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Best Mastercard credit cards for April 2025

Updated March 25, 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.

Best flat-rate cash back card

Citi Double Cash® Card

Bankrate score

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4.2
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
Apply nowLock

on Citi's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

$200 cash back

Rewards rate

1% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: It offers one of the best flat cash back rates you can get, making it a great fit with any card stack.

Best for building credit

Capital One Platinum Credit Card

Cardholder rating

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4.0

Bankrate score

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4.2
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Capital One's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Regular APR

29.74% (Variable)

Annual fee

$0

Why you'll like this: It offers a clear credit-building path without charging excessive fees.

Best for average credit

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Bankrate score

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star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.0
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Capital One's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Regular APR

29.74% (Variable)

Annual fee

$39

Why you'll like this: It features one of the best cash back rates you can get with fair credit, allowing you to build credit without missing out on rewards.

Best for college students

Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

Cardholder rating

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4.5

Bankrate score

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star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.6
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Capital One's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

Earn $50

Rewards Rate

1% - 8%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: It boasts one of the best everyday cash back rates you can get on a student card — the same rate as its full-fledged version.

Best for travel rewards

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.7
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
Apply nowLock

on Citi's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

75,000 bonus points

Rewards Rate

1X - 10X

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: You’ll earn excellent rewards on everyday purchases you can use for a variety of travel experiences.

Best for paying rent

Bilt Mastercard®

Cardholder rating

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4.0

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.0
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
Apply nowLock

on Bilt's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards Rate

1X Points - 3X Points

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

See Terms

Why you'll like this: You can earn rewards by paying your rent without incurring additional fees.

Best for premium travel benefits

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.5
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850
Apply nowLock

on Citi's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

70,000 miles

Rewards Rate

1X - 4X

Annual fee

$595

Regular APR

20.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: Frequent travelers can maximize premium travel perks like lounge access and elite status with this card.

Best for everyday spending

Chase Freedom Flex®

Chase Freedom Flex®

Bankrate score

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star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.8
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850

Intro offer

$200

Rewards Rate

1% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

18.99% - 28.49% Variable

Why you'll like this: With outstanding everyday and rotating bonus categories, this card offers potentially the most value of any no-annual-fee card.

Best for flexibility

Citi Custom Cash® Card

Citi Custom Cash® Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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4.4
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850

Intro offer

$200

Rewards Rate

1% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: You’ll earn top-level rewards in your top-spending category each billing cycle (up to $500 in spending, 1 percent after).

Best for balance transfers

Citi Simplicity® Card

Citi Simplicity® Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.5
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards Rate

N/A

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

18.24% - 28.99% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: This card offers one of the highest time frames for balance transfers on the market, giving you the time you need to pay off debt.

Best for hotel points

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

Cardholder rating

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4.4

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.7
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:670 - 850

Intro offer

Earn 140,000 Bonus Points

Rewards Rate

3X - 26X

Annual fee

$99

Regular APR

19.99% - 28.49% Variable

Why you'll like this: You can quickly rack up IHG One Rewards and get a free night certificate every year to defray your hotel costs.

compare
Compare

Compare Bankrate’s top Mastercard credit cards

Card Name Best For Bankrate Review Score

Flat-rate cash back card

4.2 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Citi's secure site

Building credit

4.2 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Capital One's secure site

Average credit

4.0 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Capital One's secure site

College students

4.6 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Capital One's secure site
Travel rewards

4.7 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Citi's secure site
Paying rent

4.0 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Bilt's secure site
Premium travel benefits

4.5 / 5

Apply now Lock Icon
on Citi's secure site
Image of Chase Freedom Flex®
Chase Freedom Flex®
Everyday spending
Image of Citi Custom Cash® Card
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Flexibility
Balance transfers

4.5 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Citi's secure site
Image of IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Hotel points

Researching the best Mastercard credit cards

Document Icon
250+
cards rated
Congrats Icon
50+
rewards programs valued
Search Icon
5000
data points analyzed
Credit Card Reviews Icon
40+
perks evaluated

We thoroughly rate and research the best Mastercard cards based on key criteria to help you make confident decisions when choosing your next credit card. Learn more about our methodology below.

What is a Mastercard credit card?

