With so many different credit card offers out there available to pick and choose from, settling on the perfect one for your specific needs is nowhere near as straightforward a process as it should be.
Credit card companies aren’t shy about parting folks with marketing and advertising on an almost daily basis to convince them to pick their card versus all others. It becomes a bit of an echo chamber in a hurry and makes finding the right card for your needs and your financial situation tougher.
But that’s why we have put together this quick guide.
Below we dig into the five best credit cards of 2020. We highlight options to fit every credit score imaginable, while also really zeroing in on cards that give you fantastic rewards or the best cashback offers.
You’ll be able to take advantage of this inside information to settle on a card that suits your needs perfectly, a card that you can continue to use for years and years to come without a hassle.
Let’s dig right in!
For Those with Excellent Credit: Citi Double Cash Card
Universally regarded as one of the best credit cards can get your hands on, particularly if you are looking to use your credit card in a variety of different ways rather than just using it to pay bills or buy gas and groceries, you’ll want to have a closer look at the Citi Double Cash Card for sure.
With no annual fee and an average APR that sits between 13.99% and 23.99%, this isn’t the kind of credit card that’s going to pile up the interest on you — as long as you’re smart and diligent with the way that you use it.
On top of that, you get 18 months of 0% APR as you earn cash back.
However, the thing that helps to separate this credit card from the rest of the pack is the 2% cash back bonuses that you’ll get on every single purchase you make. The way this generous double cashback system works is pretty simple and straightforward, too.
Every time you charge something to your card, you’ll get 1% cash back in rewards immediately added to your account. Plus, the second that you pay any money on your account, you’ll get a 1% cashback for that sum added to your account as well.
This gives the Double Cash nearly twice as much reward power as most of the other cards out there, helping you to stockpile rewards and bonuses far faster than you would have been able to with other premium cards available on the market today.
Balance transfers do have a 3% fee associated with them (and a minimum of five dollars on every transfer), so that is something that you’ll want to have a look at.
This is very much a card for those that have excellent credit. If your credit is less than picture-perfect, if your credit payment history is a little spotty, or if you otherwise have had some blips on your credit report, well, chances are you’re going to have to wait a bit longer to smooth things out before you are accepted into this credit card program.
If you can land this card, though, it’s fantastic!
For Those with Good Credit: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Chase has always been one of the better credit card companies in the business, and the Sapphire Preferred credit card that they offer is one of the best options for those that have less than excellent credit, but still a pretty solid credit history under their belts.
With one of the most impressive sign-on bonus programs in the entire credit card industry, you’re going to be bombarded with some pretty cool offers that’ll make you want to reach for this Chase card more frequently than any other.
Brand-new cardholders that spend at least $4000 in the first three months of card ownership are going to get a bonus of 60,000 reward points added to their account instantly. You can use these reward points towards a $600 statement credit, can take advantage of $750 in travel rewards through the Chase proprietary program, or you can continue to stockpile these credits to use them later.
You are always in control of how you use your rewards with the Sapphire Preferred card.
As far as the overall rewards go, you get two reward points for every single dollar spent on travel and dining. Other than that, you’ll get a single reward point for every dollar spent on every other purchase — without exception — which should help you pile up reward points in a hurry as well.
The annual APR of this credit card sits between 15.99% and 22.99% and there is a $95 annual fee that you’ll want to be aware of before you sign on the dotted line and take advantage of this credit card offer.
At the same time, though, if your credit is good (but not necessarily spectacular) this is certainly an option that you are going to want to focus on. It’ll help you get excellent credit later down the line in a hurry — read more ideas here at MillenialMoney.com.
For Those with Fair or Poor Credit: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One has always had a full slate of credit cards designed for those with less than picture-perfect credit, for those with fair credit, and even for those with poor or bad credit — or no credit at all — looking to rebuild and re-establish themselves.
This credit card is one of the few fair to poor credit cards on the planet that offer a significant rewards program on par with what you find with cards that require significantly better credit.
Right out of the gate, you get unlimited 1.5% cashback on every single purchase that you make, without exception. This blanket cashback reward program is a game-changer for those in this credit score bracket, helping you to take full advantage of a rewards program that can help you pay down your statements faster or to unlock some of the cool rewards that Capital One has in their proprietary reward program.
On top of that, this credit card also enables you to earn even more spectacular rewards — including enough rewards to completely cover the annual fee of $39 every year. All you have to do is spend at least $2600 per year on your card, pay your bill in full every month, and you’ll have earned all the rewards you need to cover that annual fee and then some.
The annual fee is pretty much part and parcel with cards for those that have less than perfect credit, but the fact that you can sign up for this card for less than $50 ($39 per year as we highlighted above) is another cool advantage.
For Those Wanting Rewards: Discover It Cash Back
As far as pure reward card offers are concerned, Discover has introduced something really neat and really exciting into the market with this Cash Back offer.
New cardholders are going to get unlimited cashback matches on every single purchase that they make for the first 12 months, without exception whatsoever. You can spend as much or as little as you like without any limitation to the cashback that you will receive, getting a dollar for dollar match back over the entirety of those 12 months.
You’ll also get an extra 5% cashback on all of your everyday purchases as well. Groceries, dining out, gas, online shopping, and more are all covered under this 5% cashback umbrella. There’s also a blanket 1% unlimited cashback offer on every single other purchase that you make with this card, helping you to rack up the points with lightning-like speed.
Where this Discover card starts to separate itself from all others is the fact that you can redeem your cash back in any amount you want at any particular point in time. You don’t have to jump through any hoops, you don’t have to deal with any headache or hassle, and you don’t have to play silly games to take advantage of the points that you have accumulated.
If you want to use your points, you’re able to do so whenever and however you want to.
This card does not carry an annual fee and only requires decent credit to have a solid shot at being approved.
For Those Wanting Cash Back: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Another offer from Chase that we wanted to highlight here is the Freedom Unlimited card. The card blankets 1.5% unlimited cash back on every single purchase that you make, which makes it perfect for those cash back junkies.
Chase is known for offering all kinds of cool bonuses to new cardholders, and you’ll get a $150 bonus as soon as you spend at least $500 on the card within the first 90 days of opening that account. You’ll earn cash back on every one of those purchases, but for the first 15 months of card membership, you’ll pay 0% APR across the board.
Afterward, the APR jumps to 14.99% to 23.74%, but there is no annual fee that you have to pay to take advantage of this card.
Another nifty little feature from the folks at Chase is that you can redeem your cash back rewards whenever you want, in any amount that you want. You don’t have to hit any specific minimums, you don’t have to have points for a specific amount of time to use them, and you aren’t locked into taking advantage of them the way that Chase wants you to.
On top of that, and this is another huge benefit, you never have to worry about your cashback benefits disappearing or expiring after a certain block of time. Other cards are going to make your cash back rewards available for 12 months or so, but with this card, you will have all of your points – ALL of your points – for as long as you have your account open.
It doesn’t get much better than that!
Image by Lotus Head via freeimages
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