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Good credit can help you qualify for loans and borrow money at lower rates, but those aren’t the only advantages. Maintaining a high credit score can also help you get approved for the very best credit cards, as cards that require excellent credit tend to offer high-end benefits and lavish rewards.
Read on to see our selection of credit cards tailored to those with FICO’s highest ratings.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Details
Rewards
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
Intro offer
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
21.74% – 28.74% Variable
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
On American Express’s website
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Details
Rewards
Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Annual Fee
$695
See Rates and Fees
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Intro offer
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
See Pay Over Time APR
Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
N/A
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Details
Rewards
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
Intro offer
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Recommended credit score. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application.
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Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
20.49% – 27.49% Variable
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
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Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining purchases. Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining purchases. Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
On Bank of America’s website
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Details
Rewards
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining purchases. Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
19.49% – 26.49% variable
Intro offer
Unlimited Bonus: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year
Rewards
Earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on all purchase
Intro offer
Unlimited Bonus: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year
Rewards
Earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on all purchase
Discover it® Miles
Details
Rewards
Earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on all purchase
Intro offer
Unlimited Bonus: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Recommended credit score. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application.
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Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
16.74% – 27.74% Variable
Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.
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Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card
Intro offer
45,000 points, worth up to 6 free nights, after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards
Earn 8 points per dollar on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham. Earn 8 points per dollar on gas purchases. Earn 5 points per dollar on eligible marketing, advertising, and utilities purchases. Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card
Intro offer
45,000 points, worth up to 6 free nights, after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards
Earn 8 points per dollar on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham. Earn 8 points per dollar on gas purchases. Earn 5 points per dollar on eligible marketing, advertising, and utilities purchases. Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card
Details
Rewards
Earn 8 points per dollar on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham. Earn 8 points per dollar on gas purchases. Earn 5 points per dollar on eligible marketing, advertising, and utilities purchases. Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Intro offer
45,000 points, worth up to 6 free nights, after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
20.24%, 24.24% or 29.24% variable
Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
0% promo APR for 6 billing cycles on all Wyndham Timeshare Purchases
The Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit of April 2023:
Methodology: How we chose the best credit cards for excellent credit
We looked at dozens of popular credit cards that typically require an excellent credit score for approval, and considered several factors:
- Ease of use — Does the card make it easy to earn and redeem rewards? Are there any hoops to jump through, like having an existing relationship with the bank?
- Rewards earning potential — Is there a generous welcome bonus and/or useful bonus categories? Are any of the categories capped?
- Annual fee — Many cards geared to folks with excellent credit charge an annual fee. Is the fee reasonable, and do the card’s benefits and rewards make it worth paying?
- Options for different types of consumers — The cards for excellent credit we chose appeal to various users, from frequent flyers to small business owners to folks looking to save on interest
You can read more about how we rate credit cards at Insider for a closer look at our methodology.
Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Frequently Asked Questions
With an excellent credit score, the best card for you depends on your spending habits and the types of rewards you like to earn. There is no single best card for excellent credit that works for everyone. For instance, our overall pick for the best value, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, is an outstanding card — but if you don’t travel, it won’t be of much use to you.
The great thing about having an excellent credit score is that you have a good shot at qualifying for just about any card you want.
FICO and VantageScore define an excellent credit score slightly differently. With FICO, an excellent (exceptional) credit score is between 800 and 850. Meanwhile, VantageScore‘s range is slightly lower — it considers any score 780 or higher as excellent.
Compare the Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit
75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.
50,000 bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining purchases. Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Unlimited Bonus: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year
Earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on all purchase
Best value
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is Capital One’s entry into the premium credit card market. The card comes with valuable benefits to rival its competitors, but charges a $395 annual fee that’s lower than most other premium cards, making it an excellent value overall.
As a cardholder, you’ll get an annual statement credit of up to $300 toward travel booked through the Capital One Travel Portal, plus access to the new Premier Collection luxury hotel booking program. You also receive an annual bonus of 10,000 miles on your account anniversary; that’s worth $100 when you redeem directly with Capital One, or you can get a better return by transferring miles to airline and hotel partners.
Those two benefits alone more than offset the annual fee, but you’ll get plenty more. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card grants cardholders access to Priority Pass airport lounges with 1,300 locations worldwide, as well as Plaza Premium lounges and Capital One’s own (very) small but growing network of lounges. The card offers an application fee credit of up to $100 for expedited security programs Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, and comes with first-rate travel protections like primary rental car insurance and trip delay insurance that applies after just six hours.
The card comes with an introductory offer of 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth about $1,275 in travel, according to Insider’s valuation of Capital One miles.
Beyond that, you’ll earn 5 miles per dollar on flights and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when you book through the Capital One Travel portal. You’ll also earn 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases, making it a good option for everyday spending.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Review
Best for luxury travel benefits
The Platinum Card® from American Express has long been considered among the top travel rewards cards thanks to its array of high-end benefits, many of which apply to authorized users along with the primary cardholder. While the $695 annual fee is one of the highest you’ll find on any publicly available credit card, it’s a surprisingly good value if you put enough of those benefits to use.
