAD TRAVEL

Discover it Chrome

Fees
No annual fee.

Regular APR
17.24% – 28.24%  (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
Yes

Road travel means gas and restaurants. This card gives you 2% cash back on both, along with other rewards, and one of the lowest minimum APRs we surveyed. Read more

💳 Intro Offer: 2x rewards in your first year, 0% APR for 15 months.
🎁 Rewards: 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, 1% cash back on other purchases.

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BEST FOR GROCERIES AND GAS

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Fees
No annual fee

Regular APR
19.24% – 29.99%  (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
Yes

This is just what it says: a card for everyday purchases. If you need a card focused on gas and groceries, take a closer look. Read more

💳 Intro Offer: $250 back on $2000 in purchases in the first 6 months, Intro APR.
🎁 Rewards: 3% at U.S. supermarkets, 3% on gas, 3% at select department stores, 1% on other purchases. Terms apply.

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BEST BALANCE TRANSFER CARD

U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card

Fees
No annual fee

Regular APR
18.74% to 29.74%  (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
No

This card gives you 21 months to pay off those balances without interest, but with no rewards, you may not want to keep using it when you’re done. Read more

💳 Intro Offer: 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 21 billing cycles.

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BEST TRAVEL CARD

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Fees
$95 Annual Fee

Regular APR
21.49%–28.49%  (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
Yes

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best cards for general travel use. Read more

💳 Intro Offer: 60,000 points ($750 for travel) if you spend $4000 in the first 3 months.
🎁 Rewards: Package of travel-focused rewards.

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BEST FOR FREQUENT HOTEL USERS

Mariott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

Fees
$95 Annual Fee

Regular APR
21.49% – 28.49%  (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
Yes

This is a hotel-focused travel card. It’s aimed at a fairly narrow audience, but if you’re in that audience, it’s well worth a look. Read more

💳 Intro Offer: 3 free nights + 10x total points on $3000 in purchases in the first 6 months, plus more
🎁 Rewards: Extensive package of hotel-focused rewards

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THE FOODIE CARD

Capital One SavorOne Rewards Credit Card

Fees
No annual fee

Regular APR
19.99% – 29.99%  (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
Yes

This is a card focused on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and grocery stores. If that sounds like your lifestyle, it might be your card. Read more

💳 Intro Offer: 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, $200 reward if you spend $500 in the first 3 months.
🎁 Rewards: 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores.

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CUSTOM CASH BACK

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Fees
No annual fee

Regular APR
19.24% – 29.24% (Variable)

Intro offer
Yes

Rewards
Yes

The Citi Custom Cash Card has a uniquely flexible rewards program. It may not be right for everyone, but it might be right for you. Read more

💳 Intro Offer: 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
🎁 Rewards: 5% back on the first $500 in your highest spending category each month.

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The Reviews

Let’s look at those cards in more detail.

Citi Simplicity® Card

🏆 Best Basic Card

👉 Summary: This is a great choice if you don’t spend a lot on your card and you’re looking for a solid basic credit card for day-to-day spending.

Description:

If you’re looking for a straightforward card with no bells and whistles, the Citi Simplicity Card is there for you. There’s no annual fee, no late fees, no penalty APR. The regular APR is 19.24% – 29.99%. With excellent credit, you’ll be at the low end of that range. There’s a 0% APR on purchases for your first 12 months. There are no rewards.

This is also a solid balance transfer option. The 21-month 0% APR window is also valid for balance transfers made within 4 months of opening the account. You’ll pay a balance transfer fee of 5% of the transfer or $5, whichever is greater.

You can set up alerts for balance levels, payments due, or being over your credit limit, and you can choose your payment due date.

This is a great choice if you don’t spend a lot on your card and you’re looking for a solid basic credit card for day-to-day spending.

👎 The downside: the lowest APR is not as low as those of some competitors. If you pay your balance in full every month, it won’t matter!

Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa®

🏆 Rewards for Everyday Spending

👉 Summary: This is a card for day-to-day use, not travel: there is a foreign transaction fee of $1 or 3% of each purchase. There’s also a cash advance fee.

