Best credit cards for good credit of May 2023
A good credit score is something to be proud of. CardRatings editors reveal the best credit cards for good credit including both consumer and business card options.
Jennifer Doss
Last Updated:
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List of Winners
- CardName – Best for Travel
- CardName – Best for Cash Back
- CardName – Best for Groceries
- CardName – Best for Gas Rewards
- CardName – Best for Flexible Travel Rewards
- CardName – Best for Dining/Takeout/Delivery
- CardName – Best for Balance Transfers
- CardName – Best for Intro 0% APR
- CardName – Best for Small Businesses
A good credit score can open the door to you for credit cards with superb welcome offers, high ongoing rewards and even features like introductory 0% APR periods. In other words, there are a lot of options for people with “good” credit scores, whether you’re on the hunt for a personal credit card or one for your small business.
It takes work to get to the “good” level, and just because you haven’t (yet) reached “excellent” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have access to some of the best credit cards on the market. If you’ve already run a credit score report and know that your credit score is “good” or higher, you’ve come to the right place! Read on to learn more about the best credit cards from our partners for those with good credit.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- Travelers are sure to love that the 60,000 bonus points new cardholders can earn are worth $750 in travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal. That's huge!
- Receive a $50 hotel credit annually for a stay booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal.
- Baggage delay insurance. If your luggage winds up in some faraway land, and you don't see it for more than six hours, you'll get reimbursed up to $100 a day for five days. After day six, though, you're on your own.
CONS:
- If your expenses are all over the place, this might not be the card for you as its bonus rewards categories are largely related to travel.
- This card charges a AnnualFees annual fee.
Read our full CardName.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.6 | 75.9 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 8.6 | 7.5 |
| Customer Service | 8.7 | 7.9 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.8 | 7.7 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.7 | 8.2 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.6 | 7.1 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- The cash-back rewards don't expire - unless you close the account. But as long as it is open, you can hang onto those rewards as long as you want.
- Some nice perks, including car rental insurance, roadside assistance and extended warranty.
- Your cash back accumulates as Chase Ultimate Rewards®, which means you can combine rewards from this no-annual fee card with a Chase premium card that earns Ultimate Rewards® points to maximize your earning and your value.
CONS:
- Traveling internationally or shopping in foreign currency? Maybe you best leave this card behind. There are foreign transaction fees to consider.
- The rewards structure isn't simple. Sure, you'll earn at least 1.5% cash back, but to truly get the most from this card, you'll want to think about how and when you use it.
Read our full CardName.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 85.0 | 83.4 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 8.4 | 8.3 |
| Customer Service | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.9 | 8.3 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 9.0 | 8.3 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.1 | 8.0 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- This is a fantastic card for anyone who spends heavily on groceries thanks to 6% cash back earned on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 annually, then 1%).
- Not only does this card earn bonus rewards on select U.S. streaming services, but it can help you save in other ways on streaming purchases, too. You can earn $7 per month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $12.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription with your card. Enrollment required.
- There is a nice introductory offer of 0% APR on all purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months after card activation. After that, the rate is RegAPR, based on your creditworthiness.
CONS:
- If you eat out more than you cook at home, this might not be the best card for you.
- You'll also want to take note that there's a foreign transaction fee of 2.7%, which is better than 3% that a lot of cards have. That said, a lot of credit cards have no foreign transaction fee.
Read our full CardName
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.2 | 77.9 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| Customer Service | 8.0 | 7.8 |
| Website/App Usability | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.2 | 7.9 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 7.5 | 7.8 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- There are a lot of excellent everyday rewards-earning opportunities here, so you can rack up a bank of ThankYou Points pretty quickly.
- Receive $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more each calendar year.
- There are no foreign transaction fees to worry about, so you can save money if you travel abroad.
CONS:
- Keep in mind the annual fee; the $100 hotel credit would more than offset that, though, if you're able to take advantage.
- There are a number travel partners to which you can transfer your rewards, but they aren't necessarily the most popular ones out there. Take a look to ensure you can use those partners or that you'll still get good value with your rewards.
