Best Credit Cards According to Reddit: Rewards, Students, Cash Back
School doesn't always teach kids how to thrive as an adult, but reddit on the other hand, can do quite a good job if you know where to look.
One subreddit that's awesome is personal finance, reddit has dozens of posts where redditors detail the best credit cards for every situation: best grocery credit card to the best cash back credit cards.
In this guide, we'll explore all the best credit cards according to Reddit. Below you'll find over 30 reddit comments with links that show what reddit users did and didn't like about different credit cards.
Here's some of the most popular credit cards on reddit right now:
- Chase sapphire preferred card - Which is the number one rated card in regards to points and gifts
- Capital one secured - This one is the best choice in regards to security
- Discover Student Cash back - If you are a student this one will be your best option
- Discover it miles - If you travel and like to earn miles towards free flights then this one is your best option.
- American Express - Has the best restaurant and grocery reward programs
We will be going over each credit card mentioned above in more depth to find out why redditors like them so much.
| Card |
|
|---|---|---|
#1 in points & Gifts  | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Mentioned in 9,420 Reddit threads | |
#1 in security  | Capital One Secured Mentioned in 731 Reddit threads | |
#1 Student credit card  | Discover it Student Cash Back Mentioned in 281 Reddit threads | |
#1 in airline miles  | Discover it Miles Mentioned in 418 Reddit threads | |
#1 in restaurant & grocery rewards  | American Express Gold Mentioned in 6,610 Reddit threads |
Reddit's Credit Card Benchmarks
Below we will be going over each type of credit card a little more in depth. Plus sharing some reviews directly from Reddit.
Here are some of the top things redditors cared about when they are looking for the best type of credit card to get:
Now lets see how each of the mentioned credit cards stand up against what redditors care about most.
Reddits Favorite Credit Card in Points & Gifts
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Rewards
Currently they are offering 60,000 points when you first sign up. Which can be used for airfare, hotels or it can be turned into cash. You also earn 2X on travel and dining worldwide and 1X per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Security
With this card you get 24/7 access to customer service, baggage delay insurance and zero liability protection.
Annual Fee
The annual fee is $95.
Currently they are offering an incentive to sign up for this credit card. They are giving away 60,000 bonus points when you apply today. Those points can be redeemed for $750 worth of airfare, $750 worth of hotel stays or even $600 cash. You can earn miles by using your credit card for everyday purchases. $1 spend equals 1 point. But if you use your card for traveling purchases like flights and hotels then you get 2 points for every $1 spent. The same rule applies if you use your credit card at restaurants.
Some benefits while traveling with and using the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
- $0 foreign transaction fees
- Trip cancellation/Trip interruption insurance
- Zero Liability protection
- 24/7 direct access to customer service specialists
- Baggage delay insurance
One major thing to keep in mind with Chase Sapphire preferred credit card is that it does cost $95 per year.
Quotes from Reddit About this Credit Card
"I’ve been using the Sapphire Reserve for a little over a year and currently have over $900 in flight credit. Saving that up for a really expensive flight somewhere awesome I wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise."
"I have chase sapphire and sapphire reserve... awesome cards."
Overall rating : 4.1 / 5
Reddits Favorite Credit Card in Security
Capital One Secured
Rewards
This card is meant for building credit not getting rewards.
Security
Capital One has security alerts where you can get notified if the company sees any suspicious activity on your account. You have the ability to pay with 'fake' card numbers so you can keep your actual card number safe.
Annual Fee
No annual fee!
Capital One Secured credit card is different than the other credit cards in our list for one major reason. It requires a security deposit. Based on your security deposit Capital One will choose a credit limit for you. After you have made your first five monthly payments on time you are given the opportunity to have a higher line of credit.
Like most credit cards Capital One also offers $0 fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen. You are able to place a lock on your card if you notice it has been stolen, as a way to prevent anyone from charging it.
When traveling abroad with the Capital One Secured credit card you will have no foreign transaction fees. You will have automatic travel accident insurance. 24 hour travel assistance and if you rent a vehicle that is eligible you will be covered for the damage from a collision or theft.
One of the more unique characteristics of this card is that Capital One will provide you with a fake credit card number for purchases online. As a way to prevent anyone from gaining access to your real credit card.
Quotes from Reddit About this Credit Card
"Discover It and Capital One Platinum Secured. Have both and they have been awesome. Discover It has a great rewards points system and Capital One Platinum increases my balance every 6 months if you make all your payments on time."
"Capital One in my experience is the best at approving with extremely bad credit histories, and reporting diligently to the bureaus."
Overall rating : 3.5/ 5
Reddit's Favorite Student Credit Card
Discover it Student
Rewards
Discover offers a $20 credit each school year where your GPA is a 3.0 or higher. They also offer 5% cash back on qualifying purchases and they will match the cash back you earn during the first year. With no limit.
