By Issuer

The biggest card issuer in the US and home of Ultimate Rewards, the most beginner-friendly transferable currency thanks to Hyatt, United and Southwest.

Key rule: 5/24 rule: 5+ new personal cards across all banks in 24 months = automatic denial on most Chase cards

The premium-benefits powerhouse. Membership Rewards has the largest transfer partner list, and Amex Offers add real recurring value.

Key rule: Once-per-lifetime rule: one welcome bonus per card product, ever (waived offers exist)

Simple flat-rate earning, fast-growing lounge network, and miles that transfer to 15+ partners. Approval odds are famously hard to predict.

Key rule: 1 card per 6 months across personal cards

ThankYou Points are the only major bank currency with American Airlines access, and Citi's no-fee cards quietly upgrade into transferable points.

Key rule: 1 card per 8 days, max 2 per 65 days

Rebuilt its card lineup around the Autograph and Active Cash. A small but growing transfer program via Autograph Journey.

Key rule: 1 bonus per card product per 16 months

The rent-rewards program. No-fee points on rent with elite transfer partners including Hyatt and American Airlines.

Key rule: Issued via Wells Fargo (card 1.0), Cardless takes over new issuance in 2026

Beginner-friendly issuer with the famous year-one Cashback Match and no-fee products across the board.

Key rule: 1 card per year, 2 Discover cards max

Preferred Rewards turns ordinary cards extraordinary: up to 75% earn boosts for clients holding $100k+ in BofA/Merrill accounts.

Key rule: 2/3/4 rule: 2 cards per 2 months, 3 per 12, 4 per 24

Quietly strong product lineup: the best choose-your-own 5% card, a 4x no-fee dining card, and the Smartly card that pays up to 4% on everything for customers who park deposits or investments at the bank.

Key rule: Informal velocity sensitivity: roughly 1 new card every 6 months keeps approvals smooth

The US arm of the British bank is a cobrand specialist: American Airlines Aviator, JetBlue, Wyndham, Hawaiian and more. Home of the famous first-purchase-only Aviator Red bonus.

Key rule: Applies a 6/24-style screen: 6+ new cards across all banks in 24 months risks denial

The investment bank's consumer experiment, best known as the issuer behind Apple Card. The Apple partnership has been winding toward a handoff, but cards continue to be serviced normally in the meantime.

Key rule: Apple Card applications run entirely through the iPhone Wallet app

The brokerage's single card, a flat 2% Visa issued and serviced by Elan Financial Services. Rewards deposit directly into Fidelity brokerage, IRA, 529 or HSA accounts.

Key rule: Underwriting and servicing handled by Elan, not Fidelity itself

OpenSky is the credit card brand of Capital Bank, N.A., built around one product: a secured Visa that requires no credit check. Approval is based on your deposit and identity verification, not your credit history, which makes it a common first stop after bankruptcy or for applicants with no credit file at all.

Key rule: No hard pull, no credit check: approval is based on deposit and identity

Chime is a fintech that delivers banking services through The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank, built around a no-fee checking account and the Credit Builder secured card. Its card serves people who already direct deposit with Chime and want to convert everyday debit-style spending into reported credit history without fees or interest.

Key rule: No credit check: eligibility is based on your Chime Checking Account, not your credit file

Self is a credit-building fintech whose core product is a credit builder loan, with the Secured Self Visa layered on top through partner banks. It serves people starting from nothing who want both an installment tradeline and a revolving tradeline from a single program, funding the card deposit with savings from the loan.

Key rule: No credit check for the card or the Credit Builder Account

First Progress is a secured card brand issued by Synovus Bank, selling one secured Mastercard in three trims: Elite, Select, and Prestige, which trade a higher annual fee for a lower APR. It serves rebuilders coming off serious credit damage who may not qualify with the major banks.

Key rule: No minimum credit score and no credit history required

Mission Lane is a fintech lender focused on unsecured cards for people with poor to fair credit, issued through partner banks. It positions itself as the transparent corner of the subprime market: terms are disclosed up front through prequalification, and the cards skip the monthly junk fees common in the category.

Key rule: Soft-pull prequalification shows your exact annual fee and APR before any hard inquiry

Petal pioneered cash flow underwriting, approving applicants based on banking history instead of credit scores, with cards issued by WebBank. Empower Finance acquired Petal in 2024 and has since closed the Petal 1 and Petal 2 to new applications, routing new applicants to its Tilt Card while existing cardholders keep their accounts.

