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Swiping your credit card or putting it in the card reader is old news. Contactless credit cards are the newest way to pay, and they make the entire process faster while also keeping you safer. If you've been looking for a card like this, we've put together our picks for the best contactless credit cards.
Most of the big card issuers now offer contactless credit cards, so you aren't short on options here. On our list, we focus on high-value credit cards with a wide variety of benefits, from bonus grocery rewards to 0% intro APR offers. Check out our choices below, and then learn more about this type of credit card.
Robin Hartill, CFP®, is The Ascent’s Head of Product Ratings and has worked for The Motley Fool since 2020. Her work has appeared in various national publications, including Yahoo! Finance, NerdWallet, Investopedia, CNN Underscored, MSNBC, USA Today, and CNET Money. She previously wrote The Penny Hoarder’s syndicated “Dear Penny” personal finance advice column.
Great for: Cash back and 0% intro APR for balance transfers
Fair to Excellent (580-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months
Regular APR
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Rewards 2% cash back: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay
Up to 2% cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer 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.
20,000 ThankYou® Points
This card combines a top-notch balance transfer offer for 18 months with best-in-class unlimited 2% cash back on purchases. There's no introductory APR for purchases, so you'll need to pay those off in full every month if you want to avoid interest charges. Read Full Review
Great for: One-card wallet
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months
Regular APR
20.49% - 29.24% Variable
Rewards Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases
1.5% - 5% cash back
Annual Fee N/A
$0
Welcome Offer Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Up to $300 cash back
A cash back card that has it all with unlimited 1.5% - 5% cash back rates and an excellent 0% intro APR offer. There's also an innovative sign-up bonus worth up to $300 cash back. With the bonus, you’ll earn 4.5% cash back on dining and drugstores, 6.5% on travel booked through Chase Travel, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After the bonus, you’ll still earn the regular cash back rates on every purchase. Read Full Review
Great for: Bonus cash back
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months
Regular APR
18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
Rewards 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.
1% - 5% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer N/A
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
We think this card has among the highest cash back potential for cards with no annual fee. The key is the Unlimited Cashback Match — Discover automatically matches all the cash back new cardholders have earned at the end of the first year. That cash back can seriously add up when you earn 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories (when you activate them, up to the quarterly maximum) and 1% on other purchases. Read Full Review
Great for: Long 0% intro APR
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 months
Regular APR
18.24% - 28.99% (Variable)
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
N/A
This card sets itself apart with an incredible 21-month 0% intro APR offer on qualifying balance transfers and no annual fee, making it a top pick for anyone looking for ample time to pay off credit card debt. Plus, you can choose from any available payment date. That way, you can set up automatic payments that are aligned with your paycheck. Read Full Review
Great for: Travel
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases
Annual Fee N/A
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
60,000 bonus points
The enormous welcome bonus (worth $750), bonus travel and dining rewards, and $50 annual hotel credit alone make this card well worth the annual fee. This card’s points are valuable and easy to use, as you can redeem them at 25% more value for Chase Travel bookings, giving it less of a learning curve than other travel cards. It also has a strong list of travel protections you don't see often from such an affordable card, including primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. Read Full Review
Great for: U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months
APR
19.24%-29.99% Variable
Rewards 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
1%-6% Cash Back
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Welcome Offer Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$250
This card offers market-leading cash back at U.S. supermarkets. The welcome bonus and intro APR offer sweeten the deal. Terms apply. If you spend a lot on groceries (excluding wholesale clubs and superstores like Costco and Walmart), this card is worth considering. Read Full Review
Great for: Travel and gas
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Rewards 10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
1x - 10x points
Annual Fee
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
70,000 ThankYou® Points
Citi Strata Premier offers a unique combination of bonus categories we don't see on many travel cards. It earns 3X points on travel and everyday-type categories, including supermarkets and gas/EV charging. You can also earn a welcome bonus worth $700. That combination of rewards is an excellent value for a relatively low annual fee. Plus, if you run into any problems on a trip, its complimentary travel protections (including coverage for trip delays, trip cancellations and interruptions, and lost/damaged luggage) could save the day. Read Full Review
Great for: Students
Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 6 months
Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months
Regular APR
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
Rewards 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically
1% - 5% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer N/A
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Student credit cards are sometimes light on perks, but this Discover one might surprise you. You can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 of spending in rotating bonus categories -- just opt in every quarter. And earning 1% back on other purchases plus an innovative Unlimited Cashback Match welcome bonus makes this one worth considering for college students. Read Full Review
Great for: Building credit with a secured credit card
New/Rebuilding Under(579)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months
Regular APR
28.24% Variable APR
Rewards 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically
1% - 2% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
We think this card has among the highest cash back potential for a secured card with no annual fee. The key is the Unlimited Cashback Match — Discover automatically matches the cash back new cardholders earn at the end of the first year. This card could be perfect for you if you're new to credit, or rebuilding after past troubles. Read Full Review
Great for: Long 0% intro APR
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 21 billing cycles on purchases billing cycles, and after that 18.74% - 29.74% (Variable).
