March 31, 2023
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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is our pick for the overall best Visa card. It offers a generous welcome bonus, valuable cash back rewards and an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers — all with no annual fee.
Visa is so well known that the company name is almost synonymous with “credit card.” While you may occasionally encounter merchants that don’t accept American Express or Discover, cards on the Visa network are widely accepted in the United States and abroad. To make sure you’re never caught unable to pay, it’s a smart move to have one of the best Visa credit cards in your wallet.
Many banks and credit unions issue Visa credit cards because of Visa’s worldwide acceptance and valuable Visa card benefits. Visa cards are often laden with benefits, depending on the type of card you have — Traditional, Signature and Infinite. Visa Signature cards, for example, may include hotel perks through the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel collection, rental car privileges and protections for your cell phone, flights and checked baggage.
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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of the most rewarding credit cards around, since it lets you earn a high flat rate on your purchases, plus bonus cash back on lucrative categories like dining and Chase travel. It even gives you an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers.
Who’s this card best for?
This is one of the best Visa credit cards if you want to earn the most cash back possible on every purchase without paying an annual fee. Plus, it offers higher rates on select categories for additional cash back.
You’ll also get extra time to pay off new purchases or transfer an existing balance without interest charges. This card gives you a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and a 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months (followed by a 20.49% – 29.24% Variable APR). It also comes with a good set of Visa benefits, including purchase protection, extended warranty and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
In addition, it’s also a great option for cardholders who already have cards in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® family — you can pair it with premium Ultimate Rewards cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and get a bonus by redeeming your rewards for travel.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns a high rate of valuable Ultimate Rewards points on a variety of common business purchases. It also comes with great travel protections, including trip cancellation/interruption insurance and primary rental car insurance.
Who’s this card best for?
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card might be the card you want if your business requires frequent travel and your spending aligns well with the following rewards categories:
Your rewards are also extremely flexible — redeem them for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal and get 25% more value, or transfer points to more than 10 hotel and airline loyalty programs at a 1:1 value.
You can score a large number of flexible, valuable Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, thanks to its generous sign-up bonus and high rates on dining and travel purchases. This Visa travel card also offers valuable travel protections, including primary rental car insurance.
Who’s this card best for?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Visa is excellent for consumers who travel frequently, but don’t want to shell out a high fee for an expensive luxury card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. With a reasonable $95 annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers robust travel protections and flexible redemptions.
Just like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you get a 25% bonus on points when you redeem them through the Chase travel portal. You can transfer points to more than 10 loyalty programs, including United, Southwest and Hyatt. Plus, this card also includes some of the best credit card travel protections, including trip cancellation/interruption insurance and primary rental car insurance.
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The Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® offers cash back rewards and a robust credit line up to $25,000. It encourages you to pay down your balance by offering a bonus rate on timely payments rather than purchases.
Who’s this card best for?
This Visa credit card for fair is ideal for customers who are able to repay their purchases quickly. You’ll earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on card purchases every time you make a payment and enjoy a $0 and no late fees. You can also $200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Plus account and making 3 debit card transactions*.
The United Quest℠ Card offers a wealth of benefits, including a large sign-up bonus, bonus miles on a wide variety of purchases and the potential to get elite status with your spending.
Who’s this card best for?
This Visa airline credit card is best for travelers who prefer to fly United Airlines. Its benefits make traveling easier and less expensive with free first and second checked bags, priority boarding and 25% off in-flight purchases. Plus, MileagePlus Premier travelers booking flights with miles are eligible for complimentary upgrades.
It does have a $250 annual fee, but it also comes with an annual $125 United credit that applies to most purchases on United, including airfare. If you regularly fly with United, this credit can easily offset half your annual fee each year.
On top of earning valuable Hyatt points, the World of Hyatt Credit Card grants the best hotel benefits of any Visa hotel card. You’ll enjoy automatic elite status, a free night each year and complimentary travel and purchase protections. It charges a reasonable annual fee that’s easily offset by the free night and elite status benefits.