Key rule: Closed to new applications: existing accounts remain open and continue reporting

Varo Bank is the first US consumer fintech to hold its own national bank charter, offering fee-free banking alongside the Believe secured charge card. The Believe card serves Varo banking customers who want to build credit with no fees, no interest, and no fixed deposit minimum.

Key rule: No credit check: approval requires a Varo Bank account with $200 or more in deposits in the past 31 days

The largest credit union in the world, serving active duty, veterans, DoD employees and their families. Known for huge credit limits, low APRs, and rewards cards that punch far above their fee. Membership extends to household and family members of anyone eligible.

Key rule: Membership required before applying: military, veterans, DoD civilians, and their family or household members

Pentagon Federal Credit Union, one of the country's largest, and unlike most military credit unions anyone can join by opening a $5 savings account. Its Honors Advantage program, earned through military affiliation or a PenFed checking account, unlocks the best rates and fee waivers on its cards.

Key rule: Open membership: anyone can join with a $5 share savings account at application

A Chicago-based digital-first credit union best known for high-yield accounts and, formerly, the 2.5% Cashback Visa Signature. Anyone can join free through the Alliant Credit Union Foundation digital inclusion partnership. The credit card lineup is now closed to new applicants.

Key rule: Membership is open to anyone via the Alliant Credit Union Foundation option at signup

The military-focused bank and insurer, open only to current and former service members with honorable discharges and their eligible spouses and children. Its card lineup is small and conservative, but recent welcome offers have made the cash-back cards genuinely competitive.

Key rule: Membership required and strictly limited to the military community and eligible family

The biggest store-card issuer in America, powering cobrands for PayPal, Venmo, Sam's Club, Verizon, Amazon's store card and over a hundred retailers. Approvals are accessible, but Synchrony actively manages risk after approval, trimming limits and closing idle accounts.

Key rule: Comparatively forgiving underwriting, often approving good rather than excellent credit

The US retail arm of Canada's Toronto-Dominion, with an East Coast branch footprint and a cobrand business anchored by the Target Circle Card, a partnership extended through 2030. Its own-brand consumer cards are modest, so the Target portfolio is the main event.

Key rule: Target Circle Mastercard skews toward excellent credit; the store-only version is easier

The brokerage's credit card arm, built from its 2023 acquisition of the X1 team, with cards issued by partner Coastal Community Bank. The Gold Card's 3% flat rate is the headline product, gated behind a Robinhood Gold subscription and a waitlist.

Key rule: Requires an active Robinhood Gold subscription, $5 per month or $50 per year

The student-loan refinancer turned full nationally chartered bank. Its credit cards reward members for keeping money in the ecosystem, with cash back redeeming at full value into SoFi savings, investing or loan paydown. All card products are currently invitation-only.

Key rule: Cards are invitation-only: you must be a SoFi member opted into marketing emails to receive an offer

The country's largest privately held bank is also its quietest cobrand factory: Amtrak, MGM Rewards, bp, ANA and JAL all run their US cards through FNBO. Products skew practical over premium, with modest bonuses and perk lists tied tightly to the partner brand.

Key rule: No published velocity rules; standard prime underwriting with a reputation for conservative credit lines

Hawaii's oldest bank issues its own card lineup for residents of Hawaii, Guam and Saipan, including a regional United cobrand that lives outside the Chase ecosystem. Its historical role as the home of Japan-focused cobrands has wound down, with the ANA and JAL US card programs now sitting at FNBO.

Key rule: Most products require residency in Hawaii, Guam or Saipan

A San Francisco fintech that builds cobrand cards for partners the big banks ignore, issuing through First Electronic Bank. Its stable includes Qatar Airways, LATAM, Avianca LifeMiles, TAP Air Portugal and the Coinbase card, often on the Amex network with app-first servicing.

Key rule: Applications run through the Cardless app or partner sites with instant digital card issuance

The global British banking giant ran a full US consumer card lineup, headlined by the Premier World Elite Mastercard, until it announced its exit from US mass retail banking in May 2021. Branches went to Citizens Bank and Cathay Bank, the consumer card portfolio wound down, and HSBC now serves only international and wealth clients stateside.

Key rule: No longer accepting US consumer credit card applications following the 2021 retail exit

A fintech that compresses the home equity line of credit into a Visa card, partnering with Coastal Community Bank to put HELOC pricing behind everyday swipes. One core product, the Home Equity Visa, pairs 2% cash back with APRs roughly half of unsecured cards. The catch is structural: the card is secured by a lien on your home.

