Best credit cards for 700+ credit score

Good for travel rewards: Capital One® Venture® Rewards

Good for travel rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Good for no annual fee: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Best for balance transfers: Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Good for cash rewards: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Good for cash rewards: Chase Freedom Flex℠

Good for cash rewards: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Good for small business: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Best for travel rewards

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

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• Annual fee: $95
• APR range: 20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
• Sign-up bonus offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is an excellent starter credit card if you’re just dipping your toe into the world of “award travel” — AKA, traveling for free (or nearly free) with credit card rewards, airline miles, or hotel points.

Why? Because the rewards are so easy to earn and redeem.

You’ll get at least 2 Capital One miles per dollar for every purchase. That’s higher than the vast majority of other cards, which tend to earn a minimum of 1 mile/point per dollar spent. The trade-off is that the card’s only two bonus categories are:

• 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars reserved through the Capital One Travel portal
• 5 miles per dollar for Turo bookings (ends May 16, 2023)

As far as using your miles, there are two popular ways to do it — both of which revolve around travel.

First, you can simply swipe your card for virtually any travel-related purchase (airfare, hotels, rideshare, rental car, etc.) you’ve made in the past 90 days. Once the expense posts to your account, you can effectively “erase” that purchase with your miles at a rate of 1 cent each. For example, if you paid $110 for a hotel stay, you could delete that transaction from your statement for 11,000 miles.

Or, you can transfer your miles to airline and hotel partners such as Air Canada, British Airways, and Wyndham for free flights and hotel stays. This strategy takes a bit more know-how, but you can get significantly more value than just 1 cent per mile if you know what you’re doing.

Pros:

• Earns easy-to-use rewards
• Earns at least 2 miles per dollar on all purchases
• Generous welcome offer

Cons:

• No useful bonus categories
• $95 annual fee

Learn more/apply or read our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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• Annual fee: $95
• APR range: 20.24% - 27.24% Variable
• Sign-up bonus offer: 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is another excellent choice for anyone beginning their travel hacking career. That’s not to say this is a stepping-stone card, however. I’ve had my Chase Sapphire Preferred® for over six years, and I have no intention of canceling it.

Similar to the Capital One Venture, the card earns points that can be redeemed toward travel in two key ways:

• Book things like airfare, rental cars, and hotels through Chase Ultimate Rewards^® at a rate of 1.25 cents per point.
• Transfer points to valuable airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, United Airlines, and Southwest for potentially much greater value.

You can also redeem your points for cash at a rate of 1 cent per point — though if cashback is your main objective, there are other cards you should examine over the travel-centric Chase Sapphire Preferred®.

The area in which this card pulls far ahead of the Capital One Venture is travel insurance. You’ll get coverage like:

• Primary rental car insurance (saving you from having to pay for the rental agency’s in-house insurance)
• Baggage delay insurance (receive up to $500 if your bag is delayed)
• Trip delay insurance (receive up to $500 if your trip is delayed by at least 12 hours or requires an overnight stay)

These insurances are the reason I’ll never cancel my Chase Sapphire Preferred®. It’s saved my family literally thousands of dollars over the years.

Learn more/apply or read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

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Best for no annual fee

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

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• Annual fee: $0
• APR range: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
• Sign-up bonus offer: 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a vanilla version of its elder sibling, the Capital One Venture. Its benefits, earning rate, and sign-up bonus aren’t as flashy. But it also comes with no annual fee.

If you’re suspicious of the idea that free travel is even possible, this is a good card for you. There’s absolutely no risk in opening it, and it’s free to keep forever.

The Capital One VentureOne gives you the same options to redeem your points as the Capital One Venture. Once you take your first free flight and experience the initial rush of award travel, you’ll graduate to an annual fee-incurring card that offers better points-earning and travel benefits.

