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The best Mastercard credit cards offer generous rewards, long zero-interest introductory periods and tempting sign-up bonuses. Bankrate experts have picked the top contenders in a number of categories. Here are the top Mastercard credit cards available from our partners.
Our writers, editors and industry experts score
credit cards based on a variety of factors
including card features, bonus offers
and independent research. Credit card issuers have
no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Rewards rate
5X
For a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on air travel and hotels up to $6,000 in the first 12 months and then 1 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent thereafter.
2X
Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter.
1X
Earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
Intro offer
20,000 points
Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
14.24% - 24.24% (Variable)
Recommended credit
Good to Excellent (670 - 850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
The Citi Rewards+ Card allows you to maximize small purchases that you make on a daily basis. Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at supermarkets and gas stations (on up to the first $6,000 per year, and then 1X points thereafter) — plus, every purchase gets rounded up to the nearest 10 points. You’ll also get a welcome bonus offer of 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within three months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com. And with no annual fee, this is a great card to bring along when you’re running quick errands.
Earnings on purchases round up to the nearest 10 points.
Cons
Basic ThankYou Points can’t be transferred to travel partners.
There’s a $6,000 spending cap on 2X points earning rate.
Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
For a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on air travel and hotels up to $6,000 in the first 12 months and then 1 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent thereafter.
0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 14.24% - 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
The Citi Rewards+® Card - the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase - with no cap.
Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 14.24% - 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
Our writers, editors and industry experts score
credit cards based on a variety of factors
including card features, bonus offers
and independent research. Credit card issuers have
no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Rewards rate
2%
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
Intro offer
N/A
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
14.74% - 24.74% (Variable)
Recommended credit
Good to Excellent (670 - 850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
The Citi Double Cash Card is the standard when it comes to flat-rate cash back earning. You get 2 percent cash back on all purchases—1 percent when you buy plus another 1 percent when you pay for those purchases—every day, all for no annual fee. This card is a great addition to anyone's wallet.
There are no earnings caps on 2 percent back—it’s unlimited.
You’ll have access to Citi Entertainment, which offers presale tickets and other event perks.
Cons
No introductory APR for purchases is available with this card.
The Double Cash Card doesn’t have a welcome or sign-up bonus offer.
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 14.74% - 24.74%, based on your creditworthiness.
Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 14.74% - 24.74%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
Our writers, editors and industry experts score
credit cards based on a variety of factors
including card features, bonus offers
and independent research. Credit card issuers have
no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Rewards rate
5%
5% cash back on gas anywhere (up to $6,000)
5%
Plus members earn 3% back on eligible purchases when shopping in-club or digitally through Sam’s Club when they use their Sam’s Club Mastercard and another 2% back from their Plus membership, for a total of up to 5% rewards on eligible purchases.
3%
3% cash back on dining and takeout
1%
1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
Intro offer
N/A
Annual fee
No Annual Fee
Regular APR
15.65% or 23.65% Variable
Recommended credit
Good to Excellent (670 - 850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Offering one of the best cash back rates on gas on the market, this card should hold terrific value for Sam’s Club members who spend a lot of time on the road. You’ll enjoy 5 percent cash back on the first $6,000 you spend on gas each year (1 percent after that), with no annual fee on top of your existing Sam’s Club membership.
Earning 5 percent cash back on gas is exceptional earnings for that spending category.
You won’t have to pay an annual fee on top of your required Sam’s Club membership dues.
Cons
Sam’s Club membership is required for this card.
Rewards are only issued once a year, in February, and must be redeemed as physical cash back in-store.
Get a $30 statement credit when you open a Sam’s Club® credit card account and make $30 or more in Sam’s Club purchases within 30 days of date of account opening.
More value: 3 + 2 = 5: Plus members earn 3% back on eligible purchases when shopping in-club or digitally through Sam’s Club when they use their Sam’s Club Mastercard and another 2% back from their Plus membership, for a total of up to 5% rewards on eligible purchases.
Savings: For everyday eligible purchases, the credit card offers an industry leading 5% cash back on gas anywhere (up to $6,000), 3% cash back on dining and takeout, and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
Less contact: As consumers look for ways to transact without touching cash, cards, or keypads, Synchrony has enabled Sam’s Club with contact-free technology, including the integration of payments capabilities into Sam’s Scan & Go patented solution, both in-club and at the pump.
