Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and Revolut: eleven real cards from Chase, Amex, Wells Fargo, Capital One, Discover and Revolut. Compare annual fees, APRs, rewards, insurance and foreign fees.
This comparison examines 11 cards in the United States, among them Wells Fargo Active Cash (Visa Signature), Chase Freedom Flex (World Elite MC), Discover it Cash Back, Revolut Standard, across the Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Revolut, American Express networks. Three things genuinely separate one card from another, and the annual fee is only the first: next come the bundled insurances, trip cancellation, medical cover abroad, baggage, purchase protection, whose value often exceeds the fee as soon as you travel, and foreign exchange charges, which quietly cost 2 to 3 per cent of every purchase in another currency with traditional issuers and nothing at all with the neobanks. Payment and withdrawal limits matter too, and they are negotiable. The table compares them line by line, without an overall score: the right card for a frequent traveller is not the right card for someone who rarely leaves home. Anyone going abroad twice a year usually saves more with a no-foreign-fee card than a premium card's insurance ever returns in claims.
Select 2 to 4 cards to compare side by side.
Visa
Mastercard
Amex
Discover
Revolut
| Criteria | Discover it Cash Back Standard | Chase Sapphire Preferred Premium | Amex Gold Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual Fee | $0/yr | $95/yr | $325/yr |
Purchase APR (variable) | 17.74%, 21.74%, 24.74% or 26.74% (0% for 15 months) | 19.49% - 27.74% | 19.74% - 28.74% (Pay Over Time) |
Welcome Offer | Cashback Match: cash back matched in year one | 75,000 points after $5,000 in 3 months | Up to 100,000 MR after $8,000 in 6 months |
Travel Insurance (Medical) | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Global Assist (assistance) |
Trip Cancellation | Not mentioned | $10,000/traveler | Trip delay: $300/trip |
Baggage Insurance | Not mentioned | Lost $3,000/traveler, delay $100/day (5 days) | Carry-on $1,250, checked $500 |
Purchase Protection | Not mentioned | $500/item, 120 days | $10,000/purchase, 90 days |
Rental Car Insurance | Not mentioned | Primary CDW up to $60,000 | Theft / damage, secondary |
Concierge Service | Not available | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
Airport Lounge Access | Not included | Not included | Not included |
Rewards / Cashback | 5% rotating (quarterly cap, activation) + 1% | 5x Chase Travel, 3x dining, 2x travel, 1x | 4x dining and US supermarkets, 3x flights |
International Acceptance | Very wide in the US, more limited abroad | Excellent (worldwide) | Good (less than Visa/MC) |
Overview of all cards. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
| Criteria | Wells Fargo Active Cash (Visa Signature) Standard | Chase Freedom Flex (World Elite MC) Standard | Discover it Cash Back Standard | Revolut Standard Standard | Chase Sapphire Preferred Premium | Amex Gold Premium | Revolut Premium Premium | Chase Sapphire Reserve (Visa Infinite) Premium+ | Capital One Venture X (Visa Infinite) Premium+ | Amex Platinum Premium+ | Revolut Metal Premium+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Annual Fee | $0/yr | $0/yr | $0/yr | Free | $95/yr | $325/yr | $9.99/mo | $795/yr | $395/yr | $895/yr | $16.99/mo |
