But it's important to note before we start: The cards we list here aren't simply those that pay us to say they're great rewards cards. These are cards we use personally and/or are cards we regularly recommend to our friends and family.

The best rewards cards: expert picks

• Best rewards credit card overall: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see ): This card offers fantastic value while being as easy to use as it gets, with an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. It also has a large welcome offer, and all for no annual fee.
• Best rewards card with rotating bonus categories Discover it® Cash Back (see ): This rewards card earns an impressive 5% on up to $1,500 of quarterly spending in rotating bonus categories you activate. Plus, Discover rewards new cardholders by matching all the cash back you've earned after the first year.
• Best rewards credit card with cash back Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (see ): This rewards card is a family favorite for its 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets and streaming subscriptions, easily making it one of the highest rewards we've come across. (Terms apply.) There is an annual fee after the first year, but the rewards you earn may offset the cost.

Best rewards card overall

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Rewards rate: Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Why we picked it: It has the highest flat-rate, unlimited cash rewards that we've seen, plus a $200 welcome offer to add to its value.

What we think you should know about the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: If you strive for simplicity with your finances, this Wells Fargo card does the trick. You don't need to worry about activating bonus categories, or what purchases qualify for those categories. You earn 2% cash rewards for any type of purchase you put on this card.

Apply for the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card on Wells Fargo's website.

Pros:

• Earn 2% cash rewards in all spending categories
• $200 cash rewards welcome offer
• 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers

Cons:

• Charges a 3% foreign transaction fee
• Wells Fargo has a below average customer satisfaction rating (based on J.D. Power survey)

Best rewards credit card for travel

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Rewards rate: Unlimited 1.5x points per $1 on purchases

Why we picked it: It's one of few travel credit cards with no annual fee, and you can boost its rewards rate if you're in the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program.

What we think you should know about the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: This is a solid rewards card that gets significantly better for Bank of America Preferred Rewards clients. If you have enough in qualifying assets with Bank of America and Merrill Lynch to qualify, you can join that program and get access to many benefits, including a higher rewards rate with Bank of America cards.

Apply for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card on Bank of America's website.

Pros:

• Rewards boost of 25% to 75% for Preferred Rewards clients
• 25,000 bonus points welcome offer (worth $250 toward travel)
• 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases and balance transfers

Cons:

• Doesn't offer many travel benefits, which limits the value for frequent travelers
• Rewards rate is average without rewards boost

Best cashback credit card for bonus categories

Discover it® Cash Back

Rewards rate: 5% cash back in rotating quarterly bonus categories when you activate (up to $1,500 spending cap), 1% cash back on other purchases.

Why we picked it: This Discover card is a great blend of high value and a user-friendly experience. It has a robust rewards program, earning 1% - 5% Cashback, plus Discover's innovative Cashback Match.

What we think you should know about the Discover it® Cash Back: You really can't go wrong with a Discover card. They all keep fees to a minimum, with no annual fee or foreign transaction fee, and Discover even automatically waives your first late fee.

Apply for Discover it® Cash Back on the Discover website.

Pros:

• 5% cash back in rotating quarterly bonus categories
• Unlimited Cashback Match welcome offer
• 0%, 15 months intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, after which a go-to 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR applies.
• No annual fee or foreign transaction fee

Cons:

• Standard cash back rate of 1% on non-bonus purchases
• Not as widely accepted internationally as Visa or Mastercard

Also good cashback credit card: Citi Custom Cash® Card

Rewards rate: 5% cash back in top eligible spending category (up to $500 spending cap), 1% on other purchases

Why we picked it: With most rewards cards, the card issuer picks the bonus categories. With this Citi card, you earn big bonus cash back in whichever eligible category you spend the most.

What we think you should know about the Citi Custom Cash® Card: There aren't too many cash back cards that earn 5% back in any spending category. This Citi card does, for no annual fee, and that cash back rate is customized to fit your spending habits (hence the card name).

Apply for Citi Custom Cash® Card on the Citi website.

Pros:

• 5% cash back based on where you spend the most
• Welcome offer of 20,000 ThankYou® Points (worth $200)
• 0%, 15 months intro APR on purchases and balance transfers

Cons:

• Only one bonus category per billing cycle -- other purchases earn standard 1% cash back rate
• Charges a foreign transaction fee of 3%

Best flat rate rewards credit card

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Rewards rate: Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Why we picked it: You can earn big with this card, courtesy of the 2x miles per $1 and a welcome offer of 75,000 miles. Capital One Venture miles are also easy to use.

What we think you should know about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: I used to have this card, and now use the premium version, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Both are top-flight travel cards with a lot of benefits in common, and a couple of standout perks.

