2019 Top Credit Cards for the Average Consumer

Disclaimer: I am in no way paid or promoting these cards for these companies nor do I suggest you have to get these cards. This is purely my own opinion on which credit card is good in the market right now that I personally would use.

If you haven’t already purchased things for yourself or as a gift from Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, then December is going to be a busy month. There will be a lot of spending and you would want the best deal you can get when you blow your cash away. My previous career was in retail banking as a personal banker at different banks, so I understand both the employee and consumer experience sides of promoting and using these cards. I will be going over a few credit cards that will help you save some money. Each card has its own great perks so your choice should really be based on your own spending preference.

Credit Card #1/ Chase Freedom Card

This card has been a top contender for many years, no doubt about it. Here are the perks:

• No annual fee
• 0% intro APR for first 15 months (can be useful, holding a balance is not recommended)
• 5% cash back (up to $1500) in bonus categories that are set each quarter, which can include gas, grocery store, department stores, and more
• Sign up bonus of $200 after spending $500 in the first three months

Overall, this card is pretty good and is one of the only cards that provide 5% cash back. However, the activation of the bonus categories can sometimes be inconvenient because you have to remember every quarter.

Credit Card #2/ Citi Double Cash Card

This card has been incredible for years and the name really says it all. Here are the perks:

• No annual fee
• 0% intro APR if you balance transfer within four months (this is probably better if you are trying to not pay interest and find a better credit card)
• 2 % cash back: 1 % on purchases and 1% when you pay your bill
• No sign up bonus at the moment

Overall, this card is easy and flexible to use because you don’t have to worry about where you spend/use the card. 2% back no matter where it is used.

Credit Card #3/ Bank of America Cash Rewards

I haven’t really paid attention to BofA cards in a long time because the cards were so garbage. But this one actually has some competitive perks:

• No annual fee
• 0% intro APR for first 15 months
• 3% cash back in the category of your choice for each month, which includes gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, and home improvement/furnishing. Each of these categories are pretty vague and loosely judged.
• 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
• Cash back for both percentage categories are only applied to first $2500 of each quarter then 1% over amount. Which means you get $10k worth of purchases with cash back each year. Incredible.

Overall, this card is amazing. In my opinion, there hasn’t been a deal as great as this in a while. This is a great card when you know you have specific purchases that are eating up your bank account each month.

Credit Card #4/ Wells Fargo Propel AMEX Card

AMEX cards, like Mastercards, are a pain in the rear sometimes because some places just don’t accept them. However, the revamped Propel card definitely has good perks:

• No annual fee
• 0% intro APR for first 12 months, includes balance transfer
• 3x points on dining, gas stations, rideshares, transit, flight, hotels, homestays, car rentals, and popular streaming services (basically dining & travel)
• Sign up bonus for 30k points for $3000 spent in the first three months
• No foreign transaction fee

Overall, there is no denying that this card is great, especially for someone who travels often for work or pleasure and doesn’t want a hefty annual fee (e.g. AMEX Platinum).

Conclusion

All of these cards are amazing in their own way. You don’t have to apply for any of these if you already like the card you are currently using. But if you haven’t found a card for you and you don’t have one of these, I would recommend taking a look at them. One of these cards can be beneficial to your own spending style or maybe all of them do. That’s for you to decide!

Feel free to ask any questions or requests for a next write up. Thanks for reading!