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Best credit cards for excellent credit in June 2025

Updated June 05, 2025

Advertiser Disclosure: Bankrate’s editorial team chooses and recommends the credit cards on this page. While we may receive compensation when users apply for cards through this page, our recommendations and card ratings are produced independently without influence by advertising partnerships with issuers.

Compare Bankrate's top cards for excellent credit

Best forRewards highlights

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Travel perks
$695
  • 5X

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  • Bankrate's rewards value: 2.0 cents per point

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4.8
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Best for travel perks

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Dining
$325
  • 1X - 4X

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  • Bankrate's rewards value: 2.0 cents per point

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star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.9
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Best for dining

Rotating bonus categories
$0
  • 1% - 5%

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star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.4
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Best for rotating bonus categories

Food and entertainment
$0
  • 1% - 8%

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star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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5.0
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Best for food and entertainment

Flat-rate cash back
$0
  • 1.5% - 5%

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star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
3.8
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Best for flat-rate cash back

Flexible travel rewards
$0
  • 1.25 Miles - 5 Miles

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  • Bankrate's rewards value: 1.7 cents per mile

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4.1
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Best for flexible travel rewards

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Groceries and gas
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
  • 1% - 6%

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4.4
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Best for groceries and gas

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Everyday purchases
$0
  • 1% - 3%

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4.6
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Best for everyday purchases

Affordable luxury travel
$395
  • 2 Miles - 10 Miles

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  • Bankrate's rewards value: 1.7 cents per mile

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5.0
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Best for affordable luxury travel

Limited Time Offer
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Crypto rewards
$0
  • 1% - 4%

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4.1
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Best for crypto rewards

Starter travel card
$95
  • 1x - 5x

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4.9
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Best starter travel card

Rewards value
$550
  • 1x - 10x

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5.0
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Best rewards value

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Showing 12 results

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Best for travel perks

The Platinum Card® from American Express

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4.4
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4.8
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Recommended credit score:Good to Excellent
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Intro offer

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Earn 80,000 points

Rewards rate

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5X

Annual fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Why you'll like this: Probably considered THE top-of-the-line travel credit card with some of the highest quality travel perks around.

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Best for dining

American Express® Gold Card

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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4.4
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Bankrate score

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4.9
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:Good to Excellent
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on American Express's secure site

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Intro offer

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Earn 60,000 points

Rewards rate

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1X - 4X

Annual fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Why you'll like this: You'll enjoy flexible dining rewards, including on supermarket, takeout and delivery purchases.

Best for rotating bonus categories

Discover it® Cash Back

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.4
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Bankrate score

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4.4
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Recommended credit score:670 - 850
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on Discover's secure site

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Intro offer

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Cashback Match

Rewards rate

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1% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR

Why you'll like this: You can benefit from a variety of rewards categories without an annual fee, along with a unique welcome bonus.

Best for food and entertainment

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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4.4
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Bankrate score

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5.0
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
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on Capital One's secure site

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Intro offer

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Earn $200 Cash Back

Rewards rate

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1% - 8%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: You’ll get high rewards on categories other cards don’t cover, such as entertainment and popular streaming services.

Best for flat-rate cash back

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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4.6
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Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
3.8
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
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Apply nowLock

on Capital One's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

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Earn $200

Rewards rate

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1.5% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: It's a flat-rate card that keeps things streamlined with an easy-to-earn welcome bonus and solid intro APR offers.

Best for flexible travel rewards

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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4.3
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Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.1
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
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on Capital One's secure site

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Intro offer

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Earn 20,000 miles

Rewards rate

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1.25 Miles - 5 Miles

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: While the rewards rate is low for a flat-rate card, it more than makes up for it with the potential value of its transfer partners.

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Best for groceries and gas

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.3
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Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.4
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:Good to Excellent
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Intro offer

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Earn $250

Rewards rate

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1% - 6%

Annual fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

APR

20.24%-29.24% Variable

Why you'll like this: With high cash back opportunities for supermarkets and gas, it’s rewarding for people who want a well-rounded everyday card.

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Best for everyday purchases

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.3
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Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.6
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:Good to Excellent
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Apply nowLock

on American Express's secure site

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Intro offer

InfoHover to learn more

Earn $200

Rewards rate

InfoHover to learn more

1% - 3%

Annual fee

$0

APR

20.24%-29.24% Variable

Why you'll like this: It’s perfect for people who want to earn cash back on gas, supermarkets and online shopping without an annual fee.

Best for affordable luxury travel

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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4.4
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Bankrate score

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5.0
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Recommended credit score:740 - 850
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Intro offer

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Earn 75,000 miles

Rewards Rate

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2 Miles - 10 Miles

Annual fee

$395

Regular APR

19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: Its perks easily help offset the high annual fee, making it a great choice for luxury travel.

Limited Time Offer

InfoMore information about this limited time offer

Best for crypto rewards

The Gemini Credit Card®

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.1
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
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on Gemini's secure site

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Intro offer

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$200 in crypto

Rewards Rate

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1% - 4%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

17.24% - 29.24% Variable

Why you'll like this: Its everyday rewards rates mean you can easily earn crypto rewards without altering your spending habits.

Best starter travel card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.2
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Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.9
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
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Apply nowLock

on Chase's secure site

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Intro offer

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60,000 bonus points

Rewards Rate

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1x - 5x

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

Why you'll like this: It offers enviable perks and rewards and a boost on point redemption for travel for a reasonable fee.

Best rewards value

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Cardholder rating

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.3
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Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
5.0
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Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:740 - 850
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Apply nowLock

on Chase's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

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60,000 bonus points

Rewards rate

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1x - 10x

Annual fee

$550

Regular APR

20.24% - 28.74% Variable

Why you'll like this: You’ll get some of the best luxury travel perks and protections available with this card.

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Benefits of having excellent credit

With an excellent credit score, you'll have access to some of the most valuable and rewarding credit cards on the market, but the benefits aren’t limited to credit cards. A trustworthy credit background can give you an advantage when you apply for housing, jobs, insurance, personal loans and more.

Here are some of the ways achieving excellent credit can benefit your financial journey:

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Earn more rewards and perks

Most credit cards requiring an excellent credit score offer better rewards rates, broader spending categories and more appealing travel perks and protections than cards available with lower credit requirements. 

Credit Card With Dollar Sign Icon
Higher credit limits

If you demonstrate you’re responsible with credit, issuers may feel comfortable offering you higher credit limits, which increases your spending power and helps improve your credit utilization ratio.

Credit Card With Percent Icon
Qualify for better loans and lower APRs

You have a better chance of getting the lowest APR available and lenders may be more willing to offer you more funding and better repayment terms to cover large expenses like car loans and mortgages.

Ask Bankrate: How did you build excellent credit?

Our experts have taken different approaches to building excellent credit. Anything we recommend on this page is something we’ve used ourselves on our credit journey.

Bankrate staff insights

I built my excellent credit score the same way you’d train anything to be stronger — through hard work and dedication. I’ve opened a massive portfolio of cards over the years and used them responsibly. I’ve never missed a payment or spent more than I could afford to pay back. While I take a short-term credit score hit when I open a card, it’s not as bad as you might think. After a few billing cycles of responsible use and payment, it goes up even higher than it was before. It’s helped me get amazing rates on car loans and my mortgage. I’ll always maintain excellent credit as long as I remember not to spend more than I can reasonably manage.

Ryan Flanigan, CCC Ryan Flanigan, CCC, Writer, Credit cards

In truth, I built my excellent credit by setting automatic payments on my cards for the full statement balance each month and treating every purchase as though I were paying in cash. I didn’t push hard on rewards or open new accounts until I was far more confident in my ability to handle a card. It’s a slow and steady process, and you shouldn’t rush it.

Steve Dashiell Steve Dashiell, Editor, Credit cards

I built my credit to excellent by accident. It wasn’t my goal. I just focused on paying the bill on time, even if it was just the minimum, and not letting my balance get too high. Even during brief periods of unemployment, I did that. Years later, I have excellent credit and I maintain it by keeping both those habits, but also by making sure I don’t apply for anything big back-to-back, like a car loan or another credit card.

India Davis India Davis, Editor, Credit Cards

How to choose the best card for excellent credit

Since excellent credit gives you access to most credit cards on the market, choosing the best cards for you typically involves looking for specific rewards rates and perks that will benefit you the most. You just need to know what you want and what you can afford. Here is some of my expert advice on things to look for when choosing a card for excellent credit:

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Although most cards for excellent credit typically have high annual fees, they’re usually worth it when the premium perks and elevated rewards offset the card’s cost. Cards with the highest costs could also provide the greatest return of value. Don’t be intimidated by a card’s high cost without looking into what it offers in return. I have multiple cards with high annual fees, but I reevaluate them on a regular basis to make sure they continue to provide enough value to justify staying in my portfolio.

