The better your credit score, the better credit card rewards and benefits you can qualify for. Credit scores range from 300 to 850, and a “good” score is considered anywhere from 670 to 739. Your credit score is mostly determined by your credit history, which includes your track record for making payments on time, how much of your credit you’re using at any given time, the average age of your credit accounts and more. If you have at least a good credit score, you can likely qualify for one of the picks below. These cards fit a mix of financial goals, from cash-back rewards to balance transfers, but all offer top-of-class benefits.
Best cash-back card for good credit
Intro OfferEarn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
APR16.49% – 25.24% Variable
Intro Purchase APR0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
Recommended Credit Excellent, Good
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Annual Fee$0
Intro Balance Transfer APR0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
Balance Transfer APR16.49% – 25.24% Variable
Balance Transfer Fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fees 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Penalty APR Up to 29.99%
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Our Take
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers the widest spread of benefits for a card that requires at least good credit and also has no annual fee. The cash-back categories make this a good card for domestic travel (keep in mind, this card does have foreign transaction fees) and dining, and the introductory APR credit card allows you to finance a large purchase comfortably. The rotating rewards category adds even more value, and covers a lot of common budget items. For July through September, you earn 5% cash back on gas stations, car rental agencies, movie theaters and select live entertainment, on up to $1,500 in combined purchases throughout the quarter.
Remember to manually activate the bonus rotating category through your online account. Chase doesn’t post the upcoming rewards categories until shortly before the new quarter begins.
For more information, see our full Chase Freedom Flex review.
Best travel card for good credit
Intro OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
APR17.49% – 24.49% Variable
Intro Purchase APRN/A
Recommended Credit Excellent/Good
- 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 3x on dining.
- 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
Annual Fee$95
Balance Transfer APR17.49% – 24.49% Variable
Balance Transfer Fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fees $0
Penalty APR Up to 29.99%
- 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 3x on dining.
- 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
Our Take
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an all-around excellent travel credit card if you’ve established a good credit history. The welcome bonus alone can earn you enough points to book your next flight, but the rewards program adds extra incentives to your travel spending. If you redeem your rewards points for travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you’ll get a 25% boost on your points value. So instead of being worth 1 cent each — like when you redeem them for statement credits — points used for travel in the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal will net you 1.25 cents each.
This card has a lot of other built-in perks, like a 10% anniversary points boost: On your account anniversary, Chase gives you bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. That means if you spend $25,000 on purchases, you’ll get 2,500 bonus points. Although there’s a $95 annual fee, the quality of perks, including primary auto rental collision damage waiver and travel assistance, easily offset that expense.
Check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for more details.
Intro OfferEarn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
APR17.24%, 22.24%, or 27.24% Variable APR
Intro Purchase APR0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening
Recommended Credit Excellent, Good
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Annual Fee$0
Intro Balance Transfer APR0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Balance Transfer APR17.24%, 22.24%, or 27.24% Variable APR
Balance Transfer Fee up to 5%; min: $5
Foreign Transaction Fees 3%
Penalty APR None
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Our Take
You don’t have to think about which credit card to use for which spending categories with the Wells Fargo Active Cash. Typically for people with good or excellent credit, you earn 2% cash rewards across your purchases. There are no rotating categories to activate, specific portals you need to book through or strategies you need to employ. Besides the simplicity, the Active Cash Card has a competitive welcome offer for credit cards with no annual fee, and the introductory APR allows you to benefit from short-term financing on purchases or a qualifying balance transfer.
For more details, see our full Wells Fargo Active Cash review.
