While credit cards sometimes get a bad rap, having the best credit card — or at least, the one that’s best for you — can make your life easier and more rewarding. And if it’s been at least three years since you put your current credit card in your purse or wallet, now’s the time to consider your options and see if a different credit card might serve you better.

How? Well, a new credit card can help by temporarily letting you finance the things you need to buy at 0% interest, or consolidating debt at a lower interest rate. Or perhaps you just want to make sure you’re earning as many rewards as possible when you’re ordering online or having food delivered to your home, or booking that long-needed vacation.

Our comprehensive methodology compares every aspect of each credit card to our “benchmark credit card” to determine which cards can potentially help you the most. So give yourself a few minutes to take a look at our list of the best credit cards for February 2022 and see if one might be useful to you right now.

Citi® Double Cash Card: Best for flat-rate cash back
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best sign-up bonus
Chase Freedom Flex℠: Best for flexible rewards
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Best for U.S. supermarkets
American Express® Gold Card: Best for dining
Citi Premier® Card: Best for gas stations
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card: Best for balance transfers
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card: Best introductory rate on purchases
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Best for small businesses
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business: Best for larger businesses

Why did we select these cards as our best credit cards for February 2022? Dive into the details of each card with us, and see how they stack up.

Why it’s great in one sentence: The Citi Double Cash Card is both simple and lucrative, offering a market-leading 2% cash back on every purchase — 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay your statement — for no annual fee.

This card is right for: People who want a card that will work for them but don’t have the time, patience or interest to chase bonus categories or figure out complicated travel loyalty programs.

Highlights:

Sign-up bonus: None.

What we like about the Citi Double Cash: Life is complicated enough — not everyone wants to make their credit card complicated as well. If you don’t want to deal with bonus categories, transfer partners or spending caps, you can’t get much simpler than the Citi Double Cash.

But “simple” doesn’t have to mean “weak.” In fact, you’ll get 2% cash back on practically everything you buy with this card, which is the best ongoing flat-rate return you’ll find on any no-annual-fee credit card out there.

Yes, if you want to put in extra effort to maximize bonus categories or if you’re willing to pay an annual fee, you can absolutely get more in overall rewards or perks. But if you don’t want to make your credit card another thing in your life to worry about, you can put the Citi Double Cash in your purse or wallet, and set it and forget it.

What could be better: The Citi Double Cash is a no-frills credit card, so you won’t find any fancy travel or dining perks on it, nor are there any significant travel or purchase protections. You also won’t want to use this card for overseas purchases, as the 3% foreign transaction fee will offset the rewards you earn.

Having the option to convert the card’s cash back to Citi ThankYou points when you have other premium Citi cards is useful to points and miles experts, but the ThankYou program’s airline transfer partners can be challenging to leverage for beginners, who might want to just stick with the card’s cash back rewards.

The balance transfer offer does come with a 3% fee (with a minimum of $5) in the first four months after opening the account, though that’s comparable to other credit cards with similar balance transfer features. And the Citi Double Cash doesn’t offer a sign-up bonus, which means other cards might be more rewarding right out of the gate, though the Double Cash will catch up with long-term use.

Why it’s our “benchmark” credit card: The ease of use and straightforward top-of-market cash-back earning rate of the Citi Double Cash are why CNN Underscored uses the Double Cash as our “benchmark” credit card to compare the features of other credit cards and determine if they’re better or worse overall.

You can read more about our benchmark credit card concept in our credit card methodology guide, or dig into our complete review of the Citi Double Cash.

Learn more and apply now for the Citi Double Cash Card.

Why it’s great in one sentence: The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months after you open the account, and the points can be redeemed for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards, or in other eligible categories using the card’s “Pay Yourself Back tool.

This card is right for: People with larger than average travel and/or dining expenses who want to redeem their credit card rewards for travel.

Highlights:

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening the account.

What we like about the Chase Sapphire Preferred: It may not seem like it, but at over 10 years old, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is practically the granddaddy of travel rewards credit cards. But to Chase’s credit, it’s keeping the card fresh by introducing new features that make the card even more useful, which is just one of the reasons it’s our favorite travel credit card for beginners.

WIth classic travel and dining bonus categories, bonus points on streaming services and online groceries, 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 2022 and a 60,000-point sign-up bonus, you should be able to score plenty of points even if you aren’t planning to fly much in 2022, since Chase defines “travel” very broadly to include purchases like mass transit, tolls, parking and even ride-shares.

But the real power of the Chase Sapphire Preferred is in its redemptions. You’ll get 1.25 cents per point in value when you redeem your points through Chase’s travel portal. And Chase’s “Pay Yourself Back” tool allows you to redeem points on purchases beyond just travel.

Plus, you can get potentially even more value when you transfer your points to one of Chase’s 14 travel partners. In fact, the Ultimate Rewards program still features some of the best transfer partners around, including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Hyatt Hotels, and all partners transfer at a 1-to-1 ratio (meaning you’ll get 1,000 points in the partner program for every 1,000 points you transfer from Chase).

To top it off, you can safely use the Chase Sapphire Preferred overseas, since it has no foreign transaction fees on international purchases. It even provides primary car rental insurance, so you don’t have to look to your own auto policy first if you have an accident with your rental car.

What could be better: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a classic, but in some ways, it’s starting to get a little long in the tooth. Other credit cards offer even higher bonus points on travel purchases (though usually accompanied by higher annual fees), though if you book travel through Ultimate Rewards with the Sapphire Preferred, you can earn 5 total points for every dollar you spend.

