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If you can only have 3 good credit cards in your wallet, do you know which ones you would carry? If you’re searching for ideas, here are some suggestions to earn the most travel and cash rewards with very good credit cards.
New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Member FDIC
Good Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Up to 5x on purchases, 25% travel redemption bonus, 1:1 point transfers, and an annual $50 hotel savings credit
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Up to 5% back on purchases, no annual fee, cash or travel rewards
- Citi Premier® Card: Up to 3x on travel and lifestyle purchases, $100 annual hotel savings credit
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best travel credit cards for its many benefits and valuable redemption options. It’s also a very good credit card for its everyday spending rewards.
Your purchases earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® for these categories:
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit)
- 3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out)
- 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs)
- Also 3x points on select streaming services
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x point per $1 spent on all non-bonus purchases
There is a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit. It comes in the form of a statement credit that will automatically be applied to your account when your card is used for hotel accommodation purchases made through the Ultimate Rewards program, up to an annual maximum accumulation of $50.
Plus, on each account anniversary, you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. So, if you spend $25,000 on purchases, you’ll get 2,500 bonus points.
Your points are most valuable when you redeem them for award travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Each point is worth 25% more (1.25 cents) for award travel and 1 cent for cash or gift cards.
You can also transfer them at a 1:1 ratio to over a dozen airline and hotel loyalty programs. Some of the partners include Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, World of Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Additional benefits include:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Primary rental car insurance
The annual fee is $95 and there is no foreign transaction fee.
New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Member FDIC
Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred Review
Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® gives you several ways to earn above-average cash rewards. This card was previously only awarded 1.5% back on every purchase. But as more flat-rate cash rewards credit cards introduce tiered rewards, you can now earn up to 5% back on purchases.
The rewards categories include:
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
- 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
Being able to earn at least 1.5% back instead of the industry-standard 1% for non-bonus purchases increases your earnings potential if you make frequent purchases.
Each point is worth 1 cent for cash, award travel, and gift cards.
You might also consider this card if you already have a Chase Sapphire card as you can pool your points for travel rewards. Then, you can redeem your earnings through your Sapphire account for a travel redemption bonus or 1:1 point transfers.
New Chase Freedom Unlimited® cardholders can enjoy an additional 1.5% cash back on everything they buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back! That means they can enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, Chase’s premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
The isn’t an annual fee but there is a 3% foreign transaction fee.
This card can be better than the Chase Sapphire Preferred if you want a no-annual fee credit card or want to earn 1.5 points on basic purchases instead of 1 point per $1. And yes, you can have both the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Alternate Cash Back Recommendation: Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card can be a worthy alternative to the Freedom Unlimited if the Chase 5/24 application rules prohibit you from applying at this time.
All purchases earn 2% back. This is one of the highest cash back rates for a flat-rate rewards card.
You can redeem your purchase rewards as a cash statement credit with a minimum $1 balance.
Other options include gift cards ($25 minimum), Wells Fargo bank account deposits, and Wells Fargo ATM withdrawals ($20 with a cash card or debit card).
You can also get up to $600 in complimentary cell phone protection.
New cardholders can earn a $200 bonus cash after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months.
This card doesn’t charge an annual fee but has a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Learn more: Cash Back Credit Cards
Citi Premier Card
The information for the Citi Premier® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Citi Premier® Card is another excellent travel rewards card as you can easily earn bonus points when you travel or run errands.
You will 3x ThankYou points on these purchases:
- Air travel
- Hotels
- Gas stations
- Restaurants
- Supermarkets
Each non-bonus purchase earns 1 point per $1.
Each point is worth 1 cent when booking award travel through the Citi ThankYou portal or for gift cards.
You can also transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to many airlines to book international flights or partner flights with domestic carriers. Some of the best partners include Avianca LifeMiles, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.
One additional benefit that can cover the annual fee is the yearly $100 hotel savings credit. When booking a single $500+ hotel stay through thankyou.com, you automatically redeem the benefit. This can be one of the best hotel credit cards.
New Citi Premier® Card cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This bonus is redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards when redeemed at thankyou.com. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
If this sounds like a good choice for you, check out the CardMatch™ tool, which is a free resource for finding personalized offers that best serve you. It can help you determine if the Citi Premier is a card you can get. Additionally, you may be offered a higher targeted signup bonus that isn’t available to the general public.
Learn More: CardMatch™
The annual fee is $95, and there is no foreign transaction fee.
Related: Is the Citi Premier Card Hard to Get? Here’s A Closer Look
What Credit Score Do You Need for Good Credit Cards?
Many of the best rewards credit cards require good or excellent credit. You should apply when you have a minimum 700 credit score.
Each bank also has different application guidelines. There can also be credit card-specific rules.
For example, you will want to make sure you’re eligible for the signup bonus on a good credit card. Some cards may prohibit you if you currently have another card in the same family or recently closed a related card.
Other banks may reject your application if you have opened several new cards in a short period of time.
Summary of Good Credits Cards
Hopefully, these 3 good credit cards make sense for your goals and spending. Focusing on getting approval for good credit cards first can help you find cards to hold long-term that have some of the best ongoing benefits. These cards usually offer attractive signup bonuses. Now, it’s time to decide which card is the best fit for your spending and travel habits.
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