There are literally hundreds of different credit card products available in the market today, so deciding which one is best for your personal situation can be a challenge. Many card issuers dangle low introductory interest, balance transfer options, sign-up bonuses and compelling reward offers for earning cash back, airline miles, points—all in an effort to get you to apply for their card. But, how do you figure out how they all stack up? That's where Investopedia's credit card rating system can help. Most Americans that have credit cards typically have several and that can make sense to take advantage of different offers over time and specific card benefits. However, many people prefer the simplicity of having a single credit card. Or, even if they already have a wallet full of cards they may wish to determine the optimal combination of cards to carry. Regardless of your circumstance, it is important to find the best card or cards for your unique financial situation. That is why we rated the best credit cards in the market based on a vast array of card features and pricing elements with weighting specific to each card category. Investopedia's credit card database contains detailed information on over 300 credit cards and each is scored according to our evaluation criteria so that you can find the perfect fit. Below are the most important factors that we considered for each of our twelve credit card categories.

Best Overall

In order to compile our overall list of the best credit cards, we gathered information on more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. We then weighed each of those data points, based on factors we consider the most relevant for consumers, such as rewards, benefits, interest rates, and annual fees. The data points used to build our best overall list of credit cards that accounted for at least 5% of each cards overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Total annual earnings (11%)
• Fees: Annual fee (10%)
• Details: Is co-brand (10%)
• Rewards: Sign-up bonus (5%)
• Rewards: Minimum earn rate (5%)

In order to calculate the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards, we used sample spending profiles based on average annual spending data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Student

To select the best student credit cards, we reviewed more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card. We weighed each of those data points, with a focus on factors we consider the most relevant for students, such as interest rates, rewards, and annual fees. Of the data points used to build our best overall list of student credit cards, these features accounted for at least 5% of each card's overall rating:

• Interest: Regular APR (7%)
• Interest: Intro Purchase APR (6%)
• Interest: Intro Purchase APR Length (6%)
• Fees: Annual fee (5%)
• Rewards: Total annual earnings (5%)
• Rewards: Minimum earn rate (5%)
• Fee: Foreign transaction fee (5%)

Students are often on a budget since their primary focus is getting their education. It should come as no surprise that interest rates and annual fees top our list of key features that students need to focus on. To calculate the total annual earnings of each student credit card’s rewards, we used sample spending profiles for college-aged adults based on average annual spending data compiled by the BLS.

Rewards

We compiled more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find to identify the best rewards credit cards. We then analyzed each of those data points and ranked the cards based on factors we consider the most relevant when earning rewards, such as welcome bonus, earnings rate, and annual fees. The data points used to build our best overall list of rewards credit cards that accounted for at least 5% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Total annual earnings (10%)
• Details: Is co-brand (10%) 
• Fees: Annual fee (7%)
• Rewards: Sign-up bonus (5%)
• Rewards: Sign-up bonus spend requirement (5%)
• Rewards: Highest rewards earnings rate (5%)

We used sample spending profiles based on average annual spending data compiled by the BLS to calculate the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards.

Travel

To present our overall list of the best travel credit cards, we compiled more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. We then analyzed each of those data points, focusing on factors we consider the most relevant for travelers. These factors include welcome bonus, earnings rate, partner benefits, and annual fees. These data points were used to build our best overall list of travel credit cards. Factors that accounted for at least 3% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Sign-up bonus (10%)
• Rewards: Total annual earnings (8%)
• Details: Is co-brand (8%)
• Fees: Annual fee (7%) 
• Rewards: Sign-up bonus spend requirement (5%)
• Rewards: Airport lounge access (5%)
• Rewards: Point/cash travel value (3%)

To make the rankings more relevant to you, we calculated the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards based on sample spending profiles using average annual spending data compiled by the BLS.

Secured

To assemble our overall list of the best secured credit cards, we gathered more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. Each of those data points was then analyzed based on factors we consider the most relevant for building credit, such as annual fee, interest rate, and maximum credit limit. The data points that accounted for at least 5% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Fees: Annual fee (20%)
• Interest: Regular APR (10%)
• Secured: Allows upgrade to unsecured (10%)
• Secured: Pay deposit in installments (10%)
• Secured: Maximum credit limit (8%)
• Secured: Credit limit above deposit (5%)
• Rewards: Minimum earn rate (5%)
• Customer Experience: Free credit score (5%)
• Fees: Total number of fees (5%)
• Credit Score: Lowest acceptable range (5%)

We created sample spending profiles using the average annual spending data compiled by the BLS to calculate the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards.

