Credit cards for good credit

This card fits travelers who want flexible points without a premium fee. It earns 5x on Chase Travel, 3x on dining, select streaming, online groceries, gas stations and EV charging, and 2x on other travel. The annual fee is $95 and there are no foreign transaction fees. The 3x everyday categories carry exclusions, including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs for online grocery.

The Gold Card fits people who put most of their spending on food. It earns 4X points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 per calendar year and 4X at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year. Monthly Uber, dining, Resy and Dunkin' credits can return up to $424 per year against the $325 annual fee. The credits post monthly, so they reward steady use rather than one big trip.

This card is for people who want maximum cash back with zero maintenance. Every purchase earns 1% up front and another 1% as you pay, with no caps or categories. There is no annual fee, and balance transfers get 0% for 18 months. The caveat: a 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor travel companion abroad.

Discover it Cash Back is for people who will activate a quarterly category and want an outsized first year. You earn 5% in rotating categories on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter when you activate, and 1% on everything else. At the end of your first year, Discover matches every dollar of cash back you earned. There is no annual fee. The caveat: the 5% requires activation each quarter and stops at the cap.

This card is for people who want one number: 2% back on everything, forever, with no annual fee. The $100 bonus requires only $500 in purchases in three months, one of the lowest hurdles among major cards. It also carries a 12-month 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. The caveat is the 3% foreign transaction fee: leave it home when traveling abroad.

The Blue Cash Preferred holds the highest grocery rate among major cards: 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year, plus 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions and 3% on transit and U.S. gas. The annual fee is $0 intro for the first year, then $95, and a family spending $6,000 at supermarkets earns $360 at the 6% rate alone. A 0% intro APR for 12 months covers purchases and balance transfers. Light grocery spenders should take the fee-free Blue Cash Everyday instead.

This card is for people who want one no-fee card that earns on everything. Every purchase pays at least 1.5%, dining and drugstores pay 3%, and Chase Travel bookings pay 5%. New cardmembers get a $200 bonus after $500 in spend and 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. The 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor card to take abroad.

This card rewards people who will activate and chase quarterly categories. Up to $1,500 in combined purchases earns 5% each quarter you activate, with 3% on dining and drugstores year round. New cardmembers get a $200 bonus after $500 in spend and 15 months of 0% intro APR on purchases and transfers. Category caps mean the ceiling on 5% earnings is $75 per quarter.

This card is for people whose spending lives in everyday categories but who redeem for travel. Restaurants, supermarkets, gas, EV charging, air travel and hotels all earn 3X, with 10X on Citi Travel bookings. The $100 annual hotel benefit can offset the $95 fee by itself. The caveat: the 10X rate requires booking through Citi's portal.

This card is for paying down a balance, not for earning. Transfers made within 4 months of opening get 0% for 21 months; purchases get 0% for 12 months. There is no annual fee. The caveat: no rewards program, so once the balance hits zero this becomes a backup card.

The Platinum Card is for frequent travelers who will actually use its perks. It earns 5X points on flights booked with airlines or AmexTravel.com, on up to $500,000 per calendar year, and 5X on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com. Access spans Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year and Priority Pass. The $895 fee only makes sense if you track and use the hotel, Uber, entertainment, Resy and CLEAR Plus credits.

The Blue Cash Everyday covers the three places most households actually spend: groceries, gas and online shopping, each at 3% on up to $6,000 per category per year. There is no annual fee, and a 0% intro APR for 15 months applies to purchases and balance transfers alike. Monthly Disney streaming and Home Chef credits add quiet value. Bigger grocery budgets outgrow the caps and belong on the Blue Cash Preferred.