Card
APR
Basics
Details
BEST LOW-RATE/LOW-FEE CARDS If you carry a balance, pick one of these. None charges a balance-transfer fee. Capital One Won’t raise rate to default APR unless 7.9% APR applies to balance transfers and new purchases. payment is received three or more days Platinum late twice in one year. Prestige
Very liberal one-month grace period for 0% introductory APR for 12 months. Fixed 5.99% on 10.99 to payments. No fees for late payments, cash balances transferred for life. $25 AmEx gift card issued 14.99 advances, or over-limit charges. Free credit for every $2,500 spent. report with credit score annually. Iberiabank Visa 4.0 to 0% on balance transfers for 6 months; 4.0 to 6.0% on 5% to 7% APR on balances for cash 6.0 balances afterward. advances or convenience checks. Classic If transferring a balance that can be paid off quickly, try Simmons First Visa Platinum Simmons First Default penalty APR is only 15.25%, and cash7.25 Rewards card with 0% on balance transfers advance APR is only 11.25%. Visa Platinum for six months, no transfer fee, and 8.95% APR.
Clear from American Express
BEST CASH-BACK CARDS Good if you pay off your balance regularly. If you don’t, opt for a nonrewards card with a lower APR.
5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations and Blue Cash from 8.99 to drugstores; 1.5% elsewhere. 0% APR on new American 14.99% purchases for up to 12 months. Offers a fixed 4.99% Express on balances transferred, for the life of the balance. You only get 5% and 1.5% back on purchases made after you’ve spent $6,500 within a year; if you spend less, it’s 1% and 0.5%. Card is best for big spenders. Standard Blue Card from AmEx gives 0% APR for up to 15 months. No limits on cash-back rewards, which never expire. 3% rewards are limited to $600 in purchases per month; after you reach $600, you earn 1%. Better deal if you redeem points for gift cards with the 100 retailers they partner with because you get double points. Lesser reward for cash-back option.
Capital One No Hassle Cash Rewards Chase Freedom Visa
14.9
2% cash-back on gas and groceries. 1% on all other purchases.
3% for every dollar you spend in the three categories where you spend the most, 1% of every dollar you spend in other categories, $50 credit after first purchase. 5% cash back in various categories on up to $400 of 10.99 to quarterly purchases, 0.25% to 1% on other purchases; Discover More 18.99 0% on new purchases for six months, 0% on balance transfers for 12 months. 14.99
BEST GAS CARDS Rewards from gas cards can vary based on where you fuel up. Some cards pay less for purchases at warehouse clubs such as Costco. Chase BP Visa Chase PerfectCard MasterCard
5% rebate on gas at BP, 2% rebate on dining and 13.99 to travel, 1% back on other purchases. All rebates are 20.99% doubled for first 60 days. 10.99 to 6% rebate on gas for first 90 days; 3% afterward. 0% 19.99 APR on new purchases for first 6 months. No rebates on gas at non-BP stations. Rebates on gas up to $500 in spending per month. Best for people who don’t spend a lot on gas; rewards on nongas purchases are only 0.25% up to $1,500 in annual spending and 0.5% from $1,500 to $3,000; 3% fee on balance transfers, capped at $75. 0% APR on new purchases for first 6 months. Hess stations are located only on the East Coast.
5% cash back on gas and auto maintenance up to $100 in purchases per month; 1% cash back on other Discover Open 10.99 to purchases after total annual purchases exceed 18.99 $3,000. Up to 20% cash back at retailers on Discover Road Web site. 0% APR on new purchases for six months and 12 months on balance transfers.
Hess Platinum 14.99 to 10% back on Hess purchases for 90 days, 5% 19.99 afterward. 1% rebates elsewhere. Visa