You can be approved for some of the best rewards credit cards if you have a decent credit score. However, having an excellent credit score can unlock access to the most rewarding premium cards, higher credit lines and lower interest rates.
An excellent credit score is generally defined as 760 or higher.
Most of the best credit cards for consumers with excellent credit are travel credit cards that earn transferable points currencies or rewards for a specific loyalty program, but we’ve also included a couple of cash-back cards.
Here’s what we recommend.
Best credit cards for excellent credit
With excellent credit, you have an excellent chance of approval for any credit card, so long as you follow the application rules for the various banks. These are the best credit cards for various types of spending and benefits, which we’ll cover in detail below:
The best credit cards for excellent credit
American Express® Gold Card: Best for dining rewards
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Plus, receive 20% back on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first six months of card membership, up to $100 back. However, be sure to check the CardMatch Tool to see if you’re targeted for a higher welcome bonus (offer subject to change at any time).
Rewards rate: Earn 4 points per dollar at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S., on up to $50,000 of these purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar), 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on $25,000 of these purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. TPG’s August 2024 valuations place American Express Membership Rewards at 2 cents apiece.
Annual fee: $325 (see rates and fees)
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Who should apply: If you want an Amex card that makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards on everyday expenses such as restaurants and groceries at U.S. supermarkets, this is definitely a card to consider. However, if you’re looking for an Amex Membership Rewards card that earns bonus points on a wide variety of travel expenses, you may be better off with the American Express® Green Card.The information for the Amex Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
For more details, check out our full card review for the Amex Gold.
Apply here: American Express® Gold Card
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best cash-back card for gas, groceries, and streaming
Welcome bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.
Rewards rate: Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 annually, then 1%) and select U.S. streaming services, 3% on transit and at U.S. gas stations and 1% on everything else.
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for first year, then $95 (see rates and fees)
Who should apply: The Blue Cash Preferred Card has bonus categories that are well-aligned with many consumers. With many people spending a decent amount on streaming services, earning 6% in this relatively rare bonus category can provide solid value. Plus, you can earn $360 back on purchases at U.S. supermarkets each year if you reach the $6,000 spending cap; afterward, you will earn 1% back on these purchases.
You’ll also earn 3% cash back on commuting expenses involving gas and transit (which includes taxis, ride-shares, tolls, trains, buses and more). Although the card does not earn Membership Rewards points, it provides a simple way to earn rewards on common everyday spending categories.
For more details, check out our full card review for the Blue Cash Preferred.
Apply here: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for rewards with fixed-rate and transfer partner options
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, get $250 to use on travel booked through Capital One Travel within your first cardholder year.
Rewards rate: Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on other purchases. TPG’s August 2024 valuations place Capital One miles at 1.85 cents apiece.
Annual fee: $95 (see rates and fees)
Who should apply: The Capital One Venture is a great card if you’re looking for simplicity and flexible redemptions. You know you’re getting at least 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, so you don’t need to worry about how a purchase will code. The miles you earn can then be used to remove eligible travel purchases from your credit card bill or they can be transferred to one of Capital One’s transfer partners. As an added perk, you’ll also get a statement credit of up to $100 every four years for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, which isn’t a benefit commonly found on low-fee cards.
This card is often marketed as a beginner card, but anyone can take advantage of the card’s rewards structure and benefits. Beginners often enjoy the simplicity of using the Venture, but experts can utilize it as a great card for non-bonus spending. TPG’s founder, Brian Kelly, even said the Capital One Venture was the one card he’d keep if he could only keep one card.
For more details, check out our full card review for the Capital One Venture.
Apply here: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best for rewards and perks for authorized users
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on other purchases. TPG’s August 2024 valuations put Capital One miles at 1.85 cents apiece.
Annual fee: $395 (see rates and fees)
Who should apply: The Venture X card has the same welcome offer and earns the same type of Capital One miles as the Venture card. The difference comes in the annual fee ($395, instead of $95 (see rates and fees) and the plethora of perks added to the Venture X. Along with reimbursement for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, you can enjoy a $300 annual travel credit with Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles on your account anniversary.
The real benefits come with adding several authorized users on the account(see rates and fees), as they will enjoy these perks that aren’t reserved just for the primary account holder: complimentary access to Capital One lounges and Plaza Premium lounges and complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status*.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
For more details, check out our full card review for the Capital One Venture X.
Apply here: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Best for travel rewards with a low annual fee
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 5 points per dollar on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 5 points per dollar on Lyft (through March 2025), 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through the Chase travel portal and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Annual fee: $95
Who should apply: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best beginner travel cards available. Plus, it offers a sign-up bonus worth $1,230 based on TPG’s August 2024 valuations. The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can redeem for 1.25 cents each through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Or, you can transfer your points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners and then redeem through these programs.
If you’re looking for a solid travel rewards card with travel protections but can’t quite justify the $550 annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great option.