Purchase APR (variable) | 18.74%, 24.74% or 28.74% (0% for 12 months) | 18.49% - 27.99% (0% for 15 months) | 17.74%, 21.74%, 24.74% or 26.74% (0% for 15 months) | N/A (debit) | 19.49% - 27.74% | 19.74% - 28.74% (Pay Over Time) | N/A (debit) | 19.74% - 28.24% | 19.49% - 28.49% | 19.74% - 28.74% (Pay Over Time) | N/A (debit) |
Welcome Offer | $100 after $500 in purchases in 3 months | $250 after $500 in purchases in 3 months | Cashback Match: cash back matched in year one | – | 75,000 points after $5,000 in 3 months | Up to 100,000 MR after $8,000 in 6 months | – | 100,000 points after $6,000 in 3 months | Offer not shown on the page | Up to 175,000 MR after $12,000 in 6 months | – |
Travel Insurance (Medical) | Visa Signature travel assistance | Travel assistance (medical referrals) | Not mentioned | Not included | Not mentioned | Global Assist (assistance) | Not advertised for this plan | Medical $2,500, evacuation $100,000 | Visa Infinite assistance | Premium Global Assist (24/7 assistance) | Included (Revolut T&Cs) |
Trip Cancellation | Not included | $1,500/traveler, $6,000/trip | Not mentioned | Not included | $10,000/traveler | Trip delay: $300/trip | Not included | $10,000/traveler | Included (Visa Infinite) | $10,000/trip, $20,000/12 months | Delayed or disrupted flight |
Baggage Insurance | Not included | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not included | Lost $3,000/traveler, delay $100/day (5 days) | Carry-on $1,250, checked $500 | Not advertised for this plan | Lost $3,000/traveler | Lost luggage included | Not detailed (trip delay: $500/trip) | Delayed, damaged or lost baggage |
Purchase Protection | Cell phone: $600 ($25 deductible) | $500/item, 120 days | Not mentioned | Not included | $500/item, 120 days | $10,000/purchase, 90 days | Purchase insurance depending on plan (Revolut T&Cs) | $10,000/item, 120 days | Cell phone: up to $800 | 90 days | Purchase insurance depending on plan (Revolut T&Cs) |
Rental Car Insurance | Secondary CDW | Secondary CDW in the US | Not mentioned | Not included | Primary CDW up to $60,000 | Theft / damage, secondary | Not included | Primary CDW up to $75,000 | Primary coverage | Theft / damage (rental CDW declined) | Not mentioned |
Concierge Service | Visa Signature concierge | Not mentioned | Not available | Not available | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not available | Reserve Travel Designers | Not mentioned | Not mentioned on the page | Not mentioned |
Airport Lounge Access | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Discounted lounge access | 1,300+ Priority Pass + Sapphire Lounges | Capital One Lounges + 1,300+ Priority Pass | 1,550+ lounges (Global Lounge Collection, Centurion) | Discounted lounge access |
Rewards / Cashback | Unlimited 2% cash back | 5% rotating (up to $1,500/qtr), 3% dining and drugstores, 1% | 5% rotating (quarterly cap, activation) + 1% | Savings: 3.5% APY (as of Sept 1, 2026) | 5x Chase Travel, 3x dining, 2x travel, 1x | 4x dining and US supermarkets, 3x flights | Savings: 3.75% APY (as of Sept 1, 2026) | 8x Chase Travel, 4x direct flights and hotels, 3x dining | 10x hotels and rentals via Capital One Travel, 2x everywhere | 5x flights and prepaid hotels, 1x elsewhere | Savings: 4% APY (as of Sept 1, 2026) |
International Acceptance | Excellent (worldwide) | Excellent (worldwide) | Very wide in the US, more limited abroad | Very good (Visa/MC) | Excellent (worldwide) | Good (less than Visa/MC) | Very good (Visa/MC) | Excellent (worldwide) | Excellent (worldwide) | Good (less than Visa/MC) | Very good (Visa/MC) |
Explore the details of each type of benefit and service.