Who’s this card best for?
The World of Hyatt Credit Card is a must-have for travelers who stay at Hyatt properties on a regular basis. It includes an annual free night (Category 1 to 4), automatic Discoverist elite status and elite credits towards higher levels of status. Cardholders can earn a second free night and additional elite night credits based on their spending.
The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card offers an outstanding intro period on balance transfers — 21 months. It also allows cardholders up to 120 days to complete balance transfers at the introductory rate.
Who’s this card best for?
Consumers who need extra time to pay off their balances will benefit from the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card. It provides almost two years of interest-free financing. In addition, cardholders have almost four months to complete their balance transfers to receive the introductory 0% interest promotion.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Recommended Credit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
|
Winner
|
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases | Excellent/Good | |
|
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
|
Business
|
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases—with no limit to the amount you can earn. | Excellent | |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
|
Travel
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more. | Excellent | |
|
Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®
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on Upgrade's secure site Rates & Fees |
Fair credit
|
$200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Plus account and making 3 debit card transactions* | 1.5% unlimited cash back on card purchases every time you make a payment | Fair |
Apply Now
on Upgrade's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
United Quest℠ Card
Review Coming Soon
|
Airline miles
|
Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases. 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, select streaming services & all other travel. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, each year, receive up to a $125 United® purchase credit and two 5K-mile anniversary award flight credits (terms apply) and earn up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points. | Excellent/Good | Review Coming Soon |
|
World of Hyatt Credit Card
|
Hotel
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Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points - Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent. | Earn up to 9 points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4 Bonus Points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member | Excellent/Good | |
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Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
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Balance transfers
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N/A | None | Excellent/Good |
Visa is a payment network that processes credit card transactions on behalf of merchants, banks and cardholders. While many credit cards have a Visa logo, Visa doesn’t issue its own credit cards. Unlike American Express and Discover, it solely relies on banks and other card issuers to offer its credit cards.
You’ll have an easy time using a Visa credit card most places you go. Visa and Mastercard are the two most-accepted credit card types around the world. According to a 2018 study from The Nilson Report, Visa is accepted by 10.9 million merchants within the U.S. and 44.4 million across the world. While Visa and Mastercard are accepted at most merchants, Visa has an exclusive arrangement where it is the only credit card accepted at Costco warehouse stores.
Visa offers three tiers of credit cards that offer differing levels of benefits — Platinum, Signature and Infinite. Higher tiers generally offer more robust benefits and exclusive offers that accompany their higher credit score requirements and larger annual fees.
Visa Traditional
Visa Traditional Cards are entry-level credit cards with basic benefits. These benefits include emergency card replacement, zero liability for unauthorized transactions and roadside dispatch. Visa Traditional cards are also known as “Visa Platinum” cards, and they may include other benefits that are specific to the card issuer. These cards are also eligible for exclusive Visa offers and perks.
Visa Signature
Visa Signature cards are Visa’s mid-tier cards, which, frankly, offer many of the same excellent benefits as Visa’s highest tier of cards, Visa Infinite. Visa Signature cardholders receive trial offers and discounts for services like Shipt, Sofar and Skillshare. They also have access to exclusive perks through the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection and Visa Signature Rental Car Privileges.
You’ll also enjoy benefits at participating Sonoma wineries or when booking golf outings through Troon Rewards. Many Visa Signature cards will also include Priority Pass lounge access, rebates for airline fees and travel and purchase protections to cover unexpected problems.