The Credit One Bank X5 Visa has a $95 annual fee, but the rewards package is comprehensive enough that you’re likely to come out ahead. This is a great choice for people who use theirs primarily for local day-to-day spending. Here are the rewards.

• 5% cash back on groceries, gas, internet, mobile phone services, and cable or satellite TV, up to $5000/year. 1% cash back after $5000.
• 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• Up to 10% cash back at selected retailers.

The 5% category covers a wide range of regular spending needs, and if you make the $5000 limit, you’ll get $250 back. The cash back is credited to your statement automatically, and there’s no limit to the rewards you can earn. You’ll also get a free Experian credit score.

This is a card for day-to-day use, not travel: there is a foreign transaction fee of $1 or 3% of each purchase. There’s also a cash advance fee.

👎 The downside: The APR is high at 29.24%, so you’ll want to pay off your balance in full each month. You’ll have to spend around $1900 per year in the 5% categories to make up for that annual fee, so this is a card for regular use, not occasional use.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

🏆 Best No-Fee Rewards Card

👉 Summary: You’ll get a 15-month 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. The regular APR is from 20.49% – 29.24%. There will be a balance transfer fee.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card has no annual fee and if you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months, you’ll get a $200 reward.

There’s a solid rewards package

• 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
• 3% cash back on drugstore purchases.
• 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

The rewards don’t expire, and there’s no minimum to redeem rewards.

You’ll get a 15-month 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. The regular APR is from 20.49% – 29.24%. There will be a balance transfer fee.

👎 The downside: There’s a late payment fee of $40 and a penalty APR of up to 29.99%, which could be imposed indefinitely. Pay on time!

Discover it® chrome

🏆 Best Card for Road Travel

👉 Summary: Road travel means gas and restaurants. This card gives you 2% cash back on both, along with other rewards, and one of the lowest minimum APRs we surveyed.

If travel by car is a big part of your life, Discover It Chrome Credit Card could be your credit card. Look at the rewards:

• 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, up to $1000 per quarter in combined purchases. That’s up to $800 a year!
• 1% cash back on all other purchases, with no limit.
• Discover will match your rewards at the end of your first year.

There’s no annual fee, so the rewards are pure gain. There’s also no penalty APR, but there is a cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the cash advance, whichever is larger. The first late payment is free, but after that, you’ll pay up to $41 per late payment.

There’s a 0% intro APR for 15 months, applied to purchases and balance transfers. The regular APR is 17.24% – 28.24%. You’ll also have access to an app for paying your bill, monitoring your account, tracking and redeeming rewards, and viewing your lovely FICO score.

👎 The downside: if gas and restaurants aren’t high on your spending list, look for a different card!

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

🏆 Best Rewards for Groceries and Gas

👉 Summary: This is just what it says: a card for everyday purchases. If you need a card focused on gas and groceries, take a closer look.

The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express has a rewards program focused on some of the most basic and common spending categories.

• 3% cash back at US supermarkets up to $6000 per year, 1% after you pass the $6000 mark.
• 3% cash back at US gas stations and at select US department stores.
• 1% on all other purchases.

Terms apply to all rewards. There’s a 15-month 0% intro APR on purchases. The regular APR is from 19.24% to 29.99%.

There’s no annual fee. There’s a cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the amount, whichever is greater, and a 2.7% foreign transaction fee.

👎 The downside: This is a great family card, but if you live alone, you may not spend enough on groceries to make the rewards attractive.

U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card

🏆 Best Balance Transfer Card

👉 Summary: This card gives you 21 months to pay off those balances without interest, but with no rewards, you may not want to keep using it when you’re done.

If you want to consolidate credit card debt with a balance transfer card, the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card could be the card you’re looking for. The 21-month 0% intro APR for both purchases and balance transfers is one of the longest in the industry. That gives you enough time to pay any balances you transfer. The balance transfer fee is 3% of the balance, lower than the 5% offered by many competitors.

