This is SUCH a subjective question! 
What one person considers the best card ever may be on someone else's list of worst cards ever. It really depends on what you're looking for in a card, what's important to you, what ISN'T important to you, and so on.
My personal favorite card [right now] is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred. I upgraded it from a Blue Cash Everyday and am really glad I did. It has an AF ($95) while the BCE did not, but its benefits far outweigh the AF--for me. Specifically, its 6% cash back on groceries was the clincher, and more than makes up for its fee. It has a ton of other benefits, too, but the 6% grocery thing was its biggest draw in my case.
What are you most interested in gaining? Do you travel a lot? Is cash back more important to you than miles? How do you feel about annual fees? And so on!
@SoCalGardener wrote:This is SUCH a subjective question!
What one person considers the best card ever may be on someone else's list of worst cards ever. It really depends on what you're looking for in a card, what's important to you, what ISN'T important to you, and so on.
My personal favorite card [right now] is the Amex Blue Cash Preferred. I upgraded it from a Blue Cash Everyday and am really glad I did. It has an AF ($95) while the BCE did not, but its benefits far outweigh the AF--for me. Specifically, its 6% cash back on groceries was the clincher, and more than makes up for its fee. It has a ton of other benefits, too, but the 6% grocery thing was its biggest draw in my case.
What are you most interested in gaining? Do you travel a lot? Is cash back more important to you than miles? How do you feel about annual fees? And so on!
Crazy because I've always had my eye on the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred, and this year they are waiving the annual fee for the first year. I wonder what stores they designate as grocery stores? What if you buy gift cards at a Wegmans or TOPs or Aldis?
I prefer cards with cash bonuses and benefits, but I suppose I have no flyer cards cause I havent ever flown in forever. But was hoping there was recommended "must have" selection of cards. Or like 1 from each major bank?
@JNesbit89 It depends on each person, like living situation and job. Choosing which lender to deal and grow is what I would focus on first; for example I kept reading about NFCU on here so I became a member and applied for the card that best serves me.
I like all of my lenders, they've all been great, and my favorite Bank is Chase because We have a relationship of +10yrs.
As others have suggested, this is such a personal and subjective topic. There are so many different "credit profiles" out there that not everyone is going to have access to the same cards.
So, I will answer that 'personal and subjective' question with a very personal and subjective answer....the one(s) that you can get at the time. :-)
I started my rebuild back in November, 2019 with the OpenSky. It was a very basic credit card with a low annual fee ($35). I likely jumped the gun there and likely should have gone with the Discover IT (hindsight is always 20/20 - but I really should have started with the Discover IT card). I have gone through several "crap cards" (no dispresct to any of them....they all filled a role at the time that I got them. Still not sure what role....ha! ha!.....but they all served a purpose. There were less than ideal 'conditions' but they all served a purpose).
I am now in the "starting to get good" range of credit cards.
Cash Back is important to me.
No Annual Fee is important to me.
Starting Credit Limit and opportunity for Credit Limit Increases are important to me.
That is pretty much it right now.
Eventually, rewards will be important (I am *really* looking forward to reaching the stage where AMEX and CHASE and CITI are viable options for me....not there just yet).
So, for me any card that has basic to cool Cash Back is on my radar. And - as a starting point - any No Annual Fee card is on my radar. A "nice" Starting balance" is important, too. I really do not want any more credit cards with a $500 - $750 credit limit (see my "crap cards" comment earlier). Well, were I looking for another credit card. I just applied for and was approved for a Credit Card from Navy Federal Credit Union so I am pretty much in the garden at this point (naturally, I was in the garden when I applied for the NFCU Credit Card! LOL! So, gardening has not worked out so well for me up to this point!).
Someone who might be earlier in their rebuild might find some of my aforementioned "crap cards" to be absolutely better than sliced bread. For them. At that moment.
But, to answer you question:
1. Discover IT
2. a NFCU card (they have several....I went 'super basic' and applied for the cashREWARDS card).
3. a Capital One card (I went 'super duper basic' and applied for the Platinum card....which is no AF but offers no cash back....and that was fine).
Maybe next year (as in "August, 2022") I am in the Chase and AMEX ecosystems and thngs look a little different for me then. Only time (and my responsible and appropriate actions) will tell.
Starting Score: Exp 627
That's like asking what's the best car to have in 2021. There's lots of use cases and different people have different wants and needs. You wouldn't recommend a Porsche 911 to a family of 5.
We need to know more about what kind of cards you want.
