5 Best Credit Cards for Good Credit in 2022

For individuals with good credit, you may be eligible for some of the best rewards credit cards on the market today. All your hard work to earn and maintain a good credit score opens the door to travel rewards, cash back, and other valuable perks and benefits, including lower APRs.

Below are our recommendations for the best credit cards for good credit and tips on how to build good credit.

What to Look for When Shopping for a Credit Card for Good Credit

Below are several factors to consider when researching the best credit card offers for good credit:

APR: A credit card's annual percentage rate (APR) determines the interest charge you end up paying if you don't pay your balance in full. In most cases, a credit card will come with an APR range based on your credit score and other factors. The higher your credit score, the more likely you will qualify for lower APRs.

Rewards: Find a credit card that offers rewards that match your needs, whether it's travel rewards, cash back, or another redemption type. General rewards credit cards offer more flexible rewards you can redeem multiple ways. Consider a card that earns rewards that match your spending habits. Cards that come with a welcome bonus offer an easy way to earn rewards quickly.

Annual fees: Many credit cards charge an annual fee in exchange for access to valuable rewards and benefits. Fees vary from card to card, some carrying an annual fee as high as $600 or more. You need to make sure the annual fee doesn’t exceed your expected benefits from that card.

Card perks: Beyond rewards, look for a card that offers other benefits, like travel perks, insurance coverage, free credit score access, and more.

At a Glance

Best Credit Cards for Those With Good Credit

Blue Cash Everyday® Credit Card from American Express: Best for a little bit of everything

The Blue Cash Everyday® Credit Card is a great option to earn a quick cash back bonus, earn cash rewards on groceries, gas, and department stores, and provides some helpful travel perks like car rental loss and damage insurance.

Intro Offer: Up a $250 cash back bonus by spending $2,000 in the first six months.

Annual Fee: $0

Regular APR: 13.99% to 23.99%

Intro APR: 0% on new purchases for 15 months.

Highlights:

• Introductory 0% APR on new purchases for the first 15 months.

• 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 annually (1% thereafter).

• 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations.

• 2% cash back at select U.S. department stores.

• 1% cash back on all other purchases.

• Car rental loss and damage insurance.

• No annual fee.


Discover it® Miles: Best for Flexible Rewards

If you want to earn versatile rewards without tracking spending categories, Discover it® Miles could be the ideal card for you. The card earns a flat rate 1.5X miles on every dollar spent. Discover it® Miles offers flexible rewards redeemable for travel credits, cash back at Amazon.com and when using PayPal.

Intro Offer: Discover Mile Match

Annual Fee: $0

Regular APR: 11.99% to 22.99%

Intro APR: 0% APR on new purchases for 14 months

Highlights:

• Discover matches every mile earned during your first year of card ownership. 

• Earn 1.5X miles on all purchases. 

• 0% APR on new purchases for the first 14 months. 

• Discover miles never expire. 

• Free FICO credit score monitoring.

• No annual fee. 


Discover it® Chrome: Best for Welcome Offer

Few credit cards let you control your welcome offer like Discover it® Chrome. Discover will match all of the cash back earned over the first year of card ownership with Chrome. There's no limit to how much you can earn or get matched. Top it off with lengthy intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers, with no annual fee, and you have the makings of a top cash back credit card.

Intro Offer: Cashback Match®

Annual Fee: $0

Regular APR: 11.99% to 22.99%

Intro APR: 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 14 months

Highlights:

• Cashback Match on all rewards earned during the first year of card ownership.

• 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants up to the first $1,000 combined each quarter. 

• 1% cash back on all other purchases. 

• 0% intro APR on new purchases and balance transfers for the first 14 months. 

• No annual fee.


Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for Overall Cash Back

Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns high cash back rates in several popular spending categories like groceries, travel, dining, and drugstore purchases. You can also earn a nice welcome offer by hitting a relatively low spending requirement. Don't forget extra perks through partnerships with DoorDash and Lyft.

Intro Offer: $200 cash bonus

Annual Fee: $0

Regular APR: 14.99% to 23.74%

Intro APR: 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.

