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Best Credit Cards of 2026
Methodology: We reviewed hundreds credit cards, scoring issuers' APRs, fees, sign-up bonuses and rewards.
Editor’s take: Our choices for the best credit cards have low or no annual fees, strong cash back programs and attractive sign-up bonuses.
Updated February 2026.
Credit cards aren't just a financial tool for everyday purchases — they can provide numerous benefits, including cash back, miles, points and protection in the form of insurance policies and extended warranties. These benefits and perks can add value in savings and comfort. The Money team has evaluated hundreds of credit cards to find the best of the best in each category. These cards offer rewards for everything from everyday purchases like groceries and gas to airfare and hotel stays.
Read on for our top picks for best credit cards of 2026.
Our Top Picks for the Best Credit Cards of 2026
- Best Airline Credit Card: Aeroplan Card from Chase
- Best Hotel Credit Card: One Key+ Card from Wells Fargo
- Best Credit Card for Groceries: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Best Travel Credit Card: Sapphire Preferred from Chase
- Best Retail Credit Card: Amazon Rewards Visa Card from Chase
- Best New Credit Card: Citizens Summit World Mastercard
- Best 0% Intro APR Credit Card: Discover it Cash Back
- Best Student Credit Card: Discover it Student Cash Back
- Best No Annual Fee Credit Card: Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
- Best Gas Station Credit Card: BP Rewards Visa from FNBO
- Best Cash Back Credit Card: Discover it Cash Back
All rates and data are current as of Feb. 24, 2026.
Best Credit Cards Reviews
Why we chose it: With its sign-up bonus, ongoing rewards and perks, the Aeroplan Card from Chase stands out for the incredible incentives it offers customers.
For balance transfers, the Aeroplan Card carries a fee of either $5 or 5%, and its $95 annual fee can be easily offset by its rewards, which include triple points for every $1 spent on Air Canada or Air Canada Vacations, triple points on groceries and food, one point everywhere else and 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent in a month. The card has a variable APR of 19.74% to 28.24%.
Meanwhile, its sign-up bonus includes 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open. Additionally, the Aeroplan Card's perks include your first checked bag for free, no foreign transaction fees, credits for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, one free year of DoorDash and Caviar as well as Air Canada/Aeroplan partner perks.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The One Key+ Card from Wells Fargo offers core rewards — including on and beyond travel — that appeal to everyday consumers.
The card's 5% balance transfer fee and $99 annual fee are reasonable considering the sign-up bonuses and ongoing rewards it offers. New customers can earn $350 in OneKeyCash after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months. Meanwhile, the card offers 3% back in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, 3% back at gas stations, grocery stores and on dining, and 2% on all other purchases. One Key+ has variable APRs from 18.49% to 28.49%, and there is no foreign transaction fee.
The One Key+ Card's perks include cell phone insurance, trip interruption and cancellation protection, travel accident protection and car rental coverage. Gold members are able to save 20% or more on over 10,000 hotels worldwide and can unlock Platinum status when they spend $30,000 per calendar year. Additionally, the card provides $100 in OneKeyCash on customers' sign-up anniversaries and $120 off TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: In addition to offering a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on both purchases and balance transfers from the date of account opening, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express provides 6% cash back on groceries and streaming services.
With a $95 annual fee and variable APRs ranging from 19.49% to 28.49%, the card offers strong incentives to new customers. That includes a sign-up bonus of $300 after spending $3,000 within six months. For balance transfers, the Blue Cash Preferred Card charges $5 or 3%. The card also offers 3% cash back on transit and gas at U.S. stations, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Beyond its grocery rewards, the card's perks include car rental coverage, emergency travel assistance, purchase protection (limited up to $1,000 per covered purchase, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year) and extended warranties (up to a maximum of $10,000, not exceeding $50,000 per card member account per calendar year). For those traveling abroad, the Blue Cash Preferred's foreign transaction fee is 2.7%.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The Sapphire Preferred from Chase offers 5x points on Chase Travel, 3x points on dining — including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out — and 2x on other travel charges.
With a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% and an annual fee of $95, the Sapphire Preferred from Chase is a great choice for those with wanderlust. In addition to its travel rewards, the card also provides car rental coverage, as well as purchase protection and extended warranties. Its variable APRs range from 19.24% to 27.49%.
Additionally, Sapphire Preferred offers a sign-up bonus of 75,000 points after new customers spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from the date they opened the account, up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel. Each account anniversary, cardholders can earn bonus points equal to 10% of their total purchases from the previous year (e.g., if they spend $25,000 on purchases, they'll receive 2,500 bonus points).
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The Amazon Visa from Chase offers a $50 Amazon gift card upon approval; unlimited 3% back on Amazon.com, Whole Foods Markets and Chase Travel purchases; 2% back at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit (including rideshares); and 1% back on all other purchases.
The retail-focused card has 18.74% to 27.49% APRs, with a balance transfer fee of $5 or 4% — whichever is greater. It has no annual fee, and customers can redeem their points as soon as the next day. Chase's Amazon Visa does not charge a foreign transaction fee.
Additionally, perks include extended warranty and purchase protection, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement up to $3,000 per covered customer, travel accident insurance and auto rental coverage.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The Citizens Summit World Mastercard offers customers 3% unlimited cash back on dining and groceries without having to pay an annual fee.
