The TOP CARDS
BEST BIG BANK CARD
Cards from banks with at least $10 billion in assets dominate the market, and their greater financial clout typically allows them to offer the most generous payouts. Our winner makes it especially easy to accrue and redeem rewards, plus offers a longer-than-usual period when you won’t be charged interest on balance transfers.
Citi Double Cash
INTEREST RATE: 13.99%-23.99%
BALANCE TRANSFERS: 0% interest for 18 months
REWARDS: 1% cash back when you buy, 1% when you pay
Best Small Bank Card
Smaller banks with less than $10 billion in assets typically can’t compete with the big boys on rewards but make up for it with better rates and introductory features. Our winner excels on both those fronts, and also gives more generous rewards than commonly found in this category.
Rewards Credit Card from Dollar Bank
INTEREST RATE: 12.24%
INTRO OFFER: 0% interest for six months on new purchases, balance transfers
REWARDS: 1.25% cash back
BEST CREDIT UNION CARD
Federal laws cap the interest credit unions can charge, making them the place to find low rates. Our winner excels on that score and also offers great extras like refunds for the cost of TSA PreCheck and Global Entry and no foreign transaction fees. (Only cards offered by credit unions anyone could join were considered.)
Summit Credit Union Ultimate CashPerks
INTEREST RATE: 11.15%
INTRO OFFER: 0% interest for 12 months on new purchases, balance transfers
REWARDS: 3% cash back on airlines; 2% on hotels, dining; 1.5% on all other purchases. Plus, a concierge service to book travel, tickets or dinner reservations.
BEST
Business Cards
BEST FOR SMALL BUSINESSES (OVERALL WINNER)
Lucrative rewards on all spending, a generous sign-up bonus, plus tools to help business owners keep their operations running smoothly make this Capital One card a standout. Free employee cards, integration with bookkeeping software and the ability to purchase above your credit limit with no fees, when needed, are appealing extras.
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
INTEREST RATE: 20.99%
SIGN-UP BONUS: $500, if $4,500 is spent in first three months
REWARDS: 2% cash back on all purchases, including by employees; spending of, say, $25,000 per month earns about $6,000 in annual rewards
BEST FOR START-UPS
Small business entrepreneurs often need access to low-cost borrowing to help cover start-up costs and benefit from generous rewards in the business categories where they initially spend the most.