Key rule: Approval is driven by home equity and income, not just credit score; Aven records a lien on the property

Pittsburgh-based super-regional that went coast to coast after absorbing BBVA USA. The card lineup is small but has two standouts: the 4% gas Cash Rewards and a flat 2% Cash Unlimited with cell phone protection.

Key rule: Online applications for some cards effectively require an existing PNC relationship; non-customers can apply in a branch

The 2019 merger of BB&T and SunTrust, headquartered in Charlotte with a heavy Southeast and Mid-Atlantic footprint. Card rewards are deliberately wired into the deposit relationship: redeeming into a Truist account can add a 10% to 50% loyalty bonus.

Key rule: Cards are pitched footprint-first; expect the smoothest approvals in Truist's Southeast and Mid-Atlantic branch states

Providence-based regional with a Northeast branch network and a one-card consumer strategy: the 1.8% flat Cash Back Plus World Mastercard. A Citizens Quest Checking account nudges the rate to 1.9%.

Key rule: Card applications are accepted nationwide even though branches cluster in the Northeast

Columbus, Ohio regional known for consumer-friendly gimmicks like 24-Hour Grace on overdrafts. Its Voice Rewards card carries that DNA: you pick your own 3x category each quarter from a menu of ten.

Key rule: Footprint bank concentrated in the Midwest; expect the easiest approvals in its roughly 11-state branch area

Cincinnati-based regional serving the Midwest and Southeast, famous in card circles for the oddly specific 1.67% Cash/Back rate it has recycled across product generations. The current lineup is three simple cards: 1.67%, 1%, and a 2% Preferred for top-tier banking customers.

Key rule: Footprint bank across roughly 11 Midwest and Southeast states

Birmingham, Alabama regional covering the South, Texas and parts of the Midwest. The card lineup is utilitarian, led by a 1.5% flat Cash Rewards Visa whose best feature is the missing foreign transaction fee.

Key rule: Footprint bank across roughly 15 Southern and Midwestern states; an existing relationship smooths approval

Cleveland-based regional spanning 15 states from Maine to Alaska. Its Key Cashback card pays 1% by default and 2% only when paired with an actively used KeyBank checking account, making the bank relationship the real product.

Key rule: Applications limited to residents of KeyBank's 15-state footprint

Bank of Montreal's US arm, headquartered in Chicago and expanded westward through the Bank of the West acquisition. Issues a solid no-fee Cash Back Mastercard and, as a historical footnote, still services the legacy Diners Club North America portfolio it bought from Citi in 2009.

Key rule: US cards are open to applicants nationwide despite the Midwest and West branch concentration

Alexandria, Virginia credit union founded for Foreign Service personnel that anyone can join through the American Consumer Council. Punches far above its weight in cards: a flat 2% Visa Signature with no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and a real welcome bonus, plus early chip-and-PIN credentials beloved by international travelers.

Key rule: Membership open to all: join the American Consumer Council during the application if you lack a State Department affiliation

The store-card giant behind well over a hundred retail credit programs, operating as Comenity Bank and Comenity Capital Bank. Beyond private label cards it issues a growing stable of network cobrands like the IKEA Visa, Ulta Mastercard, Caesars Rewards Visa and the sleeper AAA Daily Advantage, plus its own surprisingly strong Bread Cashback and Bread Rewards American Express cards.

Key rule: Famously trigger-happy about closing accounts for nonuse; a small recurring charge keeps cards alive

A subprime specialist commonly confused with Capital One, right down to a near-identical swoosh logo: the two are unrelated, and Credit One's products are far more expensive. Most of its lineup carries annual fees up to $99, monthly fee billing, and small credit lines reduced by the fee itself. The Wander travel card is the one genuinely competitive product in the stable.

Key rule: Pre-qualification is a soft pull; the exact fee schedule is assigned at approval and varies by applicant

Formerly Genesis FS Card Services, Concora services the Indigo, Milestone and Destiny Mastercards through partner banks. All three are effectively one deep-subprime product with fee schedules that can reach $175 in year one plus monthly fees afterward. They exist for unsecured approval after serious credit damage, and almost any secured card is cheaper.

Key rule: Soft-pull pre-qualification shows your assigned fee tier before a hard inquiry

A fintech lender whose Visa cards convert each statement balance into a fixed-rate installment loan with a set payoff date, issued through Cross River Bank. The structure swaps the open-ended revolving trap for forced amortization, which can genuinely help borrowers who carry balances. Cards have no annual or late fees.

