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Best credit cards for excellent credit in June 2023

Updated May 30, 2023

An excellent credit score opens up opportunities to qualify for some of the best credit cards available from our partners. With a FICO Score above 800 (or a VantageScore over 780), you could get a top-of-the line credit card that offers generous rewards programs, lavish perks, low interest rates and more. Learn more about our picks for some of the best credit cards for excellent credit.

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Best for category variety

Discover it® Cash Back

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on Discover's secure site
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Info
Image of Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Best for food and entertainment

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

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on Capital One's secure site
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

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Annual fee

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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chance of approval
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Info
Image of Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
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on Capital One's secure site
Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
3.8 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Best for flat-rate cash back

Citi® Double Cash Card

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on Citi's secure site
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

N/A

Annual fee

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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chance of approval
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Image of Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Best for flexible travel rewards

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

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on Capital One's secure site
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
4.1 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
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on American Express's secure site
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4 Bankrate review
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See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
See if you're pre‐approved for this card with Approval Odds

Intro offer

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Annual fee

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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chance of approval
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Image of Discover it® chrome

Best for low interest

Discover it® chrome

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on Discover's secure site
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

Info

Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of Citi Rewards+® Card

Best for rewards on small purchases

Citi Rewards+® Card

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on Citi's secure site
Rating: 3.9 stars out of 5
3.9 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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On This Page

Compare Bankrate's top cards for excellent credit

Card Name Best for Bankrate Review Score
Discover it® Cash Back Category variety 4.4 / 5
(Read full card review)
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Food and entertainment
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card Simple cash back
Citi Double Cash Card Flat-rate cash back
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card Flexible travel rewards 4.7 / 5
(Read full card review)
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express Groceries and gas 4.4 / 5
(Read full card review)
Discover it® chrome Low interest 4.0 / 5
(Read full card review)
Citi Rewards+ Card Rewards on small purchases 3.9 / 5
(Read full card review)
Chase Freedom Unlimited Starter rewards card 5.0 / 5
(Read full card review)

A closer look at Bankrate’s best cards for excellent credit

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Best for category variety

Discover it® Cash Back

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Although rotating categories may require extra work for cardholders, Discover announces each category around one month ahead of the next quarter. Provided you can organize and time your purchases to align with Discover’s 2023 cash back calendar, you can easily maximize your rewards each quarter.
Credit strategists who don’t mind keeping tabs on enrollment calendars and rotating bonus categories to rake in rewards on each season’s biggest expenses.
If you want more consistent rewards throughout the year, the Chase Freedom Flex provides the same high-rate rewards on rotating categories. However, you can also enjoy cash back from additional bonus categories, including unlimited 3 percent cash back on dining and drugstore purchases year-round. 
Read our full Discover it® Cash Back review. Jump back to offer details.
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Best for food and entertainment

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

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It’s rare for a no-annual-fee card to provide such robust (unlimited) rewards rates for major categories like dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store categories. Entertainment rewards are hard to come by, and this card is especially appetizing since few cards reward food at home as well as at restaurants.
People with active social lives and foodies will make the most of this comprehensive entertainment and dining rewards card. It’s great for anyone who only wants to hold one card.
The Discover it® chrome rewards dining, too, plus it tacks on gas rewards for people who are on the go. However, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card’s 3 percent cash back on dining and drugstore purchases plus unlimited 1.5 cash back on all other purchases is a bit stronger.
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Best for simple cash back

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

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Capital One provides a simplified rewards program that allows you to set your rewards to automatically redeem on a certain date or at a sufficient rewards balance threshold. Plus, you can rack up those rewards quickly with the card’s unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases.
No-frills rewards seekers who want to get their rewards without tracking bonus categories or enrollment dates.
If this card doesn’t offer the potential cash back value you had in mind, you might be better off with the Citi Double Cash’s higher rewards rate or the Chase Freedom Unlimited card’s additional bonus categories and perks.
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Best for flat-rate cash back

Citi® Double Cash Card

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Its up to 2 percent unlimited cash back on every purchase (1 percent cash back when you buy, plus another 1 percent after paying it off) is one of the highest flat rewards rates available. This card’s intro balance transfer offer can seal the deal if you’re bringing over a balance from another card.
Diligent cardholders who prefer a simple rewards program and may transfer a balance. Additionally, cardholders who already have the Citi Premier® Card can make good use of the cash back they earn with the Double Cash by pooling their basic ThankYou points with the Premier card’s ThankYou points. This will open the gate to more travel redemptions.
If you want a bonus category card’s boosted rewards, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card may earn you more cash back based on your top eligible spending category each billing cycle. 
Read our full Citi Double Cash Card review. Jump back to offer details.
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Best for flexible travel rewards

