The Ascent's 2022 Credit Card Awards Winners

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card took the market by storm with an unseen suite of valuable perks, including unlimited cash back, a big sign-up bonus, and a long 0% intro APR. Many great competing credit cards offer similar perks, but not all in one offering.

It’s hard to beat the deep bench of perks offered with this credit card, from its sign-up bonus and rewards to its overlooked cellphone protection. Somehow this is all packed into a credit card with no annual fee.

The bonus cash back rewards on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express are about as impressive as it gets. It earns a staggeringly high rate of cash back at U.S. supermarkets and a highly competitive cash back rate at U.S. gas stations. The welcome offer and intro APR offers are the cherries on top. Terms apply to all card details mentioned above.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card made a splash in the premium travel credit card category with its massive sign-up bonus, unlimited miles for purchases, hundreds of dollars in annual statement credits, and airport lounge access. While the credit card does come with an annual fee, it's lower than what many competing cards charge for a similar feature set.

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card beats its no annual fee travel credit card competitors on several fronts. This travel card offers one of the biggest sign-up bonuses we’ve seen for a no annual fee credit card, offers a nice 0% intro APR on purchases, and earns unlimited points on purchases. Bank of America loyalists will also benefit from participating in the free Preferred Rewards program -- the gold standard for loyalty banking perks.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a legion of bonus reward-hungry travel fans for good reason. Not only does it offer unlimited 2x points for travel, but it also offers 3x points on dining and includes a lucrative welcome bonus.

Simply put, the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card is one of the best 0% intro APR credit cards we’ve ever come across. It offers 21 months of 0% intro APR for both purchases and balance transfers. Few cards we’ve seen offer the same length intro APR in both categories.

A 0% intro APR for 21 months for balance transfers is among the longest we’ve come across recently. When you consider that the same intro APR offer applies to purchases, this credit card is an obvious podium-topping pick.

Packed with features that are rare among secured credit cards, the Discover it® Secured Credit Card is a leader for people wanting to build credit. The security deposit is comparatively low, and the sign-up bonus is the same that Discover offers with its highest-end credit cards. Not to be left out, the rewards program can help put some extra cash back in your pocket while you work on building credit.

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card earns this award because it offers the same lucrative rewards program included with other cards the bank markets to people with excellent credit. Usually, the opposite happens, with rewards programs getting watered down the further you move down the credit score spectrum. But the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card bucks that trend, making it the clear winner.

Student credit cards are well known for offering limited perks compared to cards marketed to people with more established credit scores. But Bank of America made the right call to amp up the value for this student credit card. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students shines bright with its long 0% intro APR, flexible and robust rewards program, and leading sign-up bonus. These are the same perks Bank of America offers for the non-student version of this card aimed at people with excellent credit.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express not only earns 3% back for U.S. gas purchases, but it also packs in bonus rewards for U.S. supermarkets and a big welcome bonus. Few credit cards can go toe to toe with the cardholder perks in this offer. Terms apply for offer details mentioned here.

Few of our awards had such a unanimous winner. While no credit card is the perfect fit for everyone, we think cardholders wanting supermarket rewards should make the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express their card to beat. It earns a rich 6% back at U.S. supermarkets ($6,000 annual spending cap, terms apply). This is among the highest rates we’ve come across. Plus, the card packs in a great intro APR offer and big welcome bonus.

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card dishes out 4x points for dining, a long 0% intro APR offer, and a big sign-up bonus. The astounding part of this all is that the features don’t stop there -- and the card has no annual fee.

While choosing a credit card that’s best for hotels does somewhat come down to hotel preference, many people will be best going with Marriott for their hotel stays and selecting the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card. Points stack up quickly in an array of spending categories, including Marriott purchases and U.S. restaurants. The credit card also packs in a rich welcome bonus, airport lounge access with Priority Pass™ Select enrollment, and valuable annual statement credits.

There's a lot to like about the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, and it's a fantastic alternative to more expensive business credit cards. Importantly, the robust rewards program matches well to the needs of business owners, and the sign-up bonus is among the biggest we’ve come across. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also earns Chase’s Ultimate Rewards points, which are some of the most valuable and flexible around.

As with hotel credit cards, picking a single airline credit card can come down to personal airline preference. But we think prospective cardholders should first consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve® as their go-to airline credit card. The card packs in a big sign-up bonus that’s good enough to cover the cost of a domestic round-trip flight. Plus, you can earn 3x points on travel and dining, there’s up to $300 in annual travel credits, and you can access Priority Pass™ Select lounges. But what makes the Chase Sapphire Reserve® shine the most is that the Ultimate Rewards points earned on this card can be transferred directly to most popular airline loyalty programs.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card shook up the market when it launched, with many other issuers playing catch up to sweeten their offers to compete with this no annual fee credit card. The card offers unlimited 2% cash rewards, packs in a long 0% intro APR offer, and includes an easy-to-earn sign-up bonus.

At the time we issued these awards, the SoFi Credit Card stood out with its cryptocurrency rewards program, which allowed you to redeem rewards as cryptocurrency directly into your SoFi account. But as of January 2023, the SoFi Credit Card no longer offers crypto rewards.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is sure to simplify your international travel while cutting costs at the same time. Importantly, there’s no foreign transaction fee with this credit card. But we think the big value for international travelers is getting access to Priority Pass lounges, up to $300 in annual statement credits for travel booked through Capital One Travel, and a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program is the gold standard for travel rewards programs. While other issuer rewards programs are advancing in recent years, Chase still holds the top spot with a long list of hotel and airline loyalty partners, easy redemption, rapid transfers, and points value.

The American Express credit card mobile app shines in an otherwise competitive category packed with big card issuers that also offer great apps. The standout features are the simple-to-use interface, ability manage a wide range of account needs, check your credit score, Send and Split payments feature, and access to American Express Offers.