Travel perks include up to $200 annually in statement credits toward airline incidental fees on one airline of your choice**, up to $200 annually toward prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel, up to $200 in Uber Cash credits each year**, and credits to cover the cost of both a CLEAR expedited airport security membership and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck**. Credits aside, you get access to Amex Centurion lounges and other airport lounges, elite status with Marriott and Hilton, hotel perks through the Fine Hotels and Resorts program, and travel protections like trip delay and lost baggage insurance.
Amex Platinum also offers a variety of retail and shopping benefits you can enroll in, including credits toward Saks Fifth Avenue purchases, select digital subscription services, Walmart+ membership, and more. You’ll also get coverage like purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty for eligible items you buy with your card.
The Platinum Card comes with a welcome bonus offer of 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening. Based on Insider’s valuation of Amex points, that’s potentially worth $1,440 in travel.
It’s not the best card for everyday spending, since it only earns 1 point per dollar on most purchases. However, the flexible spending limit makes it handy for large purchases, especially those that wouldn’t earn bonus points on another card.
American Express Platinum Card Review
Best mid-tier travel card
Our pick for the best travel rewards credit card overall, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great fit for frequent travelers who don’t want to spring for a premium card with a high annual fee. Cardholders earn rewards at competitive rates, have quality redemption options with Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners, and get essential travel benefits and a handful of other perks for a relatively modest $95 annual fee.
The card comes with a welcome bonus offer of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. With an average redemption value of 1.8 cents per Chase point, we value that bonus as worth $1,080 in travel.
Beyond that, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on travel booked through Chase and on Lyft rides, plus 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases, and 2 points per dollar on other travel. Cardholders also get an anniversary bonus that effectively adds 0.1 points per dollar spent, making purchases slightly more rewarding.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card doesn’t have benefits of the same caliber as the cards listed above, but it does offer primary rental car insurance and an assortment of travel insurance and purchase protections, including baggage delay insurance that kicks in after only six hours. The card also comes with an annual credit of up to $50 for hotels booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel portal, as well as perks with delivery services DoorDash, Instacart, and Gopuff.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review
Best for cash back rewards (with qualifying banking relationship)
Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card isn’t flashy, but it offers unique long-term value for those who prefer cash-back rewards and have a broader banking relationship with Bank of America.
The card earns 2 points per dollar on travel and dining, and 1.5 points per dollar on other purchases. Since Bank of America has no airline or hotel transfer partners, these points have a flat redemption value of 1 cent apiece, yielding 2% cash back on travel and dining, and 1.5% cash back elsewhere.
Neither of those rates is compelling, but you can boost your earnings by as much as 75% as a Bank of America Preferred Rewards customer. At the top tier, you’ll earn uncapped 3.5% cash back on travel and dining, and 2.625% cash back on other purchases. That compares favorably with other cash-back options.
The card comes with an intro offer of 50,000 bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening (worth $500). It also offers up to $100 in airline incidental credits each year (enough to offset the $95 annual fee), plus an application fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and a standard set of travel and purchase protections.
Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card Review
Best for 0% APR
Plenty of cards come with a 0% introductory APR, but many of them don’t earn rewards, offer too short of an introductory period, or limit the introductory rate exclusively to balance transfers. The Discover it® Miles offers a good balance of a lengthy zero-interest period and better-than-average rewards for spending.
New cardholders get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (followed by a 16.74% – 27.74% Variable APR). That rate also applies to balance transfers, which incur a reduced introductory fee of 3% (down from 5%). If the length of the 0% APR period is your primary concern, then you may prefer an option like the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card, which charges zero interest for as long as 21 months with on-time minimum payments (0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months from account opening, then a 17.74% – 29.74% variable APR). However, that card offers nothing in return for your spending.
In comparison, the Discover it® Miles earns an uncapped 1.5 miles per dollar on all purchases. Rather than award a large welcome bonus upfront, the card offers an unlimited bonus that matches all the cash back you’ve earned after the first year. That effectively boosts the earning rate to 3 miles per dollar on all your spending. Discover miles are worth 1 cent each when you redeem for statement credits or transfer to a bank account, so earning 3 miles per dollar equates to 3% cash back.
Best for gas purchases
Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card
Wyndham Rewards has two personal credit cards also issued by Barclays, but the small business card is the standout of the bunch. Don’t be discouraged by the name; you can qualify for a small business credit card like this one even if you don’t own a formal business.
One strength of the Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card is its bonus categories: you’ll earn 8 points per dollar on Wyndham stays and gas purchases, and 5 points per dollar on eligible utilities, marketing and advertising expenses. Based on our average redemption value of 0.8 cents per point for Wyndham Rewards, those bonus categories yield returns of 6.4% and 4%, respectively.
The card comes with a welcome bonus of 45,000 points, worth up to 6 free nights, after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening, and offers a bonus of 15,000 points automatically after each card anniversary (more than enough to offset the $95 annual fee). On the redemption side, cardholders get a 10% discount on go free awards, as well as a 4% discount off paid stays when you book directly with Wyndham.
Wyndham has a large global footprint, and you can take advantage of it with the top-tier Diamond elite status granted by the Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card. If Wyndham properties don’t fit in your plans, you can get good (or sometimes great) value by transferring points to Caesars Rewards or redeeming for vacation rentals through Wyndham’s partnership with Vacasa.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card Review
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