Credit card numbers are a (seemingly) magical combination of digits that unlock a whole new realm of finance options to consumers.
Sometimes it seems as though, in just a few decades, we’ve gone from having hardly any credit cards at all to living in a world in which nearly every product and service requires a credit card number to operate.
But while many of us already have a credit card or two — or 40 — there are still thousands of Americans without the necessary numerical key to access many popular services.
So, how do you get a credit card number? It starts by finding the right card. And given that your credit profile is the first thing a prospective card issuer will investigate, cards aimed at your credit type can be a good place to begin your search.
Excellent Credit | Good Credit | Fair Credit | Poor Credit | No/Limited Credit | Store | Virtual
The very top of the consumer credit food chain, consumers with excellent credit have a wide range of credit cards from which to choose. That’s because they’ve shown a solid history of on-time payments, have no delinquent credit card accounts, and keep low (to no) balances on their cards.
Yes, with excellent credit, little will stand in your way to getting a credit card number — and a whole lot more. Your excellent credit can net you everything from a top-tier travel rewards card to a fee-free cash back card — and most cards in between, including our top picks below.
EXCELLENT CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.9
- $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
- Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishing purchases.
- If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
- No annual fee and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
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0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
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0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (Balance Transfer Fee 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%)
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18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
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$0
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Excellent/Good
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Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
EXCELLENT CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.9
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
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0% for 15 months
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0% for 15 months
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19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
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$0
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Excellent, Good
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EXCELLENT CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.9
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
- Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
- Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
- If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
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0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
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0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (Balance Transfer Fee 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%)
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18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
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$0
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Excellent/Good
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Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
Of course, nothing in finance is ever guaranteed, and even having excellent credit won’t be enough for some cards. For instance, many of the most exclusive credit cards are invite-only and require six-digit annual credit card spending, which of course isn’t a reality for many Americans.
Another common example is the Chase family of cards, the majority of which fall under its infamous 5/24 Rule. In essence, those who have opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months will be automatically rejected for most Chase credit cards, that excellent credit notwithstanding.
Although consumers with good credit aren’t quite as coveted as their excellent-credit counterparts, good-credit applicants are still in high demand by most credit card issuers thanks to their strong credit histories and the lack of any serious red flags on their credit reports.
As such, you’ll find a wide range of options available to you with good credit, including many of the top cash back credit cards and a range of quality travel rewards cards, too. Plus, you’ll have access to a number of good rewards cards that come without any annual fees, potentially saving you hundreds each year.
GOOD CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.9
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% to 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- No annual fee.
- Terms and conditions apply.
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0% Intro APR for 15 months
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0% Intro APR for 15 months
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17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
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$0
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Excellent/Good
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GOOD CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.9
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
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0% for 15 months
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0% for 15 months
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19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
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$0
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Excellent, Good
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GOOD CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.9
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
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0% for 15 months
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0% for 15 months
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19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
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$0
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Excellent, Good
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One of the most common differentiations between a good credit profile and an excellent profile is the length of credit history and average age of accounts. While only worth 15% of your FICO score, these factors can only be improved by time, which make them harder to grow than other parts of your score.
That said, you can still potentially reach credit score greatness by maintaining low balances, being modest about how frequently you apply for new credit, and by ensuring you always pay on time. With healthy credit behaviors — and some time — you can boost your good credit score to the top level.
Fair credit happens when you’re just beginning your credit journey — or have been working on rebuilding your credit after a few wrong turns. Consumers with fair credit typically have limited credit profiles, high card balances, or a semi-recent late payment or two.
Given that most issuers see a fair credit score as a sign of fairly high credit risk, the options for getting a credit card number are a bit limited. That said, there are still a number of prime unsecured credit cards and rewards-rich secured cards that can be had to help build your score.
FAIR CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.9
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
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N/A
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N/A
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29.99% (Variable)
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$0
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Average, Fair, Limited
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FAIR CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.8
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- No credit score required to apply.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- No annual fee and build your credit with responsible use.
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 18.24% - 27.24% applies.
- Terms and conditions apply.