The regular APR is 18.74% to 29.74%. There’s a cash advance fee, a foreign transaction fee, and late and returned payment fees.

👎 The downside: There are no rewards, so this probably isn’t a card you’ll want to use for anything but balance transfers.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

🏆 Best Travel Card

👉 Summary: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best cards for general travel use.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best cards for general travel use. Here’s a summary of the rewards.

• Spend $4000 using the card in your first 3 months and get 60,000 bonus points ($750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards).
• Up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• 2x total points on other travel purchases.
• 3x points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services.
• 3x points on online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs).
• 3x points on selected streaming services.
• Other purchases get 1 point per dollar spent.
• You get 25% more value if you redeem your points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. 60,000 points are worth $750.
• Anniversary bonus points of 10% of the previous year’s purchases.
• Points are worth 25% more if redeemed against existing purchases as statement credit.
• There’s a 1 to 1 points transfer program with many hotel and airline loyalty programs. That lets you combine points from different programs.

The APR is 21.49%–28.49% and there’s no foreign transaction fee. There is a $40 late payment fee and a cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater. There’s a penalty APR of 29.99%, which can be applied indefinitely if you make a late payment or a payment is returned.

👎 The downside: You have to travel regularly and spend plenty to justify the $95 annual fee.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

🏆 Best Card for Hotels and Travel

👉 Summary: This is a hotel-focused travel card. It’s aimed at a fairly narrow audience, but if you’re in that audience it’s well worth a look.

If hotels are more familiar than your bedroom, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card. Here’s what you get as an introductory bonus:

• If you spend $3000 in your first 3 months you’ll get 3 free night awards plus 10x total points.
• 3x total points for every $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants.

The ongoing rewards are pretty good too if you’re a regular hotel user (especially if you like Mariott).

• 6x points for every dollar spent at 7,000 participating hotels.
• 10x points from Mariott.
• Other purchases earn 2 points for every dollar spent.
• Every anniversary of your first day with the card gets you a free night award.
• There are no foreign transaction fees.

The APR is from 21.49%–28.49%. There’s a cash advance fee, a late/returned payment penalty, and a potentially indefinite penalty APR if you make a late or returned payment.

👎 The downside: there’s a $95 annual fee. It’s only worth it if you’re a heavy spender on hotels and travel.

Capital One SavorOne Rewards Credit Card

🏆 Best foodie card

👉 Summary: This is a card focused on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and grocery stores. If that sounds like your lifestyle, it might be your card.

If you eat out more than you eat in, try the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. The food-focused reward package includes the following.

• 3% unlimited cash back on dining, groceries, entertainment, and some streaming services.
• 1% cash back on other purchases.
• 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
• If you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months, you’ll get a $200 bonus.

There’s no limit on the rewards you can earn, so if you put a lot of spending on your card and you spend a lot on restaurants and grocery stores, you could do well with this one. You can redeem rewards through PayPal or use them for Amazon purchases.

There’s a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months and a 19.99% – 29.99% APR after that. The card has no annual fee or international transaction fee. There’s a late payment fee if you make late or returned payments.

You might also consider the Savor Rewards from Capital One card. It has higher rewards and a larger introductory bonus. It also has a $95 annual fee and no 0% intro APR. You’ll have to eat out a lot for the extra rewards to be worth the $95 annual fee.

👎 The downside: You’ll need excellent credit to get approved.

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

🏆 Best Custom Cashback Card

👉 Summary: The Citi Custom Cash Card has a uniquely flexible rewards program. It may not be right for everyone, but it might be right for you.

No annual fee and a self-customizing rewards program make the Citi Custom Cash Card stand out. Your spending is divided into categories: restaurants, gas stations, groceries, selected travel & transit, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness, and live entertainment. Whatever category you spend most on in a given billing cycle gets 5% cash back, up to $500. You’ll get 1% cash back on spending over in that category and on all other purchases. The card adjusts to your spending; you don’t have to select a category.

If you spend $1500 on the card in the first six months, you’ll get 20,000 Thank You points worth $200.

