Best credit cards for Good Credit Score
The average FICO score in the US rose in 2021 to 714 which means many Americans can qualify for credit cards for good credit. Although you might not qualify for the most premium credit cards, you can still expect solid cash back rewards and some decent features.
Let’s go through some of the best credit cards for a good credit score.
Short Review of Best Credit Cards for Good Credit Score
| Name | Best for | Rewards Rate | APR | Apply |
|---|
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Travel, Daily use | 5x Miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.2x Unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. | 19.99% - 29.99% Variable | Learn more on our partner’s site |
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card | Cash Back, No Annual Fee, Daily use | 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.1.5% Cash Back on every purchase. | 19.99% - 29.99% Variable | Learn more on our partner’s site |
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | Fair credit | 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase. | 29.99% Variable | Learn more on our partner’s site |
Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® | Good credit score | 1.5% Cash Back on payments. | 14.99% - 29.99% Regular | Apply now On Upgrade‘s website |
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® | Low income | 3% Cash Back on Home, Auto and Health categories.1% Cash Back on everything else. | 14.99% - 29.99% Regular | Apply now On Upgrade‘s website |
| Unsecured | This card doesn't offer cash back, miles or points. | 35.9% | Apply now On Milestone Mastercard® website |
Celtic Bank The Owner’s Rewards Card by M1 | | 10% You’ll get up to 10% Cash Back with select brands you hold in an eligible portfolio.1.5% Cash Back on everything else. | 17.99% - 27.99% Variable | Apply now On Celtic Bank‘s site |
Capital One Spark Miles for Business | Walmart purchases | 5x Miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.2x Miles on every purchase for your business with no blackouts or seat restrictions and no minimum to redeem. | 26.24% Variable | Learn more on our partner’s site |
| | 2x - 7x:Points on restaurants.2x - 5x:Points on hotels.1.5x - 2x:Points on recurring software subscriptions.1x - 1.5x:Points on everything else. | None | Apply now On Cross River Bank‘s site |
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | Cash Back, Gas, 0 APR, No Annual Fee, Families, Shopping, Groceries | 3% Cash Back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).2% Cash Back on gas at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. | 18.74% - 29.74% Variable | Learn more |
| Cash Back, 0 APR, No Annual Fee, Daily use | 5% Cash Back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.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. | 20.49% - 29.24% Variable | Learn more |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® | Travel, Restaurants, Daily use | $50 Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.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).3x Points on select streaming services.2x Points on other travel purchases.1x Point per dollar spent on all other purchases. | 22.49% - 29.49% Variable | Learn more |
American Express Blue Cash Preferred | Gas, Groceries, Streaming services, Daily use | 6% Cash Back at U.S. Supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).6% Cash Back on streaming (select U.S. streaming subscriptions).3% Cash Back on transit. Transit includes taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more.3% Cash Back at U.S. Gas Stations.1% Cash Back on other purchases. | 18.74% - 29.74% Variable | Learn more |
| Cash Back, No Annual Fee, Daily use | 2% Cash Back on every purchase with unlimited 1% Cash Back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for purchases. | 19.24% - 29.24% Variable | Learn more |
Who should apply
Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®
We’d recommend this card to individuals committed to improving their credit but usually have a hard time making timely payments. This card’s fixed payments and deadlines will give you an incentive to pay off debt on time.
Read more about Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
This card is a solid no-annual-fee choice for anyone who spends moderately on groceries and gas. By maxing out the $6,000 spending threshold, you’ll get $180 cash back, which is already a nice figure without even considering rewards on other purchases.
Read more about Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
People who want a laidback no-annual-fee card with a reasonable rewards rate on every purchase should consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. It’s also worth considering by those looking for a long introductory APR offer or an easily earned welcome bonus.
Read more about Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Sapphire Preferred®
This is a good credit card for people who travel several times a year and are not afraid of reward system complexities.
Read more about Chase Sapphire Preferred®
American Express Blue Cash Preferred
Those who spend heavily on groceries, streaming services, gas, or all three will get a great value out of this card. For example, families for which $6,000 per year on groceries is easily doable can earn $360 by maxing out the spending limit. That’s more than enough to cover the annual fee.
