ChaseMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 7291
Chase Freedom UnlimitedVISA
ChaseMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 7276
Chase Freedom FlexMastercard
ChaseStarter
•••• •••• •••• 7288
Chase Freedom RiseVISA
$25 bonus (set up autopay)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 1.5% on all purchases
- Friendly to credit newcomers
- Chase says $250+ in Chase deposits helps
✓ Fees checkedStudent OK
AmexMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 6098
Blue Cash PreferredAMEX
$250 (spend $3,000 in 6 months)
Annual fee $95/yr
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 6% U.S. supermarkets (up to cap)
- 6% select streaming
- 3% gas & transit
✓ Fees checked
AmexMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 6087
Blue Cash EverydayAMEX
CitiMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 3309
Citi Double CashMastercard
$200 (spend $1,500 in 6 months)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 2% on everything (1% + 1%)
- No annual fee
- Convertible to ThankYou points
✓ Fees checked
Capital OneMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 3312
Capital One SavorMastercard
$200 (spend $500 in 3 months)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 3% dining, entertainment & grocery
- 3% streaming
- No annual fee, no FTF
✓ Fees checkedNone FTFStudent OK
Capital OneMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 3751
Capital One QuicksilverMastercard
$200 (spend $500 in 3 months)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 1.5% on all purchases
- No annual fee, no FTF
- Approachable for fair credit
✓ Fees checkedNone FTFStudent OK
Capital OneRebuild
•••• •••• •••• 7821
Quicksilver SecuredMastercard
No bonus (deposit from $200)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 1.5% rewards even on a secured card
- Upgrade path to refund the deposit
- No annual fee
✓ Fees checkedNone FTFSecured
DiscoverMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 6713
Discover it Cash BackDiscover
First-year Cashback Match (doubles all rewards)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 5% rotating quarterly categories
- All year-one rewards doubled
- No annual fee, no FTF
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
DiscoverStarter
•••• •••• •••• 3059
Discover it StudentDiscover
First-year Cashback Match
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- Built for students with little or no credit history
- 5% rotating categories
- No annual fee
✓ Fees checkedNone FTFStudent OK
DiscoverRebuild
•••• •••• •••• 2359
Discover it Secured Cash BackDiscover
Cashback Match at the end of year one (deposit $49, $99 or $200)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- No credit score required to apply
- Refundable deposit from $49 for a $200+ credit line
- No annual fee
✓ Fees checkedNone FTFSecured
Bank of AmericaMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 5493
BofA Customized CashVISA
$200 (spend $1,000 in 90 days)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 3% in a category you choose
- 2% grocery
- Up to 75% boost with BofA assets
✓ Fees checked
Bank of AmericaMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 5937
BofA Premium RewardsVISA
60,000 points = $600 (confirm with issuer)
Annual fee $95/yr
Foreign transaction fee None
- 2x travel & dining
- Up to 2.625% on everything with $1M+ in assets (BofA Rewards Premier)
- $100 airline incidental credit
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
Wells FargoMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 8142
Wells Fargo Active CashVISA
$200 (spend $500 in 3 months)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 2% on all purchases
- No annual fee
- Lowest bonus spend threshold
✓ Fees checked
U.S. BankMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 3874
U.S. Bank Cash+VISA
$200 (spend $1,000 in 90 days)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- Two 5% categories you choose (first $2,000 combined each quarter)
- 5% on utilities & internet
- No annual fee
✓ Fees checked
Goldman SachsStarter
•••• •••• •••• 2465
Apple CardMastercard
No fixed sign-up bonus
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 2% via Apple Pay
- 3% on Apple products
- Best-in-class app experience
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
ChaseMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 7400
Prime VisaVISA
$150 Amazon gift card on approval
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 5% Amazon & Whole Foods
- 2x dining & gas
- No annual fee (Prime required)
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
CitiMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 2856
Costco Anywhere VisaVISA
No sign-up bonus
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 4% gas
- 3% dining & travel
- 2% at Costco (membership required)
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
CitiStarter
•••• •••• •••• 8898
American Airlines AAdvantage MileUpMastercard
15,000 miles + $100 statement credit (spend $500 in 3 months)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 2x miles at grocery stores
- 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
- 25% off in-flight food & beverage
✓ Fees checked
Capital OneStarter
•••• •••• •••• 5773
Capital One Quicksilver StudentMastercard
$50 (spend $100 in 3 months; confirm with issuer)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase
- No annual fee and no foreign transaction fee