Additionally, the card features a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles, with an APR from 17.49% to 27.49% thereafter. Citizens Summit World Mastercard has balance transfer fees of $10 or 5% (whichever is greater) and a foreign transaction fee of either $1.50 or 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each transaction (whichever is greater).
The card's perks are a selling point, including Mastercard ID Theft Protection, zero liability protection and complimentary membership to HealthLock, a health care technology platform designed to help consumers manage, audit and reduce their medical bills while protecting their data privacy.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The Discover it Cash Back card offers 15 months of 0% APR, no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.
Following the 0% introductory APR period, the card's APRs range from 17.49% to 26.49%. Discover it Cash Back features 5% cash back that rotates quarterly (grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and big box stores are eligible, among others) and 1% on all other purchases.
Discover it Cash Back also features a $1-to-$1 match from the day a new account is approved through the first 12 consecutive billing cycles or 365 days — whichever is longer.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The Discover it Student Cash Back card features no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and 5% cash back (up to a quarterly cap) on rotating categories.
Additionally, the card offers 1% on all other purchases alongside an 0% introductory APR for the first six months. Thereafter, APRs range from 16.49% to 25.49%. Like the Discover it Cash Back card, the student version also offers an unlimited cash back match as a sign-up bonus for the first 12 consecutive billing cycles or 365 days — whichever is longer.
The card also includes a $0 fraud liability guarantee and introductory 10.99% APR for six months for balance transfers. All information about the Discover it Student Cash Back Card has been collected independently by Money.com.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: In addition to not charging an annual fee, the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express offers an introductory APR of 0% for 15 months for new purchases and balance transfers.
The card offers a sign-up bonus of $200 after new customers spend $2,000 in the first six months after opening an account. Cash back features include 3% on groceries (up to $6,000 per year), online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year) and gas (up to $6,000 per year), with 1% cash back on all other purchases. APRs for the Blue Cash Everyday Card range from 19.49% to 28.49%.
The card's foreign transaction fee is 2.70%, and there is a $5 or 3% balance transfer fee (whichever is higher). But the Blue Cash Everyday Card offers attractive perks, including car rental coverage, emergency travel assistance and an $84 annual credit for DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The BP Rewards Visa from FNBO offers customers savings of 30 cents per gallon at a network of 7,600 BP and Amoco gas stations for the first 60 days after an account is opened.
After that sign-up bonus expires, the card features savings of 15 cents per gallon. While the BP Rewards Visa's 32.24% APR is high compared to other categories' winners, the card has no annual fee and provides 5x points on non-fuel purchases at BP and Amoco; 3x points on groceries, dining and food delivery; and 1x points on all other purchases.
Those points can be used as actual cash back, you can redeem them as a statement credit, an ACH deposit or as a check.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: Discover it Cash Back features 5% cash back that rotates quarterly (eligible categories include grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and big box stores, among others) and 1% on all other purchases.
The card also offers new customers a 15-month introductory 0% APR period. After that, the card's APRs range from 17.49% to 26.49%. The Discover it Cash Back does not have an annual fee or a foreign transaction fee.
Discover it Cash Back also features a $1-to-$1 match from the day a new account is approved through the first 12 consecutive billing cycles or 365 days — whichever is longer.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
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Credit Cards FAQs
What is the best credit card?
The best credit card will depend on the cardholder and how it fits into their daily lives and financial situation. Low-annual-fee cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® can offer plenty of rewards, insurance benefits and more without the astronomical yearly charge.
What is the best strategy to avoid paying interest on your credit cards?
To avoid credit card interest, pay the balance in full each billing cycle. It’s helpful to have a clear budget and refrain from spending more than you can afford to pay back. Also, setting up automatic payments for the full balance can help pay off the balance in time, provided you have the funds available.
How many credit cards should you have?
There is no particular number of credit cards you should have. It all depends on your situation, lifestyle and your ability to pay your balances back on time. The more cards you have, the higher your available credit line, which can reduce your utilization ratio. However, more credit cards also open the possibility of incurring higher debt and lower approval odds due to too much revolving credit.
How We Chose the Best Credit Cards
We analyzed over 100 cards from various issuers and considered several factors, including accuracy and fairness, transparency, rewards, introductory offers and other benefits. We also weighed the features of each card and then rated each with percentages among the categories.
For this Best Overall Credit Cards of 2026 list, we included only the "best overall" card for each categories (Airline, Hotel, Groceries, Travel, Cash Back, Students, No Annual Fee, Retail, Gas Station, New (Last 12 Months) and 0% Intro APR).
Read our full methodology here.
Summary of Money’s Best Credit Cards of 2026
- Best Airline Credit Card: Aeroplan Card from Chase
- Best Hotel Credit Card: One Key+ Card from Wells Fargo
- Best Credit Card for Groceries: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Best Travel Credit Card: Sapphire Preferred from Chase
- Best Retail Credit Card: Amazon Rewards Visa Card from Chase
- Best New Credit Card: Citizens Summit World Mastercard
- Best 0% Intro APR Credit Card: Discover it Cash Back
- Best Student Credit Card: Discover it Student Cash Back
- Best No Annual Fee Credit Card: Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
- Best Gas Station Credit Card: BP Rewards Visa from FNBO
- Best Cash Back Credit Card: Discover it Cash Back
Money.com has partnered with CardRatings.com for our coverage of credit card products. Money and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
To see rates and fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, visit this link. Terms apply.
* Insurance disclosures for American Express Cards on this page:
Trip Delay Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Global Assist Hotline: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, Baggage Insurance Plan: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
** Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