Read more about American Express Blue Cash Preferred
Citi Double Cash
The Citi Double Cash is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a simple credit card that earns cash back every time you pay with it.
Read more about Citi Double Cash
What is a good credit score?
A credit score is a numerical rating that ranges from 300 to 850 and is an estimate of an individual’s likelihood to repay borrowed money. The range for a good credit score might differ among different credit bureaus, with the two most popular credit score models being the FICO credit-score model and the VantageScore model. According to the FICO model, a good credit score is 670 to 739, while according to the VantageScore model, it's 661 to 780.
Why is good credit important?
Having a good credit score enables you to get better financial products, including credit cards, loans, mortgages, and others. A good credit score indicates that you're in a solid financial standing and you have been responsible with payments in the past. This will prove to creditors that you're a lower-risk borrower, and they'll be more willing to offer you more favorable rates and terms. You’ll also be eligible for some of the best credit cards on the market that come with high rewards rates and great benefits and features.
What determines a good credit score?
Here are some critical factors that affect your credit score:
- Timely payments
- Credit utilization ratio
- Credit history length
- Number of recent inquiries
- Credit mix
FICO Score Ranges
FICO has a base Score range that goes from 300 to 850, as well as industry-specific Scores with a 250-900 range. The middle categories are the same in the base and the industry-specific ranges, so a good credit score in both is 670 to 739. The base FICO Score Ranges are the following:
| Poor
| 300 - 579
|
| Fair
| 580 - 669
|
| Good
| 670 - 739
|
| Very Good
| 740 - 799
|
| Exceptional
| 800-850
|
According to the Experian, 67% of Americans have a Good FICO Score or better.
How your credit score is calculated
There are 5 factors that affect your FICO credit score, and percentages are used to indicate the importance of each one:
Payment history: 35%
The most important thing is whether you’ve made timely payments on all your credit accounts. Late payments stay on your credit report for years and will hurt your credit score.
Credit utilization: 30%
The credit utilization ratio measures the amount of available credit you’re using. Generally, it’s recommended to maintain this ratio below 30%. Of course, the lower it is, the more positively it’ll impact your credit score. You can easily calculate your current utilization ratio with our calculator.
Credit history length: 15%
Another thing considered is the average age of the oldest credit account in your file with the three major credit bureaus. The longer your credit history, the better your credit score.
Number of recent inquiries: 10%
Once you apply for credit, a hard inquiry is performed on your credit report, which can lower your credit score for some time. That’s why we don’t recommend applying for multiple credit cards and/or loans at the same time because there’ll be an even greater dip in your score.
Credit mix: 10%
Having more types of credit is deemed a good thing — for example, a personal loan and a credit card.
What’s the difference between good credit and fair credit?
According to FICO, a fair credit score is any score that is in the range of 580 - 669. As it’s below the good credit score range, borrowers with fair credit scores are considered riskier than those with good credit scores.
This means that individuals with fair credit scores will get less favorable rates and terms. For example, although they can still secure loans, they’ll end up paying much more interest.
When it comes to credit cards, usually, the best rewards cards require you to have at least a good credit score. Those also come with fewer fees, more premium perks, and other valuable features.
If you currently have a fair credit score and wish to improve it, we’ll explain how in the section below.
Who Should Apply For A Credit Card For Good Credit?
Apart from people with already good credit scores, those with fair credit with a few points shy from good credit might also get approved for a credit card for good credit. If you’re not in the upper of the fair credit range, you might want to wait until your credit score improves slightly. Otherwise, the inquiry on your report and probable rejection can hurt your score even more.
How to choose the best card for good credit
There’s no one-size-fits-all in the credit card world. Everyone has different priorities and needs, so you'll have to do some research to find the card that works best for you. Here are some things you should consider when deciding:
- What type of rewards do you want?
Good credit can get you relatively good rewards credit cards, such as those on our list. The types of rewards can vary; there are some with a great flat rate like the Citi Double Cash, while some, like the Blue Cash Everyday® from American Express®, offer rewards in popular bonus categories.
- What features are important to you?
Credit cards come with a variety of different features, like intro APR offers, travel perks, safety benefits, and more. For example, if you could use some interest break, consider a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (15-month 0% APR offer on balance transfers and purchases).