Pros:

• Transfer rewards to valuable airline and hotel partners
• Decent welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card

Cons:

• Very few noteworthy ongoing benefits
• Return rate for spending is less than other comparable cards

Apply now or read our full review of the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

Discover it® Miles

• Annual fee: $0
• APR range: 13.49% - 24.49% Variable
• Sign-up bonus offer: Discover will match all miles earned at the end of your first year

The Discover it® Miles is essentially a cash back card that’s marketed as a travel card. It doesn’t have any travel-related benefits. It also calls its rewards “miles,” when in reality you’re basically earning cash. You can use miles at a rate of 1 cent each for:

• A credit toward any travel you’ve booked with your card in the past 180 days
• An electronic deposit into your bank account
• A statement credit
• A payment method at Amazon

The Discover it® Miles earns a flat 1.5 miles per dollar on all purchases. While that’s not terribly impressive, the card’s best feature lies in its unconventional “welcome bonus.” Discover will match all the miles you earn during your first year of cardmembership. In other words, you’ll effectively earn 3% back on all purchases during your first year. That’s excellent!

Best for balance transfers

Citi Custom Cash Card

• Annual fee: $0
• APR range: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
• Sign-up bonus offer: Earn $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,500 in the first six months of account opening

The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers 0% intro APR for both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (then between 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable), based on creditworthiness). That’s really good.

It’s admittedly not the best balance transfer offer on the market, as some cards offer up to 21 months of 0% intro APR — but those cards don’t earn rewards.

The reason this card stands out is its solid 0% intro APR window along with its potent earning rates. You’ll earn 5% cash back on up to $500 in spending for your most used spending category (then 1%) from the following list:

• Restaurants
• Grocery stores
• Gas stations
• Select streaming services
• Drugstores
• Fitness clubs
• Home improvement stores
• Live entertainment
• Select travel
• Select transit

You’ll earn 1% back on all other purchases.

Your 5% bonus category will trigger automatically at the end of each month when Citi tallies up where you’ve done most of your spending. It’s convenient that you don’t have to change it manually, as some other cards require.

Pros:

• Fantastic return rate for spending
• Easy-to-use bonus categories
• Competitive welcome offer

Cons:

• Bonus cash back is capped each month

Read our full Citi Custom Cash℠ Card review. 

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Best for cash rewards

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

• Annual fee: $95
• APR range: See partner website*
• Sign-up bonus offer: $300 in cash rewards after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening their account

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the highest cashback earners that doesn’t enforce a cap for the amount of bonus cash you can earn. It’s got practical bonus categories, too:

• 10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases (ends November 14, 2024)
• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services
• 3% cash back at grocery stores
• 1% cash back on everything else

If you use Uber or Uber Eats regularly, this card is an absolute powerhouse. But the real meat and potatoes for most of us lives in the 4% back on dining and 3% back at grocery stores. Apart from rent, those two categories probably account for half of your monthly spending.

Just beware of the card’s annual fee. You won’t begin earning a profit until you’ve earned $95 cash back — meaning a no-annual-fee cash back card could be a better option for you, depending on your spending.

One final note: If you’ve got a Capital One miles-earning card (such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card), you can turn your cash back into miles, which you can then transfer to various airline and hotel partners for (nearly) free travel. This can give you a value much higher than simply redeeming your rewards for cash.

Pros:

• Rewards can be converted into valuable Capital One miles (if you hold a complementary card)
• Excellent return rate in popular spending categories

Cons:

• $95 annual fee

Read our full review of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards credit card.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

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• Annual fee: $0
• APR range: 19.24% - 27.99% Variable
• Sign-on bonus offer: $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

The Chase Freedom Flex is arguably the most lucrative no-annual-fee cash back card on the market. Chase can afford to give the card a generous return rate because many cardmembers don’t go through the effort necessary to earn it.

The card earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases (then 1%) in bonus categories that rotate each quarter. (You can check the current categories here.)

There are two simple reasons many cardmembers don’t get the most from this card:

• You’ve got to stay informed when the bonus categories change (and sometimes change your spending accordingly).
• You’ve got to activate the bonus categories each quarter — otherwise you’ll only earn 1%.

If you can stay on top of these two things, you could quite easily earn $300 in bonus cash annually.

To boot, the card also earns:

• 5% cash back on travel reserved through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• 3% back on dining and at drugstores
• 1% back on all other purchases

This card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that can be redeemed at a rate of 1 cent each. If you also hold an Ultimate Rewards® card that charges an annual fee, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can convert the rewards you earn with this card into airline miles and hotel points to get a value potentially much greater than 1 cent each.