Cash Back

To create our overall list of the best cash-back credit cards, we compiled more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. We then analyzed each of those data points and concentrated on factors we consider the most relevant for cash back credit cards, such as earnings rate, annual fee, and welcome bonus. The data points that accounted for at least 5% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Total annual earnings (11%)
• Details: Is co-brand (10%) 
• Fees: Annual fee (7%)
• Rewards: Minimum earn rate (7%)
• Rewards: Sign-up bonus (5%)
• Rewards: Limit on highest earning tier (5%)
• Rewards: Revolving (5%)—this is a deductive score

To summarize the total annual earnings potential of each card’s rewards, we used sample spending profiles based on average annual spending data compiled by the BLS.

Balance Transfer

We compiled more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace to curate our overall list of the best balance-transfer credit cards. We then explored each of those data points to consider the most relevant factors when transferring a balance, such as length of promotions, standard transfer rates, and regular APR. The data points that accounted for at least 5% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Interest: Intro balance transfer APR length (30%)
• Interest: Intro purchase APR length (15%)
• Interest: Ongoing balance transfer APR (10%)
• Interest: Intro purchase APR percentage (5%)
• Interest: Regular APR (5%)
• Interest: Intro balance transfer APR (5%)

Sample spending profiles from average annual spending data compiled by the BLS were used to calculate the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards.

Business

To create the list of the best business credit cards, we compiled more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. That data was analyzed to pinpoint the factors we consider the most relevant to business owners, such as annual fee, earnings rate, and cost for employee cards. The data points that accounted for at least 3% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Total annual earnings (14%)
• Rewards: Sign-up bonus (10%)
• Details: Is co-brand (8%)
• Fees: Annual fee (5%)
• Rewards: Highest rewards earning rate percentage (5%)
• Rewards: Point/cash value (4%)
• Fee: Per-employee card fee (3%)
• Rewards: Global Entry or PreCheck credit (3%)
• Fee: Foreign transaction fee (3%)

To calculate the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards, we used sample spending profiles for businesses based on average annual spending data available from the BLS.

Airline

To create our list of the best airline credit cards, we researched more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. We studied the data and concentrated on factors we consider the most relevant to airline passengers, such as earnings rate, elite status, and annual fee. The data points that accounted for at least 4% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Total annual earnings (12%)
• Rewards: Sign-up bonus (10%)
• Fees: Annual fee (7%)
• Rewards: Offers elite status (7.25%)
• Rewards: Global entry or precheck credit (6%)
• Fee: Foreign transaction fee (5%)
• Rewards: Number of airline partners (4%)
• Rewards: Airline earn valuation (4%)

We used sample spending profiles based on average annual spending data available from the BLS to calculate the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards.

Hotel

In order to compile our overall list of the best hotel credit cards, we analyzed more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. We then weighed each of those data points based on factors we consider the most relevant to hotel guests, such as earnings rate, welcome bonus, and elite status. The data points that accounted for at least 4% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Total annual earnings (12%)
• Rewards: Sign-up bonus (10%)
• Fees: Annual fee (7%)
• Rewards: Offers elite status (7.25%)
• Rewards: Global entry or pre-check credit (5%)
• Fee: Foreign transaction fee (5%)
• Rewards: Free annual hotel stay (5%)
• Rewards: Hotel elite status (4.5%)
• Rewards: Number of hotel partners (4%)
• Rewards: Hotel earn valuation (4%)

In order to calculate the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards, we used sample spending profiles based on average annual spending data compiled by the BLS.

Online Shopping

The list of the best online shopping credit cards was determined by compiling more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. That data was organized based on factors we consider the most relevant to online shoppers, such as earnings rate, annual fee, and the cash value of rewards. The data points that accounted for at least 5% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Highest rewards earning rate percentage (12%)
• Rewards: Total annual earnings (11%)
• Fees: Annual fee (10%)
• Details: Is co-brand (10%)
• Rewards: Points cash value (5%)

We used sample spending profiles based on average annual spending data compiled by the BLS in order to calculate the total annual earnings of each card's rewards.

Groceries

To create the list of the best grocery credit cards, we reviewed more than 70 data points about every publicly available credit card we could find in the marketplace. While analyzing the data, we focused on the factors we consider the most relevant to grocery shoppers, such as total annual earnings, annual fee, and introductory APR promotions. The data points that accounted for at least 3% of each card's overall rating are listed below:

• Rewards: Total grocery annual earnings (40%)
• Details: Is co-brand (7%)
• Fees: Annual fee (5%)
• Rewards: Highest rewards earning rate percentage (5%)
• Interest: Intro purchase APR length (3%)
• Interest: Regular APR (3%)

Sample spending profiles from BLS average annual spending data were used to calculate the total annual earnings of each card’s rewards.