A Mastercard credit card is any card on the Mastercard payment network. Payment networks, like Mastercard, partner with issuers to provide credit card options to people. These issuers are financial institutions, including financial giants like Chase, Citi and Capital One, as well as community banks and credit unions.

Mastercard credit cards may include Mastercard-specific credit card benefits, but whether you have access to them depends on the issuer. In fact, the issuer — not the payment network — determines most of the features consumers look for in credit cards, including credit limits, rates and fees, rewards and other perks. 

Mastercard World and World Elite benefits

One of Mastercard’s major features is its broad acceptance — more so than American Express and Discover credit cards. Along with Visa, Mastercard is one of the most widely accepted credit card networks worldwide. 

Additionally, Mastercard credit card benefits come in two tiers: Mastercard World and Mastercard World Elite. Which of the two tiers you receive on a card depends on the issuer as well as your creditworthiness.

Expert advice about Mastercard credit cards

Several members of the Bankrate editorial staff are familiar with a wide range of credit cards and how each payment network compares. One of our experts, Re’Dreyona Walker, shares this perspective on Mastercard: 

“What sets Mastercard apart is its impressive range of benefits. Many Mastercard credit cards offer enticing rewards programs, enhanced security features and valuable perks, such as extended warranties, price protection and travel insurance — providing immense value for cardholders.

It also boasts a widespread network with acceptance at millions of merchants worldwide. Whether you're shopping online, traveling abroad or simply making everyday purchases, the chances of encountering a merchant that accepts Mastercard are extremely high, making it a convenient and reliable choice for cardholders.

Additionally, Mastercard's commitment to innovation and technological advancements, such as Mastercard Contactless and biometric authentication, shows that the network strives to enhance transaction security and provide a seamless and secure payment experience for its users.

While Visa is certainly a well-established network, Mastercard's benefits, global acceptance and commitment to innovation give it an edge.”

— Re’Dreyona Walker, Bankrate editor

Tips on choosing the best Mastercard credit card

When you’re ready to choose the right credit card, the Mastercard logo should not be the most important factor. To find the card that best fits your finances and lifestyle, follow these steps:

  • Credit Good Icon

    Check your score

    Your credit score is one factor that determines your eligibility for different credit cards. If you have good-to-excellent credit (FICO score of 670 and above), you’ll have an easier time qualifying for great cards with some of the best features available. 

  • Credit Card Search Icon

    Know what type of credit card you want

    Whether you want to earn rewards, take advantage of low-interest and balance transfer offers or focus on building credit, you’ll have an easier time finding your ideal card type if you know the category that best aligns with your goals and spending habits. Once you know the type of credit card you’re after, it helps to know the features that will give you the most value. Consider using an online comparison tool like CardMatch™ to help match you with credit cards you may be eligible for using a soft credit pull, which won’t impact your credit score.

  • Credit Card Apr Icon

    Look at the rates and fees

    On top of an APR, your card may have other common credit card fees, such as an annual fee, balance transfer fee, foreign transaction fee and late payment fee. Keep these in mind before you apply for a credit card. If you think you risk incurring one of these fees, you should factor that fee into your card comparisons.

Frequently asked questions about Mastercard credit cards


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

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Citi is an advertising partner.

Up next:

How we assess the best Mastercard credit cards

When evaluating the best Mastercard credit cards, we take into account several factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether they offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of cardholders, from earning rewards to scoring a large sign-up bonus to saving on interest. 

Our rating database covers over 250 of the most popular credit cards, allowing us to compare the quality of various Mastercard cards to each other and to cards in the same category that use different credit card networks. 

We scored each card based on the factors most relevant to its primary category, including its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, intro APR period, ongoing APR, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup. 

Here’s a look at how our card ratings are distributed as of August 2024, as well as some of the key factors that we considered in selecting this month’s best Mastercard cards.

5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Overall Score
  • 5 stars 2%
  • 4 - 4.9 stars 35%
  • 3 - 3.9 stars 39%
  • 2 - 2.9 stars 22%
  • 1 - 1.9 stars 2%

*Information about the Citi Rewards+® Card, Chase Freedom Flex®, Citi Custom Cash® Card, Citi Simplicity® Card, IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card and Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuers.