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Best Visa credit cards for March 2024

Updated March 12, 2024

Millions of people worldwide own credit cards that use Visa's state-of-the-art electronic payment network. While it doesn’t directly issue its own cards, Visa partners with other credit card issuers like Chase and Bank of America to offer the best Visa credit cards throughout the world. Whether you’re looking for a cash back card for everyday spending or a travel rewards card to use on your next vacation, you've got plenty of options with Visa. Check out Bankrate's picks for the best Visa cards of 2024 from our credit card partners.

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Best for large sign-up bonus
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Recommended Credit
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Intro offer

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$1200

Offer valuation

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1x - 5x

Rewards rate

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Annual fee

Regular APR

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awards-badge
2024 Bankrate Awards Winner
Best for luxury travel perks
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Excellent (740 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
Info

Intro offer

Info

$1200

Offer valuation

Info

1x - 10x

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for low cost and low interest
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2
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Apply now Lock
on Upgrade's secure site
Fair to Good (580 – 740)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

1.5%

Rewards Rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for fair credit scores
Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
3.8
Info
Apply now Lock
on Credit One Bank's secure site
Fair to Good (580 – 740)
Info
Recommended Credit

N/A

Intro offer

Info

1% - 5%

Rewards Rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Info
Best for travel rewards on everyday spending
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9
Info
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
Info

Intro offer

Info

$1275

Offer valuation

Info

2 Miles - 5 Miles

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for Bank of America loyalists and occasional travelers
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
4.1
Info
Apply now Lock
on Bank of America's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$250

Offer valuation

Info

1.5X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Compare Bankrate's top Visa credit cards of 2024

Card name Best for Bankrate review score

Sign-up bonus

5.0 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Luxury travel perks

5.0 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Low-cost and low-interest spending

4.2 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Upgrade's secure site

Fair credit scores

3.8 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Credit One Bank's secure site

Travel rewards on everyday spending

4.9 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

Bank of America loyalists and occasional travelers

4.1 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Bank of America's secure site
On This Page

A closer look at the best Visa credit cards

Image of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Best for sign-up bonus

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Its rewards rates make it a great fit for travelers and foodies alike. Plus, your points are worth 25 percent more when redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

People new to the world of travel credit cards. Cardholders will earn flexible travel points that are easy to earn if you dine out and travel and are simple to redeem. The card is also a great choice for those who want to dip into the Chase trifecta, the Chase card engine that can maximize your reward earnings and value. 

If you want to earn rewards in more categories, a decent choice for travelers is the Citi Premier® Card, a mid-level travel card. The Sapphire Preferred has a slightly lower APR and earns rewards at a higher rate than the Citi Premier. Still, Citi Premier cardholders will earn competitive rewards rates at gas stations, restaurants and  air travel purchases. 

Read our full Chase Sapphire Preferred review or jump back to offer details.

Image of Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Best for luxury travel perks

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Perks like complimentary lounge access and annual travel credits that can easily offset its high annual fee.

Travelers who want best-in-class luxury travel perks and don’t mind paying for them. This card is also a great choice for Chase trifecta enthusiasts who want to maximize their Ultimate Rewards point value. 

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a good alternative if the Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee gives you pause. The Capital One Venture X Rewards card has a lower annual fee and carries many of the same luxury perks as the Sapphire Reserve.

Read our full Chase Sapphire Reserve review or jump back to offer details.

Image of Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®

Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®

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Cardholders have a good chance at a lower APR, which makes carrying a balance less expensive.

People with average credit working toward good or excellent credit can benefit from this unique blend of a credit card and personal loan.

If you still want a card with a potentially low APR, consider the Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card, (issued by WebBank). The lower end of the Petal 2’s APR is slightly higher than the Upgrade Visa’s, but the Petal 2 also tacks on the potential to earn rewards — a rare perk for credit-builder cards. 

Read our full Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® Review or jump back to offer details.

Image of Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa®

Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa®

Best for fair credit scores

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This card is one of the few for people with average credit that earns rewards at such a high rate.

People with fair credit who still want to earn rewards in popular everyday spending categories.