Mobile first: Sam’s Club cardholders can easily make purchases, track spending, check and pay balances, and securely manage and freeze accounts via the Sam’s Club mobile app enabled by the Synchrony plug-in (‘SyPi’).
Digitized rewards: No more paper checks! Rewards are automatically loaded onto membership cards and can be used for future purchases made both online and in-club, or exchanged for cash back.
Applying made easy: The Sam’s Club Mastercard is now available to apply for in all in-Club and digital channels including: at member services, at the point of sale – including through Scan & Go; on Sam’s Club Mobile App, SamsClub.com, Text-to-Apply, and Self-Checkout enabled with Synchrony’s patent-pending dApply technology, API’s, and the Synchrony plug-in (‘SyPi’).
Our writers, editors and industry experts score
credit cards based on a variety of factors
including card features, bonus offers
and independent research. Credit card issuers have
no say or influence on how we rate cards.
Rewards rate
N/A
Intro offer
N/A
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
15.49% - 25.49% (Variable)
Recommended credit
Good to Excellent (670 - 850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
If you’re paying off credit card debt, the Citi Simplicity Card is one of the best Mastercard cards to have in your arsenal. With no late fees or penalty APRs and 21 months for zero interest on balance transfers (then 15.49 percent to 25.49 percent variable APR), you can better manage your credit card debt. However, this industry-leading intro APR period comes with a trade off: there are no rewards to earn by spending with this card.
It offers a 21-month 0 percent intro APR on balance transfers (then 15.49 percent to 25.49 percent variable).
There are no penalty APRs or late fees for missing payments—but your credit score will be affected.
Cons
You can earn rewards or cash back with the Simplicity card.
The intro APR period for purchases is only 12 months.
No Late Fees, No Penalty Rate, and No Annual Fee... Ever
0% Intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer and 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 15.49% - 25.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 15.49% - 25.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
Stay protected with Citi® Quick Lock and $0 liability on unauthorized charges
Citi Rewards+ Card: Best for getting more value from small purchases
What we love about the Citi Rewards+: This no-annual-fee card’s round-up feature will take your rewards-earning to another level. Every purchase is rounded up to the nearest 10 points, so a $3 coffee is worth 10 points and an $11 lunch will net you 20 points.
Who this card is good for: Small-budget shoppers whose purchases focus on smaller, everyday purchases at places like gas stations and supermarkets.
Alternatives: The spending cap on this card’s rewards categories can be a bit limiting and it only earns basic Citi ThankYou points. Pair the Rewards+ card with another Citi rewards card like the Citi Double Cash to boost your rewards earnings.
Citi Double Cash Card: Best flat-rate cash back card
What we love about the Citi Double Cash: The earn-as-you-pay cash back program: 1 percent cash back when you make eligible purchases plus another 1 percent when you pay your balance, resulting in a lucrative 2 percent cash back rate.
Who this card is good for: Responsible credit spenders who will always consistently pay their bills on time each month, guaranteeing their generous cash back rate.
Alternatives: A card that offers a higher rate of cash back could be more suitable, especially if you have a budget that spans a variety of purchases. The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card’s 5 percent cash back rate on your top eligible spend category each cycle may fit this bill (up to $500 spent each billing cycle, then 1 percent).
What we love about the Sam’s Club Mastercard: The cash back rate on gas is incredibly generous and the bonus spend category on dining and takeout is also a unique perk for a wholesale club card.
Who this card is good for: Sam’s Club members and frequent roadtrippers who can rake in the rewards on gas.
Alternatives: The Sam’s Club Mastercard requires a Sam’s Club membership, which may not be ideal for every shopper. If you still want to benefit from fruitful gas and supermarket purchase rewards without a membership requirement, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers competitive rates in these categories.
Citi Simplicity Card: Best balance transfer intro APR
What we love about the Citi Simplicity: This card touts an exceptionally long introductory APR period for balance transfers, making it an ideal debt management tool if you need breathing room to pay down a large balance.
