The best credit card depends on your personal spending habits, goals, and preferences, but here are some top recommendations for May 2025 based on expert reviews and rewards value: Best All-Around Cash Back:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases with no annual fee
Best for Beginner Travelers:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a strong welcome bonus of 100,000 points after spending $5,000 in three months, plus 5x points on travel through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, and a $95 annual fee. It’s highly rated for travel rewards and flexibility
Best for Simple Travel Rewards:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers straightforward flat-rate rewards and a $95 annual fee, ideal for those who want easy-to-understand travel rewards without category restrictions
Best for Food and Entertainment:
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card focuses on dining and entertainment rewards, making it great for those who spend heavily in these categories
Best for Long Intro Balance Transfer:
- Discover it® Cash Back offers an 18-month intro balance transfer period and quarterly rotating categories for cash back
Best for Flat-Rate Cash Back:
- Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card provides a simple 2% cash back on all purchases with no annual fee
Premium and Luxury Travel:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express offers luxury travel benefits but comes with a high $695 annual fee
Summary:
Card Name| Best For| Annual Fee| Key Perks/Welcomes Bonus
---|---|---|---
Chase Freedom Unlimited®| All-around cash back| $0| 5% travel via Chase
Travel, 3% dining, 1.5% all others
Chase Sapphire Preferred®| Beginner travelers| $95| 100,000 points bonus, 5x
travel, 3x dining
Capital One Venture Rewards| Simple travel rewards| $95| Flat-rate travel
miles, straightforward rewards
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards| Food and entertainment| $95| High rewards on
dining and entertainment
Discover it® Cash Back| Balance transfer + rotating categories| $0| 18-month
intro balance transfer, rotating categories
Wells Fargo Active Cash®| Flat-rate cash back| $0| 2% cash back on all
purchases
Platinum Card® Amex| Luxury travel benefits| $695| Premium travel perks and
lounge access
Choosing the best card depends on your lifestyle-whether you prioritize travel rewards, cash back, no fees, or luxury perks