- Built for students building credit
✓ Fees checkedNone FTFStudent OK
SoFiMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 4710
SoFi Unlimited 2% Credit CardMastercard
$200 (sign-up value; confirm with issuer)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 2% cash back when redeemed into SoFi accounts
- No annual fee and no foreign transaction fee
- Invite only for now: you apply with an offer SoFi mailed or emailed you
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
SynchronyMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 2972
PayPal Cashback MastercardMastercard
No fixed sign-up bonus
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 3% cash back on PayPal checkout
- 1.5% cash back on everything else
- No annual fee
✓ Fees checked
SynchronyMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 6042
Venmo Credit CardVISA
No fixed sign-up bonus
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 3% on dining & entertainment, plus 1% when friends split the bill in Venmo
- 3% when you pay with Venmo online, in apps or at businesses on Venmo
- 1% on everything else, paid daily; no annual fee
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
RobinhoodElite
•••• •••• •••• 1569
Robinhood Gold CardVISA
No fixed sign-up bonus (Robinhood Gold required)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 3% cash back on everything
- 5% on travel booked in the Robinhood portal
- No annual fee on the card itself
✓ Fees checked
Elan FinancialMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 7351
Fidelity Rewards Visa SignatureVISA
No sign-up bonus
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 2% cash back deposited into a Fidelity brokerage account
- No annual fee
- Simple flat rate that funds your investments
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
UpgradeStarter
•••• •••• •••• 8765
Upgrade Cash Rewards VisaVISA
$200 (confirm with issuer) after opening a rewards checking account
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 1.5% cash back when you make a payment
- Accessible to fair credit
- Optional Pay Over Time plans for eligible purchases ($100+)
✓ Fees checked
Navy FederalMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 6887
Navy Federal cashRewardsVISA
$250 (spend $2,500 in 90 days)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 1.5% cash back on everything (2% with cashRewards Plus if your credit limit is $5,000+)
- No annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
- Requires Navy Federal membership (military-affiliated)
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
Navy FederalMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 2595
Navy Federal More Rewards American ExpressAMEX
20,000 points = $200 (spend $2,000 in 90 days)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 3x restaurants, food delivery, supermarkets, gas & transit
- No annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
- Requires Navy Federal membership (military-affiliated)
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
PenFedMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 6738
PenFed Power Cash RewardsVISA
$100 (spend $1,500 in 90 days)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 2% flat cash back with Honors Advantage, 1.5% otherwise
- No annual fee
- Requires PenFed credit-union membership (open to all)
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
USAAMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 9965
USAA Preferred Cash RewardsVISA
$200 (spend $1,000 in 90 days)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 1.5% flat cash back on all purchases
- No annual fee
- Requires USAA membership (military & families)
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
Bank of AmericaMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 6237
Bank of America Travel RewardsVISA
25,000 points = $250 in travel (spend $1,000 in 90 days)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 1.5x points on all purchases
- No annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
- Up to 2.625x with BofA Rewards Premier status ($1M+ combined balance)
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
Capital OneMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 9775
Capital One VentureOne RewardsVISA
20,000 miles (spend $500 in 3 months)
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 1.25x miles on every purchase
- 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No foreign transaction fees
✓ Fees checkedNone FTF
DiscoverMainstream
•••• •••• •••• 6761
Discover it ChromeDiscover
Cashback Match doubles all cash back earned in the first year
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee None
- 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 combined each quarter
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
None FTF
CitiStarter
•••• •••• •••• 7060
Citi SimplicityMastercard
No sign-up bonus; long 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 0% intro APR for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers
- No late fees, no penalty APR, and no annual fee ever
- One of the longest interest-free windows available
✓ Fees checked
Wells FargoStarter
•••• •••• •••• 9782
Wells Fargo ReflectVISA
No sign-up bonus; one of the longest 0% intro APR periods available
Annual fee No fee
Foreign transaction fee 3%
- 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 21 months
- No annual fee
- Cellphone protection when you pay your bill with the card