Best Credit Cards for Good Credit (670–739) in 2026

The Short Answer

A FICO score of 670 to 739 is "good" credit, and it's the point where credit cards stop being a tool for rebuilding and start being a tool for earning. At 670 or above you're likely to be approved for most standard unsecured rewards cards.

The practical picks:

There is no reason to pay an annual fee in this range. The $0-fee cards above capture nearly all the available value, and premium travel cards are better approached once you're past 740 with a longer history.

Compare credit cards on SmartRates →

What Changes at 670

FICO's bands put 670–739 in "good", and crossing 670 is the single most consequential threshold in consumer credit. Below it you're choosing among cards designed for rebuilding. Above it, you're choosing among cards designed to compete for your business.

Specifically, at 670+ you gain access to:

• Flat-rate cash back cards paying 1.5% to 2% on everything
• Bonus-category cards paying 3% or more on dining, groceries, and gas
• Real welcome bonuses — typically $200 for hitting a modest spend
• 0% intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers
• No annual fees across essentially all of the above

What you generally *don't* get yet is the premium travel tier. Those cards want 740+ alongside a longer history and higher income, and applying early mostly buys declines.

The Best No-Fee Cards at This Level

Wells Fargo Active Cash — flat 2%, $0 fee. Two percent on everything, paid immediately at purchase, with a $200 bonus after $500 in three months. That spend requirement is among the easiest available, which makes the bonus realistically achievable rather than theoretical.

Citi Double Cash — flat 2%, $0 fee. Also 2%, but structured as 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay the bill. Its bonus is $200 after $1,500 in six months — a higher bar than Active Cash for the same reward. Note the quirk: you forfeit the second 1% if you don't pay it off, which makes it a poor fit if you ever carry a balance.

Capital One Savor — 3% on food and fun, $0 fee. Requires 670 or higher, and pays unlimited 3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores. For a household spending meaningfully in those categories, 3% beats a flat 2% comfortably.

Chase Freedom Unlimited — 1.5% flat plus bonuses, $0 fee. Commonly approved in the 670–740 range. Earns 1.5% on everything, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 5% through Chase Travel. The 1.5% base loses to a flat 2% card on general spending, but it earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points — so if you later add a Sapphire card, the rewards convert into transferable travel points. That optionality is worth real money.

Capital One Quicksilver — flat 1.5%, $0 fee. Simple and widely approved. Choose it over the 2% cards only if you're already in the Capital One ecosystem.

Upgrade Cash Rewards — 1.5%, $0 fee. Approves lower than most, so it's a fallback if the others decline.

What Approves at 670 vs 700 vs 720

The range isn't uniform, and the difference across it is real:

At 670–689, you're over the line but at the bottom of it. Most $0-fee cash-back cards will approve, though not always with the best limits. Prequalify rather than applying blind — the tool is free and uses a soft pull.

At 690–719, approval for essentially every no-fee rewards card is likely, with better starting limits. This is the sweet spot for the cards above.

At 720–739, you're effectively at the top of the good band. Wells Fargo Active Cash, Chase Freedom Unlimited, and Capital One Quicksilver are all comfortable approvals, and entry-level travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95) become genuinely reachable. If travel rewards interest you, this is where to start looking.

Across the whole range, remember the score is one input. Income, debt-to-income ratio, and how many accounts you've opened recently all weigh alongside it.

The One Rule That Blocks Chase Approvals

If you want a Chase card — Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex, or a Sapphire — you need to know about 5/24.

Chase generally declines applicants who have opened five or more credit card accounts across all issuers in the past 24 months, regardless of score. A perfect 780 with six recent accounts gets declined; a 690 with one gets approved.

Two practical consequences:

• If you plan to get Chase cards, get them first, before filling your 24-month window with other issuers' cards
• Business cards from some issuers, including Chase Ink, don't count toward the limit in the same way

Count your last 24 months before applying. This rule catches a lot of people who assume a good score is sufficient.

Choosing Between the Two 2% Cards

Wells Fargo Active Cash and Citi Double Cash both pay a flat 2% with no annual fee, and most lists treat them as interchangeable. They aren't quite.

Wells Fargo Active Cash pays the full 2% at purchase. Citi Double Cash pays 1% at purchase and 1% when you pay the bill — so the reward is only fully realised if you clear the statement. If you ever carry a balance, Citi effectively becomes a 1% card while charging you interest.

The welcome bonuses differ more than the headline suggests. Both offer $200, but Active Cash requires $500 in three months while Double Cash requires $1,500 in six months. Same reward, triple the spend. For most people Active Cash's bonus is the easier win by a wide margin.

Both charge a 3% foreign transaction fee, so neither belongs in your wallet abroad. If you travel internationally even occasionally, that's an argument for adding a no-FX card rather than choosing between these two.