Pros:

• Earn 5% in select bonus categories
• Solid welcome bonus
• Rewards can be converted into valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points (if you hold a complementary card)

Cons:

• Bonus categories change (and must be activated) each quarter

Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex℠.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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• Annual fee: $0
• APR range: 19.24% - 27.99% Variable.
• Sign-up bonus offer: Earn an additional 1.5% on all purchases (up to $20,000 spent in the first year)

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is very similar to the Chase Freedom Flex℠ in a few key ways. It also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points which can be redeemed at one cent each (and converted into airline miles and hotel points for outsized value if you hold an annual fee-incurring Ultimate Rewards® card). Its bonus categories are similar, as well, with 5% cash back on travel reserved through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and 3% back on dining and at drugstores.

What this card doesn’t have is rotating 5% bonus categories. Instead, you’ll earn a minimum of 1.5% back on all purchases.

Despite the resemblance between these cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® serves a very unique purpose. The card is an ideal choice for all your spending that doesn’t fall into a bonus category. Paying for things like utilities, medical expenses, school tuition, oil changes, etc., with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® will net you 50% more points than had you paid with the Chase Freedom Flex℠. The two cards are an excellent complement to each other.

Pros:

• Earn at least 1.5% back on all purchases
• Rewards can be converted into valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points (if you hold a complementary card)

Cons:

• You’ll have to spend $20,000 in your first year to earn the card’s full bonus

Learn more/apply or read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

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Best for small businesses

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

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• Annual fee: $0
• APR range: 17.49% - 23.49% Variable
• Sign-up bonus offer: $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is the small business version of the Chase Freedom Unlimited® — but with fewer bonus categories. You’ll earn 1.5% back on all purchases.

This card is dominant among no annual fee cards in two areas.

First, its welcome bonus is sky high, offering a $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. That’s way higher than other no annual fee cards.

Secondly, the card offers primary rental car insurance when renting for business purposes. This spares you from spending the daily $12+ daily insurance offered by the rental agency. If you’re a road warrior — or even a casual car renter — this could quite easily save you $100 or more each year.

Similar to its sibling, this card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, meaning you can convert its rewards into airline miles and hotel points if you’ve got either the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

Pros:

• Enormous welcome bonus
• Earn at least 1.5% back on every purchase
• Rewards can be converted into valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points (if you hold a complementary card)

Cons:

• You must have a small business to qualify

Apply now or read our full Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card review. 

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What is good/excellent credit?

According to the FICO Score range, good credit is between 670 to 739, while VantageScore puts good credit at 661 to 780. Once you get into the 800 area, you’re in excellent credit territory.

Your credit score is comprised of five factors:

1. Payment history
2. Amounts owed
3. Length of credit history
4. New credit
5. Credit mix

If your FICO Score is between 700 and 749, you’re probably perfect or near-perfect in the payment history category. In this credit score range, your credit utilization ratio is likely to be a bigger factor. It’s the amount you owe on your credit cards, divided by your total credit card limits.

For example, if you owe $5,000 in credit card debt, and you have $20,000 in credit card limits, your credit utilization ratio is 25%. Any number below 30% is considered good — though it’s best to keep it below 10%.

Interestingly, having a credit utilization of 0% is not good; credit bureaus want to see that you’re using your credit responsibly (instead of not using it at all).

Read more: What is an excellent credit score? And do you really need one?

How to choose the best credit card for a 700+ credit score

Anyone with a score above 700 can pretty well qualify for any publicly available credit card. We’re talking the good stuff — rewards credit cards, travel credit cards, cash back credit cards. The kind that can give you potentially thousands of dollars in value per year if you know how to use them.

Here are a few things to consider when hunting for the best credit card for a FICO score between 700 and 749.

Weigh the annual fee

There are loads of great credit cards that don’t charge an annual fee. Who would pay a fee just for the privilege of holding a certain card?

Well, cards that charge an annual fee (almost) always give you benefits worth exponentially more than you’re paying — if you’ll use them.

