There’s no reason to feel intimidated by a credit card. As long as you pay off your purchases every month, there’s little risk and tons of upside.
— Claire Dickey
Claire Dickey is a credit cards editor at Bankrate, focusing on news, product guides and educational content. Her areas of expertise include rewards and travel credit cards, building credit and credit card news. Always on the lookout for the latest credit cards and card perks, as well as cards-related legislation and regulations, Claire is passionate about demystifying personal finance topics. Her goal is to help readers save money, earn rewards and protect their credit scores.
When she’s not strategizing about how to maximize rewards on her next trip, Claire is an avid runner and day hiker.
If you’re trying to build credit, my best advice is to keep things simple. A credit card is a great way to show your creditworthiness, but picking one can be overwhelming since there are so many options out there and so many features to consider. Stick to the basics: Look for a card with low fees and the option to put down a large deposit and get a matching credit limit. If you pay on time and only charge small purchases to the card, your score can grow surprisingly quickly.
There’s no reason to feel intimidated by a credit card. As long as you pay off your purchases every month, there’s little risk and tons of upside.
— Claire Dickey
The Platinum Select World Elite card offers an ample sign-up bonus, no annual fee for the first 12 months ($99 thereafter) and great yearly bonuses that add to your mileage pool.
The Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® helps frequent travelers and loyalists to the Virgin Atlantic airline earn miles on travel and all other purchases.
Blue from American Express allows you to collect Membership Rewards points on all your purchases and enjoy useful credit card perks for no annual fee.
With unlimited rewards, no annual fee and a 0 percent intro APR, the U.S. Bank Business Cash card can help you make the most of your business expenses.
The best card depends on your spending habits and personal preferences.
The distinction lies in what type of spending you’d like to earn rewards on, as well as the cap on those rewards.
Don’t buy into these common misconceptions about credit cards.
Chase Freedom Rise is the newest addition to Chase’s Freedom family lineup and is aimed at cardholders looking to build credit toward a healthy financial future.
If you don’t qualify for the Petal 2 card, this is a decent low-cost, unsecured alternative if you’re not a student.
The IHG Rewards Club is worth considering if you’re traveling with any of IHG’s brands. But what are the points actually worth?
The Control Prepaid Mastercard offers a high APY with the attached savings account, but it comes with fewer cash-back options than other prepaid cards.
This credit card is one of three secured cards offered by First Progress issued by Synovus Bank, and all of them can help you rebuild your credit.
If you want to capitalize on frequent business travel without paying an annual fee, this card is hard to beat.
Applying for a credit card with a co-signer is a good way to build a positive credit history, but most major issuers don’t allow them.
The Hawaiian Airlines rewards program, HawaiianMiles, offers a way for people who travel frequently with the airline to earn rewards, free flights and elite status perks.
If you’re paying for a large purchase with a credit card, use a card with a low APR or a generous rewards system.
The Capital One Spark Cash for Business Plus is ideal for business owners who want rewards for their spending but have no time for rewards categories.
A card for consumers with fair credit who may not be eligible for the best rewards cards on the market today.
The Citi Diamond Preferred Card offers one of the longest introductory balance transfer periods on the market. Here's why that might not be good enough.
Business owners who have a lot of expenditures in the bonus categories can benefit from owning the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.
Paying rent with a credit card can be a quick way to earn rewards, but beware of the risks before you decide.
The value of your American Airlines miles depends on how you’re redeeming them.
Upgrading or downgrading your Capital One card can be a smart financial move.
Learn about unsecured credit cards for bad credit you should consider.