Best Credit Cards for Good Credit

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Contributor, Benzinga
December 7, 2023

Selecting the best credit card for individuals with good credit depends on multiple factors. Before choosing a credit card, consider what benefits or rewards would best complement your lifestyle. For example, cards offered to people with good credit focus on helping individuals enjoy dining out, traveling, flying, and making daily purchases. Certain cards charge low or no annual fees or foreign transaction fees.

Before opening a card, research both the potential rates and fees. Take a look at your credit report. Learn more about your FICO score, and consider how particular credit accounts can better serve you. When properly used, credit cards can offer strong rewards that could potentially save you money in the long run. 

5 Best Credit Cards for Good Credit

Whether you're looking for cashback rewards, travel benefits or low-interest rates, these credit cards offer a range of features that cater to different financial needs, helping you make the most of your credit score and financial stability. Here are the best credit cards for good credit:

1. Best Overall: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card is recommended for people with credit scores above 670. It offers an introductory incentive where individuals earn $200 back after spending $500 on select purchases during the initial three months. The card offers a generous intro APR for the first 15 months you hold the card. Plus, the card has no annual fees and no fee for going above the credit limit. However, the card has a 3% fee on foreign transactions.

Your cashback rewards include 1.5% on everything, 3% on drugstore purchases, dining at restaurants and eligible delivery services and 5% on travel scheduled through Chase. There’s also a special offer that matches all the cash back you earn in your first year with the card.

Pros

  • Because Chase offers so many other options, you can take control of your finances with this card
  • You can earn a statement credit bonus and pay yourself back for some early purchases

Cons

  • The high minimum credit score could be very prohibitive for many prospective cardholders
  • The welcome bonus might seem very small for a card of this type

2. Best for Dining: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

People who enjoy trying new foods can be rewarded for having an adventurous palate. This credit card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Customers can access helpful services such as setting up automatic payments to avoid lost fees while potentially improving their credit scores. Card owners can execute a balance transfer to move higher-rate balances. Moving higher-rate balances to the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card can make it easier for people to pay off their debt. 

Food lovers can book reservations at exclusive restaurants in major cities. Capital One provides exclusive reservation services and special culinary events aimed to please. The card provides unlimited 3% cash back on dining. Dining includes a wide range of food options such as fast food, restaurants, and grocery stores. The card offers 3% cash back on entertainment such as amusement parks and movie theaters. Select entertainment options such as golf courses are excluded. Users earn 3% on streaming services. The card offers 1% on all other qualifying purchases. One benefit is that the accumulated rewards do not expire for the life of the account, so active cardholders can grow their rewards over an extended period. 

Pros

  • This card is perfect for business owners who need to handle working lunches or dinners
  • Because rewards do not expire, business owners can collect points that they could use to woo clients or even reward their staff

Cons

  • This card may be far too specific for some consumers

3. Best for Intro APR: Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

The card offers an initial 0% APR rate for 18 months. The extremely low APR rate extends for another three months for people who make timely minimum payments. In total, customers can have up to 21 months with a 0% APR rate. Balance transfers at the specified introductory rate and fee are available if made within the specified 120 days. It’s possible to have a balance transfer fee after the stated introductory period ends. The card has no annual fee. However, the card does have a late fee of $40 and a 3% foreign currency conversion fee. 

The rewards for this card center around notably low APR rates and balance transfers. Additional benefits include fraud protection and a credit examination program. The program is designed to provide customers with the tools and knowledge to build their credit scores. 

Pros

  • The long intro APR window helps you make lots of purchases and keep costs down long before you need to make interest payments
  • This card can work well for those who want to move all their credit card debt to one place

Cons

  • Make sure that you are ready to pay interest fees if you have not paid off the card when your 0% window ends
  • Converting foreign currency can get expensive with this card, which can hamper frequent international travelers

4. Best for Mid-Tier Frequent Flyers: United℠ Explorer Credit Card

With the United℠ Explorer Credit Card, customers obtain airline benefits without expensive annual fees. The card has an introductory award where customers can earn 00,000 miles after qualifying purchases. The card has an introductory $0 annual fee. After the introductory rate expires, the annual fee becomes $95. The card has no foreign transaction fees, and the issuer is a member of the FDIC.

