Best Top 10 Credit Cards of September 2020

Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card

Why We Chose This Card

This well-rounded card deserves our top honor and a place in your wallet. Earning cash back is super simple, since there are no categories or limitations to worry about. You’ll get a respectable 1.5% cash back on every dollar you spend, everyday, plus a $150 bonus if you charge $500 in your first three months with the card. If you have a big purchase to make, you’ll get 15 months interest-free on new purchases thanks to its introductory offer. All this makes for an excellent card without an annual fee.

Discover it® Miles

Why We Chose This Card

Despite its branding, Discover it Miles essentially functions as a cash-back card with superb flexibility. You’ll earn 1.5 miles for every dollar you spend and can redeem those miles for statement credits on prior travel purchases or as cash back directly deposited in your bank account. (Miles are always worth 1 cent each.) You can even use them right at checkout on Amazon.com. What’s more, this card offers 0% APR on purchases for 14 months, and Discover will match all rewards earned your first year as a cardholder. This bonus is worth about $365, based on average U.S. household spending.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Why We Chose This Card

This card has a sky-high annual fee, but its rich rewards-earning rates on travel and restaurant purchases, a $300 annual credit toward travel, and superior travel perks (who doesn’t want unlimited access to participating airport lounges?) make it more than worthwhile for the frequent traveler. Plus, you’ll get some terrific flexibility when it comes time to redeem your reward points. You can use them to book your choice of airline or hotel through the Chase online portal, or you can transfer them (usually at a 1-to-1 ratio!) to any eligible airline or hotel rewards programs.

Wells Fargo Cash Back College℠

Why We Chose This Card

Busy students need a card that makes using credit worthwhile and educational, and that’s why this one shines. For your first six months with the card, you’ll earn 3% cash back on as much as $2,500 that you spend on gas, groceries and drugstore items. During that introductory period, you’ll also pay no interest on purchases. Access to resources like free FICO credit scores and Wells Fargo’s credit education hub make this a valuable learning tool as well. Just note that you need to be an existing Wells Fargo customer to apply.

Discover it® Secured

Why We Chose This Card

If you’re a first-time borrower or rebuilding a bad credit profile, finding a top-notch secured card can be tough. Thankfully, this is it. You’ll earn some decent cash back on routine purchases, and at the end of your first year, your earnings will be doubled. You won’t pay an annual fee (many secured cards charge one), and Discover will even waive your first late fee. Plus, after eight months, Discover will begin reviewing your account for a possible upgrade to an unsecured card.

United℠ Explorer Card

Why We Chose This Card

We found United miles to be the most valuable of those offered by a major U.S. airline rewards program, which makes this card our top pick for frequent flyers. Not only are they worth an average 2.28 cents each, according to our research, but you’ll get 60,000 extra miles if you spend $3,000 within your first three months with the card. It’s a bonus that we value at $1,368. What’s more, restaurant, hotel, and United charges all earn 2 miles per $1 spent. It doesn’t hurt that the annual fee is waived for the first year, either.

Citi Simplicity®

Why We Chose This Card

This card gives you 18 months to pay off balance transfers, which is one of the longest 0% balance transfer APR offers on the market right now. Long 0% APR periods spread out the financial burden of debt repayment while cutting interest costs. Plus, you’ll have four months after opening an account to take advantage of the balance transfer promotion, which is longer than some similar cards offer. That gives you time to strategize your debt repayment plan.

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®

Why We Chose This Card

If American Airlines can be your go-to airline when you travel for business, this card is for you. Frequent flyers will earn valuable miles (they are worth an average of 2.32 cents each, based on our data) on not just flights, but business expenses such as telephone and cable services, car rentals and gas bills. They'll also get travel perks like preferred boarding and free checked bags. What's more, the 65,000-mile bonus for new cardholders—earned after spending $4,000 within four months of opening an account—is worth about $1,500, according to our estimates.

Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card

Why We Chose This Card

Chase’s popular Ultimate Rewards program coupled with a reasonable annual fee make this our favorite business travel card. There’s a generous 100,000-point bonus for new cardholders who spend $15,000 within three months of opening an account. That bonus is worth $1,250 in travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards. It may be worth even more if you transfer points to an eligible hotel or airline loyalty program. Day-to-day, you earn a competitive rewards rate on common business expenses like online advertising and shipping. 

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card

Why We Chose This Card

In addition to big rewards on gas, you can stack up some serious points by using this card to do your food shopping each week, which is why it tops our list. Three points per $1 spent on groceries (even those bought from military commissaries) is a great earning rate for a rewards card with no annual fee. And there’s no cap on how much you can earn, making it the best unlimited cash-back card, too. Better yet, as long as you get an account with the credit union (you can open a savings account with as little as $5), anyone can apply for this card. You don’t have to be affiliated with the U.S. military.