Compare 2019’s Best Credit Cards

We all need a credit card or three in our day-to-day lives. But what’s the top all around credit card for cash back and/or travel rewards? Below, we’ve gathered the best credit cards of 2019 and rank them.

Credit cards are a normal part of everyday life. In fact, many people don’t use cash at all these days, preferring to use credit cards for almost every purchase. But there are a few things you should keep in mind when picking the best credit card for you.

MORE: Click Here For Our Winner of “Best Credit Card of 2019”

It’s About the Best Rewards Credit Card

Many people take advantage of generous rewards credit cards, and use credit for every purchase, racking up either cash back or great travel rewards. If you are the type of credit card user who pays their bill in full every month, the cash back and/or rewards are essentially free money. But even if you carry a balance, the cash back and/or rewards can still make a big difference in your finances.

Cash Back vs. Travel Rewards

There are several “types” of rewards credit cards, but the two main ones either give you cash back for every purchase, or they allow you to rack up points to be used for travel (airline miles, hotel stays, etc.)

So your first decision is what type of reward do you want? This is a question that can only be answered by an assessment of your lifestyle. If you are a frequent traveler, a vacation rewards / travel rewards credit card may make the most sense for you (and there are plenty to choose from, as we’ll discover in a moment).

However, if you’re more the “staycation” type person or someone who simply doesn’t travel all that much, a credit card that rewards you with things like cash back or something more practical makes the most sense. For example, a young couple buying their first home may want to spend a few years staying close to home and fixing it up – cash back probably makes more sense than vacation rewards. Conversely, a senior “empty nest” couple might do much better with a vacation rewards credit card.

MORE: Click Here For Our Winner of “Best Credit Card of 2019”

For Cash Back Cards, What are Your Spending Habits?

If you feel a cash back credit card is best for you, we recommend a credit card that pays you cash back on all purchases. This makes things simple, and doesn’t pigeonhole you into certain purchase types. Anywhere from 1% to 3% cash back is good – for many cards, they might offer a high cash back rate like 3% for a year, then drop it to 1% or 1.5% afterwards – we say jump on this, because that 3% can make a nice difference for a year, and the 1.5% is still pretty darn solid afterwards.

Introductory Interest Rates and Balance Transfers

There is one more perk we want to discuss, and that’s introductory rates. Some cards (usually cash back cards) will have a “0% interest for the first XX months”, and many of them include balance transfers. This can be huge if you want to make a big purchase, or transfer a balance from a high interest card.

What “Type” of Vacation Rewards are Best For You?

If you’ve decided that a vacation rewards credit card is more for you, you should take a good look at your vacation habits. For example, if you find yourself a customer of a particular airline (say Southwest), you should get a credit card that rewards you more for Southwest purchases – this way, it’s like earning double. We’ve even seen credit cards that reward you more for purchases made at a particular airline or hotel chain, then also allow your racked up points to be worth even more when you use them for the same brands – so that’s like getting rewarded twice. So yes, check your vacation habits and choose the best vacation rewards credit card for you.

MORE: Click Here For Our Winner of “Best Credit Card of 2019”

Initial Vacation rewards

Many vacation reward credit cards have a perk where you earn xx bonus rewards for hitting a certain threshold within a few months. Like “spend $4,000 in the first 3 months and get XX bonus rewards”. You should definitely try and take advantage of this. Maybe get the card right before you buy something big, because it’s like free money.

To Fee or Not to Fee?

Annual fees on credit cards may or may not make a difference in the “what the best credit card for me” question. If you find a particular card is best for your spending habits, and it has no annual fee, hey, all the better. But even if it does have an annual fee, it may be well worth it if the rewards are good enough. We say pay attention to your spending habits and how the rewards fit them first, and the annual fee second.

Here’s a good example: Chase offers great Southwest Travel Credit Cards. There are two that are fairly identical – one has a $69 annual fee, the other a $99 one. In fact, the largest difference between the two cards is the $99 one waives foreign transaction fees. This is well worth the extra $30 IF you do a lot of foreign travel – it will likely pay for itself in one overseas trip. That said, if you don’t do any overseas travel (and many people do not) then there’s no need to pay the extra $30. See what we mean by taking a close look at your travel habits?

Again, it’s worth stating that fees should be the last thing you consider. Almost all credit cards that have an annual fee keep them at $100 or less, so in the big picture, the rewards will matter more than the annual fee.

And What’s Our Favorite Credit Card?

At the top of this page, we have reviews of the best credit cards, and we do have a favorite. You can read the reviews, or click here for our top credit card.