Purchases: 0%, 21 billing cycles on purchases
Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 billing cycles
Regular APR
18.74% - 29.74% (Variable)
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee
N/A
Welcome Offer
N/A
Got a big purchase to finance over time? Consider this U.S. Bank card, as it'll give you a whopping 21 billing cycles of 0% APR on purchases. This also goes for balance transfers, making this one a great fit if you have some existing debt to pay off. It also comes without an annual fee.
A contactless credit card allows you to pay for transactions by holding the card over or tapping it just above the card reader. This type of card is also called "tap to pay" or "tap and go." You can identify contactless credit cards by the wave symbol on them. It looks like a wifi symbol rotated on its side.
These cards use radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to send over payment information. During the payment process, the contactless card sends your credit card number and a one-time-use code. This code identifies and verifies the transaction. It doesn't need to send any other information, such as your name or billing address, to complete the transaction.
There are a couple benefits to contactless credit cards. You can pay for purchases without touching anything yourself. Payments are up to 10 times faster, so it shortens the checkout process. Last but not least, it's just so much cooler than swiping or inserting your card. It's definitely a futuristic feeling the first few times you do it.
You can use a contactless credit card anywhere that accepts credit card payments. Even if the merchant doesn't have a contactless card reader, you can also insert or swipe your contactless card to make payments the old-fashioned way.
Wondering how to know if a merchant has a contactless card reader? One option is to look for that contactless wave logo on the machine. My preferred method is to hold my card over every card reader and hope the cashier corrects me if I'm wrong.
Contactless credit cards are quickly becoming the norm. Since there are so many of them, choosing one is a lot like choosing any other credit card. I recommend you start by focusing on what else you want in terms of features, besides contactless payments.
To make it easy, let's look at a few of the most common reasons to open a new credit card. Then, we'll go over which type of credit card you need in each situation.
Virtually all major credit card issuers offer contactless credit cards, as well as many smaller banks and credit unions. Here are some of the issuers with contactless card options:
If you want a tap-to-pay credit card, contact your card issuer to ask if it offers a contactless version of your card. If so, you can ask them to send you one in the mail.
Contactless credit cards are generally considered a bit safer, both from a fraud and a health standpoint.
When it comes to protecting your health, contactless cards allow you to pay without touching the card reader. Considering the amount of people who use those card readers, that's always a plus.
In terms of fraud, contactless cards protect you from skimming devices. Skimmers are machines that thieves install in card readers to steal credit card information, either when a card is swiped or inserted. You can avoid this risk by making a contactless payment. A thief could still get your card's info with the right device, but they wouldn't have the other payment details, like your name, zip code, and the card's security code.
Now, we should mention skimming is just one type of credit card fraud. Your contactless credit card could be stolen just like one without any fancy RFID technology inside. And hackers could get their hands on the card data if a site where you've used the card suffers a data breach.
Rest assured that even if someone does commit fraud with your credit card, contactless cards have the same protections as regular cards. Most credit card companies offer zero fraud liability as long as you notify them of fraudulent charges within a reasonable time frame.
It certainly doesn't hurt to get a contactless credit card, and we'll all likely be using them soon enough, anyway. If you don't have one yet and you're interested in getting one, it's a great reason to shop around for a new contactless credit card.
Contactless credit cards are the next big thing in credit card technology, following on the heels of EMV chips. It may be a more gradual transition for some retailers, but most major brands and card issuers have adopted contactless payments. Whether you make the switch now or later, you'll be able to get the same types of credit card benefits, just with another payment option.
Card | Rating | Great For |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: Cash back and 0% intro APR for balance transfers |
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: One-card wallet |
|
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: Bonus cash back |
Rating image, 4.25 out of 5 stars.
4.25/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: Long 0% intro APR |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: Travel |
|
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: Travel and gas |
|
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: Students |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: Building credit with a secured credit card |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
|
Great For: Long 0% intro APR |
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
Our highest-rated credit cards have:
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
Most credit cards, including the majority of contactless credit cards, can be loaded into a mobile wallet. It depends on whether the credit card issuer supports the mobile wallet you're using.
The vast majority of card issuers support mobile wallets, so you can load most contactless credit cards to your mobile wallet of choice. To see if a specific contactless card can be used with a mobile wallet, contact the card issuer and ask.
No, you can't accidentally buy something with a contactless credit card. To make a contactless payment, you need to place your credit card within two inches of the contactless symbol on the checkout terminal.
Contactless credit cards are one of the safest payment methods. They send a one-time code that doesn't expose your account details during the transaction process. Since you don't need to swipe or insert a contactless credit card, it's not vulnerable to credit card skimming devices.
The biggest fraud risk with contactless credit cards would be if your card or card number is stolen, which can happen with any type of credit card. As long as you report fraudulent transactions within 60 days, your maximum liability for credit card fraud by law is $50. Most major credit card companies go a step further and have zero-liability policies.
A contactless or tap-and-go credit card is a payment card that you don't have to swipe or insert it into the card reader. Instead, you can tap it or wave it across. This limits the contact it has with the reader, making it a speedier and more hygienic way to pay.
Most major card issuers offer contactless credit cards for their more popular products. If you've got an offshoot card from a major brand or bank with a smaller financial institution, you may not be able to get a contactless version yet. But there's more and more demand for these cards, so if even it's not available right now, you may not have to wait long.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Mastercard and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Amex.