Even our benchmark Citi Double Cash card earns 2% cash back -— 1% when you make a purchase, and 1% when you pay it off — on everything you buy, including travel, though you can get more value when redeeming your Sapphire Preferred points than you can with simple cash back.

For many people, the Sapphire Preferred isn’t as flashy as its big brother, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which comes with travel perks and a $300 annual travel credit (but also a significantly higher annual fee). But if you don’t need or won’t use all those extra perks, you may be better off with this significantly less-expensive version.

Where it beats our benchmark card: Bonus categories, excellent travel protections, solid airline and hotel partners, sign-up bonus.

Where our benchmark card is better: The Citi Double Cash has no annual fee, an introductory rate on balance transfers and earns easy-to-redeem cash back.

Learn more and apply now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Why it’s great in one sentence: If you’re on the fence about whether you’d prefer to rack up cash back or travel points, the Chase Freedom Flex allows you to do both when paired with the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

This card is right for: People who want maximum flexibility in a no-annual-fee credit card.

Highlights:

Sign-up bonus: Earn $200 in bonus cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months after opening the account.

What we like about the Chase Freedom Flex: If you prefer cash back now but think that a dose of adventure is in your future, the Chase Freedom Flex can give you the best of both worlds.

The Chase Freedom Flex starts by earning cash back in three permanent bonus categories: 5% cash back on travel purchases made via Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on dining — including takeout and delivery — and 3% cash back at drugstores.

Then you’ll also earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases in bonus categories that rotate each quarter. The categories for January through March 2022 are grocery stores and eBay, but each quarter’s categories are different. And if you’re a new card holder, you’ll get 5% cash back on grocery purchases for the first 12 months you have the card, up to $12,000 in total purchases.

That’s already a pretty great package for a cash back credit card. But when you pair the Chase Freedom Flex with the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can convert your cash back to points at a rate of 1 cent per point. Then you’re able to redeem those points for travel at an increased value of 1.25 to 1.5 cents apiece via the Chase travel portal, or in other categories using the “Pay Yourself Back” tool.

Even better, once you’ve converted your cash back to points, you can transfer them to any of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel loyalty partners. This amazing flexibility is why frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents apiece. At that rate, since you’re earning 1.5% cash back on the Freedom Flex, you could effectively end up with a 3% return on your purchases.

Other benefits of the Chase Freedom Flex include cell phone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty protection and a three-month complimentary subscription to DashPass.

What could be better: While the permanent bonus categories are uncapped, you can only earn bonus cash back on up to $1,500 each quarter in the rotating bonus categories. After that, you’re only getting a 1% return, so it’s important to keep track of how much you’ve spent in those categories over the quarter.

Also, you must remember to activate the rotating bonus categories each quarter in order to earn 5% cash back on them. While you can activate them almost anytime throughout the quarter and still get the bonus cash back retroactively on purchases you’ve already made, it’s important not to miss the deadline or you’ll lose out on an important feature of the card.

Where it beats our benchmark card: Sign-up bonus, cell phone and purchase protections, and introductory rate on purchases for 15 months.

Where our benchmark card is better: The Citi Double Cash offers a higher overall cash back rate.

Learn more and apply now for the Chase Freedom Flex.

Why it’s great in one sentence: The Blue Cash Everyday card earns 3% cash back as a statement credit at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 annually, then 1%) and 2% back at U.S. gas stations, while also offering a generous introductory interest rate on purchases for 15 months, all with no annual fee (see rates and fees).

This card is right for: People who spend a significant amount of their money at U.S. supermarkets each year and don’t want to pay an annual fee for a credit card.

Highlights:

Welcome bonus: Earn $200 back as a statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months after opening the account.

What we like most about the Blue Cash Everyday: For many Americans, a significant portion of the monthly family budget goes to supermarket expenses. The Blue Cash Everyday card dials up the bonus cash back in that category, as well as at gas stations, creating a go-to in your wallet for two routine purchases.

The card also pairs its bonus categories with an introductory 0% APR on purchases for the first 15 months. But you’ll want to make sure your debt is paid off by the end of the intro period, as the APR jumps to a variable 13.99% to 23.99% afterward.

New Blue Cash Everyday card members will also find a welcome bonus that should come in handy: $200 cash back as a statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first six months. That’s a decent chunk of change for a card that has no annual fee.

What could be better: Bonus cash back isn’t earned on purchases outside of the US with the Blue Cash Everyday, and there’s a 3% foreign transaction fee on top of that (see rates and fees). Plus, there’s no way to convert your cash back to American Express Membership Rewards points, which are potentially more useful for those who may want maximum flexibility in redeeming credit card rewards for travel down the line.

Some people might want to consider the more expensive version of the Blue Cash Everyday, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, which earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets — double the Blue Cash Everyday — on up to $6,000 in purchases each year (1% thereafter). The Blue Cash Preferred also offers 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit.

In exchange for those higher bonus rates, you’ll normally pay a $95 annual fee each year, but right now the Blue Cash Preferred comes with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (see rates and fees). So you’ll need to consider whether the Blue Cash Everyday with no annual fee, or the Blue Cash Preferred with a $95 annual fee after the first year, is a better choice for your needs.

Where it beats our benchmark card: Welcome bonus, an introductory interest rate on purchases, car rental damage coverage.

Where our benchmark card is better: The Citi Double Cash has an introductory balance transfer offer and its cash back can be converted to Citi ThankYou travel points when combined with the