My recommendation: The Platinum Card® from American Express, which provides a laundry list of perks that can easily offset its high annual fee.

Maintaining your excellent credit score

There are two main models for measuring credit scores — VantageScore and FICO. Both use data from credit bureaus but calculate scores differently. An excellent FICO score ranges from 800 to 850, while VantageScore’s excellent tier falls between 781 and 850. 

Earning an excellent credit score is an outstanding achievement that you should be proud of. However, it’s not enough to just achieve an excellent score — you need to maintain it. Your credit score only reflects how well you've managed credit currently — but it can drop off quickly if you’re not careful. If you’ve climbed to the top of the credit score mountain, here are some tips on what to do to keep your credit pristine.

  • Treat your credit card like a debit card. Just because you have higher credit limits and purchasing power, don’t abuse it. Spend what you can afford to pay back every month and keep your credit utilization ratio at a manageable level. My goal is to never pay a cent of credit card interest in my life, and because of this motto — I haven’t.
  • Manage debt responsibly. If you need to carry a balance or finance a larger expense, use your excellent credit score to seek out the lowest possible APR or a zero-interest card to better manage your debt. For example, I recently took advantage of a zero-interest card to finance tuition costs.
  • Don’t miss payments. My goal is to pay every bill on time, every time. Missing or late payments can quickly tank your credit score.
  • Maintain a lengthy credit history. Keep the average age of your credit cards in mind, especially as you open new cards with your excellent credit score. Even if you no longer use older no-annual-fee credit cards, make an occasional purchase to keep them active and bolster your overall credit account age. I have multiple older cards in a drawer with reminders to use them to prevent them from being closed due to inactivity.
  • Monitor your credit. Fraudsters can strike at any time and ruin years of hard work. Many cards for excellent credit offer credit monitoring services, like FICO score access, which you can use to keep tabs on your credit report and make sure nothing is out of the ordinary. I check my scores at least once a month and always get a free credit report each year.

Does excellent credit guarantee card approval?

Having excellent credit doesn't guarantee approval, but it certainly helps. Even though credit card and other financial product application denials increased in 2024, 55 percent of people with excellent credit who applied for cards on our site in the past 6 months were approved, according to our proprietary data. Overall, they were about 80 percent more likely to get approved than applicants with scores in lower tiers. 

If you’re able to manage your cards responsibly, you should feel confident in your ability to qualify for the best cards. However, just because you have an excellent credit score, you’ll still need to consider the application limits and restrictions of each credit card issuer when planning your portfolio.

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Bankrate Insight

Bankrate's CardMatch™ tool can help you assess your preapproval odds, which can help you apply for your next card with more confidence.

Frequently asked questions about credit cards for excellent credit scores

How we assess the best cards for excellent credit

We select cards for “Best” credit cards pages based primarily on how cards score in our proprietary card rating system, our editors’ subjective assessment of card quality, card approval odds and credit requirements and unique card features. 

Cards typically must score a minimum of 3.0 stars to be included on a “Best” list. However, we may include cards with scores below 3.0 if they have low credit requirements or unique features — despite their scores, these cards may still be among the “best” in certain categories. Card ratings are not influenced by advertisers or issuer relationships in any way. 

Card selection and ordering may vary based on business considerations, including Bankrate visitor interest, site interactions and card application volume. Affiliate commissions (see how we make money), limited-time offers and a card’s general popularity in the product landscape may also influence which cards we feature on our pages and the order in which they appear. Bankrate’s editorial and business teams also strive to feature a variety of card types from various issuers.

Here’s a quick look at how our rating methodology breaks down for cards for excellent credit:

How we rate rewards cards

One of the key perks of having an excellent credit score is being able to qualify for the most lucrative rewards credit cards. As such, our rating methodology focuses heavily on rewards value — what kind of return we’d expect based on the average person’s spending and a card’s added bonuses and annual fee.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the key factors in our scoring methodology for rewards cards — the category most relevant to cardholders with excellent credit. 

Display chart breakdown

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End of interactive chart.
  • Value 65.00%
  • Flexibility 15.00%
  • Perks 15.00%
  • Customer experience 5.00%

Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.