For more details, check out our full card review for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Sapphire Reserve: Best for travel rewards with premium travel protections
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel, 10 points per dollar on dining purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 10 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 2025, 5 points per dollar on flights purchased through Chase Travel, 3 points per dollar on all other travel (excluding the $300 travel credit) and dining purchases worldwide and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Annual fee: $550
]Who should apply: The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the top premium travel rewards cards available. Although recent changes to the card have upset some cardholders, the card remains a staple in many wallets due to strong earning rates on travel and its top-shelf travel protections.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points and offers perks including an annual $300 travel credit, Priority Pass lounge access, a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee credit every four years, at least one complimentary year of DashPass membership through DoorDash and an impressive array of travel protections. All of these perks and benefits make the Chase Sapphire Reserve a great option for frequent travelers. But, if you can’t quite justify the $550 annual fee, you may find that the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a better fit.
For more details, check out our full card review for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Citi Double Cash Card: Best for everyday earning rate and balance transfers
Welcome bonus: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 in the first six months of account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 2% back on all purchases — 1% back when you buy purchases and 1% back when paying your bill.
Annual fee: $0
Who should apply: Those looking for a great card for everyday spending — or even those who don’t want to deal with bonus categories — will love this card. Double Cash rewards are earned as ThankYou points that you can redeem for cash at 1 cent each or use with limited transfer options: just Choice Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue and Wyndham Rewards. If you’re in the market for a simple card that earns flexible rewards, however, it doesn’t get much better than the Citi Double Cash.
For more details, check out our full card review for the Citi Double Cash.
Apply here: Citi Double Cash Card
The Platinum Card from American Express: Best for premium perks and benefits
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. However, be sure to check the CardMatch Tool to see if you’re targeted for a higher welcome bonus (offer subject to change at any time).
Rewards rate: Earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly from airlines or with Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year), 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. TPG’s August 2024 valuations place American Express Membership Rewards at 2 cents apiece.
Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees)
Who should apply: Although the welcome bonus can provide significant value — and earning 5 points per dollar on select airfare and hotel expenses is nice — The Platinum Card from American Express is a card that you keep for its benefits and perks. You can earn up to $200 in airline fee credit, up to $200 in Uber Cash and up to $100 in statement credits for purchases from Saks Fifth Avenue each year. Plus, you’ll get access to Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs* when flying Delta, Priority Pass lounges and many more lounges through Amex’s Global Lounge Collection. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
You’ll also get automatic Marriott Gold status and Hilton Gold status. Plus, you can book exceptional hotel stays at select properties through Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts program. And, you can add three authorized users for just $175 per year (see rates and fees). In terms of redeeming, the American Express Membership Rewards program has many airline and hotel partners to which you can transfer your reward points.
For more details, check out our full card review for The Platinum Card from American Express.
*Effective February 1, 2025: Eligible Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per Eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight.
Apply here: The Platinum Card® from American Express
What is an excellent credit score?
FICO Score and VantageScore credit scores range from 300 to 850. An excellent credit score is generally considered to be a score that is 760 and above.* With a credit score in this range, you should be able to get accepted for most of the best rewards cards on the market.
Related: How to check your credit score for free
*The Points Guy credit ranges are derived from FICO® Score 8, which is one of many different types of credit scores. If you apply for a credit card, the lender may use a different credit score when considering your application for credit.
But, it’s important to realize that you don’t have just one credit score. There are three main credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) as well as two primary methods for calculating credit scores (FICO Score and VantageScore). So, you’ll likely have slightly different credit scores from one credit reporting agency to another.
For more details, see our guide to how credit scores work.
Related: Why your credit score may be different depending where you look
What credit cards are only available if you have excellent credit?
There are two types of cards that are generally only available if you have very good or excellent credit:
Amex cards with no preset spending limits
These cards aren’t actually credit cards. Amex cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card don’t come with a credit limit or preset spending limit like you’re used to with credit cards. Instead, purchases are approved on a case-by-case basis.
This means that, in the wrong hands, they could be very dangerous. Someone could spend tens of thousands of dollars on these cards before Amex caught on and started declining the charges. To stop this from happening, Amex will generally only approve applicants with excellent credit.
Related: Choosing the best American Express credit card for you
Premium credit cards
Even if they come with a fixed spending limit, you can expect to face stricter approval requirements for the ever-growing list of premium credit cards. These cards offer valuable perks and are generally marketed toward higher spenders who, in turn, need a larger credit limit. To be trusted with high spending capabilities, these cards typically require you to have a high credit score.
Related: Why a $500+ per year credit card isn’t crazy
Tips to maintain excellent credit
FICO and VantageScore scores are designed to predict the likelihood that you will become 90 days late on any of your credit obligations within the next 24 months. So, in short, to maintain excellent credit you should avoid moves that may increase the perceived likelihood that you will become less financially stable during the next two years. But, you don’t need to work toward a perfect 850 score.
To maintain excellent credit, you should generally continue to pay your bills on time, keep your debt-to-credit ratio low, avoid closing any accounts you’ve kept open for a long time and avoid opening an excessive amount of new accounts within a short period. If you’re looking to maintain your excellent credit, you should also check your credit score regularly.
Related reading: 8 biggest factors that impact your credit score
Bottom line
Having excellent credit can help you be approved for some of the best premium rewards credit cards, but excellent credit can also unlock various other benefits. For example, higher credit scores can often help you to qualify for lower interest rates on your mortgage.
That’s just one more reason why we at TPG believe your credit history is of the utmost importance. And if you look after it well, you’ll be well on your way to one of the cards listed above.
Related: How much money can good credit really save you?
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred, click here.