Who this card is good for: Committed debt managers who know how to leverage this card’s long balance transfer intro APR offer and will be sure to pay off their balance before the intro offer ends.
Alternatives: If you want a bit of both worlds with a long intro APR offer on balance transfers and a bit of rewards for other purchases you make on your card, the Discover it® Balance Transfer is a good option. Its rewards-earning element boosts this balance transfer card’s long-term value.
Capital One Platinum Credit Card: Best for people building credit
What we love about the Capital One Platinum: The card comes with solid travel perks and consumer protections, which is uncommon in credit cards for fair credit.
Who this card is good for: Credit builders and rebuilders alike who want a card that holds them to task on building up good credit.
Alternatives: If you want a bit more incentive for your credit building efforts over time, the Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card offers modest cash back rewards to start with the chance to increase your rewards rate after making 12 on-time monthly payments.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for average credit
What we love about the Capital One QuicksilverOne: This option is one of the more accessible rewards cards on the market, making it a feasible choice for people with average credit.
Who this card is good for: Credit beginners who may have aged out of the student cards market but still want a card that earns a solid rewards rate right away.
Alternatives: The biggest drawbacks for the QuicksilverOne card is the annual fee (though lower than usual) and the steep ongoing APR. If you are intentionally seeking out a low-cost card, the Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards has one of the more competitive cash back rates for a card designed for people with fair credit and you could be eligible for one of the lowest credit card APRs on the market, depending on your credit history.
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for college students
What we love about the Capital One SavorOne Student: A student card earning unlimited 3 percent cash back on dining is quite rare. This card is one of the most lucrative options available for college students.
Who this card is good for: Particularly social college students who can make the most of the high rewards rate on dining purchases.
Alternatives: If you don’t mind a little strategic work, the Discover it® Student Cash Back offers 5 percent cash back when you enroll in rotating bonus categories each quarter (up to $1,500 in purchase each quarter, then 1 percent) and some of those categories could include dining purchases. The welcome offer on the Discover it Student Cash Back via the Cashback Match™ program is also generous compared to the SavorOne Student’s lack of a welcome offer.
As an ultra-exclusive option, the Mastercard® Black Card™ is available to cardholders who are certain they want an elite card. You can apply for this high-end, metal-coated credit card online—a rarity for black credit card offers, which typically require an invite from the card provider.
What is Mastercard?
Mastercard, much like Visa, isn’t a true issuer of credit cards but rather a payment network partnering with well-known banks and credit unions to provide credit card options. It offers products in areas including consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payment systems.
Mastercard also partners with merchants all over the world. Its global presence helped Mastercard earn over $15 billion in revenue in 2020. On its way to this figure, Mastercard was able to facilitate over $6 trillion in transactions. A multitude of connections allows the network to process transactions in more than 150 currencies and 210 countries worldwide.
How to choose the best Mastercard credit card
Most cards in the Mastercard network can add substantial value to your credit card portfolio. If you need a bit more help figuring out which Mastercard credit card will best fit your needs, consider these key questions:
How loyal are you to the Mastercard brand, and what benefits and coverages do you want access to as a result of that loyalty?
What kind of rewards are you most interested in: points, miles or cash back?
Are you open to strategizing to maximize bonus categories, or would you prefer a low-maintenance, flat-rate card?
What banks and issuer partners are you most interested in?
Still unsure if a Mastercard credit card is right for you? Check out our Credit Card Spender Type Tool where you can get personalized credit card recommendations based on your credit score, spending habits and daily needs.
Pros and cons of Mastercard credit cards
Pros
Being a loyal member entitles you to special benefits. By qualifying as a Standard/Gold/Platinum World or World Elite member with Mastercard, you’ll gain access to a plethora of ancillary travel benefits and protections.
Mastercard provides a variety of options. With choices that earn on dining, gas, entertainment and supermarket purchases, there’s no shortage of ways to earn rewards with Mastercard. The network even backs student and secured credit cards that offer rewards to cardholders.
Widespread acceptance. Mastercard is one of the most connected payment networks in the world. If you carry a Mastercard, you can feel confident that you won’t run into issues using your card while traveling the globe.
