Key takeaways
- Bankrate assessment scores and J.D. Energy satisfaction rankings might help information your resolution in your subsequent bank card.
- Many high issuers in J.D. Energy’s examine have loads of playing cards that gained Bankrate Awards lately.
- Buyer satisfaction rankings and different business metrics amongst issuers can slender down which of them to decide on and which to keep away from.
Regardless of the place you go on the web (or your infinite scroll app of alternative), the dialog in regards to the “greatest bank card” all the time appears to be bursting on the seams with buzz phrases, wildly completely different greenback values for rewards and perks from completely different folks, and private takes which will really feel like a sponsored script.
The bare-bones fact of it’s, nobody card will likely be “the very best” for everybody, however sure playing cards will probably stand out primarily based in your objectives, spending habits, credit score rating and extra.
For our cash, J.D. Energy’s annual Credit score Card Satisfaction Research is among the most goal evaluations of the very best playing cards and issuers at present in the marketplace. That will help you analysis the very best bank card for you, we’ve damaged down the statistically greatest bank cards primarily based on each J.D. Energy and Bankrate’s newest information. That approach, it could be a bit simpler to start out off with essentially the most balanced bank card evaluations attainable.
Present Bankrate Award winners
In case you don’t need to get into the weeds, the 2025 Bankrate Award winners are an excellent place to start out, since we spotlight the very best choices in the marketplace for several types of cardholders. Yearly, Bankrate’s bank card specialists analysis, price and evaluate a whole bunch of playing cards and crown the very best in every main class as Bankrate Award winners primarily based on their excellent options, rewards worth and extra.
A number of of the playing cards on this month’s Greatest Credit score Playing cards web page had been winners in earlier years as effectively, together with:
- American Specific® Gold Card: Greatest bank card for foodies (four-time winner*)
- Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Greatest bank card for jet-setters (four-time winner*)
- Capital One Savor Money Rewards Credit score Card: Greatest standalone bank card, Greatest bank card for leisure (one-time winner*), Greatest bank card for households (two-time winner*)
- Chase Freedom Limitless®: Greatest bank card for on a regular basis use, Greatest bank card for money again followers (three-time winner*), Greatest bank cards for stacking (three-time winner* with the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® playing cards)
- Citi Double Money® Card: Greatest money again card combo (with the Citi Customized Money® Card), Greatest bank cards for stacking (with the Citi Customized Money and the current-day Citi Strata Premier℠ Card)
- Citi Customized Money® Card*: Greatest bank card for commuters (two-time winner*), Greatest money again card combo (with the Citi Double Money® Card), Greatest bank cards for stacking (with the Citi Customized Money and the current-day Citi Strata Premier℠ Card*)
- Blue Money Most well-liked® Card from American Specific: Greatest bank card for households (two-time winner*), Greatest bank card for commuters (one-time winner*), Greatest bank card for streaming companies (two-time winner*)
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Greatest bank cards for stacking (with the Citi Customized Money® Card and Cit Double Money® Card)
- Citi Simplicity® Card*: Greatest bank card for debt consolidators (two-time winner*)
We base card scores nearly totally on goal measures — not simply opinion.
— Nouri Zarrugh
Bankrate bank cards senior editor
Good Bankrate assessment scores
Bankrate Scores may also spotlight particularly nice playing cards. Evaluate scores are calculated on a scale of 1 to five and are primarily based primarily on a card’s rewards worth, perks, introductory presents, APR and different charges. However we take our grading severely.
“We base card scores nearly totally on goal measures — not simply opinion,” says senior editor and key architect of Bankrate’s card ranking database, Nouri Zarrugh. “Our scoring formulation grade every card relative to others in its class and take into account solely the factors most related to that class, since cardholders have completely different wants and expectations for various card varieties.”
Though a number of incredible playing cards maintain a rating of 4 and above, scoring an ideal 5/5 is kind of an accomplishment.
Listed below are the distinctive playing cards that at present maintain a 5/5 Bankrate assessment rating:
J.D. Energy’s top-rated bank cards
The annual J.D. Energy bank card satisfaction examine particulars the foremost bank card business traits every year, and the 2024 examine added particular person card rankings to the survey. For an additional vote of confidence, listed below are the highest three bank cards in response to shoppers within the 2024 survey’s 5 classes (scored on a 1,000-point scale):
J.D. Energy’s top-rated bank card firms
J.D. Energy’s annual bank card satisfaction survey is maybe the definitive gauge of the very best bank card issuer. We even use J.D. Energy bank card issuer scores as a part of our Bankrate Rating methodology.
“For so long as we’ve been scoring playing cards, J.D. Energy’s buyer satisfaction research have performed a key function in how we consider cardholder expertise,” Zarrugh says. “Customer support components into our scoring for each sort of card.”
The 2024 survey ranked 16 bank card issuers — main and regional — on a 1,000-point scale primarily based on their prospects’ satisfaction with their expertise. American Specific ranked first with Uncover in second place, which is typical of those issuers’ neck-and-neck battle for the highest two spots. It’s additionally value noting the common rating was 610, which suggests solely American Specific, Financial institution of America, Uncover Chase Capital One and Citi achieved an above-average buyer satisfaction ranking.
Right here is how the highest 9 issuers rank primarily based on J.D. Energy’s 2024 survey outcomes, what number of Bankrate Awards the issuer’s playing cards have gained since 2022 and an estimated level or mile worth for high rewards playing cards:
| Issuer | J.D. Energy survey rank | Estimated level/mile values | Bankrate Awards gained |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Specific | #1 (634) | 2 cents | 19 |
| Uncover | #2 (629) | 1 cent | 7 |
| Capital One | #3 (620) | 1.7 cents | 10 |
| Chase | #4 (619) | 1 cent to 2 cents | 13 |
| Financial institution of America | #5 (616) | 1 cent | 5 |
| Citi | #6 (611) | 1 cent to 1.6 cents | 7 |
| Wells Fargo | #7 (598) | 1 cent | 5 |
| U.S. Financial institution | #8 (595) | 1.5 cents | 0 |
| TD Financial institution | #9 (586) | 1 cent | 0 |
It’s additionally value noting that the examine’s seven midsize issuers — largely regional banks and credit score unions — supply playing cards which have earned Bankrate Awards or supply rewards that Bankrate consists of in its level valuation database. Of those midsize issuers, TD Financial institution gained “Greatest Financial institution for Signal-Up Bonuses” and PNC gained “Most Trusted Financial institution” within the 2023 Bankrate Awards for banking.
What’s subsequent?
The underside line
Though private takes and first-hand expertise accounts could be resoundingly useful for selecting which bank cards to think about, including a statistical layer may give your private resolution an extra, extra goal vote of confidence. By evaluating J.D. Energy’s and Bankrate’s most up-to-date information, a number of steadfast choices change into frontrunners, together with the Chase Freedom Limitless, Blue Money Most well-liked, Capital One Savor and Citi Simplicity playing cards.
The details about the Financial institution of America® Personalized Money Rewards Secured Credit score Card, Financial institution of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit score Card, Citi Customized Money® Card, Citi Simplicity® Card, Chase Freedom Flex®, Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Credit score Card, BankAmericard® bank card, Apple Card, Costco Wherever Visa® Card by Citi and Petal 2 Visa® Credit score Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The cardboard particulars haven’t been reviewed or accepted by the cardboard issuer.
For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, among the advantages could also be supplied by Visa® or Mastercard® and will fluctuate by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.