Highlights:

• Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on your card in the first three months.

• 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.

• 5% cash back on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

• 3% cash back on dining.

• 3% cash back at drugstores.

• 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. 

• Introductory 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. 

• Cash back rewards never expire. 

• Free credit score monitoring. 

• DoorDash and Lyft partner benefits.

• No annual fee.


Hate annual fees? These are the best credit cards with no annual fee for 2022.

Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Dining and Entertainment

If you frequently dine out or order takeout, you can earn huge cash back rewards with the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards card. You also earn 4% cash back on entertainment purchases and most of those streaming services that you love. You've got to love the $300 cash welcome bonus offer too.

Intro Offer: $300 cash bonus

Annual Fee: $95

Regular APR: 15.99% to 24.99%

Intro APR: N/A

Highlights:

• Earn a $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 on your card in the first three months. 

• Unlimited 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and select streaming services.

• Unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores.

• Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. 

• Travel accident insurance.

• Extended warranty protection.

• No foreign transaction fees.

• $95 annual fee. 


Love sign-up bonuses? These are the best sign-up credit cards for 2022.

What to Consider Before You Apply

Ultimately, it's good to have a goal when applying for any credit card. With good credit, you may have access to some of the best credit cards available. That doesn't mean you should apply for one, though. Only apply for a card if you meet the card's eligibility requirements and it lines up with your intended goals. If you want to earn rewards for travel, then travel rewards credit cards are best. Cash back rewards cards are better if you'd rather receive statement credits for your card usage. Make sure the card you get offers rewards and benefits you'll actually use and enjoy.

How to Apply for a Credit Card When You Have Good Credit

You can apply for a credit card through the card issuer's website regardless of your credit score. Keep in mind that it's likely you won't be approved unless you meet the card's requirements.

It's always a good idea to check your credit score before applying for any credit card to make sure you qualify. If you have other credit cards or bank accounts, you may already have free access to your credit score. Credit Karma is another service that offers free access to your credit score.

Applying for a credit card could negatively impact your credit score temporarily. Most credit card issuers run a hard credit check during the application process to determine whether to give you a card.

What is a Good Credit Score?

Credit scores range from 300 to 850 depending on the specific credit score model. A good FICO credit score is typically a score of 670 or higher. Having a good credit score can unlock access to better benefits and lower APRs.

Don't have good credit? Check out the 5 best credit cards for bad credit in 2022.

Will Opening a Credit Card Affect Your Credit Score?

Opening a new credit card can have an affect on your credit score. First, as mentioned before, credit card companies perform a hard credit pull any time you apply for a credit card. A hard credit pull can temporarily drop your credit score, typically less than five points. Adding a new credit card will also affect the length of your credit history, another factor in determining credit scores.

The good news is that through responsible use of your credit card, adding a new credit card can help boost your credit score over time. You can do this by making on-time payments, not maxing out your card, and paying off your balance in full each month.

How to Build Good Credit

If your credit score needs a boost to qualify for a credit card for good credit, one of the fastest ways to boost your credit score is to lower your credit utilization ratio. Your credit utilization ratio is the percentage of your available credit that you use. Most experts suggest keeping your ratio under 30%. Adding a new credit card will lower your credit utilization ratio. Another way to drop your ratio is to pay off any existing debt. As your debt balance decreases, so will your credit utilization ratio.

Using your credit cards responsibly will also help you achieve a good credit score. As you use your credit card, make every effort to pay your bill on time. Paying off the balance each month will help you avoid costly interest charges.

Avoid closing any credit accounts while you're trying to boost your credit score. Doing so will negatively affect the length of your credit history. If you have existing cards without annual fees that you no longer use, put them away in a drawer rather than closing the account.

Summary

A good credit score is more than achievable and may help you qualify for some of the best credit cards offering valuable rewards and other benefits. Check out the card recommendations above to find the best cards for good credit to find the right card for your needs.

Want nothing but the best? These are the best credit cards for 2022.

References:

https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/travel/
https://www.myfico.com/credit-education/what-is-a-fico-score
https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/savor-dining-rewards/
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/credit-utilization-rate/