If you want to earn rewards, but are hesitant to shell out $95 for an annual fee, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (See Rates & Fees) is a solid alternative. The rewards aren’t quite as lucrative, but cardholders will still earn a respectable 1.5 percent cash back on all their purchases.

Read our full Credit One Bank Platinum X5 Visa review or jump back to offer details.

Image of Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Best for travel rewards on everyday spending

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Its high and unlimited flat rewards rate on all purchases, plus its boosted rates on hotel and rental cars booked through the issuer’s travel portal.

Mid-level travelers who want higher rewards rates than basic travel cards, but don’t want to shell out hundreds of dollars for an annual fee.

If you want to stick with a Capital One card and earn similarly lucrative rewards — without shelling out an annual fee — consider the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. (See Rates & Fees)

Image of Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Best for Bank of America loyalists and occasional travelers

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 The broad definition of travel purchases means that cardholders can earn travel rewards at amusement parks, zoos, campgrounds and more.

This card is great for Bank of America customers who want to earn travel rewards with road trips and attractions, not just getaway trips overseas.

If you don’t mind taking on a small annual fee, the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card offers cardholders a bit more when it comes to unlimited rewards earnings. You’ll double your sign-up bonus with a slightly larger required spend, and the card still caters to Bank of America loyalists who can qualify for the boosted rates that come with the Preferred Rewards program.

Image of U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Best for flexible cash back rewards

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The customizable rewards structure gives cardholders the opportunity to maximize their cash back earnings by adjusting their highest rate rewards categories as needed.  

Serious budgeters who want to earn the maximum rewards for their spending. If you have the time to track your spending diligently, this card can be lucrative.

The Citi® Double Cash Card  provides a solid alternative if you prefer to earn rewards the simple way. Citi Double Cash cardholders get 1 percent back when they buy and 1 percent when they pay, which encourages people to keep up with their credit card bill. 

Image of Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Best for no annual fee travel rewards

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You’ll still earn a competitive rewards rate on all purchases with this card while skipping the annual fee (See Rates & Fees).

Travel beginners who may not travel enough to justify an annual fee for more abundant perks and benefits, but who still want to earn towards travel on everyday spending. 

Another lucrative travel rewards card that skips the annual fee and could be easy to manage for travel beginners is the Discover it® Miles. This card also includes Discover’s popular mile-for-mile cash back match program as a first-year welcome bonus, along with a generous intro APR offer.

Image of Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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This card offers a rare combination of  solid cash back rates on travel, restaurant and drugstore purchases, but also a boosted flat rate on all other purchases. That makes it especially valuable and flexible as a standalone rewards card.

Travelers who dine out often or shop frequently at drugstores and are looking for a flexible, low-cost rewards card that lets them redeem for both travel and cash back without sacrificing point value.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a great option if you need a card that earns rewards on groceries. The card earns high rates of cash back at U.S. supermarkets, and while it charges an annual fee, this cost should be easy to offset via everyday spending.

What to know about Visa credit cards

Visa is a payment network many credit card issuers and banks use. Payment networks facilitate an electronic transaction of funds between buyers and sellers, and they generally charge a small fee for each transaction.

While Visa technically acts as the facilitator for all payments made with a Visa credit card, it is not a credit card issuer or bank. It simply provides the payment network technology that credit card issuers and banks use for all cards.

Visa is at the top of the payment processing industry as the largest of the four major U.S. credit card networks. If you have a debit, credit or prepaid card in your wallet, there's a good chance that the card is partnered with Visa.

With over 1 billion credit cards in circulation worldwide (an estimated 798 million outside the U.S.), Visa's international presence is undeniable. Visa cards are accepted in more than 200 countries and can be used with more than 10 million merchants in the United States. In the first three quarters of 2022, Visa's worldwide credit payments were more than  $2 trillion, according to Bankrate.com Market Share Statistics.

Visa credit card benefit tiers

All Visa cards fall under one of three benefit tiers: Traditional, Signature and Infinite. Each card tier offers different benefits, but the exact benefits that come with your card will be determined by your card issuer.

It’s worth checking the terms and conditions of any Visa card you’re considering to see what protections and benefits it includes. While Visa designates benefit tiers and includes a list of perks available in each tier, not every card issuer offers those benefits. For instance, you may carry a Visa Signature card, but whether that card comes with all Visa Signature benefits will be at the discretion of your card issuer — not Visa.