The tiebreaker most people miss: if you think you'll eventually want Chase travel cards, Chase Freedom Unlimited's 1.5% is worth *more* than either card's 2%, because its rewards convert into transferable Ultimate Rewards points once you hold a Sapphire card. A point transferred well is worth meaningfully more than a cent. That only applies if you'll actually do the transferring.

0% Intro APR Offers at This Level

Good credit also unlocks 0% introductory APR offers — typically 12 to 21 months on purchases, balance transfers, or both. These are worth understanding separately from rewards.

For a balance transfer, a 0% window is one of the few genuinely powerful tools in consumer finance: moving a balance off a 22% card and paying it down interest-free can save hundreds. Watch two things — the transfer fee, usually 3%–5% of the amount moved, and the date the promotional rate ends. Interest typically resumes on the remaining balance at the full rate, so the plan has to be to clear it inside the window.

For purchases, treat a 0% offer with more suspicion. It makes large planned expenses cheaper to spread, but it also makes overspending painless in a way that catches people out when the rate resets.

Do not chase a 0% card for rewards. These are two different products, and the best balance-transfer cards typically earn little or nothing.

Should You Pay an Annual Fee Yet?

Generally, no.

The cards above cost nothing and capture the large majority of available rewards value. Annual-fee cards make sense when their credits and higher earning rates genuinely exceed the fee for your specific spending — and at this stage, that's uncommon.

The nearest exception is the Chase Sapphire Preferred at $95, which becomes reachable around 720. It carries up to $100 in annual Chase Travel hotel credit and up to $120 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, so a traveler who uses the hotel credit is roughly break-even before earning anything. If you travel more than twice a year, it's worth considering. If you don't, it isn't.

Run your own numbers with the credit card rewards calculator → rather than assuming a higher multiplier wins.

Common Mistakes at This Level

Applying for a premium card too early. At 700 the $795 Sapphire Reserve will likely decline you, and the inquiry sets back the cards you could have had. Build to 740 first.

Chasing welcome bonuses over ongoing earning. A $200 bonus is one-time. A card earning 0.5% less on $30,000 a year costs $150 every year, forever. Pick on the ongoing rate.

Carrying a balance on a rewards card. Rewards run 1.5%–3%. Interest runs north of 20%. Any month you carry a balance, the card loses money — and on Citi Double Cash you forfeit half the reward as well. If you're carrying debt, a 0% balance transfer card beats any rewards card.

Closing a first card after upgrading. That account is usually your oldest, and average account age is a scoring factor. Keep it open with a small recurring charge.

Ignoring 5/24 before it matters. People fill their 24-month window with easy approvals, then discover Chase is closed to them for two years. If Chase cards are anywhere in your plans, sequence them first.

Building Toward Excellent Credit

From 670–739, reaching 740+ is mostly a matter of time plus discipline:

Keep utilization low. Under 30%, ideally under 10%. This is roughly 30% of your score and the fastest-moving factor — it updates monthly. Paying before the statement closes reports a lower balance than paying by the due date alone.

Never miss a payment. Payment history is about 35% of the score, and a single 30-day late mark can undo a year of progress.

Let accounts age. Average account age matters, and it only improves by waiting. Don't close old no-fee cards.

Slow down on applications. Each hard inquiry costs a few points, and recent-account count feeds both scoring models and issuer rules like 5/24.

At 740+, premium travel cards open up. See best credit cards for excellent credit (740+) →.

If your score is still below 670, see the fair-credit guide → first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What credit cards can I get with a 670 credit score?

Most no-annual-fee rewards cards, including Wells Fargo Active Cash and Citi Double Cash (2% flat), Capital One Savor (3% on dining and groceries), and Chase Freedom Unlimited. Capital One Savor specifically lists 670 as its threshold.

What about a 700 credit score?

A 700 FICO qualifies you for essentially every card in the good-credit tier — no-fee cash back and entry-level travel cards alike — usually with better starting limits than at 670.

Can I get a travel card with good credit?

Entry-level ones, yes, particularly from around 720. The Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95) is the usual starting point. Premium cards with $395+ fees generally want 740+ and a longer history.

Why was I declined with a good score?

Most often income, debt-to-income ratio, or too many recently opened accounts. Chase's 5/24 rule declines applicants with five or more new cards in 24 months regardless of score.

Which is better, 2% flat or 3% on categories?

Depends on your spending. Capital One Savor's 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming, and groceries beats a flat 2% if those categories are a large share of your budget. If your spending is spread out, flat 2% wins.

Should I get a card with an annual fee at this level?

Usually not. The $0-fee cards here capture most of the value. The main exception is the $95 Sapphire Preferred for people who travel regularly and will use its hotel credit.

---

*Card terms, earning rates, welcome offers, and approval thresholds were researched on July 30, 2026 from issuer pages and third-party reviews. Published minimum scores are guidance, not guarantees — issuers weigh income, debt-to-income ratio, and recent account activity alongside the score. Chase's 5/24 policy is unpublished and applied at Chase's discretion. Terms change; confirm current details with the issuer before applying. This article is educational and is not individualized financial advice.*