Key rule: Checking your rate is a soft pull; the hard inquiry happens only when you accept

A Chicago fintech serving near-prime and subprime borrowers with personal loans and the AvantCard Mastercard. Its card is unusually clean for the segment: one annual fee between $0 and $75, no deposit, no monthly fees, and no foreign transaction fees. There are no rewards, so the product is purely a credit-building vehicle.

Key rule: Pre-qualification runs on a soft pull and shows your assigned annual fee up front

A San Francisco fintech that launched a no-credit-check charge card underwritten on bank cash flow, then pivoted to a paid subscription credit product after defaulting on its own credit line in 2023. All three credit bureaus cut off Tomo's data in 2024 and reporting has not resumed, which removes the entire point of a credit-building card. We list it for history and as a warning.

Key rule: The original card program is no longer a viable credit-building path; nothing Tomo offers currently reports to the bureaus

A corporate charge card and business banking platform built for venture-backed startups. Underwriting runs on company cash balances and investor backing rather than the founder's personal credit, so there is no personal guarantee and no FICO pull. Capital One announced an agreement to acquire Brex in January 2026, with closing expected mid-year.

Key rule: Approval and limits key off cash on deposit and funding history; unfunded businesses with thin balances are routinely declined

A spend-management platform whose Visa charge card pays a flat 1.5% with no fees and no personal guarantee. Underwriting is based on company bank balances and revenue, not the owner's credit score, and the bundled expense software replaces a paid platform for most teams. The accessible underwriting makes it the default corporate card for ordinary operating businesses.

Key rule: Requires a registered US business entity and a business bank account; sole proprietors are not eligible

The accounts-payable software company behind the Divvy corporate card, now branded BILL Spend and Expense. Underwriting looks at business financials with no personal guarantee for most approvals, and the free budgeting software enforces spend limits at the card level. The rewards program is heavily conditioned on payment frequency and is the weakest part of the package.

Key rule: Credit lines are based on company financials and bank data, from $500 to multi-million scale

A startup-focused banking platform whose IO Mastercard adds 1.5% flat cash back on top of its checking, savings and treasury accounts. Qualification rests on your Mercury deposits rather than personal credit, with no personal guarantee. The card is an extension of the bank account, not a standalone product.

Key rule: You must bank with Mercury; most US businesses qualify for IO from their first day on the platform

A business banking and spend platform aimed at mid-size companies, issuing Mastercard corporate cards through Webster Bank. Underwriting runs on company revenue and cash flow with no personal guarantee or founder credit pull, and the platform itself carries no fees. Cashback scales with how fast you settle, topping out around 2% on daily terms.

Key rule: Built for companies with real revenue; very small businesses may not meet underwriting

The payments giant offers a fee-free Visa corporate charge card to selected merchants, underwritten on Stripe processing volume and account history instead of personal credit. There is no personal guarantee and no fee of any kind. Access remains invitation-based, so it functions as a perk of processing with Stripe rather than an open product.

Key rule: Invitation only: you need an active Stripe account, and non-users must join Stripe to request access

The expense-report software company issues a Visa corporate card that auto-reconciles every swipe inside its platform. Underwriting uses linked business bank balances with no personal guarantee. The real economics are in the software: card usage discounts the Expensify subscription, while the 1% base cash back trails every major rival.

Key rule: Requires an Expensify account with a verified US business bank account

A business banking fintech built around its checking account, which pays 1.3% to 3.0% APY by plan tier through Coastal Community Bank. The invitation-only Business Cashback Mastercard and a Celtic Bank line of credit hang off that checking relationship.

Key rule: The Cashback Mastercard cannot be applied for directly: open Business Checking first and wait for an in-dashboard invitation

The commerce platform issues Shopify Credit, a pay-in-full business Visa powered by Stripe and issued by Celtic Bank. Eligibility comes from your store's sales history rather than a credit check, and the full balance auto-debits monthly.

Key rule: Only Shopify merchants are eligible, and only when the offer appears in the Shopify admin

A UK-born small business lender with a large US card book, issuing its Visa through WebBank. The pitch is speed and access: revenue-based underwriting, decisions in minutes, and up to 2% flat cash back with no annual fee.

Key rule: Requires roughly 6 months in business and $2,500 in monthly revenue

A business credit monitoring and funding marketplace whose paid Nav Prime membership briefly included a Thread Bank charge card and checking account. Both closed on April 1, 2026, leaving Prime as a monitoring and tradeline-reporting subscription while a new credit builder card is developed.

