Best Visa credit cards of June 2026

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Visa is a credit card network that's been around for over 60 years, but it wasn't always called Visa. The company was originally known as BankAmericard, after Bank of America's first credit card launched in 1958, and it didn't become Visa until 1976.

Today, Visa provides the infrastructure to process transactions between merchants and card issuers and backs credit cards from dozens of issuers, notably Bank of America, Capital One and Chase.

Visa cards are grouped into one of three tiers — Traditional, Signature and Infinite — and the tier determines the benefits you receive. Typically, the higher the card's annual fee, the higher the tier. All Visa cardholders receive standard perks, such as $0 liability protection, while higher tiers can also enjoy purchase protection and travel insurance.

Depending on your card, you also can benefit from lucrative rewards programs, introductory interest-free financing, airport lounge access and more, just by having a Visa card.

Who's this for? If you're looking to maximize cash back in everyday spending, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® may be the card for you. This no-annual-fee card offers cardholders 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service), and 1.5% on all other purchases. (Learn more about how Chase classifies bonus category purchases.)

The Freedom Unlimited will either be a Visa Platinum (Traditional) or Visa Signature, depending on your credit limit. Visa Signature cardholders receive a few more benefits, including access to the Visa Signature concierge and Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. Both versions provide select partner benefits, such as 2% cash back on Lyft purchases through September 30, 2027 and complimentary six months of DashPass when you activate by December 31, 2027.

Who's this for? The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout travel card with unique rewards and luxury perks.

Cardholders earn points at a rate of 8X points on all purchases through Chase Travel^SM, including The Edit^SM and 4X points on flights and hotels booked directly with the travel provider. Plus, earn 3X points on dining worldwide and 1X points on all other purchases. Plus 5X points on Lyft purchases and receive a $10 monthly rideshare credit (up to $120 annually) valid through September 30, 2027.

Take note that this card has a steep $795 annual fee, but all the card's added credits and benefits can help offset the cost. It comes with over $2,000 in annual credits for travel, dining, DoorDash, Lyft, StubHub, Peloton and more. You'll also get access to premium perks, such as Priority Pass™ Lounges and top-tier travel and shopping protections. 

Who's this for? The U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card offers one of the longest 0% intro-APR periods for a Visa card at 24 billing cycles on balance transfers and purchases (then a 17.49% to 28.49% variable APR). Balances must be transferred within 60 days from account opening. This is an exceptional intro period for a balance transfer card and can provide you with a low-cost way to finance large purchases.

The balance transfer fee is 5% (minimum $5). That can be a worthwhile expense when you calculate how much you'll save on interest. You'll also earn 4% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car rental reservations booked through the U.S. Bank Travel Center. There's no annual fee and you'll earn a $20 annual statement credit after making purchases for 11 consecutive months..

Who's this for? The Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students is a good choice for college students who are learning to use credit for the first time. Cardholders earn 1.5X points on all purchases.

You can redeem rewards as a statement credit to cover the cost of qualifying travel and restaurant purchases—a simple way to reduce the cost of taking a spring break vacation, buying a plane ticket home or having a meal with friends. This card also has no foreign transaction fees, making it an ideal card for students studying abroad.

Who's this for? The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns a remarkable 2% in cash rewards on purchases. This makes it easy to ensure you're earning an above-average return on every dollar you spend. Plus, you also get access to generous intro-APR offers and cell phone protection.

This card is even more valuable when paired with the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card (see rates and fees) or Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (see rates and fees) . Those cards earn rewards you can transfer to Wells Fargo's partner travel loyalty programs. You can also move rewards between your Wells Fargo credit cards. That means you can transfer the cash rewards you earn with your Active Cash card. This option greatly increases the flexibility and value of your rewards.

Who's this for? Many credit cards for bad credit charge high fees, but the DCU Visa® Platinum Secured Credit Card is an exception. This card has no annual fee.

You can use secured cards to make purchases just like a traditional card and by making on-time payments, you can build or rebuild your credit score and work your way toward qualifying for the best cards for fair/average or good credit.

This card does offer some helpful perks, including travel accident insurance and extended warranty protection. 

Since this card is issued by a credit union, so a Digital Federal Credit Union membership is required. However, anyone can join in one of several ways: if you're a family member of a DCU member, live in select communities, work for select employers or make a one-time contribution (as low as $10) to a participating organization.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best Visa credit cards.

To determine which Visa cards offer the best value, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.  

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back). 
 
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

For the cards that offered a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back. 

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