6 Best Credit Card Offers

Expert Ratings

Application Process: The usual. Input your personal data in an online app, or call 1-800-505-1675 to apply over the phone.

Many online applicants receive an instant decision.

Fees: Cardholders love that there’s no annual fee for the Citi Diamond Preferred card - ever. However, the card does charge fees for foreign transactions, balance transfers, and cash advances.

Foreign purchases carry a fee of 3% of each purchase total. Cash advance fees cost $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.

Balance transfer fees are $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, unless you transfer balances during the promotional period. If you transfer a balance from another credit card during your first 4 months as a Citi Diamond Preferred cardholder, you can enjoy a 0% interest rate for 21 months.

Rewards: None, so check out other cards on our list - like the Capital One Venture and the Discover It Cash Back - if rewards matter to you.

Bonus Offers: None at the moment.

Expert Ratings

Application Process: You know the drill: Input some general info online for a quick decision. If your FICO is below 650, you may want to hold off on applying for now. This card is geared toward people with excellent credit.

Fees: Unfortunately this card has a $95 annual fee after your first 12 months; prior to that, there’s no fee. However, many customers feel the card’s perks justify the annual fee.

Balance transfers cost $5 or 5% of each transfer amount, whichever is greater. Cash advances will set you back $10 or 5% of each transaction amount, whichever is greater.

There are no foreign transaction fees, which makes this card popular with frequent travelers.

Late payment fees work a little differently than most credit cards - Chase considers your balance rather than charging the same amount for everyone. You’ll pay up to $15 if the balance is less than $100, up to $27 if the balance is $100 to less than $250, and up to $37 if the balance is $250 or more.

Returned payments typically carry a $37 fee.

Rewards: Collect at least 1 point for every dollar you spend with this Chase credit card. Travel-related purchases and purchases at restaurants are worth 2 points per dollar.

Points transfer with a 1:1 value to many popular airline and hotel loyalty programs, which makes customers happy. Maximize your rewards by redeeming them through Chase Ultimate Rewards for 25% more value. For example, 50,000 points are worth $625 through this portal.

Chase Ultimate Rewards takes care of its members. There are no blackout dates or other restrictions, so you can travel when you want as long as seats are available on your preferred flight.

Bonus Offers: Earn a whopping 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases during your first 3 months as a cardholder. You can also collect 5,000 bonus points when you add an authorized user to your account and make a purchase during the first 3 months as a cardholder.

Expert Ratings

Application Process: Check your approval odds using Capital One’s prequalification tool before you apply. The tool doesn’t leave a hard inquiry on your credit report, so you can use it with no worries.

After that, spend a few minutes answering basic questions about your name, residence, and Social Security Number. You may score an instant approval, or you might have to wait a couple of weeks for an answer.

Fees: Test drive this travel rewards card for 12 months without shelling over money for an annual fee. After that, expect to pay $95 per year.

There’s a transfer transaction fee that totals 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR. There is no fee for balances transferred using the standard transfer APR.

You’ll shell out $10 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater, if you use your credit card like a debit card. You’ll also pay a higher APR on cash advances.

Late payment fees run up to $38, but you can sometimes get your first late payment fee waived.

Rewards: Rake in 2 miles per dollar spent on everyday purchases. Some hotels qualify for as much as 10 miles per dollar spent, so consider that when you plan your next getaway.

Cardholders generally like the rewards offered by the Capital One Venture card. However, there are numerous complaints about the reduced cash value associated with redemptions. If you trade points for cash, expect to collect half the value you’d get for travel perks.

Bonus Offers: Don’t apply unless you plan to book trips with this card right away. New cardholders qualify for a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases during their first 3 months. This equals $500 toward travel expenses.

Expert Ratings

Application Process: Apply online for a near-instant decision, or call (800) 347-0264. You typically need credit in the good to excellent range to get approved, so take some time to fix your FICO if you aren’t quite there yet.

Fees: Cardholders appreciate that this Discover card has no annual fee and no monthly maintenance fee. Balance transfers carry a 3% fee per transfer, and cash advances cost $10 or 5% of each cash advance amount, whichever is greater.

Discover kindly waives your first late payment fee. After that, expect to shell out $37 for late payments. There’s also a $37 fee for returned payments.

Rewards: Reward amounts vary with this Discover card, but you’ll always earn at least 1% cash back on qualifying purchases. Each quarter, there are rotating categories that reward you with 5% cash back for eligible purchases.

Bonus Offers: If you have multiple credit cards, you may want to focus on this one for your first year. Discover matches all cash-back rewards from your first 12 months as a cardholder.

Expert Ratings

Application Process: Share basic info like your name, date of birth, and Social Security Number for a speedy approval. You may get rejected if your credit history needs some TLC, as this card focuses on applicants with good to excellent credit.

Fees: The Chase Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee - ever! That’s surprising for a card with unlimited cash-back rewards.

Balance transfers cost $5 or 5% of each transfer amount, whichever is greater. Cash advances are $10 or 5% of each transaction amount, whichever is greater.

Foreign Transactions cost 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars, so you may prefer the Chase Sapphire Preferred card instead if you travel overseas frequently.

As with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Freedom Unlimited uses a sliding scale for late fees. Expect to shell out up to $15 if the balance is less than $100, up to $27 if the balance is $100 to less than $250, and up to $37 if the balance is $250 or more.

Returned payments cost up to $37. The card doesn’t have an over-the-limit fee, but you should still spend responsibly.

Rewards: Rack up unlimited cash back rewards with this Chase card. You get 1.5% cash back for every qualifying purchase, and you can redeem your rewards whenever you’re ready - even if you just have a few bucks. There’s no rush to cash out, though; rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

Unlike some other popular cash-back credit cards, this card doesn’t have rotating bonus categories. Some cardholders dislike this about the card, while others say they enjoy the simplicity. You earn the same cash-back percentage for every purchase, whether you’re dining out at your favorite restaurant or revamping your wardrobe.

Bonus Offers: Collect a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases during the first 3 months your account is open.