| Card | Travel Medical | Trip Cancellation | Baggage | Rental Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Wells Fargo Active Cash (Visa Signature) | Visa Signature travel assistance | Not included | Not included | Secondary CDW |
Chase Freedom Flex (World Elite MC) | Travel assistance (medical referrals) | $1,500/traveler, $6,000/trip | Not mentioned | Secondary CDW in the US |
Discover it Cash Back | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
Revolut Standard | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
Chase Sapphire Preferred | Not mentioned | $10,000/traveler | Lost $3,000/traveler, delay $100/day (5 days) | Primary CDW up to $60,000 |
Amex Gold | Global Assist (assistance) | Trip delay: $300/trip | Carry-on $1,250, checked $500 | Theft / damage, secondary |
Revolut Premium | Not advertised for this plan | Not included | Not advertised for this plan | Not included |
Chase Sapphire Reserve (Visa Infinite) | Medical $2,500, evacuation $100,000 | $10,000/traveler | Lost $3,000/traveler | Primary CDW up to $75,000 |
Capital One Venture X (Visa Infinite) | Visa Infinite assistance | Included (Visa Infinite) | Lost luggage included | Primary coverage |
Amex Platinum | Premium Global Assist (24/7 assistance) | $10,000/trip, $20,000/12 months | Not detailed (trip delay: $500/trip) | Theft / damage (rental CDW declined) |
Revolut Metal | Included (Revolut T&Cs) | Delayed or disrupted flight | Delayed, damaged or lost baggage | Not mentioned |
* Limits taken in October 2026 from each card's official page (Chase, American Express, Wells Fargo, Capital One, Discover, Revolut). "Not mentioned" means the issuer's page does not advertise it. Coverage is typically activated when you pay for travel with the card; the Guide to Benefits prevails.
Our recommendations based on your spending profile.
You travel several times a year and want solid insurance, lounge access and 0% foreign transaction fees.
Amex Platinum ($895/yr): 1,550+ lounges (Global Lounge Collection, Centurion), trip cancellation up to $10,000 per trip, 5x on flights and prepaid hotels, no foreign transaction fees. Chase Sapphire Preferred: a $95/yr alternative with primary CDW up to $60,000 and cancellation up to $10,000 per traveler.
You want a no-annual-fee card with cashback to build your credit score.
Discover it: $0 annual fee, 5% cash back on quarterly categories (capped), no foreign fee in the rate table, first-year Cashback Match (doubled). Revolut Standard: free debit card, fee-free exchange up to $1,000 a month.
You spend heavily on dining and groceries and want to maximize rewards.
Amex Gold ($325/yr): 4x MR at restaurants (up to $50,000/yr) and US supermarkets (up to $25,000/yr), credits of $120 for dining, $100 Resy and $84 Dunkin'. Chase Sapphire Preferred: 3x on dining, 2x on travel, transferable Ultimate Rewards points.
You have varied spending and want simple flat-rate cashback with no hassle.
Discover it: 5% cash back on categories that change each quarter (activation and cap), 1% on everything else, no annual fee. Wells Fargo Active Cash (Visa Signature): unlimited 2% cash back everywhere, but a 3% fee on foreign currency transactions.
Your credit score (FICO, 300-850) determines your ability to get credit cards, mortgages, and even apartment rentals. A score above 740 is considered excellent. Paying bills on time and keeping utilization below 30% are the best ways to improve your score.
APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the annual interest rate charged on your unpaid balance. On the cards in this comparison it ranges from 17.74% (low end of the Discover it range) to 28.74% (high end of the Amex range), and the cash advance APR reaches 28.74% at Chase and Discover. If you pay your full statement balance each month, you pay zero interest. This is the recommended strategy. Paying the statement balance in full each month means no interest is charged at all, which is why the APR only matters to holders who carry a balance from one month to the next.
Chase (Ultimate Rewards) excels in flexibility: transfers to many airlines and hotels, 3x on dining with the Sapphire Preferred. Amex (Membership Rewards) offers the best multipliers (4x restaurants and US supermarkets on the Gold, 5x flights on the Platinum) and Centurion Lounges. Chase has better acceptance than Amex in the US. The decision often comes down to acceptance: Chase runs on Visa and is taken almost everywhere, whereas Amex is still declined by many small merchants outside major chains.
Yes, Discover it remains a no-annual-fee cashback card, now issued by Capital One. It offers 5% cash back on categories that change each quarter (up to the quarterly maximum, after activation) and 1% on everything else. Plus, Discover matches all your cash back at the end of the first year (Cashback Match). Acceptance is the main caveat: Discover is widely taken in the United States but less often abroad, so it works poorly as a travel card outside the country.