Customers can earn 2X the miles on United purchases. The card allows other specified purchases to earn 1 mile per $1 spent. The card provides priority boarding and lets customers check their first bag for free. The offer is valid for both departing and returning flights. People can earn a maximum of $100 statement credit on applications for programs such as TSA Precheck® and Global Entry. Card owners receive 25% back in the form of statement credit for purchases made in-flight when traveling United. The miles earned do not expire within the MileagePlus program. 

Pros

  • The massive statement credits and rewards allow you to almost cover many of your travel expenses, especially if you travel for work
  • This card helps you focus on saving for travel if you know where you are going and that United flies there
  • The initial welcome bonus is massive as compared to the competition

Cons

  • This card could be helpful, but United might not help you get to all the destinations you need to fly to

5. Best for Unlimited Rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the top travel credit cards for good reason. The card allows you to earn unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases using the card. When you’re ready to redeem your miles, you can transfer your miles to over 15 travel partners, including a 1:1 transfer to loyalty programs such as British Airways Executive Club and Emirates Skywards. 

Some of the travel perks that come with this card include no limits on miles and no minimum mile requirements to redeem for travel. There are also no blackout dates and no expiration dates to worry about. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card also covers the application fee of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA Precheck. 

Additionally, this card comes with many of the perks that you’ll find with some of the other Capital One cards. This includes car rental insurance, roadside assistance and extended warranties on eligible purchases. It also includes virtual card numbers so you can protect your card from fraud when shopping online.

Pros

  • Because you can get money back on certain travel fees, you can use this card to prepare for new journeys
  • The backend services can make this card more than worth the while, even if you don’t use it all that much

Cons

  • Exclusive club transfers may not apply to the airlines you prefer to fly

How to Choose a Credit Card

As you search for the best cards for your situation, you need to look beyond your perceived creditworthiness, what the credit bureau has to say about you, etc. There are several other factors you should consider when selecting the best cards for your wallet.

Interest Rates

You need to know that the interest rates are affordable for you. Yes, some rates are higher than others, but you need to decide what an affordable range is for you.

Perks

When you choose a credit card, look at the perks. You need to see things like travel insurance for trips booked with the card, rental car insurance when you book with the card, concierge services, etc.

Rewards

Rewards are an integral part of most credit cards. If there are no rewards, it can be hard for you to justify using the card. Plus, you need to look for specific types of rewards you know you can or will use.

Credit Limit 

Determine the credit limit that suits your spending habits and financial situation. Avoid applying for cards with very high limits if you don't need them, as they can tempt you to overspend.

Extra Cards

This is the most important part for parents and businesses. How easily can you get extra cards for your kids or employees? Is it easy to track those cards? Can you set spending limits on those cards?

Terms and Conditions 

Before applying for a credit card, review the terms and conditions thoroughly, including any fine print. Pay attention to details such as interest rate changes, grace periods, and penalty fees.

Customer Service

Research the customer service reputation of different credit card issuers. It's important to choose a card with good customer service in case you encounter any issues or need assistance.

Find a Better Credit Card Today

As you hunt for the best credit card, make sure that you use these tips, search Benzinga, and find a credit card that suits your needs from airline miles to no annual fees and everything in between.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q

How should I pay off my credit card debt?

A

It’s best promptly and fully pay off your credit card debt every payment cycle. Fully paying off the amount that you owe helps you to avoid additional expenses such as interest charges on unpaid debt. Completely paying off debt makes future payments more manageable. Set up automatic payments to pay your credit card bills on time. 

Q

How do I build credit?

A

Building a credit score takes time, but the process is simple. Secured credit cards are an excellent way to begin building credit. As your credit score improves, you will likely be able to apply for unsecured credit cards and obtain larger credit limits. Paying off credit card bills in full means you avoid paying heavy interest fees. Using less than 30% of your provided credit line at any given time improves your credit utilization rate. 

Q

What counts as good credit?

A

The definition of a good credit score varies, but credit scores between 650 and 740 are considered good credit. Credit scores range between 300 and 850. Higher scores are better. Individuals with higher scores receive better and more flexible rates and terms. If you do not know your score, find a reputable website that allows you to check your score for free.