There are multiple options for redeeming rewards: direct deposit, a statement credit, a check, or other redemption options, including gift cards, travel, and Amazon shopping.

There’s a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from the date of your first transfer and on purchases for your first 15 months with the card. There is a foreign transaction fee, and you will pay a penalty APR if you make a late or returned payment.

👎 The downside: If your spending is low you may not take full advantage of the rewards.

The Cards We Looked At

If you are looking at credit cards for excellent credit, you will come across offers for cards positioned as elite or super-premium products. Some of these cards are invitation-only and available only to the very rich. Others are open to anyone who meets the credit requirements.

☝️ These cards tend to have astronomical fees. The invitation-only Centurion Card from American Express has a $10,000 initiation fee and a $5000 annual fee! If you don’t get invited, you can apply for the Mastercard Gold Card – it’s literally plated with gold – which has an annual fee of a mere $995.

These cards might give you a huge ego rush when you whip one out at the end of a business dinner, but they rarely make financial sense. Many have attractive rewards packages, but you’d have to spend enormous amounts to generate enough rewards to cover the fee.

You don’t have to be a millionaire to have excellent credit. Your credit score doesn’t depend on your income at all. These cards are suited to ordinary folks who manage their finances well and have excellent credit because of it.

Choosing the Right Credit Card for Excellent Credit

With excellent credit, you’ll have no shortage of choices. When applicants with those credit scores come around, issuers roll out the red carpet and offer their most persuasive perks and bonuses.

Many of these cards have a lot to offer, but none is “best” for everyone. You’ll have to choose the card that best fits your needs and your spending patterns.

Almost all of these cards offer customized alerts, apps to monitor your account, fraud protection, and other features.

All of these cards have variable APRs: your interest may change with the overall interest rate environment.

Most of the best credit cards for excellent credit come with rewards. Rewards can be attractive, and many people use them to their advantage. That doesn’t mean you should automatically leap on the card with the highest rewards. Knowing how to choose a rewards credit card can help you ensure that the rewards you earn are actually useful and help you earn at a higher rate.

The Other Side of Rewards

Credit card companies don’t offer rewards because they are nice and generous. Rewards are designed to encourage you to spend more money on your cards, carry balances, and pay interest.

Before applying for a rewards card, consider these questions.

• Is there an annual fee? If it does, how high is the fee? How much will you have to charge on your card to earn enough rewards to cover the annual fee?
• Do the rewards fit the way you spend? Many cards offer rewards designed to fit specific types of spending. Look for rewards that fit your spending style.
• Will you have to up your spending to maximize rewards? If you’re not a big spender, you might not charge enough on your card to maximize rewards. That can be an incentive to spend more, which may not be good for you.

Rewards are most productive if you do a lot of spending on your card. That’s fine if you would have done a lot of spending on your card anyway. If you end up putting more spending on your card just to maximize the rewards, you may not be helping yourself.

Upping your card spending has two risks.

• You may end up carrying a balance from month to month. If you do, your interest payments will quickly cancel out your rewards.
• Boosting your credit card spending could raise your credit utilization and harm your credit.

👉 Make sure you are controlling the rewards rather than the rewards controlling you. If you are not going to spend big on your card, you might want to look for a simple zero-fee card rather than going for the best rewards.

Customize Your Card Holdings

The average American has between three and four cards. If you don’t need that many cards, there’s no need to keep up with that average. If you do decide to carry multiple cards, make sure you have a specific purpose for each card.

Many of the best credit cards for excellent credit are specialized. You might choose to use one card for everyday gas and groceries and another for travel or set up any other combination that suits your needs.

Just be sure that each card has a purpose. You should know exactly when to reach for each card and why, and you should always keep an eye on those fees!

Enjoy Your Credit

We won’t lecture you on the importance of credit utilization and on-time payments or the need to monitor and understand your credit reports. If you’re looking for credit cards for excellent credit, you’ve figured that out already!

You’ve earned your privileges, so pick the card that best suits your needs and enjoy it! Using it well will help you push that score even higher!