Many of the best credit cards available today are Mastercards. Mastercard is the world's second-largest credit card payment network, processing billions of transactions worldwide every minute.
We evaluated the best Mastercard credit cards available right now by comparing benefits, rewards, annual fees, and drawbacks across several issuers.
Best Mastercard Credit Cards of 2025
| What It's For | Card | Annual Fee |
| Best for no annual fee | Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | $0 |
| Best for 0% intro APR | Chase Freedom Flex | $0 |
| Best for single-card households | Citi Strata Premier℠ Card | $95 |
| Best for renters | Bilt Mastercard® (rates and fees) | $0 |
| Best for cash back | Citi® Double Cash Card | $0 |
| Best for IHG hotel loyalists | IHG One Rewards Premier Card | $99 |
| Best for bad credit | Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card | $0 |
Best Mastercard with No Annual Fee
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee for the first 15 months, then 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time)
19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Earn $200 cash back
Good to Excellent
- No annual fee
- Bonus cash back on dining, entertainment, and grocery store purchases
- Long intro APR period for purchases and balance transfers
- Other cards earn more cash back in certain bonus categories
- Not the highest sign-up bonus among cash-back cards
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a good welcome bonus and excellent return rates that can earn you cash back on common expenses like dining, groceries (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target), streaming, and entertainment — plus there's no annual fee to worry about.
Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 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
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- No foreign transaction fee
- No annual fee
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is ideal for people who want a no-annual-fee Mastercard that earns great rewards on everyday expenses.
The Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a winner in our guides to the best credit cards for groceries and the best credit cards for dining in restaurants because it earns 3% cash back on dining and groceries (excluding supercenters and wholesale clubs like Walmart, Target, and Costco), as well as on entertainment and popular streaming subscription fees.
Cardholders also earn 8% cash back on entertainment purchased through Capital One, and 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. These are extremely high rates of return, even among the best credit cards with no annual fee.
New cardholders also get a zero-interest offer of 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee for the first 15 months, then 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time), then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR.
Pro tip: Capital One miles are extremely easy to use, which is why Capital One issues several of the best starter credit cards we recommend. If you have multiple Capital One credit cards that earn miles, you can also combine your rewards into a single account for better reward redemptions.
Best Mastercard for 0% Intro APR
The Chase Freedom Flex® is great for people who don't mind putting in a little extra work to earn big rewards. Once you activate the quarterly promotion, this card earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases across rotating bonus categories (then 1%) and on travel booked through the Chase TravelSM portal. You also earn 3% back on drugstore and dining purchases, including eligible delivery services, and 1% on other purchases.
New cardholders also get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, followed by a 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR.
This card earns cash back in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which is one of the best award "currencies" you can earn. They're especially valuable if you also have a Chase travel credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. These cards allow you to transfer your rewards to airline and hotel Chase transfer partners for even greater value on business- or first-class flights and five-star hotels.
Beyond the rewards, the card offers benefits like purchase protection and extended warranty, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, cell phone protection, and more. While the 5% bonus categories have to be activated manually and the card imposes a 3% foreign transaction fee, the Chase Freedom Flex is a well-rounded fit for any wallet.
Best Mastercard for Single-Card Households
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is one of the only cards in this guide with an annual fee, but it's well worth the $95 investment for people who want a single credit card that works pretty well for all expenses.
This card offers generous rewards on many common expenses: 10 ThankYou® points total per dollar spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3 points per dollar on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Cardholders also get an annual $100 discount off hotel stays of $500 or more booked through the Citi ThankYou Travel portal.
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card offers some credit card travel insurance protections if your trip is delayed, canceled, or interrupted, or if your luggage is lost or damaged in transit. Cardholders also enjoy World Elite Mastercard benefits and pay no foreign transaction fees.
If you shop with this card, you'll get purchase protection of up to $10,000 per claim (maximum $50,000 per year) against damage or theft within the first 90 days after you purchase an eligible product. Cardholders also get extended warranty protection that adds 24 months of coverage on manufacturer warranties of five years or less.
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is one of the few Mastercards in our guide to the best travel credit cards, and the only Citi credit card you can get right now that transfers rewards to all of Citi's airline and hotel transfer partners.
