3 of 2018’s Best Credit Cards

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but if you carry the right plastic, you might earn free lunches. You might also get free flights, free hotels, free cash back and interest free loans. The key is finding the credit card that gives you the biggest bang for the bucks you’re already spending.

For a full list of every kind of credit card, see the Credit Card page of our Solutions Center. But here are 3 cards that recently caught our eye. See how they compare to what’s now in your wallet.

Best travel card: Capital One® Venture

Why it’s best: This card has it all: 2 points for every dollar spent, a 50,000-point signup bonus (worth $500 of travel) no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee for the first year. Note, however, that you have to spend $3,000 within the first three months to get the bonus, and the annual fee after year one is $95. Still, if you travel, charge a lot and pay off your balance every month, this one is hard to beat.

The details:

• Higher bonus than usual for this card: 50,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 within the first three months
• Earns 2x miles for every $1 spent with no caps
• No foreign transaction fees
• Redeem your rewards on any airline or hotel with no blackout dates
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 after that
• You must have excellent credit

Click here for further details and to compare this card.

Best cash-back card: Capital One® Quicksilver

Why it’s best: Most cash-back cards give you 1 percent back on purchases; this one gives you 1.5 percent. That’s 50 percent more free money. It also gives you a cash bonus, and you only have to spend $500 within three months to get it. Finally, there’s no annual fee.

The details:

• Earn unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on every purchase
• $150 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within your first three months
• Get 50 percent back as a statement credit to your monthly Spotify Premium subscription, now through April 2018
• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fee
• You must have good-to-excellent credit

Click here for further details and to compare this card.

Best zero percent card: Amex EveryDay®

Why it’s best: If you’re carrying a balance, finding a card with a zero percent interest rate is a no-brainer way to pay it off a lot faster. Unfortunately, there’s often a hefty fee to transfer an existing high-interest balance to a zero-interest card. But not this one. As long as you transfer your existing balance within 60 days, Amex doesn’t charge a transfer fee, and the zero percent interest lasts 15 months.

The details:

• Transfer balances for $0 fee during the first 60 days after account opening
• Both purchases and balance transfers get a zero percent introductory APR for 15 months
• No annual fee
• 10,000 rewards points after using the card to make $1,000 in purchases in the first three months
• You must have good-to-excellent credit

Click here for further details and to compare this card.

Got a great credit card you’d like to crow about? Tell us about it in the comments below or on our Facebook page!

Editor’s note: One of the ways we keep the lights on around here is with referral fees, so we might make a buck or two when you sign up for these cards. But we never let that influence our judgment. You’ll always get our honest advice.

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