Security
Discover offers free social security number alerts where they will notify you if they see your SSN on the Dark Web. They constantly monitor accounts for suspicious activity.
Annual Fee
No annual fee.
Discover it for Students Card offers a few rewards that not all of their competitors do. You are able to redeem your rewards for cash at any time and in any amount. Your cash back never expires and you are able to use your rewards instantly on Amazon.
If your Discover card is ever misplaced or stolen you are liable for $0 if there are unauthorized charges on your card. They will also ship you a replacement card for free to a US address.
During your first six months you will have a 0% APR on all purchases. After those six months if you have a late payment your APR will not be effected by it. Discover will also waive your first late fee.
Discover has a 100% US based customer service that is available by phone 24/7.
Quotes from Reddit About this Credit Card
"If you dont have a credit card and are young and or a student discover is one of the best options! They give percentage back on gas, groceries, and other stuff to build your credit slowly. Their app is great too"
"Their website and mobile app is probably the best! Great customer service as well"
Overall rating : 4.6/ 5
Reddit's Favorite Credit Card for Airline Miles
Discover it Miles
Rewards
You are able to earn an unlimited amount of rewards. Discover will match the miles you earn in your first year with their card. There are no blackout dates.
Security
Discover offers alerts if your SSN appears on the Dark Web. And alerts when their is suspicious activity on your card and your credit report. You are able to freeze your account at any time if your card is misplaced, lost or stolen.
Annual Fee
No annual fee.
This card has very similar aspects as the last card we reviewed due to them both being offered by Discover it.
A few things that are different or doesn't apply to the previous card are:
- You won't lose the miles you accumulate even if you decide to close your account
- You are able to earn unlimited miles
- For every $1 you spend you earn 1.5X miles
- No blackout dates
Quotes from Reddit About this Credit Card
"The Discover It Miles card is a good card, and it's a great card now that it's earning 3% for the next year."
"Discover is your best bet based on customer service alone."
Overall rating : 4.6 / 5
Reddit's Favorite Credit Card for Restaurant and Grocery Rewards
American Express Gold
Rewards
Earn 35,000 points when you spend $2,000 on your card in the first 3 months of membership. You also receive 4X points at US restaurants and US supermarkets.
Security
24/7 access to customer service representatives. When you travel more than 100 miles from home you get 24/7 emergency assistance that includes medical, legal, visa and passport help. Car rental Loss and damage and baggage insurance are also included in your card membership.
Annual Fee
Annual fee is $250.
This credit card has the most expensive annual fee on our list. Along with the unique features mentioned above the American express Gold card offers 3X membership reward points on flights that are booked directly through American Express. There are no foreign transaction fees when you decide to go abroad. And each year you are able to select one airline and receive $100 in incidental fees.
At participating hotels if you book with American Express you can receive a $100 hot3el credit and be eligible for a room upgrade.
As an American Express card holder you will gain exclusive access to pre-sale tickets for events near you. These events include; concerts, Broadway shows, sporting events and many more.
Return protection is also included with this card. If you try and return a product within 90 days of buying it and the merchant will not take it back. American Express may refund you the full purchase price. Up to $300 per item. But there is a maximum $1,000 per calendar year. The purchase must be made in the US and have been made with your American Express Gold card.
Quotes from Reddit About this Credit Card
"Yes, AMEX Gold is excellent for dining. If you can take advantage of the credits, then the effective annual fee is $30, and you can easily make up for it with AMEX offers."
"For me, the appeal of the Amex Gold is the transfer partners that accompany MR points. With cash back cards like the Uber visa, you are capped at 4% back, but with airline transfer partners, you can often get more than 1 cent-per-point value which would leader to higher returns. I don't try as hard to find deals as other people, but I commonly get at least 1.5 cpp of value from transferring my points which translates to 6% back on grocery stores and dining. As for the credits, I'm easily able to use the dining credit each month, and I use the airling credit to buy Delta Giftcards effectively cutting the annual fee down to $30. Ultimately it comes down to math. If you can use the credits, and gain $30 of value from the card, then its worth it. Otherwise it may not be the card for you.
The comments above are for keeping the card past the first year. The Gold card also carries a signup bonus of anywhere from 25K-50k MR points, which is worth 250-500 dollars at a minimum. In any case, the card is worth it to get for the first year."
"Between the statement credit you get for restaurants and the one for airline fees, Amex Gold has a lower effective annual fee than the Green card with better rewards, Totally worth it."
Overall rating : 3.8 / 5
There are so many different types of credit cards, which can make it hard to determine which one is the best one. It depends on each and every situation, every person uses their credit cards differently. All of the cards mentioned in this article are cards that we have found on Reddit to be the most recommended credit cards. And after reviewing our rating of each credit card we hope it helps make your decision a little easier.
Popular Reddit Threads About Credit Cards for Further Reading
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