Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit in 2026: Premium Rewards & Perks

 

The best card for excellent credit depends on your goals — whether that’s travel, cash back or minimizing fees.

1. Choose your rewards: cash back or travel

Decide if you want to earn cash back or travel points based on your spending. If you’re on the fence about this, you can consider flexible rewards credit cards that let you redeem for either option.

→ Read: Cash Back vs. Miles vs. Points: Which Is Best for You?

2. Find rewards that match your spending

Look for cards that offer rewards that align with your normal purchasing habits, especially if you spend significant sums of money on groceries, gas, dining or travel. You can use a flat-rate card or a combination of rewards cards that suit your spending style best.

 

3. Consider the value of other card perks

Look for cardholder perks you want and can actually use. These could include travel benefits, annual statement credit offers, built-in travel or consumer protections or something else.

4. Decide if an annual fee is worth it

Since credit cards with the most benefits tend to charge annual fees, you should make sure the value of the perks you receive is worth it. Many cards offer credits that offset the annual fee, as long as you’re able to use them. For example, if you travel often, a $120 fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^® membership can more than make up for a $99 annual fee.

5. Look at card combo opportunities

Consider earning points with card combinations that fall within the same family so you can pool your rewards for convenience and potentially even better redemptions. Cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards^® points are most popular in this category since you can pool cash back into travel credit card accounts for point transfers to airlines and hotels.

 

6. Look at sign-up bonuses

Consider the welcome bonuses different cards offer and whether you can meet the minimum spending requirement to earn them. While sign-up bonuses are only offered during the first year of card membership, they give you an initial rewards boost that can make trying out a card worth it.

→ See the best credit card sign-up bonuses

An annual fee is worth it when the value of a card’s perks clearly outweighs the cost. For frequent travelers who take advantage of credits, lounge access and travel protections, the savings can add up to hundreds of dollars more than the fee. For example:

Consider Nora, the frequent traveler.

She flies frequently with one airline, often checks bags, takes overseas trips multiple times a year and rides Uber at least once a month. She uses programs like Global Entry to avoid standing in long security lines. She likes to hang out in airport lounges ahead of her flight to avoid the stressful bustle of the terminal. We estimate that the American Express Platinum Card^® could save Nora at least $684 in a year on these perks.

 

Now let's look at Sam, the occasional traveler.

Sam doesn’t fly often enough to use lounge perks, so a lower-cost option like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a better fit. Its $95 annual fee is offset by ~$740 in rewards on $20,000 spend plus up to a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck^® credit — giving him nearly $785 in net value.

 

• Best for flexible travel rewards

  Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card + Chase Freedom Unlimited^® + Chase Freedom Flex^®
  This card pairing is excellent since Chase lets you pool all your rewards points in a single account. You can maximize rewards in rotating cash back categories with the Chase Freedom Flex^®, then switch to the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® to earn a minimum of 1.5% cash back on every purchase. You can dedicate the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card to travel purchases, then combine and transfer all your points to airlines and hotels.

  • Estimated rewards rate: 4.8%
  • Estimated earnings on $20,000 spend: $960
  • Combined annual fees: $95

  Based on LendingTree’s value methodology

• Best for simple travel rewards

  Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card + Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
  This pairing lets you earn flexible rewards for travel and generous cash back in a range of everyday categories. Capital One will also let you pool your rewards to transfer to its airline and hotel loyalty program partners.

  • Estimated rewards rate: 4.4%
  • Estimated earnings on $20,000 spend: $880
  • Combined annual fees: $95

  Based on LendingTree’s value methodology

• Best cash back combo

  Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express + Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card
  If your ultimate goal is maximizing cash back*, this card combination would help you earn juiced-up rewards on U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year), transit, select U.S. streaming services and U.S. gas purchases, plus a minimum of 2% cash rewards on purchases.

  • Estimated rewards rate: 3.2%
  • Estimated earnings on $20,000 spend: $640
  • Combined annual fees: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (see rates & fees for the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express)

  Based on LendingTree’s value methodology
  *Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.

   

1. Pay on time
   A spotless payment history is the most important factor in credit scoring, so be sure to pay every bill on time (or even early) each month.
   Don’t forget: A recent study from LendingTree showed that 100% of people with 800+ credit scores pay their bills on time.
2. Check your credit reports
   Dispute any errors dragging down your score. You can check your credit reports with all three credit bureaus for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
3. Keep balances low
   Aim to use less than 30% of your credit limit (for example, $300 of a $1,000 credit limit).
4. Show stable income
   Be sure to report all your sources of income on your application — this can boost approval odds and also help you qualify for a higher credit limit. If you’re 21 or older, you can include your household income (including the income of a spouse or partner) on your credit application.
5. Apply carefully
   Don’t apply for a lot of cards at once. Carefully research and apply for the cards that are a good fit for you and you can qualify for.
   Under Chase 5/24? Consider Chase first. Chase’s 5/24 rule limits new accounts to cardholders who have had more than five new credit cards in the previous 24 months. You should consider applying for rewards cards with Chase before exploring options with other issuers.
6. See if you’re preapproved before you apply
   Some credit cards let you gauge your approval odds before you apply. This means you can see if you’re likely to be approved without a hard inquiry on your credit reports.

→ Learn how to get preapproved for a credit card

 

“Keeping your first credit card open is a simple way to help boost your credit score. My first credit card offers little value, but I have it linked to a magazine subscription with autopay so I don’t have to even think about it.”

– Charlotte Zhang, Staff Writer

“Autopay is your greatest friend if you want to juggle multiple cards and keep your credit score in the excellent range. I have all my accounts set to make automatic payments on the same day, so I never miss a due date.”

– Robin Ratcliff, Senior Managing Editor

“As someone with a shorter credit history, I find that it’s really important to pay your entire balance on time or early if possible. My credit cards have apps that make it easy to periodically pay bills at regular times and ahead of due dates.”

– Isabella Kok, Content Coordinator

“Often, the best cards are only available to those with excellent credit — so before applying, I always check my credit score to make sure it still falls within range. Sometimes, I’ll apply for a card after receiving an offer in the mail, because I know it’s targeted for my credit score.”

– Tracy Brackman, Senior Editor