Best Mastercard Credit Cards in December 2024

There are some sweet spots on the redemption side of Citi Strata Premier℠ Card that make this travel rewards card worth considering, including possible business class redemptions on partner airlines. In addition to the welcome offer, you can also earn 10 Thank You points for every $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through the Cititravel.com portal. The card’s annual fee is $95, but it is possible to completely offset that by using the $100 hotel credit made available in the credit card’s online travel booking portal.

Earnings on the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card include three points for every $1 spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, other hotel purchases, and airfare. In short, it earns a lot in quite a few categories.

• Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
• Earn 10 points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
• Earn 3 points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
• Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

The Citi Double Cash® Card is a credit card that offers 2% flat cash back on all purchases. It comes in the form of 1% cash back when the purchase is made and 1% cash back when a payment is made.

Its simple rewards structure coupled with no annual fee make this a competitive cash back earner. There’s no bonus offer of rewards, but it is possible you may be able to take advantage of an balance_transfer_intro_apr,balance_transfer_intro_duration with a intro_apr_rate,intro_apr_duration.

• Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
• Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.
• Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49% - 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
• 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.
• There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

The card_name earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases and 5% cash back on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One.

In addition to its bonus, there is a balance_transfer_intro_apr,balance_transfer_intro_duration. The card does not have an annual fee or charge foreign transaction fees.

Introductory Offer:

• Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.49% - 29.49% variable APR after that balance transfer fee applies

Card Rewards:

• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options (terms apply)
• No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how much you can earn

Member FDIC

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The Citi Simplicity offers a lengthy 21 months with a 0% APR for balance transfers. There is also 12 months with a 0% APR for new purchases. It’s a unique card in that there are no late fees, penalty fees, or an annual fee. Beyond the balance transfer, the card doesn’t have other frills.

• No Let Fees, No Penalty Rate, and No Annual Fee... Ever
• 0% Intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer and 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.99% based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
• There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
• Stay protected with Citi® Quick Lock
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The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card earns the most bonus points in categories where many students spend the most money. The card earns 3x on dining, grocery stores, popular streaming services, and entertainment.

• Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), with 1% on all other purchases
• Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
• Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
• Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
• Earn up to $500 a year by referring friends and family when they're approved for a Capital One credit card
• Earn 8% cash back on entertainment purchases when you book through the Capital One Entertainment portal
• Build your credit with responsible card use
• Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you

The Capital One Platinum Credit Card is one of the few credit cards that will consider borrowers who have fair, poor, or limited credit. There is no annual fee, but the APR is high. There is also a secured option for the Capital One Platinum Credit Card if you need an even more flexible option.

Card Benefits:

• No annual or hidden fees. Check your approval status in seconds.
• Looking to build your credit? Responsible use of the Capital One Platinum Secured card can help.
• Start with a refundable security deposit as low as $49 to get a $200 initial credit line.
• Earn back your security deposit as a statement credit by making timely payments.
• Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in just 6 months, with no extra deposit required.
• Enjoy $0 Fraud Liability, so you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges.
• Monitor your credit score for free with CreditWise from Capital One. Access your account anytime, anywhere with online banking and the Capital One mobile app.
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It earns up to 17x points on IHG stays, 3x on monthly bills, 3x on gas and restaurants, and 2x on everything else. In addition to its generous welcome offer and rewards rate structure, this card also allows you to get an extra night free when you book three nights.

Introductory Offer:

• Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
• Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
• Get a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.

Card Rewards:

• Earn up to 26 points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
• Earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel, gas stations, and restaurants.
• Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

** Additional Benefits:**

• Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember.
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
• IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®.

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The Citi Custom Cash® Card automatically selects your top earning category for 5% back in rewards each billing cycle (then 1% thereafter). Also earn 1% cash back on all other purchases. Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025. This card is ideal for consumers who don't want to invest a lot in order to earn significant cash back rewards on everyday spending.

• Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
• 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49% - 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
  
  Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.
• No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
• No Annual Fee
• Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash® Card account per person.

Spending at IHG properties could potentially net up to 26x points. When you redeem three nights, you get the fourth night free. There is also a free night awarded each year (capped at 40,000 points). The annual fee is $99. There are many other small business cards you may also want to consider.

The one thing to keep in mind with this card is the point value is considered much less than other cards. This means that the amount of points you earn may not go as far as with other cards. You may earn points faster with the elevated earnings structure, but the redemptions are also much higher. There may be better small business cards available from other issuers.

The card_name earns a lot of rewards with 5x points earnings on travel, gas stations, dining, advertising on social media or search engines, and 3x points on all other purchases.

Introductory Offer:

Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Card Rewards:

• Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels and Resorts.
• Earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel, gas stations, select advertising, and restaurants.
• Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Additional Benefits:

• Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts, plus a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
• Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier Business cardmember. Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
• IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at hotels such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®.

Member FDIC

• Balance transfer fee: balance_transfer_fees
• Cash advance fee: cash_advance_fee
• Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee

If you’re looking for a card with bonus earnings for dining and groceries, you may want to consider one with the word “savor” in the title. As a new cardmember, you will also earn a lucrative bonus. This card offers 3x earnings on dining, supermarket, entertainment, and certain streaming services.

Introductory Offer:

• Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
• Benefit from a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After that, a variable APR of 19.49% - 29.49% applies. Note that balance transfer fees may apply.

Card Rewards:

• Get 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®). Plus, earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• Enjoy 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
• Earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Capital One guarantees the best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply.
• No need to worry about rotating categories or sign-ups to earn rewards. Cash back won't expire for the life of the account, and there's no cap on earnings.

Additional Details:

• No foreign transaction fees.
• No annual fee.