Best Mastercard for Renters
$0
N/A
See Terms
N/A
Good to Excellent
- Only credit card to offer rent payments to any landlord
- Excellent range of airline and hotel transfer partners through the Bilt App
- World Elite Mastercard benefits and no annual fee
- If you’re not a renter, other cards offer better welcome bonuses and rewards
- Must make 5 transactions per statement period to earn points
The Bilt Mastercard® is the first credit card to offer up to 100,000 points in a calendar year rewards for paying rent without the transaction fee — and you can redeem your points for travel, merchandise, and more. While it now offers bonus points on dining and select travel, if you're not a renter, you should consider other no-annual-fee rewards credit cards as well.
Bilt Mastercard®- $0 Annual Fee
- Earn 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year
- Earns 3x points on dining
- Earn 2x points on travel
- Earn 1x points on other purchases
- Earn double points on the first of each month (excluding rent, up to 1,000 bonus points)
- Use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points
- Earn up to 5x Bilt points on Lyft rides when you link your Bilt account and pay with your Bilt card
- Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent payments, statement credits, toward a down payment on a home, etc.
- Select "Apply Now" to learn more about the product features, terms, and conditions
The Bilt Mastercard® rewards renters for paying rent with a credit card. Cardholders earn 1 Bilt Point per dollar on up to $100,000 in annual rent payments, and don't pay any transaction fees.
The card's standout feature is its ability to earn points on rent, but it's a worthy addition to any wallet for many other reasons. Cardholders also earn 3 Bilt Points per dollar on dining, including delivery services; 2 points on travel purchases booked directly with airlines, hotels, car rentals, or cruise lines; and 1 point on most other purchases; and 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides after linking their Bilt and Lyft accounts (use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points). You can even earn up to 1,000 bonus points on non-rent purchases on the first day of every month, affectionately known as Bilt Rent Day.
Bilt has assembled an impressive group of airline and hotel transfer partners, earning Bilt Points an average redemption value of 1.65 cents in our most recent valuations. You can also book travel directly through the Bilt Rewards travel portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point, which creates a stable floor of redemption value.
The Bilt Mastercard® comes packed with a slew of useful benefits, including primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance that goes into effect after just six hours of delays, cell phone protection of up to $800 per claim, and no foreign transaction fees.
Best Mastercard for Flat-Rate Cash Back
The Citi® Double Cash Card is a good fit for people willing to sacrifice some rewards in exchange for consistent rewards with no annual fee.
Cardholders earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase — 1 point per dollar at the time of the transaction, and another 1 point per dollar when you pay your bill. That staggered earning style is a bit quirky, but it amounts to the same return as other 2% cash-back cards.
While the Citi Double Cash Card is relatively light on other benefits, it also offers new cardholders a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months (then a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR). This benefit can help you pay down existing debt over time without paying high interest rates.
This card does have a foreign transaction fee, so don't use it for international purchases.
Best Mastercard for IHG Hotel Loyalists
$99
N/A
19.99% - 28.49% Variable
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
Good to Excellent
- Anniversary reward night can be worth more than the annual fee
- Could offer better rewards on non-IHG purchases
If you stay at IHG properties even just a few times a year, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is a great way to save money on your hotel stays and enjoy extra benefits. The annual free night alone can easily be worth much more than the annual fee, and perks like up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash and valuable annual spending incentives make the card even more compelling.
IHG One Rewards Premier Card- Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 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®
- Member FDIC
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is one of our favorite hotel credit cards for people loyal to IHG's many hotel brands, ranging from Intercontinental and Kimpton to Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn.
Cardholders earn up to 26 points per dollar spent at IHG properties and 5 points per dollar on travel, gas, and dining expenses. They earn 3 points per dollar on all other purchases.
But the card's outstanding benefits are what make the $99 annual fee worth your investment. Cardholders get a fourth night free on award stays; a free night certificate each year on their account anniversary; up to $50 per year in United TravelBank Cash; up to $120 in credit toward application fees for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS once every four years; and a variety of travel and purchase protections.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Card also earns big rewards when you hit certain spending milestones. You'll get 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit when you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year. You'll also earn top-tier Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
Best Mastercard for Bad Credit
$0
N/A
29.74% Variable
N/A
Limited, No History
- Earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no limits
- You can get approved for this card with limited credit
- Ability to increase credit line and potential to improve credit score with responsible use
- No welcome bonus
- Because it’s a secured credit card, you’ll have to put down a security deposit for your initial credit line
- High APR if you carry a balance
The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great choice if you're new to credit cards and working on building your credit history and score. It's a rare secured credit card that offers decent rewards, but you'll have to put down a deposit after you're approved to secure your credit line.
Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card- No annual or hidden fees, and you can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. See if you're approved in seconds
- Put down a refundable $200 security deposit to get a $200 initial credit line
- Building your credit? Using a card like this responsibly could help
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- 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
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
Secured credit cards help you establish a credit history or rebuild your credit, but usually offer little else in return.
The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is an exception: While it remains light on benefits, this card earns generous rewards that compare favorably to many of the best unsecured starter credit cards, including some that charge an annual fee.
Cardholders earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One travel portal, plus a flat 1.5% cash back on other purchases. You can redeem rewards for statement credits to your card account or cash back by check, or for gift cards and travel.
Your initial credit line is based on how much money you put down for your refundable security deposit, with a minimum of just $200. You will be considered for credit line increases and offered an upgrade to the unsecured version of the card if you consistently pay what you owe on time over several months.
The Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn't have an annual fee, doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, and allows free authorized users.
What You Should Know About Mastercard
Mastercard is one of the most widely accepted credit card networks worldwide. It issues three tiers of credit cards: Standard, World, and World Elite. Each tier offers increasing levels of perks such as travel benefits, concierge services, and purchase protection.
Many Mastercards offer their own built-in benefits in addition to any perks from co-branded partner hotels, airlines, and bank issuers. For instance, Mastercard World Elite cardholders are eligible for room upgrades and discounts at select hotels, complimentary elite status with rental car agencies, and discounts at partner retailers in addition to any benefits they get from the specific card itself.
Mastercard also offers Mastercard ID Theft Protection and Zero Liability Protection, which helps protect cardholders from financial fraud.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Mastercard Credit Cards
Business Insider's personal finance experts evaluated dozens of popular Mastercard credit cards, drawing inspiration from our guide to the best rewards credit cards, cash-back credit cards, and credit cards for bad credit.
We considered several factors, including:
- Ease of use — Is the card's rewards structure easy to understand? Are there any earning or redeeming hoops to jump through, like blackout dates or a requirement to have an existing bank relationship?
- Rewards earning potential — Does the card offer a generous welcome bonus and have broadly useful bonus categories? Are there spending caps that limit your earning potential?
- Annual fee — If the card charges an annual fee, is it reasonable, and do the card's rewards and perks make it worthwhile?
- Options for different types of consumers — The Mastercards we chose are appealing to all kinds of people, from travel aficionados to renters to folks just starting out with credit.
Here's a breakdown of how we rate credit cards for a closer look at our methodology.
FAQs
What is the best Mastercard credit card?
It's hard to pick a best Mastercard credit card for everyone. The right one for you depends on your financial profile, rewards preferences, and other factors. The Chase Freedom Flex® and the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card are two of our top recommendations because they have no annual fees, offer solid benefits, and earn generous cash back on common expenses like dining and travel.
Which credit card is best, Visa or Mastercard?
Neither Visa or Mastercard is better than the other, since they are the two largest credit card payment networks in the world. You shouldn't have a problem having either type of card accepted by any merchants that take credit cards. Read our guide to the best Visa credit cards for comparison.
What is the highest level of Mastercard?
There are three levels, or product tiers, across Mastercard-branded credit cards. World Elite Mastercards offer the most benefits, including premium travel perks and discounts. In the middle, World Mastercards come with fewer bells and whistles but still offer many of the same perks. Standard Mastercards are the most basic, but still come with a handful of benefits including zero liability protection, global emergency assistance, and identity theft protection.
Is it hard to get a Mastercard?
No, it isn't hard to get a Mastercard even if you have bad credit or no credit history. Mastercards range from bare-bones secured credit cards for building credit from scratch to premium credit cards packed with luxury travel benefits that require an excellent credit score. We recommend applying for the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card if you have bad credit and can't get approved for other cards.