Apply for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card on Capital One's website.

Pros:

• Earn an unlimited 2x miles per $1 on purchases
• 75,000-mile welcome offer
• Miles are redeemable for any type of travel purchase or transferable to Capital One's travel partners
• Two complimentary airport lounge visits per year

Cons:

• Very limited bonus categories
• Capital One doesn't have as many travel partners as some other card issuers

More of our best credit cards for points:

You don’t have to choose everything from one column. But the more you just want to sit back while your credit card earns rewards, the more you should choose from the “keep it simple” column. And the more you want to earn the most rewards and get the biggest benefits from card perks, the more the “optimize” column may be right for you.

Travel rewards credit cards

If traveling is one of your favorite things, travel credit cards are basically made for you. These cards earn rewards that you can use to cover travel purchases like airfare or hotel stays.

• General travel rewards credit cards are great because they’re more flexible. This type of travel card will allow you to rack up points on your travel even if you don’t have a preferred airline or hotel. Points can often be used to book travel through issuer travel portals, converted into points in airline or hotel rewards systems, or even converted into gift cards or statement credits (though you won’t get the best value this way).
• Co-branded travel rewards cards are the opposite. They are best when you do have a preferred airline or hotel. These cards are issued via partnerships between an issuing bank and an airline or hotel. These credit cards typically offer big points for booking with the co-branded airline or hotel and usually pay out in the form of that company’s loyalty points system. They also often have perks directly related to the travel company – for instance, free checked bags for an airline card or room upgrades for a hotel card.

Travel Rewards at a Glance

COMPARE MORE TOP PICKS: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Cash back credit cards

Cash back credit cards at a glance

Points credit cards

Points credit cards at a glance

COMPARE MORE TOP PICKS: Best Cash Back Credit Cards

Store credit cards

Most store cards earn rewards you can redeem with that store for a gift card. There are exceptions, like the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, which earns cash back. And some store cards offer a discount on purchases or zero-interest financing instead of rewards.

For example, let's say you apply for a T.J. Maxx credit card. Any of the following could happen:

• You're approved for the TJX Rewards® Credit Card. This is a closed-loop card, meaning you can only use it at T.J. Maxx and its other brands.
• You're approved for the TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard®. This is an open-loop card that can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
• You're not approved for any of the T.J. Maxx credit cards.

Store credit cards at a glance

LEARN MORE: Best Store Credit Cards

• Get cash back, as a statement credit on your credit card bill, a direct deposit to a bank account, or as a check.
• Use them for travel through the card issuer's travel portal, as a statement credit toward previous travel purchases, or by transferring them to airline or hotel loyalty programs.
• Redeem them for store gift cards.
• Redeem them for products or services.

Check how much value you get with each redemption method. People sometimes assume they get the same value no matter how they use their rewards. This is a common mistake that can cost you money. The value often depends on how you use your rewards. For example, if your card earns travel points, you may also be able to redeem them for cash back, but at a much lower rate per point.

You should get a rewards credit card if you have a good credit score and will pay the bill in full every month.

• You don't have a good credit score: Learn how to increase your credit score and work on that first. It usually takes a FICO® Score of at least 670 to get any of the best rewards credit cards. By improving your credit, you can qualify for rewards cards that offer much more value.
• You won't pay in full every month: Every month you carry a balance, the card issuer can charge you credit card interest. The cost of interest almost always outweighs your rewards.

If you won't be able to pay in full, get a credit card with a 0% intro APR on purchases. The credit card company won't charge you interest during your card's introductory period. On a card with a 15-month 0% intro APR, that means no interest charges for the first 15 months.

CHECK OUT THE LONGEST OFFERS: Best 0% APR Credit Cards

If you're working on your credit score, find a card aimed at people in your score range. First, learn about how to find out your credit score. Every credit score falls into a range, like "fair credit" or "bad credit." Once you know your score, you can pick a card you're likely to qualify for.

FIND THE RIGHT CARD FOR YOUR CREDIT SCORE:

• Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
• Best Credit Cards for Fair/Average Credit
• Best Starter Credit Cards for No Credit

If you're dealing with credit card debt, go with a balance transfer credit card. These cards have a 0% intro APR on balance transfers (balances you move over from other credit cards). Although a balance transfer fee applies, you can still save quite a bit on interest this way. If you're unfamiliar with this type of offer, our complete guide to balance transfers explains everything you need to know.

SAVE ON DEBT: Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards

LOVE REWARDS? Check out The Ascent's MyPoints Review, where you can learn about the rewards program from MyPoints.