Which mastercard is best

To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases. If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance including balance transfers by the due date each month. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion. No annual fee. After that the variable APR will be Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.

This intro period can provide you with a year and a half to pay off a large balance. It can be worthwhile if you're paying high interest charges and need more than the usual or month interest-free periods. New cardholders have four months to complete their balance transfer longer than the typical 60 to 90 days , but the intro APR period starts at account opening — so aim to transfer your debt as soon as possible. One thing this card is lacking, however, is a rewards program.

But if you're goal is to get out of debt, that shouldn't be an issue. You can also benefit from cell phone protection , an auto rental collision damage waiver and no foreign transaction fees — which can save you money if you drop your phone or travel. Similar to most other college student cards, you must be over 18 and enrolled in college to qualify.

Plus you'll need a U. Even if you don't qualify for the lower deposits, you may receive access to a higher credit limit in as little as six months based on your payment history and creditworthiness with no additional deposit needed. This is a good incentive to maintain a timely payment history.

To determine which credit cards offer the best value, Select analyzed popular Mastercard credit cards available in the U.

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points. Select teamed up with location intelligence firm Esri. The company's data development team provided the most up-to-date and comprehensive consumer spending data based on the Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

You can read more about their methodology here. General purchases include items such as housekeeping supplies, clothing, personal care products, prescription drugs and vitamins, and other vehicle expenses. Select used this budget to estimate how much the average consumer would save over the course of a year, two years and five years, assuming they would attempt to maximize their rewards potential by earning all welcome bonuses offered and using the card for all applicable purchases.

This is one of the few secured cards without an annual fee. Rewards: Two Aadvantage miles per dollar for American Airlines purchases and one Aadvantage mile per dollar spent on everything else. Free authorized user cards mean you can share the card benefits. Rewards: 5 percent cash back on Walmart. Walmart Pay has a promotional 5 percent cash back the first year, 2 percent thereafter. Other Benefits or Drawbacks: The card does not offer a bonus for brick and mortar Walmart shopping unless you use Walmart Pay.

Rewards: 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Other Benefits or Drawbacks: First checked bag free for the cardholder and up to three companions on the same reservation.

All other eligible purchases earn 1 point per dollar. Rewards: 5 Citi ThankYou points per dollar on travel and restaurant purchases, 3 Citi ThankYou points on hotel and cruise purchases and 1 Citi ThankYou point per dollar spent on everything else.

Free one hotel night credit for booking 4 nights or longer through ThankYou. Choosing a Mastercard is much like choosing any other type of credit card. Those who are new to credit will want a basic card such as a student card. Others with strong credit will want to earn cash back rewards. I am a full-time freelance writer and an expert in credit cards, travel, and general personal finance.

I have been writing about credit and credit cards since , and I am widely recognized as an expert in this industry. She's a credit card enthusiast and digital nomad who has leveraged credit cards to travel around the world for next to nothing, often in style.

Prior to working for Forbes, she contributed to other leading publications in the credit cards and rewards space. She would like to visit every country and try as many different local culinary specialties as possible.

Select Region. United States. United Kingdom. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team. Jason Steele, Caroline Lupini.

Contributor, Editor. Editorial Note: Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn't affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Read more. Find the Best Credit Card. Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs.

This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards. Regular APR Why We Picked It. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

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