Best Credit Cards for Good Credit of December 2024
Updated: Dec 19, 2024
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When you have good credit, you have great options in credit cards. You can get generous cash back rewards, travel points and perks, or a year or more of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers. Although credit score alone doesn't guarantee approval for any card — income and other factors also come into play — the possibilities expand as your credit gets stronger.
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Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
When you have good credit, you have great options in credit cards. You can get generous cash back rewards, travel points and perks, or a year or more of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers. Although credit score alone doesn't guarantee approval for any card — income and other factors also come into play — the possibilities expand as your credit gets stronger.
Why trust NerdWallet
400+ credit cards reviewed by our team of experts (See our top picks)
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
27,000+ hours spent researching and reviewing financial products in the last 12 months
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards.
Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today,
The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America"
and many other national, regional and local media outlets.
Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
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When you have good credit, you have great options in credit cards. You can get generous cash back rewards, travel points and perks, or a year or more of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers. Although credit score alone doesn't guarantee approval for any card — income and other factors also come into play — the possibilities expand as your credit gets stronger.
Why trust NerdWallet
400+ credit cards reviewed by our team of experts (See our top picks)
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
27,000+ hours spent researching and reviewing financial products in the last 12 months
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
When you have good credit, you have great options in credit cards. You can get generous cash back rewards, travel points and perks, or a year or more of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers. Although credit score alone doesn't guarantee approval for any card — income and other factors also come into play — the possibilities expand as your credit gets stronger.
Why trust NerdWallet
400+ credit cards reviewed by our team of experts (See our top picks)
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
27,000+ hours spent researching and reviewing financial products in the last 12 months
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Why trust NerdWallet
400+ credit cards reviewed by our team of experts (See our top picks)
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
27,000+ hours spent researching and reviewing financial products in the last 12 months
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
NerdWallet's Best Credit Cards for Good Credit of December 2024
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best for Flat-rate cash back
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for Families & households
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Going out & staying in
Discover it® Cash Back: Best for Rotating bonus categories
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for Simple travel rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for Bonus travel rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: Best for No-annual-fee travel rewards
BankAmericard® credit card: Best for 0% intro APR offer
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Best Credit Cards for Good Credit From Our Partners
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Find the right credit card for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST CREDIT CARDS FOR GOOD CREDIT
Before applying, confirm details on issuer's website.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Our pick for: Flat-rate cash back
Among flat-rate cash-back cards, you'll be hard-pressed to beat the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It earns an unlimited 2% back on all purchases, which is excellent. But in addition, the card offers a rich sign-up bonus and a decent intro APR period on both purchases and balance transfers. That's an impressive, hard-to-find combination of features on a card with a $0 annual fee. Read our review.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Our pick for: Families & households
If your household spends a lot on groceries, gas, transit and streaming, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is for you. The rewards it pays in those categories — particularly at U.S. supermarkets and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions — are among the richest of any card. There's a nice welcome offer for new cardholders and an introductory APR period, too. The generous benefits come at a cost, though: Unlike most cash-back cards, this one charges an annual fee. Terms apply. Read our review.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Going out & staying in
Some credit cards reward you well for going out, others for staying in. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is the rare card that does both. It offers a terrific cash-back rate not only on dining and entertainment but also at grocery stores and on popular streaming services. Toss in a good bonus offer and intro APR period, and this card is a winner. (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Discover it® Cash Back
Our pick for: Rotating bonus categories
The Discover it® Cash Back earns bonus cash back in quarterly categories that you activate. In past years, those categories have included common spending areas like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and specific major retailers. Category activation can be a hassle, but if your spending aligns with those categories (and for most households, it probably will), you can rake in serious rewards. You also get the issuer's signature "cash-back match" bonus in your first year. Read our review.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Simple travel rewards
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is probably the best-known general-purpose travel credit card, thanks to its ubiquitous advertising. You earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. Miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece for any travel purchase, without the blackout dates and other restrictions of branded hotel and airline cards. The card offers a great sign-up bonus and other worthwhile perks (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Our pick for: Bonus travel rewards
For a reasonable annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus rewards (up to 5X) on travel, dining, select streaming services, and select online grocery purchases. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. The sign-up bonus is stellar, too. Read our review.
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Our pick for: No-annual-fee travel rewards
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers so much value, it's hard to believe there's no annual fee. Start with a great bonus offer, then earn extra rewards in a host of common spending categories — restaurants, gas stations, transit, travel, streaming and more. Read our review.
BankAmericard® credit card
Our pick for: 0% intro APR offer
The BankAmericard® credit card isn't flashy, nor does it aim to be. You get one of the better introductory APR periods available, providing plenty of time to whittle down debt or finance a large purchase. And that's about it. Read our review.
• • •
What is good credit?
The exact definition of "good credit," particularly as it pertains to eligibility for credit cards, depends on who you ask. At NerdWallet, we generally define it as a credit score of 690 or better. Others might define it as anything in the 700s or 800s. Some issuers and institutions draw a distinction between "good" credit and "excellent" credit, while others use the terms interchangeably. (In general, if a card requires good credit, you can qualify for it with excellent credit, but if the card requires excellent credit, then "good" might not be ... good enough.)
In any discussion of credit scores and credit cards, it's important to understand that a credit score by itself is not usually enough to qualify you for any card. Credit card companies have their own formulas and criteria for determining who would be a good customer, and credit scores are just one factor in the decision. Expect the issuer to look at your income and your other debts and financial obligations when considering your application.
It's possible to be rejected for a card despite having sterling credit, and it's possible to be approved for a card even if your score doesn't fall exactly within a "recommended" range.
• • •
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page.
Last updated on December 19, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen as among the "best" in multiple categories. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
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