Read our full CardName.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 84.5 | 76.7 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 8.3 | 7.6 |
| Customer Service | 8.5 | 7.7 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.5 | 7.8 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.6 | 7.8 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.5 | 7.8 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- Driving a rental car? With this card, you'll get an auto rental collision damage waiver.
- And if you break down with the rental car? Or your own car? You'll get roadside assistance.
- And you can afford to pay for a rental car in another country, this card has no foreign transaction fees.
- Another nice perk to keep in mind is an application fee refund of up to $100 for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application, a perk normally reserved for credit cards with much higher annual fees.
CONS:
- You may find the list of airlines that the card partners with lacking. Not a lot of big American airline names.
- The $95 annual fee is reasonable but may be off-putting for someone who doesn't regularly travel.
Read our full CardName
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.0 | 81.9 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 7.7 | 8.2 |
| Customer Service | 7.2 | 8.2 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.2 | 8.0 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 7.9 | 8.5 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 7.2 | 8.1 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees mean you don't have to be worried about whether you're earning enough rewards to offset the fees.
- You can save money with an intro 12 billing cycles 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers made within the first 60 days (after the intro period, there's an APR of RegAPR).
- Cardholders receive a $15 credit annually for eligible streaming services purchases, such as those with Netflix or Spotify.
CONS:
- The welcome bonus is just so-so. This card shines with its ongoing rewards opportunities, but doesn't knock it out of the park with the welcome offer.
- If you want to redeem your points as cash back, your options are limited to a statement credit or a deposit to a U.S. Bank checking or savings account. If you bank elsewhere and want cash back, this likely isn't the best card for you.
Read our full CardName.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 84.7 | 71.7 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 8.5 | 7.1 |
| Customer Service | 8.9 | 7.5 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.3 | 7.4 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.3 | 7.2 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.2 | 6.8 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- An excellent cash-back rewards card with an excellent introductory balance transfer offer of 18 months no interest on balance transfers (then, RegAPR). That's tough to beat.
- A card that rewards you for paying off your card balance is a winning card in our book. That rewards structure should incentize you to keep paying your balance in full.
- The simplicity with the rewards strucutre is excellent for the "set it and forget it" cardholder. Know that you can effectively earn 2% back each time you use your card (1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay for your purchase).
CONS:
- There's are foreign transaction fees to consider, so leave this behind when you head out for a trip abroad.
- While the intro balance transfer offer is great, it does come with a balance transfer fee. Make sure you take that into account as you make your transfer decisions.
Read our full CardName.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 84.7 | 82.2 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 8.5 | 8.2 |
| Customer Service | 8.4 | 8.0 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.3 | 8.2 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.8 | 8.5 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.4 | 8.3 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- Having intro APR is nice, and this time frame is for both new purchases AND balance transfers (made within the first 60 days). After that, RegAPR applies. Keep in mind that you won't find many offers as long, or longer, than that.
- Access your FICO® score for free within the Bank of America online banking app or your mobile banking app.
- No penalty APR. Paying late won't automatically raise your interest rate. Other account pricing and terms apply.
CONS:
- This is a no-frills card that does not offer ongoing rewards for cardholders.
- There is a balance transfer fee of BalanceTransferFees. This is not unusual for balance transfer credit cards, however.
See our full CardName.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.1 | 74.7 |
| Features Satisfaction | 8.2 | 7.4 |
| Customer Service | 8.5 | 7.4 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.5 | 7.8 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.1 | 7.4 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
CardName discontinued Winner
PROS:
- This card has a special app designed just for Ink cardholders, which means you'll get small business credit card tools, such as the ability to save receipts in the app and update employee spend limits.
- Car rental insurance is one of the many perks with this card. If you pay for car rental with this credit card, and somebody sideswipes your car, or worse, steals it, the card offers primary coverage.
- Purchase protection is another nice perk. So let's say you buy an item with your Ink card, and it's banged up or even stolen (maybe along with your rental car), you could be covered up to $10,000 per claim (up to $50,000 per account).