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

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Few mile-earning travel cards are available for no annual fee, and this card’s flat-rate rewards are perfect for fans of simplicity. Capital One’s long list of 1:1 transfer partners and the option to cover past travel purchases (made in the past 90 days) make your miles more flexible and easier to maximize than competitors’ travel rewards.
Occasional travelers who want the flexibility to redeem their travel miles wherever they please but don’t mind researching the most valuable transfer partners’ points or miles value.
If earning miles is your priority but Capital One isn’t your preferred issuer and you want some added redemption options, you might be interested in exploring other options. This is especially the case if you want more flexibility with your rewards. The Discover it® Miles will be a great alternative for cardholders torn between cash back and miles. You can decide to redeem your rewards as miles or cash back and this card earns at a more generous rate of 1.5X miles on all purchases.
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Best for groceries and gas

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

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This well-rounded card offers perhaps the highest rewards rate at U.S. supermarkets of any grocery credit card available. The card’s unlimited 3 percent cash back rate at U.S. gas stations can be incredibly rewarding, too, especially when gas prices are high. If your commute doesn’t involve driving, you’re in luck — the card’s broad transit category earns the same rewards rate.
Individuals and families with budgets focused on household expenses, mainly groceries and commuting.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a no-annual-fee version of the Blue Cash Preferred, with lower rewards rates and an impressive online retail category. If your supermarket or gas station expenses aren’t substantial enough that you earn enough cash back to offset the Blue Cash Preferred card’s $95 annual fee, the Everyday card might be a better match for you.
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Best for low interest

Discover it® chrome

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Despite low rewards rates for good to excellent credit, Discover’s low interest rate and fees can be worth it if you need to carry a balance occasionally. There’s no penalty APR, no fee on your first late payment, (then up to $41), and its APR can be well below the current average interest rate.
On-the-go people who spend a fair amount of money at gas stations and restaurants, but may need to carry a balance once in a while.
The Capital One SavorOne card is a much more rewarding card for groceries (excluding superstores), and various everyday staples, if you have excellent credit and can’t justify an annual fee. If cash back is your priority but you still want to benefit from low interest, the Discover it® Cash Back card offers high cash back rates and an interest rate that’s identical to the Discover it® chrome’s rate.
Read our full Discover it® chrome review. Jump back to offer details.
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Best for rewards on small purchases

Citi Rewards+® Card

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Thanks to its roundup feature, every purchase you make is rounded up to the nearest 10 points. For example, a $4 coffee would be worth 10 points. This rewards bump can add up quickly if you make a lot of small purchases throughout the week. You’ll also receive 10 percent of the points you redeem back (up to the first 100,000 points each year) on your account anniversary.
Modest supermarket and gas station spenders who make frequent pit stops for coffee, snacks and other small purchases. This card’s reward perks are even more helpful if you have a Citi Premier card to pool rewards.
If you pay off your card on time and in full, the Citi Double Cash can provide the same 2 percent rate on all purchases without a yearly spending limit (1 percent cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1 percent as you pay for those purchases). But if you spend the most at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, the Blue Cash Everyday card may be your most rewarding no-annual-fee option.
Read our full Citi Rewards+ Card review. Jump back to offer details.
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Best starter rewards card

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers the same 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases as many flat-rate cards, but sets itself apart by stacking on additional, everyday bonus categories. Its well-rounded intro offers, rich perks and lucrative pairing opportunities with Chase travel cards are also impressive elements that solidify this option for people with excellent credit.
Anyone looking for a one-size-fits-all rewards card they can pair with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards to pool and maximize rewards.
Staying in the Chase portfolio, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is remarkably similar to the Freedom Unlimited but trades flat-rate cash back for quarterly rotating categories that can potentially be more valuable. But if flat-rate rewards are the main appeal, the Citi Double Cash Card earns up to 2 percent cash back on all purchases (1 percent when you purchase and another 1 percent once you pay it off).

The information about the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

What is an excellent credit score?

