NerdWallet’s Best-Of Credit Card Awards: What’s New for Class of 2025?

Several of this year’s Best Credit Card winners kept their spots from previous years, but a few newcomers broke through to this year’s list. Here’s what changed for 2025.

• On self-care, including gym memberships, spas and salons.

• On sports, entertainment and recreation. This includes a wide variety of merchant types, such as art supply stores, florists, amusement parks, bowling alleys, golf courses, campgrounds, sporting goods stores, ticket agencies for live performances, book stores, select streaming services and more. You can even earn 4% back on whatever a dolphinarium is.

• On planet-friendly purchases, such as those at secondhand and antique stores, bus and train tickets, electric vehicle charging and public transportation.

That’s an impressive list for a card with a $0 annual fee. Plus, there’s a sign-up offer with a charitable twist: Earn a $100 cash rewards bonus when you spend $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. And when you qualify for that bonus, Wells Fargo will also donate $50 to Capital Link, a nonprofit that supports health centers.

• A $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel.

• A 10,000-mile anniversary bonus beginning on your first anniversary, which is worth $100 when redeemed for travel. 

• Free access to Capital One and Priority Pass airport lounges. 

Right there, the card more than pays for itself, and that’s before you consider the sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

On an ongoing basis, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns:

• 10 miles per $1 on hotels & rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

• 5 miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel.

• 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases.

Redeem miles to cover travel expenses or transfer them to one of Capital One’s transfer partners.

The $0-annual-fee Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express not only earns 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, but it also earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations (also on up to $6,000 in spending per year in each of those categories).

You’ll get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.24%-29.24% Variable APR. There’s also a welcome offer: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.

You’ll earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can redeem through Chase for cash back, travel, gift cards and more.

Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. And for those bigger purchases you need to pay back over time, you’ll get a 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.74%-23.74% Variable APR.

According to Deloitte’s 2024 Digital Media Trends report, U.S. households spend an average of $61 a month on subscriptions to four streaming services. But consumers are hitting a ceiling in terms of what they’re willing to spend — the report also mentions that 48% of consumers would cancel their favorite streaming subscription if the price went up by $5 a month.

This comes as no surprise to anyone who did most of their holiday shopping from their couch, but rates of online shopping have steadily increased. According to the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, 15.6% of total sales were e-commerce sales in the third quarter of 2024. That’s up 7.5% from the previous year.

Many co-branded credit cards earn elevated rewards rates when you shop online, but only with those specific stores. If you want the simplicity of one card that isn’t tied to just one merchant, consider this category’s winner, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.

In another first for NerdWallet’s Best-Of credit card awards, we had products that won in multiple categories:

• As noted, the aforementioned Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express won best card for 0% APR for purchases, as well as best card for online shopping. Above, you can read why that is.

• The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card won best card for bonus cash back, as well as best card for dining. Its ongoing rewards include 3% cash back on dining, eligible streaming services, entertainment and purchases at grocery stores, as well as 1% back on other purchases. You also get 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, as well as 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. On top of all that, it features a generous sign-up bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Information related to the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card, the Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card and the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been provided or reviewed by the issuer of these cards.

To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.