Revolut works in the US but it is a debit card, not a credit card. It does not build your credit score. It is useful for travel (fee-free exchange within your plan's monthly limit) and international transfers. The ideal setup is Revolut for international use combined with a credit card (Chase, Amex, Discover) for daily spending and credit building.
Each issuer has its own system: Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR), Amex Membership Rewards (MR), Capital One Miles, etc. Points transfer to partner airlines and hotels, or can be redeemed for cashback, purchases, or travel. Their value depends on how you use them: Chase says, for example, that the Sapphire Reserve's 100,000 welcome points are worth $2,000 on select flights and hotels booked through Chase Travel.
Yes, if you use the included credits and benefits. The Amex Platinum at $895/yr advertises a $600 hotel credit, $400 Resy credit, $300 digital entertainment credit, $300 Equinox credit and $200 airline fee credit, plus Centurion Lounge access. If you travel regularly and use these credits, they can offset the fee. Otherwise, a $0-$95/yr card is better.
A charge card must be paid in full each month. The Amex Gold and Platinum work this way, with a Pay Over Time option that lets you carry eligible charges at 19.74% to 28.74%. A credit card (Chase, Visa, MC, Discover) lets you carry a balance with interest (APR). Charge cards have no preset spending limit.
The American credit card market is one of the largest and most competitive in the world. Four major networks share it: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover; the latter is now owned by Capital One, which issues the Discover it. Unlike Europe, credit cards dominate debit cards thanks to generous rewards programs (cashback, points, airline miles) that don't exist on debit cards.
US credit cards stand out for their sign-up bonuses, often worth tens of thousands of points on premium cards and changing from month to month: check the current offer on the issuer's page. Major issuers include Chase (Sapphire, Freedom), American Express (Gold, Platinum), Capital One (Venture X, Discover it), Citi and Wells Fargo. Your FICO score (300-850) determines eligibility. The APRs found on the cards in this comparison range from 17.74% to 28.74%, which is why paying the balance in full each month matters.
Three categories dominate: no-annual-fee cashback cards (2% everywhere on the Wells Fargo Active Cash, 5% on quarterly categories on the Discover it and Chase Freedom Flex), transferable-points travel rewards cards (Chase Sapphire Preferred at $95/yr, Amex Gold at $325/yr) and premium cards (lounge access, travel credits, extended insurance). The Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795/yr) and Amex Platinum ($895/yr) dominate the premium segment with lounge access and annual credits, while the Capital One Venture X ($395/yr) competes on a lower price.
The 2009 CARD Act protects consumers against abusive rate increases and mandates clear statements. Foreign Transaction Fees still exist on some basic cards, such as the 3% on the Wells Fargo Active Cash, but Chase, Amex, Capital One and Discover charge none on the cards in this comparison. The Durbin Amendment caps debit card interchange fees. The Credit CARD Act prohibits issuers from targeting those under 21 without a cosigner. Payment disputes are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act with a maximum $50 fraud liability.
To choose the best US credit card, assess your profile: beginners (FICO score < 670) should start with a secured card. Mid-range profiles will benefit from a no-annual-fee cashback card (Wells Fargo Active Cash, Chase Freedom Flex, Discover it). Frequent travelers should maximize value with transferable points cards (Amex Gold, Chase Sapphire Preferred). Never pay interest: pay your balance in full each month to turn rewards into net gains.
* Fees taken in October 2026 from the issuers' rate schedules; they may change. This comparison is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Bank deposits insured by the FDIC up to $250,000. Regulated by the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).
Sources: Chase product pages and Pricing & Terms (Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Flex); American Express product pages and Rates and Fees (Gold, Platinum); Wells Fargo Active Cash page; Capital One Venture X page; Discover it Cash Back page and Rates and Fees Information table; Revolut US Our pricing plans page (APYs as of September 1, 2026). Pages consulted in October 2026.