- Fees and rates
Most of the cards on our list charge no annual fee, but there are a few great ones that do. Their rewards and benefits might well be worth it for the annual fee to those who’ll take advantage of them. For instance, by maxing out the spending limit on groceries ($6,000) with the Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express®, you’ll get $360 in cash back, well above the $95 annual fee. Another thing to consider is interest rates, especially if you usually carry a balance. Credit cards' APRs are high and can quickly pile up debt.
Things to consider before you apply
In addition to the things mentioned above, you should also consider your current credit score before you apply. If you’re getting close to an excellent credit score, you might as well try out your luck with some credit cards for excellent credit.
How to get a good credit score
The path to a good credit score won’t be the same for everyone. It largely depends on where you currently stand with your credit health. In particular, slips with payments in your past affect your score in the longer term, and it might take some time for their impact to diminish. Your credit history length also plays a role. However, with responsible financial practices, you can still get a good credit score in a reasonable amount of time. Here are some things that you can do:
- Pay on-time. We can’t stress enough how important this is. The best would be to pay your bills on time and in full every month, but if you can't do that, try to at least make the minimum due payment.
- Maintain a good credit utilization ratio. You should keep your use of credit at no more than 30% of your credit limit. If you’re in need of funds, first try to negotiate a larger credit limit with your credit card issuer to make sure your credit utilization ratio doesn’t change much once you borrow more.
- Regularly check your credit score. Check your credit report every now and then to see whether you’re making good progress. Also, to make sure there aren’t any errors on it, such as identity theft and mistakes in reporting can easily derail your path to a good credit score.
- Get a credit-builder. Many financial institutions have developed products specifically tailored for those trying to build their credit. These include secured credit cards and credit-builder loans.
How to maintain a good credit score
Once you’re there, in the good credit score range, it’s crucial that you don't stray off the road. We've come up with some useful tips to follow if you wish to maintain a good credit score:
Only apply for credit that you actually need – Applying for a lot of credit in a short period of time is not considered a good thing in the credit scoring formulas.
Set up autopay or reminders – If you’re forgetful, setting up autopay or due date reminders can be very helpful to keep you on track with your payments.
Don’t close old credit card accounts – Instead of closing a credit card account you’ve paid off, keep it open for some more time. This will help you in two ways – it’ll lower your credit utilization ratio as the credit limit on that card increases your total accessible credit limit, and you'll build a longer credit history.
How to go from good to excellent credit
If you’re serious about getting from good to excellent credit, you’ll have to follow the advice we laid down in the previous two sections but also go a step further:
- Not only pay the minimum due on time but pay each bill every due date in full.
- Keep your balances below 10% of your total credit limits.
- Have several different credit accounts, including installment loans and credit cards.
- If you have a short credit history, become an authorized user of an old credit card with impeccable payment history and a low credit utilization ratio.
FAQ
What are some easy credit cards to get with good credit?
With a good credit score, you'll most likely be eligible for all the credit cards on our list. If you're afraid a particular card is out of your league at the moment, try applying for cards that let you check whether you prequalify without impacting your credit score.
Which credit cards for good credit have instant approval?
Unfortunately, no credit card for good credit offers instant approval, but there are some that you can use immediately after getting approved. One is the Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express®, with which you’ll get an instant credit card number that you can use for online payments. Another one is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® which you can add to your digital wallet and use to pay in-person or online.
What are the best credit cards for a 700 credit score?
A credit score of 700 is within the good credit score range, and with it, you can apply for all the cards on our list. The best credit card will depend on the individual's financial needs and won’t be the same for everyone.
What is the typical credit limit granted with a 680 - 700 credit score?
With a 680 - 700 credit score, you can expect a credit limit of around $4,000. Of course, this will also depend on your income and any other debt you may have.
How long does it take to get a good credit score?
Whether you're recovering from financial downturns or are a newbie to the credit world, be aware that a good credit score doesn't happen overnight. Generally, if you’re starting from scratch, you can get there in 12 - 18 months. However, if your credit history has plenty of missed payments, it might even take years for those to be erased.
Our point is that there’s no specific answer to this question as the amount of time will vary based on each individual’s credit situation.