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0% Intro APR for 6 months
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10.99% Intro APR for 6 months
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18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
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$0
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Fair/New to Credit
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FAIR CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.8
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
- Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
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N/A
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N/A
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29.99% (Variable)
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$39
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Average, Fair, Limited
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Once you have your new credit card in hand, it’s important to use it responsibly so you can build up your fair credit score into a good one. The most important step is to make all of your payments on time, ensuring you make at least the minimum required payment (but more is always better).
You’ll also want to avoid any negative financial behaviors that could drop your score into the bad credit range, further limiting your options. Steer clear of maxing out your new card, and avoid opening too many new credit accounts at once. Slow and steady wins the credit race.
The bottom of the credit score rankings, those consumers with poor credit tend to have reports with recent delinquent payments, defaulted accounts, or perhaps even bankruptcy discharges. Since these are all red flags to issuers, bad-credit consumers will have the hardest time qualifying for a credit card number.
But while the field of options is limited, it isn’t empty. Subprime issuers who specialize in bad credit lending offer many unsecured card options, albeit with higher fees. And if you’re willing to make a refundable deposit, you can even find secured options that have low fees and/or purchase rewards.
BAD CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.8
- No credit check to apply
- Adjustable credit limit based on what you transfer from your Chime Checking account to the secured deposit account
- No interest* or annual fees
- Chime Checking Account and qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more required to apply. See official application, terms, and details link below.
- The secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Card is issued by The Bankcorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted.
- *Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and OTC advance fees may apply. View The Bancorp agreement or Stride agreement for details; see back of card for issuer.
BAD CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.7
- $400 credit limit doubles to $800! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Initial Credit Limit of $400.00 (Subject to available credit)
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
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N/A
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N/A
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29.99%
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$99
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Fair/Poor/Bad
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BAD CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.7
- Earn 1% cash back rewards^^ on payments made to your Revvi Credit Card
- Perfect credit not required
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- Checking account required
- Opportunity to request credit limit increase after twelve months, fee applies
- *See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
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See website for Details
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N/A
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35.99%
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$75.00 1st year, $48.00 after
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Fair
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When deciding what type of credit card to obtain to build up your bad credit score, carefully consider both the obvious and hidden costs. Unsecured credit cards may not require a deposit, but most subprime cards will have high APRs and annual fees, plus additional processing or program fees.
Secured credit card deposits, on the other hand, are fully refundable so long as your account remains in good standing. Some secured cards can also be upgraded to unsecured products as your credit improves, saving you a hard inquiry down the line.
Whichever way you go, be sure to practice good financial habits with your new (and any existing) card. Always, always, always pay on time, making at least the minimum required payment — or, better, more than the minimum.
Perhaps the greatest catch-22 of the credit world is that you often need credit to get credit. And while it only takes six months of credit history to be eligible for a credit score, a credit history of less than a year will typically be seen as a bad sign by most issuers.
Most — but not all. Some credit card issuers are happy to help out the credit newcomers, offering entry-level cards designed specifically to help those with no or limited credit get the credit cards they need to build up their score.
NO/LIMITED CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.7
- No credit check to apply
- Adjustable credit limit based on what you transfer from your Chime Checking account to the secured deposit account
- No interest* or annual fees
- Chime Checking Account and qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more required to apply. See official application, terms, and details link below.
- The secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Card is issued by The Bankcorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted.
- *Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and OTC advance fees may apply. View The Bancorp agreement or Stride agreement for details; see back of card for issuer.
NO/LIMITED CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.7
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
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N/A
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N/A
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29.99% (Variable)
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$0
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Average, Fair, Limited
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NO/LIMITED CREDIT RATING
★★★★★
4.7
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
- Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- Lock your card in the Capital One Mobile app if it's misplaced, lost or stolen
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N/A
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N/A
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19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
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$0
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Average, Fair, Limited
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Without an extensive credit history to mask any mistakes, it can be all too easy to go from no credit to bad credit with a single delinquent payment. Making use of modern technology, like automatic payments and payment-tracking apps, can make all the difference.
Of course, you don’t have to fear that every day-late payment will crash your credit score. Unless your payment is 30-days late (or more), it won’t be reported to the credit bureaus or show up on your credit reports. You’ll probably be stuck paying a hefty late-payment fee, however.
Although most store credit cards are closed-loop cards, meaning they can only be used to make branded purchases, they can still be worthwhile additions to your credit card number collection if you have a favorite brand and are a frequent shopper.