Key rule: The Nav Prime Card and Nav Business Checking closed to all customers on April 1, 2026

A Utah industrial bank that quietly issues cards for dozens of fintech brands, including Capital on Tap, Petal, Klarna, Dell, and formerly the PayPal Business Cashback Mastercard. You never bank with WebBank directly; it is the chartered issuer behind the partner's app.

Key rule: Underwriting standards vary entirely by program partner, not by WebBank itself

The white-label giant you have probably used without knowing it: a U.S. Bank subsidiary that issues and services credit cards for the Fidelity Rewards Visa and well over a thousand community banks and credit unions. Your hometown bank's card almost certainly says Elan on the agreement, and the Max Cash Preferred is its flagship clone of the U.S. Bank Cash+.

Key rule: Underwriting runs through Elan regardless of which bank's logo is on the card; all accounts service at myaccountaccess.com

The fintech that is quietly eating the cobrand market: founded in 2020, it now powers cards for Turkish Airlines, H-E-B, Crate & Barrel, Brooks Brothers, Booking.com, Rakuten and more, with bank issuance through First Electronic Bank. The pitch to brands is faster launches and app-first servicing, and the pitch to cardholders is earn rates legacy issuers stopped offering years ago.

Key rule: Applications and servicing run through Imprint's own app and web flow, not a traditional bank portal

A Philadelphia fintech that wraps a deposit-backed Visa in heavy branding and genuinely clever software. Its Unicorn Card automates utilization reporting so the credit score game plays itself, with WSFS Bank holding the charter behind it.

Key rule: No credit check: approval is based on opening the cred.ai deposit account

A family banking app built for teens, with a secured Visa that quietly accrues payment history years before adulthood. When users turn 18, Step can report up to two years of existing history, letting them start adult life with a real score.

Key rule: Users under 18 need a parent or guardian to sponsor the account

A New York neobank serving people who live paycheck to paycheck, with banking services through Cross River Bank. Its Build Card converts everyday debit-style spending into a reported credit tradeline with no APR and no deposit.

Key rule: Requires an active Current account; the card draws on your spending balance

Green Dot's flagship digital bank, aimed at customers underserved by branch banking. Its secured Visa is a straightforward credit rebuilding tool with one of the lowest deposit minimums in the category at $100.

Key rule: Secured card applications are open only to existing GO2bank accountholders

A Y Combinator-backed startup that built a debit-style credit builder for college students, rebranded from Fizz to Mine in January 2026. The card spends against your linked bank balance while reporting a credit line, now under subscription pricing.

Key rule: No credit check; approval requires linking an external bank account

A fintech focused on students and international newcomers, issuing a secured Mastercard through Regent Bank. Its core value is accepting applicants without an SSN, making it one of the few entry points into US credit for international students.

Key rule: No SSN required: passport and visa documents are accepted for international applicants

A fintech built for global citizens moving to the US, pairing a checking account with credit products that need no US history. Applicants can start from abroad with a passport and visa, then upgrade from the secured Azpire to an unsecured Zolve card.

Key rule: No SSN, no US credit history, and no credit check required for the Azpire

A Los Angeles fintech that issues a virtual Mastercard used exclusively to pay subscriptions like Netflix and Spotify, reporting each payment to all three bureaus. The free plan makes it the cheapest possible second tradeline.

Key rule: No credit check; plans range from free to $9.99 a month

A Massachusetts-based credit union famous in personal finance circles for two things: a savings account paying outsized interest on the first $1,000 and a Visa Platinum with one of the lowest sustained APRs in the country. Membership is effectively nationwide.

Key rule: Join from any state via a small donation to a partner nonprofit, typically $10

One of the largest US credit unions, historically serving technology workers in the Pacific Northwest and Silicon Valley. Its card lineup punches above its weight, with the Choice Rewards World Mastercard offering 2x everyday earning and a junk-fee-free structure.

Key rule: Eligibility via tech employer partners, family members, or residence in Lane County, Oregon

New Jersey's largest credit union, known among rewards optimizers for the Cash Rewards Visa Signature that pays 5% at bookstores including Amazon. Membership reaches well beyond New Jersey through association partnerships.

Key rule: Join via employer groups, New Jersey ties, or a partner association open nationwide

Boeing Employees Credit Union, now simply BECU, is Washington State's biggest credit union with more than a million members. Its Cash Back Visa pairs flat 1.5% earning with a rare fee-free 0% balance transfer window.

Key rule: Membership requires living, working, or worshiping in Washington or select Idaho and Oregon counties