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Best Mastercard Credit Cards

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by Sean Bryant | Updated Feb. 28, 2023

Overview of the Best Mastercard Credit Cards

Anyone looking to add a MasterCard to their wallet has plenty of cards to choose from. As one of the largest payment networks, there is a card available for everyone. See More



Best Mastercard Credit Card for Cash Back

Benefits

If you are looking to get a new Mastercard credit card that will help you earn cash back rewards, check out Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer (a SmartAsset advertising partner). This card will reward you twice. To start you will receive 1% cash back on every purchase that you make. Then when you pay off the purchase you will receive another 1%.

In addition to being a great cash back card, Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer also has one of the industry's longest introductory 0% APR on balance transfers. If you need to move an existing balance from a high interest card in the first 4 months, you will receive 0% APR for a full 18 months. Once the introductory period is complete, the APR will switch to 16.99% - 26.99% Variable.

Things to Consider

Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer has one of the highest cash back rates available. Unfortunately it does not include a sign-up bonus. Plus, you will not have the chance to earn extra cash back on bonus categories.

Verdict

If you are looking for a cash back card from Mastercard®, then you can’t go wrong with Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer. Not only does it have a simple, easy-to-understand cash back system, but it also has no annual fee.

Best Mastercard Credit Card for Balance Transfers

Benefits

When looking for a balance transfer credit card, one of the most important things is the length of time you will receive 0% APR. Citi Diamond Preferred Card (a SmartAsset advertising partner) knocks it out of the park and is one of the industry leaders. When you transfer a balance to this card, you will receive an introductory 0% APR for the first 21 months. Once that’s over, it will become a 15.99% - 26.74% Variable.

Having such a long introductory 0% APR is one thing, but this card also comes with no annual fee. This makes Citi Diamond Preferred Card an affordable card to keep in your wallet for the long term.

Things to Consider

One thing to keep in mind if you are going to do a balance transfer, is that there will be a fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is greater. You will want to do the math to make sure this will be the best choice for your situation.

Verdict

If you are looking for a balance transfer credit card and would like a Mastercard, Citi Diamond Preferred Card is a great choice. It has no annual fee and one of the longest 0% APR periods available.

Best Mastercard Credit Card for Poor Credit

Benefits

If you are looking to rebuild your credit, then a great card to have is Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card. Most secured cards will require cardholders to put a deposit down on their account. This will act as their credit limit. With Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, things are a little different.

With this card you will have a more flexible option. Depending on your creditworthiness, you can put down $49, $99 or $200 and receive a $200 credit limit. Once you’ve made your first five monthly payments ontime, Capital One can elect to increase your credit limit without requiring an additional deposit.

This card will also come with several Platinum Mastercard benefits. Some of these include extended warranty on purchases, car rental insurance, travel accident insurance and price protection.

Things to Consider

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card comes with no annual fee, but it does have a very high APR of 26.99% Variable. Because of this, it’s crucial that you do your best to pay your balance each month and avoid any unnecessary finance charges.

Verdict

If you are looking for a credit card that will help you rebuild credit, Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is a great option. You will receive a flexible deposit based on your credit score, but you will also have the chance to have your credit limit increased with good payment habits.

Best Mastercard Credit Card for Travel

Benefits

If you are looking for a new travel credit card, look no further than Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard (a SmartAsset advertising partner). This card is perfect for travel lovers that enjoy flying American Airlines or their partners.

When you sign up, you will receive 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® miles after spending $2,500 in the first 3 months. You will also receive 2x miles per dollar at gas stations, restaurants, and when you use your card on eligible American Airlines purchases. Use the card on any other purchase and you will receive 1x miles.

You will receive your first checked bag for free and group one boarding.

Things to Consider

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard has an annual fee of $99, but it’s waived the first year. Because American Airlines is part of the OneWorld alliance, you are limited on how you can redeem your miles. You can’t use them on airlines that are part of the Star Alliance or SkyTeam partners.

Verdict

If you are a frequent traveler on American Airlines, then Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard is a great card to have in your wallet. You will receive a high signup bonus, the ability to earn bonus miles on American Airlines flights and great flight benefits.

Methodology SmartAsset has developed a quantitative and independent system for evaluating the relative value of a credit card offer versus other offers in the marketplace. Our system evaluates cards based exclusively on their features, such as their rewards earning rate (if applicable), fees, perks, and rewards program redemption options. The annual rewards values on this page are calculated using annual spending assumptions in various categories such as, but not limited to, gas, restaurants, airfare, and US supermarkets. These spending assumptions are built on research that SmartAsset has conducted on existing cash back credit cardholders. Our promise with our credit card recommendations is that we will always strive to have the most comprehensive, accurate, and objective method of evaluating credit card offers. Any recommendations are solely determined by the result of this research and model, and is never influenced by any fees, commissions, or other forms of compensation that SmartAsset may receive from credit card issuers for leads generated on our website.

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