In addition to purchase rewards or special financing, store credit card numbers can also unlock extra brand bonuses, like free shipping or early sale access. Plus, many store credit cards have flexible credit requirements that make them accessible to those with lower credit scores.
Amazon.com Store Card
The Amazon.com Store Card is mediocre at best for non-Prime members, offering only deferred-interest financing. If you have a Prime account, however, you can earn 5% cash back on every Amazon.com purchase.
- Receive special financing on eligible Amazon.com orders of $149 or more made with your card
- Amazon Prime members get 5% cash back on Amazon purchases
- Pay no annual card fee (Prime fee may apply)
While the card itself doesn’t charge an annual fee, you’ll need to pay for a Prime membership to make the most of it, the price of which has jumped by 10% or more every few years.
Unlike most store cards, the Target REDcard doesn’t provide points on every purchase. Instead, you’ll get 5% off eligible Target purchases at the register or online check-out.
- Get 5% off your total purchase at checkout for eligible in-store or online Target purchases
- Receive exclusive deals & discounts
- Pay no annual fee
Certain purchases won’t qualify for the 5% cardholder discount, including gift card purchases, in-store restaurants (like Starbucks), gift wrapping, and shipping charges.
The My Best Buy Credit Card allows cardholders to earn 2.5X points per dollar spent on eligible in-store and online purchases. Every 250 points can be redeemed for a $5 reward certificate.
- Earn 2.5X points per dollar on in-store and online Best Buy purchases
- Receive special financing deals on eligible purchases
- Pay no annual fee
If you use the special financing deal, be sure to pay it off in full before your due date. Best Buy uses deferred interest, which means you’ll be on the hook for interest on the entire purchase if any of the balance remains unpaid when the terms expire.
It can be really tempting to open a new store credit card while checking out, especially when the clerk makes the card sound so fantastic. But store card reviews are full of consumers who thought they were getting one thing — and ended up with something much more expensive.
Before opening any credit card, even a store card with a shiny signup bonus, be sure you do your own research into what the card offers — and what it doesn’t offer.
This can be particularly important when looking to take advantage of a low- or no-interest offer, as store cards often operate with deferred financing, which can end up costing you hundreds if your financed purchase is not paid off in time.
While EMV chip cards have made card present (CP) credit card fraud less common, those tricksy fraudsters have simply refocused their efforts on card-not-present (CNP), or digital, card fraud.
One popular way of combating CNP fraud is through the use of virtual credit cards, which are randomly generated one-time use (or one-merchant use) credit card numbers that limit access to your real account information. Despite its growing popularity, however, only a handful of issuers offer virtual credit card numbers.
BEST OVERALL RATING
★★★★★
4.8
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
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N/A
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N/A
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19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
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$95
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Excellent, Good
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- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
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N/A
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0% Intro APR Period 18 months on Balance Transfers
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19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
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$0
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Excellent, Good, Fair
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Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
EXPERT'S RATING
★★★★★
4.9
- $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
- Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishing purchases.
- If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
- No annual fee and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
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0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
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0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (Balance Transfer Fee 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%)
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18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
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$0
|
Excellent/Good
|
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
In addition to some of the major credit card issuers, several third-party companies have come onto the virtual credit card scene — although “credit card” may be the wrong term, as most of these programs act more like prepaid cards than actual credit cards.
Regardless of where you get your virtual credit card number, there is one important thing to remember: your virtual credit card is only as safe as the company that issues it. Since no company is too large to be hacked, be aware of the risks before you buy.
In today’s world, not having access to a credit card number can exclude you from any number of products and services, making it worthwhile to have at least one good card in your wallet.
But while credit cards have a ton of great benefits, they are subject to fraud just like any other financial product. Luckily, the law limits your liability for fraudulent credit card purchases, and most card companies will eliminate your financial liability entirely.
Even so, it’s important to practice safe credit card use; fraud protection takes diligence on all sides. Never give your credit card number to a website or business you don’t trust and always keep an eye on your transactions so you can spot unauthorized purchases.
If you do find charges you don’t recognize, report them promptly to your credit card issuer. The sooner fraud is spotted, the easier it is to keep it from escalating.
Advertiser Disclosure
CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
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