Skip to Main Content

Best Credit Cards of December 2023

Updated November 27, 2023

No matter what a credit card company or advertisement says, there isn’t a single “best” credit card for everyone. The best card for you depends on your spending habits, credit score, existing debt and more. But with so many options to choose from, picking the right card can be intimidating. 

That’s why Bankrate’s experts rated and reviewed over 250 cards of the top card offers on the market to create our list of the best credit cards of 2023. We’ve evaluated each card based on its rewards value, rates and fees, welcome offers, customer experience, cardholder perks and more to give you a clear sense of where it shines and where it may fall short. In addition to Bankrate’s review scores, check out our deep dive into each card to see if it’s a good fit for your wallet (and pick up pro tips for maximizing its value).

So whether you’re looking for a rewards powerhouse, a money-saving 0-percent intro APR or a reliable way to build credit, one of these cards from our partners should be a great fit.

Best Cash Back Card Offers

Info
Best for 2% cash rewards
Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5
4.3
Info
Apply now Lock
on Wells Fargo's secure site

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
chance of approval
Info

Intro offer

Info

2%

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for category variety
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
Info
Apply now Lock
on Discover's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

1% - 5%

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Balance Transfer Card Offers

BEST FOR BALANCE TRANSFERS AND CASH BACK
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6
Info
Apply now Lock
on Discover's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Balance transfer intro APR

Regular APR

1% - 5%

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Info
Best for long intro APR
Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5
4.3
Info
Apply now Lock
on Wells Fargo's secure site

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
chance of approval
Info

0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening

Purchase intro APR

Regular APR

N/A

Intro offer

Info

N/A

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Best 0% Intro APR Card Offers

Best for travel card beginners
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
4.1
Info
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

0% intro on purchases for 15 months

Purchase intro APR

Regular APR

Intro offer

Info

1.25 Miles - 5 Miles

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Best Rewards Credit Card Offers

Info
Best for dining and entertainment
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
chance of approval
Info

Intro offer

Info

1% - 8%

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Info
Best starter travel card
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
chance of approval
Info

Intro offer

Info

$1200

Offer valuation

Info

2x - 5x

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Travel Card Offers

Info
BEST FOR Flexible travel redemption
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
chance of approval
Info

Intro offer

Info

$1275

Offer valuation

Info

2 Miles - 5 Miles

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Info
BEST FOR NO-FRILLS BENEFITS
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

Excellent (740 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
chance of approval
Info

Intro offer

Info

$1275

Offer valuation

Info

2 Miles - 10 Miles

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Business Credit Card Offers

Best Offer Returns
Best business card with no annual fee
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$900

Offer valuation

Info

1% - 5%

Rewards Rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best business card for first-year rewards value
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

1X - 4X

Rewards Rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best No Annual Fee Card Offers

Info
Best starter rewards card
Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
3.8
Info
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
chance of approval
Info

Intro offer

Info

1.5% - 5%

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Limited Time Offer
BEST FOR GAS AND TRANSIT
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2
Info
Apply now Lock
on Wells Fargo's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$300

Offer valuation

Info

1X - 3X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Airlines Card Offers

Best starter airline card
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$1125

Offer valuation

Info

1X - 2X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for companion certificate
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5
Info
Apply now Lock
on Bank of America's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$660

Offer valuation

Info

1 mile - 3 miles

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Hotels Credit Card Offers

Best no-annual-fee hotel card
Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5
4.3
Info
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$600

Offer valuation

Info

3X - 7X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Card Offer for Excellent Credit

Info
Best for luxury perks
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
4.8
Info
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
chance of approval
Info

Intro offer

Info

$1600

Offer valuation

Info

5X - 5X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Card Offer for Good Credit

Info
Best for food and travel
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
chance of approval
Info

Intro offer

Info

$1200

Offer valuation

Info

3X - 4X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Card Offer for Fair Credit

Best for upgrading
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2
Info
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site
Fair to Good (580 – 740)
Info
Recommended Credit

N/A

Intro offer

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Student Card Offer

Best for students with no credit history
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on Discover's secure site
No Credit History
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

1% - 5%

Rewards Rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Card Offer for No Credit History

Best for low-cost credit building
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chime's secure site
No Credit History
Info
Recommended Credit

N/A

Intro offer

Info

Annual fee

N/A

Regular APR

Best Card Offer for Poor Credit

Best credit limit policy
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
4.1
Info
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site
No Credit History
Info
Recommended Credit

N/A

Intro offer

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Compare Bankrate's best credit cards of 2023

Card name Our pick for Card highlights Bankrate Score

2% cash rewards

Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Wells Fargo's secure site

4.3 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Category variety

5% cash back on activated rotating categories each quarter (on up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%)