As a quick example, the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card charges a $395 annual fee. That’s scary-sounding to the casual credit card user. But take a look at a few of its annual benefits:

• Up to $300 in statement credits when booking travel via Capital One Travel
• 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary (worth potentially $100+)
• Access to airport lounges (including Priority Pass Select membership, which sells for $400+ per year)

As you can see, just a few card benefits can easily give you over $800 per year in value — well over $400 more than you’ll pay for the annual fee.

Read more: Is an annual fee credit card ever worth it?

Find benefits that match your lifestyle

If you’re not a frequent traveler, it will make little sense to get a card that provides generous travel insurance. If you don’t regularly go out to eat, don’t open a card whose feature benefit is bonus points on dining.

Be sure to pick a card that will best suit how you’ll optimize the rewards earned or perks offered.

Read more: How to choose a credit card wisely

Choose the right rewards currency

Rewards come in three flavors:

• Cashback
• Points
• Miles

Points and miles are typically associated with travel rewards.

Depending on the currency, you could get a redemption value above 2 cents each for these rewards toward airfare and hotel stays. However, you can sometimes cash them out at varying rates (generally between 0.5 cents and 1 cent each).

Read more: Credit card miles vs. airline miles: Which is better?

Cash rewards are best for someone who has no burning travel aspirations. You can use them for legit anything — rent payments, utilities, oil changes — and if you so desire, travel.

The big downfall with cash is that you’re guaranteed to receive a flat value from it, whereas points and miles values will fluctuate greatly depending on how you use them.

Read more: Cash back or travel rewards: Which should you choose?

Note the annual percentage rate (APR)

APR is the interest you’ll pay on your card when you carry a balance month-to-month. The better your credit, the lower your APR rate (allegedly) should be. Still, you’ll find that the best rewards credit cards can carry interest rates well above 20%.

Here’s the thing, though: APR shouldn’t matter one lick. Even if a credit card charged 80% APR, you should never be paying it, because you pay your credit cards off in full each month, right?

If you don’t, you’ll want to note the APR before signing up for any credit card.

Read more: What is APR?

Some cards offer a 0% introductory APR for anywhere from 6 to 21 months. It usually applies to balance transfers, but may also include purchases.

This offer will be more attractive to someone who has high interest credit card balances they want to transfer. If you don’t, it may not offer much incentive to take the card.

Read more: Best 0% APR credit cards

Consider the sign-up bonus

Credit card issuers use sign-up bonuses as an initial incentive to give their cards a try. Some sign-up bonuses can be worth $1,000 or more.

Generous bonuses are often enticing enough to give a card a try, even if you’re not completely sold on its benefits. If you decide in a year or two that it doesn’t fit your lifestyle, you can cancel or downgrade it — no harm done.

Read more: Best credit card sign-up bonus offers

How to properly use a credit card for good/excellent credit

One of the main goals of a credit card when you’re in the 700 to 749 credit score range is to reap the benefits without doing anything that might cause your credit score to drop.

You’ll want to faithfully abide by the following strategies:

• Pay off your balance quickly and regularly — If you carry a balance on your card and have to pay interest, it’s likely the rewards will be more than offset by interest expense. As long as you pay your balance in full each month, you won’t pay a red cent of interest.
• Monitor your credit score — You should do this at least on a monthly basis. It’ll give you an opportunity to identify any irregularities immediately.
• Dispute any errors promptly — If there are any errors on your report, dispute them immediately. Open a dispute, provide documentation supporting your claim, and have the creditor provide written confirmation of the error. Then ask them to report the corrected information to all three credit bureaus.
• Pay ALL your bills on-time — A single late payment could have a serious negative effect on your credit rating. Set up automatic debits for any recurring payments you have, just in case you forget.

Read more: 14 helpful tips for maintaining a good credit score

Summary

While your credit score isn’t the only factor that credit card issuers examine when deciding if you’re a good candidate, it is one of the most important.

If your credit score is above 700, the credit card world is open to you. You should have little trouble getting some of the best cards on the market.

Read more:

• Best personal loans for good credit
• How to improve your credit score, step by step