Visa credit card pros and cons

Pros

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    Worldwide acceptance: Visa cards are accepted in over 200 countries and territories, making it one of the most widely accepted payment networks in the world.

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    Travel benefits: The Visa benefit tiers feature an array of travel-related perks ranging from roadside dispatch at the lowest tier to lost luggage reimbursement at the highest tier.

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    Straightforward benefit tiers: Clearly defined tiers make understanding benefits a bit easier, though you’ll have to carefully review the specific benefits that come with your card.

Cons

  • High annual fees on certain cards: Visa cards can come with annual fees ranging from $35 to over $500. Plenty of Visa cards don’t charge an annual fee, though the reward offers on those cards may not be as luxurious.

  • More focus on travel protection, less on discounts/experience: Competitors like Mastercard feature travel experience benefits like airport concierge service, a feature that isn’t offered at Visa Signature or Infinite tiers.

Tips on choosing the right Visa card

Visa is a large network and partners with credit card issuers on many types of cards, including rewards cards, credit-building cards, balance transfer cards and more. Choosing a Visa credit card is the same as choosing the best card from any credit card network. You should find the one that best suits your overall financial situation. Knowing your goals and how your spending aligns with the following profiles will help you gauge which Visa card is right for you:

If you aren’t sure where to start with your search for a Visa credit card, consider looking at Visa Signature cards. This mid-level Visa tier includes cards that come with a handful of solid perks and usually have fairly decent rewards rates. If you can familiarize yourself with Visa Signature cards, you can determine if they’re enough to meet your needs or if you need to consider Visa Traditional or Infinite cards.

Still unsure if a Visa credit card is right for you? Check out our CardMatch tool to get personalized credit card recommendations and prequalification offers based on your credit score, spending habits and daily needs.

Expert advice for Visa cards

Visa credit cards are worth considering because they’re part of the most prevalent credit card networks available. Merchants almost anywhere in the world will be able to accept payments with a Visa credit card. Since the Visa network includes many credit card types, it should also be easy to find a Visa card you can make the most of.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re looking for your next Visa card or hoping to maximize one you hold:

Earn your welcome offer

The best Visa cards carry valuable welcome offers that bring a lot of value to your first year with your new card. Use your card whenever possible in your first few months to meet any spending requirement attached to your sign-up bonus. It may be tempting to spend in excess, so plan your purchases ahead of time to avoid spending beyond your means. If you overspend chasing a welcome offer and end up carrying a balance, the interest charges could negate rewards.

Check card acceptance

Visa may be the largest of the credit card networks with the widest acceptance rate, but you might run into a merchant that won’t take Visa cards. If this is the case, they might not take any credit cards. However, it pays to remain aware so you aren’t left stunned in the checkout process.

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Bankrate Insight

U.S Costco warehouse locations and U.S Costco gas stations exclusively accept Visa cards.

Maximize your rewards categories

Visa cards include several reward categories across many cards. You should know where and in which categories your card(s) earn the most points, cash back or miles when you’re maximizing rewards categories. It can help to calculate how much you’ll spend in a given month, quarter or year in each of your spending categories when thinking about how you’ll use a credit card.

Like with any card, you should avoid spending for the sake of earning rewards or cash back.

Be aware of rates and fees

Some of the most common credit card fees to watch for include annual fees, late payment fees, foreign transaction fees and balance transfer fees. And while you should strive to avoid carrying a balance, you’ll want a low ongoing APR if you anticipate not paying your balance in full.

How we assess the best Visa credit cards

Document
250+
cards rated
Congrats
50+
rewards programs valued
Search
5000
data points analyzed
Credit Card Reviews
40+
perks evaluated

When evaluating the best Visa credit cards, we take into account several factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether they offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of cardholders, from earning rewards to scoring a large sign-up bonus to saving on interest. 

We analyzed over 250 of the most popular credit cards and selected standout Visa cards.  We scored each card based on the factors most relevant to its primary category, including its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, intro APR period, ongoing APR, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup. 

Here are some of the key factors that we considered:  

Frequently asked questions about Visa credit cards