Automatic Cashback Match™ for all rewards earned at the end of your first year

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Discover's secure site

4.4 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Balance transfers and cash back

0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers and for six months on purchases (17.24% to 28.24% variable thereafter)

5% cash back on activated rotating categories each quarter (on up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%)

Automatic Cashback Match™ for all rewards earned at the end of the first year

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Discover's secure site

4.6 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Long intro APR

0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers (within the first 120 days) and purchases (18.24%, 24.74%, or 29.99% variable APR thereafter; 5% balance transfer fee, $5 minimum)

My Wells Fargo Deals can offer cash rewards

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Wells Fargo's secure site

4.3 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Travel card beginners

5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

1.25X miles on all purchases

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

4.1 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Dining and entertainment

10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases (through Nov. 14, 2024)

8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases

5% cash back on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel

3% cash back on dining, entertainment, select streaming services and grocery store purchases (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

5.0 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Valuable rewards

3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), dining (including eligible delivery services) and select streaming services

5X points on Chase Ultimate Rewards travel and Lyft Rides (Lyft offer through March 31, 2025)

2X points on other travel

25% point value boost toward Chase Ultimate Rewards travel redemption 

Yearly bonus points and credits: $50 annual hotel stay credit and 10% back on your previous year's total combined spending points 

$95 annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

4.9 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Flexible travel redemption

5X miles on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel

2X miles on all other purchases

Flexible miles can be redeemed for statement credits toward eligible travel purchases within the last 90 days

$95 annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

4.9 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

No-frills benefits

10X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel

5X miles on flights through Capital One Travel

2X miles on all other purchases

10,000 account anniversary bonus miles can help offset part of the annual fee

$395 annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

5.0 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Business card with no annual fee

5% cash back at office supply stores, internet, cable and phone services (on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each year, then 1%)

2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each year, then 1%)

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

4.4 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Best business card for first-year rewards value

4X points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per calendar year in your top two of six eligible categories (then 1X thereafter; only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count toward the $150,000 cap)

3X points on eligible travel purchases (including flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com)

1X points on general purchases

 
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site

5.0 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Starter rewards card

Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases

Cash back can be automatically redeemed at set time period or cash value

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

3.8 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Gas and transit

3X points on restaurant, travel, gas station, transit, popular streaming service and phone plan purchases

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Wells Fargo's secure site

4.2 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Starter airline card

2X points on Southwest purchases; Southwest hotel and car rental partners; local transit and commuting (including ride-shares); internet, cable, phone and select streaming services

Southwest perks, including 3,000 annual bonus points on the account anniversary, two annual EarlyBird Check-In® boardings, first two checked bags free, 25% discount on in-flight purchases and more

$69 annual fee

Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

4.5 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Companion certificate

3X miles on Alaska Airlines purchases

2X miles on eligible gas, cable, streaming services and local transit purchases

Earn Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ each account anniversary after spending at least $6,000 within the prior anniversary year

$95 annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Bank of America's secure site

4.5 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

No-annual-fee hotel card

7X points on eligible hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio

5X points at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. restaurants

3X points on all other purchases

Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site

4.3 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Luxury perks

5X points on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 spent on flights per calendar year)

2X points on prepaid car rentals, vacation packages and cruise reservations through American Express Travel

Offers one of the most valuable lists of travel perks available, including around $1,700 of recurring monthly and annual credits plus comprehensive airport lounge access

$695 annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site

4.8 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Food and travel

4X points on restaurant, eligible delivery in the U.S. (including Uber Eats) and U.S. supermarket purchases (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year, then 1X points)

3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or via American Express Travel

Up to $240 in annual dining and Uber Eats delivery credits (up to $10 of both dining credits and Uber Cash, provided as monthly credits toward eligible purchases; Uber Cash expires at the end of the month)

$250 annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on American Express's secure site

5.0 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Upgrading

Could be available with fair credit without a security deposit

Considered for a credit limit increase after an account review starting after six months

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

4.2 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Students with no credit history

5% cash back on activated rotating categories each quarter (on up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%)

Automatic Cashback Match™ for all rewards earned at the end of your first year

Low rates and fees, including no foreign transaction fees, penalty APR or late fee on the first late payment (up to $41 after that)

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Discover's secure site

5.0 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Low-cost credit building

No credit check required

Low rates and fees, including no foreign cash advance fees or late payment fees

Potential $10,000 secured credit limit

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Chime's secure site

4.2 / 5

Info

(Read card review)

Credit limit policy

A security deposit as low as $49 ($49, $99 or $200, based on creditworthiness) that provides at least a $200 credit limit

Considered for a credit limit increase after an account review starting after six months

No annual fee

 
Apply now Lock
on Capital One's secure site

4.1 / 5

Info

(Read card review)