Access to exclusive offers. Mastercard’s connections allow them to provide unique offers, such as access to special events, hotel discounts and a variety of other limited-time promotions.
Affordability. Many of Mastercard’s options come without an annual fee, so it won’t cost you every year to continue carrying the card. There are also choices with introductory 0% APR offers, another way cardholders can save.
Cons
Rewards limitations. Some of Mastercard’s options have less-than-ideal caps on how much you can earn in certain rewards categories. Also, some cards earn points that are considered “basic,” meaning they can’t be transferred to travel partners.
Lack of travel options. While there are ways to earn travel rewards with a Mastercard, you can find more rewarding, flexible and travel-focused cards with other providers.
Multiple benefit tiers can get confusing. With four levels of loyalty membership, understanding where you stand and what you’ve earned can be hazy. Reviewing the details of Mastercard benefits will help clear the cloudiness.
For starters, Mastercard operates on a multi-rail payment network, meaning it may take more time to completely process a payment (typically one to three days) but the network exchanges data with efficiency and facilitates secure transactions.
In addition to how transactions work, Mastercard stands out with its tiers of credit card benefits and exclusive features. When opening a Mastercard credit card, you have the ability to qualify as a World or World Elite member, bringing you a variety of high-end features. Some of the perks below can be found only with Mastercard:
Mastercard World and World Elite benefits
World
The Priceless Cities travel experience program, an offer unique to Mastercard
Identity theft protection
Room upgrades, if available
Vacation packages
Airport concierge service — something not provided at the Visa Signature or Infinite levels
World Elite
Includes all World benefits, plus:
Trip cancellation insurance
24-hour concierge
Exclusive Mastercard discounts on a variety of airlines, travel expenses, entertainment brands and more
Other Mastercard features
SecureCode: A private code made for your Mastercard account, SecureCode helps protect your card in over 122 countries worldwide.
True Name™ Cards: To take a stand for inclusion and the LGBTQIA+ community, Mastercard worked with other financial institutions to introduce True Name cards in 2020. These cards allow applicants to choose their desired name without proof of a legal name change.
Masterpass: Mastercard’s digital wallet, Masterpass, is designed for online, in-app and in-person shopping. Your card information and address can be stored electronically. Masterpass purchases are a secure way to shop and are also protected by Zero Liability for any unauthorized purchases.
How we chose our top-rated Mastercard cards
Bankrate's personal finance experts have evaluated the top Mastercard credit cards according to our 5-star rating system. The list of criteria for rating credit cards includes:
Rewards
Whether the card offers cash back, travel points/miles or multi-purpose rewards for eligible purchases and the potential returns based on rewards rate (1 percent cash back per $1 spent, 1 mile per $1 spent, and so on).
Perks and benefits
Whether the card offers extras such as retail discounts, extended warranties on purchases, travel insurance and financial management tools.
Annual fee
Whether the card charges an annual fee and if so, how much the card's overall value and benefits might offset the fee.
Introductory offers
Whether the card has a sign-up bonus, a zero-interest welcome offer or similar sign-up incentive and how much it adds to the card's overall value.
Variable APR
How the card's annual percentage rate (APR) compares with current averages as an indicator of cost and value.
Foreign transaction fee
Whether the card charges a foreign transaction fee for international purchases and how the fee affects the card's overall value.
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 Mastercard credit cards
Mastercard is not a credit card. Mastercard is a credit processing network that partners with credit card issuers to help process credit card transactions. You can get a credit card on the Mastercard network from several different credit card issuers.
Choosing a credit card should be based on more than the credit card network. The best Mastercard credit card for you will depend on several factors like the credit card issuer, the rewards program, your financial situation and more.
As a Bankrate credit cards editor, Ashley Parks is fascinated by the ways people can make credit cards work for them when armed with the right knowledge.
Courtney Mihocik is an editor at Bankrate Credit Cards and CreditCards.com specializing in credit card news and personal finance advice. Previously, she led insurance content at Reviews.com and worked as the loans editor at The Simple Dollar.
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
Advertiser Disclosure
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. The offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Bankrate.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of applicants' credit approval also impact how and where products appear on this site. Bankrate.com does not include the entire universe of available financial or credit offers. Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.