Intro OfferN/A
APR16.74% – 26.74% (Variable)
Intro Purchase APR0% for 20 billing cycles on purchases
Recommended Credit Good/Excellent
Reward RatesN/A
Annual Fee$0
Intro Balance Transfer APR0% for 20 billing cycles on balance transfers
Balance Transfer APR16.74% – 26.74% (Variable)
Balance Transfer Fee Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
Foreign Transaction Fees 2% of each foreign purchase transaction or foreign ATM advance transaction in U.S. Dollars. 3% of each foreign purchase transaction or foreign ATM advance transaction in a Foreign Currency
Our Take
The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card offers one of the longest 0% introductory APR rates on the market, even including credit cards for those with excellent credit. It offers 20 billing cycles of 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers (16.74% to 26.74% variable APR after that). Most cards that offer 0% intro APR deals only offer 12 to 18 months or billing cycles. While there’s no sign-on bonus or rewards program associated with this card, there’s also no annual fee, so it’s low maintenance. This is a great card to use for an emergency credit card in case of unexpected large expenses.
Check out our full review of the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card for more information.
Intro OfferEarn a $350 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
APR16.24%-27.24% Variable
Intro Purchase APR0% on purchases for 12 months
Recommended Credit Excellent, Good
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases
Annual Fee$95
Intro Balance Transfer APR0% on balance transfers for 12 months
Balance Transfer APR16.24%-27.24% Variable
Balance Transfer Fee Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Late Payment Fee Up to $40
Foreign Transaction Fees 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Penalty APR 29.99% Variable
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases
Our Take
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a top choice if you have a credit score over 670 and want to earn maximum rewards on groceries and rewards on gas. Though there is a $95 annual fee, if you have a hefty grocery or gas bill it may be negligible, as these are some of the best cash-back rates you can earn on U.S. supermarket and U.S. gas station purchases. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most American households’ grocery expenditure sits under the card’s $6,000 annual spending threshold for the U.S. supermarket rewards. You will only exceed this spending threshold if you average over $115 in groceries per week in a year. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
See our full review of the Blue Cash Preferred Card for more details.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
FAQs
What does it mean to have ‘good’ credit?
Good credit is a general term. Credit bureaus have various requirements to achieve what they define as “good” credit. For instance, FICO’s good credit score ranges from 670 to 739 out of a possible 300 to 850 points. FICO is one of the most popular scoring methods, but it’s not the only one. With VantageScore 4.0, another popular scoring model, your score must be between 661 and 780.
Creditors see prospective cardholders with good credit as lower risk. Individuals with a clean credit history are more likely to spend carefully and make payments on time and are less likely to default on their card balances. As a result, having good credit means you’re more likely to get approved for most credit cards at a lower interest rate and higher limit.
How do I get a good credit score?
Getting a good credit score takes time. Everyone starts with no credit history and works their way up. You can start with a credit-building card or personal loan with a low credit limit and make payments on time. You can continue building credit by adding other credit cards or loans. Some of the factors that are used to rate your credit include payment history, overall credit available, utilization and age of your accounts. The longer you make thoughtful spending choices and keep your current accounts in good standing, the better your chances of achieving good credit.
Which cards are the easiest to get with a good credit score?
Applying for a credit card is a bit of a gamble. There is no guarantee you’ll be approved, even if you have good credit. Your credit score could dip after a card application due to the hard inquiry on your credit report — even if you’re denied after applying.
The easiest card to get with a good credit score is an instant approval card that makes an immediate decision. Another option is a preapproved or prequalified credit card. Online prequalification lets you see whether you could be approved if you formally apply — without any commitment. Best of all, a prequalification won’t affect your credit score, so you can check risk-free to see if it’s worth applying.
Our methodology
CNET reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each major category, including cash-back, welcome bonus, travel rewards and balance transfer. We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a range of consumer profiles — with the understanding that everyone’s financial situation is different — and the designated function of a card.
For cash-back credit cards, for example, key factors include the annual fee, the “welcome bonus” and the cash-back rate (or rates, if they differ by spending category). For rewards and miles cards, we calculate and weigh the net monetary value of a card’s respective perks. And with balance transfer credit cards, we analyze specs such as the duration of the introductory 0% APR period and the balance transfer fee, while acknowledging secondary factors such as the standard APR and the length of time you have to make a balance transfer after you open the account.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, click here.
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