An excellent credit score is 800 to 850 on the FICO scale. VantageScore’s excellent tier is between 750 and 850. VantageScore and FICO both incorporate data from credit bureaus, but their scores are generated with different mathematical models. Despite their differences, if you have excellent credit, both will generally reflect it.

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Bankrate Insight

Is having excellent credit today a reliable indicator of your finances tomorrow? According to Experian, less than 1 percent of people who have Exceptional FICO Scores (800 to 850) are likely to become seriously delinquent in the future.

Benefits of cards for excellent credit scores

The best credit cards for excellent credit boast perks, offers and rewards rates that you won’t find anywhere else. These benefits include extended intro APR offers, low ongoing APRs, top-tier rewards rates, valuable sign-up offers and a low amount of fees. Some of these cards, depending on their category, may also carry some of the best travel benefits available.

The right benefits for you will depend on your preferences, but this list features a variety of cards that carry some of the best benefits you’ll find on any credit card.

How to get an excellent credit score

  1. Familiarize yourself with the factors that make up your credit score

    Things like your credit utilization ratio, the age of your accounts, your payment history, credit mix and new credit are all major facets that make up your credit score. Understanding these factors and the effects they have on your score is a key part of making sure you know how to build and maintain it.
  2. Dispute any errors you find on your credit report

    Your credit report is a compilation of your entire history as a credit user, while you can think of your credit score as a current-day snapshot. You can remove negative items from your credit report by reaching out directly to the credit bureau, and getting rid of the items hindering your score can be a game-changer when building credit.
  3. Pay off debts regularly and keep your credit utilization ratio low

    Overspending on the amount of credit available to you sends signals of financial instability to lenders. Paying your bills on time and in full each month and building a positive payment history is one of the best ways to see steady growth in your credit score.
  4. Avoid applying for multiple cards in a short period

    Doing so can signal to lenders that you are a riskier candidate. Also, each card application you submit will result in a hard credit check. Hard credit checks can temporarily drive down your credit score.
  5. Have patience

    You likely won’t achieve an excellent score within months of opening your first credit card. Also, remember that you don’t need to strive for a perfect 850 credit score. Anyone with a score within the “exceptional” range, which FICO considers 800 and above, should be able to enjoy the same benefits as someone with a perfect score.
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Bankrate Insight

Only 1.2 percent of Americans have a “perfect” FICO Score of 850. However, an exceptional FICO Score of 800 or above means you already enjoy virtually all the benefits of a perfect score.

How to maintain an excellent credit score

  • Keep up with the positive credit habits you’ve established. If you have excellent credit, odds are you’re already paying your credit card bills on time and in full and keeping your credit utilization low. Continuing with these and other positive credit habits is a solid way to maintain your excellent score.
  • Dive into a credit card strategy. Having excellent credit affords you access to some of the best credit cards on the market. Put your responsibility to good use and develop a strategy to use these top-tier cards to reap the highest returns on your most popular purchases while still putting your good credit habits at the forefront to keep you on top.
  • Focus on long-term maintenance over short-term fluctuations. As you continue to build your credit portfolio, you may find yourself applying for new cards or upgrading to better versions of the ones you already have. New credit inquiries of any kind may cause small score dips here and there, but as long as you continue to make smart credit choices, you should be able to maintain your excellent score.

How we chose our best cards for excellent credit scores

Bankrate's 5-star scoring system evaluates features that offer maximum value and first-rate user experience. For cards in the excellent credit category, we refine the method to focus on a set of particular factors including:
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    Rewards value
    By matching lifestyle categories with the cards most likely to maximize returns, we've made it easy for you to find the card that will offer the best value — points, miles or cash back.
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    APR
    Annual percentage rate (APR) represents interest charges you would face if you didn't pay your balance fully. With excellent credit, you're more likely to qualify for a low APR.
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    Extras and discounts
    On top of earning rewards, each credit card on this list offers features that raise its overall value. Perks like statement credits on travel, access to travel lounges, and free credit score monitoring allow cardholders to maximize the benefits of achieving a strong credit score.
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    Cost of ownership
    Some of these cards come with an annual fee, but in those cases, the earnings potential should outweigh the cost. The travel cards frequently waive foreign transaction fees.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply

More resources for excellent credit consumers

If you have excellent credit, you can qualify for some of the best cards on the market. Here are some resources to help you get more information about credit cards and credit scores:


Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.

Frequently asked questions about credit cards for excellent credit scores