CONS:
- Not every business buys office supplies and spends a ton of internet-cable-phone services. If your business doesn't pay much for your communications, and you simply don't buy many printer cartridges, computer paper and so on, you may want to look at other business credit cards.
- It's not the best business card for an international business trip, thanks to the 3% foreign transaction fee.
Read our full CardName.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.7 | 76.0 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 7.7 | 7.5 |
| Customer Service | 8.0 | 7.8 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.2 | 7.6 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 7.6 | 7.9 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.0 | 7.4 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
Many credit card companies state "good/excellent" when advertising the status of credit needed to apply for a particular card; however, you'll sometimes see that just "excellent" is stated. We recommend that you do not apply for cards requiring "excellent credit" if you have not yet reached this status. Instead, focus only on those cards that stipulate "good," or "good/excellent" if your credit is on the upper end of "good." If you apply for multiple cards and are denied repeatedly, these credit card inquiries can end up lowering your credit score, so it's better to err on the side of caution when it comes to applying for a new credit card and only apply for cards that you know your credit score is acceptable. If you don't know your credit score, sign up for a free credit score, credit report card, as well as a personal credit analysis with our preferred partner, Credit Sesame.
Just about any credit card you want. Look, that's not a guarantee. Lenders have a lot of factors that they weigh before offering somebody a credit card. Still, if you have a 720 credit score, you've hit the mark where credit card issuers start really perking up. You can do better with your credit score. If you have 740-799, that's considered "very good," and if it's over 800, lenders will practically beg you to sign up for their credit cards.
Still, if you have a credit score of 720, lenders are going to be impressed. You should be able to get most, if not all, of the credit cards that advertise themselves as being for consumers with good/excellent credit.
So if your credit score is 720, you definitely consider applying to credit cards that offer robust rewards programs and big signup bonuses.
Remember, though, that you can have a high credit score, but still show little experience with credit cards, and that could be a red flag for some issuers when it comes to issuing their best cards. Your score is good, and that's a great start, but some banks will also want to see a history of using a credit card responsibly for at least a year before they'll approve you.
A lot of it just takes time for a credit score to improve from good to excellent - and during that time you can continue with the good habits that have given you a good credit score. But here are a few strategies that everybody should be following.
Pay everything on time. This seems obvious, but if you can help it, you don't want any slip ups.
Pay attention to your credit utilization ratio. That is, whatever available credit you have, try to always borrow no more than 30% of it. So if your available credit on your credit cards was $3,000, you don't want to carry a balance of over $900.
This is a really important strategy. Lenders like to see that you aren't anywhere near maxxing out on your credit cards. It can seem a little weird to the borrower. You're giving me all of this available credit, and I'm not allowed to use it? Well, you're allowed, of course, but the lenders see that as a sign that you're borrowing too much money and may eventually have trouble paying them back.
Don't be too quick to close accounts. Not that you have to keep every single credit card account open for the rest of your life, but that credit card you never use but with available credit can help your credit ratio utilization. Plus, lenders like to see old accounts because it shows a long history of borrowing (hopefully) responsibly. If you close the account, your credit history, which lenders base more on the time that an account is open than your actual chronological credit card timeline, becomes shorter.
That said, sometimes credit cards will close down the account after you go a interminable length of time without using it. If you have multiple cards and you close one (not your oldest one! Keep that one open to show length of credit history), your score may drop a bit, but will likely bounce back quickly as long as the rest of your behavior is responsible and you have additional credit cards to show on your report.
Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September and October 2022 to conduct surveys among 1,554 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2022-Aug. 31, 2022 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents’ scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to “How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?” was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2022); “Past Scores” reflect scores from the 2021 survey.
Ranking Methodology: CardRatings experts review the fine print, details, perks, rewards and features of hundreds of cards and compare them side-by-side with similar cards. A card that makes an excellent balance transfer card may not make a great cash-back rewards card even though it offers those rewards. While the Best of the Year list is announced annually, that list – and all other “best of” lists on CardRatings – are regularly reviewed and updated as issuers change the terms and features of each card often.
To see the rates and fees for the American Express cards in this post, please visit the following links: CardName (See Rates and 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.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
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