Visa Infinite
Visa Infinite credit cards are Visa’s highest level of credit card, offering luxury perks and travel benefits. Visa Infinite cards include all benefits of lower-level cards, as well as exclusive offers, perks and benefit levels catering to Infinite customers. Visa Infinite cards offer 24/7 concierge service, access to the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection and enhancement of some benefits found in Signature and Traditional Cards.
| Visa Traditional | Visa Signature | Visa Infinite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency card services | X | X | X |
| Extended warranty | X | X | X |
| Price protection | X | X | X |
| Purchase protection | X | X | X |
| Concierge services | X | X | Visa Infinite concierge services |
| Visa Luxury Hotel collection | X | X | X |
| Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit | X | X | |
| Rental car insurance | X | X | |
| Baggage insurance | X | X | |
| Travel insurance | X | X | |
| Airport lounge access | X | X | |
| Travel statement credits | X | X | |
| Luxury hotel collection added benefit | X | ||
| Car rental privileges | X |
Many banks offer both Mastercard and Visa cards to meet their customers’ needs. You’ll find that most major issuers, including Capital One, Chase and Citi, offer Visa credit cards. In contrast, American Express and Discover run their own payment networks and only issue credit cards on their networks.
| Issuer | Visa cards offered? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| American Express | No | N/A |
| Bank of America | Yes | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card |
| Capital One | Yes | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
| Chase | Yes | Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
| Citi | Yes | Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi |
| Discover | No | N/A |
| U.S. Bank | Yes | U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card |
| Wells Fargo | Yes | Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card |
If you’re ready to apply for a Visa credit card, you can follow these tips to boost your odds of approval:
Visa isn’t a credit card, per se. Rather, it’s a payment network that partners with credit card issuers to process payments. You’ll find the Visa logo on many credit cards. However, debit cards and prepaid gift cards may also carry the Visa logo.
No. While many consumers associate the Visa brand interchangeably with credit cards, not all credit cards are Visa. Within the U.S., you’ll find cards issued on other payment networks, including Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Yes, Costco exclusively accepts Visa cards at its warehouse locations, including credit cards, debit cards and mobile payments. Costco has its own co-branded card from Citi called the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi. However, Costco’s website does accept cards from other payment networks, including Mastercard and Discover.
Visa credit cards were first introduced in 1958 when Bank of America launched BankAmericard, the first consumer credit card program in the U.S (not to be confused with the card currently on offer from BofA). The cards expanded internationally in 1974, and the first Visa debit card was released in 1975. BankAmericard became Visa in 1976.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to Visa credit cards. Visa credit cards offer a variety of rewards, intro APR offers, benefits and annual fees. The best Visa credit card is one that matches your spending patterns, goals, credit score and budget.
When you apply for a Visa credit card, there are different credit criteria depending on the bank or card issuer you’re applying with. There are Visa credit cards matching every type of credit, from bad to excellent credit, as well as cardholders just starting their credit journeys. No matter what your credit score is, you can find a Visa credit card that matches your credit profile.
Yes, Visa is accepted both within the U.S. and abroad. Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted credit cards, so if the vendor accepts cards, they’ll most likely accept your Visa. If you’re traveling out of the country, get a Visa credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
When you rent a car with your Visa credit card, you may be protected against damage or theft of your rental car. Your benefits will vary based on the card issuer and the type of Visa reward cards you have. Remember, though, that even if your card has auto rental collision damage waiver benefits, it doesn’t cover injuries to people or damage to other cars or property.
Travel insurance protects customers in case their travel plans go astray. These travel protections cover you when flights are canceled, checked bags are delayed or rental cars are damaged. Benefits vary depending on the type of Visa you have and who issues the card. For the most accurate answer, call your card’s customer service or message them through the bank’s website or mobile app.
Whether a Visa or a Mastercard is better for you will depend on the specific cards you’re considering and what you need in terms of factors like rewards, APR and annual fees. With either payment network, you can find cards with excellent rewards and benefits and wide international acceptance.
In choosing the best Visa credit cards, we evaluated a variety of factors. For one thing, if a card has a generous rewards program, that was weighed in favor of it being included. And if the card offers flexible redemption options — such as being able to transfer points to partners — that was also considered a positive.
Valuable benefits also counted toward a card’s inclusion. For example, most credit cards that offer rental car coverage offer secondary coverage (which is activated only after the consumer’s personal insurance covers as much as it can). So the fact that Chase offers primary coverage on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card increases the value of those cards.
Additional factors evaluated in this selection include intro APRs, annual fees and foreign transaction fees.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.
