Compare Credit Cards (US, 2026)

FICO scores are broken into ranges. 300–579 is considered poor (secured or credit-builder cards). 580–669 is fair (subprime cards, some store cards). 670–739 is good (most mainstream cards). 740–799 is very good. 800–850 is exceptional (premium cards with the best welcome offers). Issuer-specific rules apply — for example, Chase's unofficial 5/24 rule declines new applications if you've opened 5+ cards anywhere in the past 24 months.

APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the yearly cost of borrowing if you carry a balance. US credit card APRs are typically 18.99%–29.99% as of 2026, per the Federal Reserve's G.19 release. APR only matters if you don't pay your statement balance in full — if you pay in full each month within the grace period, you pay 0% interest regardless of APR.

A balance transfer moves debt from one credit card to another, usually to a card with a 0% intro APR on transfers. A 3%–5% transfer fee applies upfront. If you pay off the transferred balance before the intro period ends (typically 15–21 months), you pay no interest. After the intro period, the standard APR kicks in on any remaining balance.

Generally no — the IRS treats cashback and points earned from spending as a rebate on purchases, not taxable income. Exceptions: bonuses you earn without spending (e.g., a pure sign-up bonus for opening an account, like a bank deposit bonus) are taxable and may generate a 1099-MISC. Referral bonuses from cards you already hold are also typically taxable.

FICO (used by 90%+ of lenders) and VantageScore (used by many free credit-monitoring tools like Credit Karma) are two different scoring algorithms. Both run on your credit bureau data but weight factors slightly differently. VantageScore is often 20–50 points higher than FICO for the same person, which is why your 'free' score may look better than what a lender actually sees.

A 0% intro APR card charges zero interest on new purchases (and sometimes balance transfers) for a set promotional period — commonly 15, 18, or 21 months. You still owe the minimum payment each month. When the intro period ends, the standard APR applies to any remaining balance going forward — but unlike store 'no-interest' financing, there's no deferred interest trap where you're back-billed for the full intro period.

Catastrophe, slowly. On a $5,000 balance at 24% APR paying only the 2% minimum, it takes about 30 years to clear the debt and costs roughly $12,000 in interest — more than 2× the original balance. The CFPB requires issuers to show a 'minimum-payment warning' box on every statement for exactly this reason. Always pay more than the minimum.

Only with 45 days' notice, per the Credit CARD Act of 2009 — and the new rate applies only to new transactions, not existing balances, unless you're 60+ days past due. You have the right to reject the APR change by closing the account; you can continue paying off the balance at the old rate on the old terms.

No. A card earning 2% cashback on a balance at 24% APR costs you 22 percentage points net. The math only works if you pay in full every month. If you carry a balance, your priority should be the lowest APR or a 0% balance-transfer card, not reward rate.