Updated September 29, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Top credit and debit cards compared
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| Order | Provider | Score | Features | Key facts | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 |  Grenada Co-operative BankPartner | 9.7/10 |
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| 72 |  National Bank of Malawi Mo626 Digital+Partner Waku WAFCON POS Swipe & Win Promotion: Monthly draws: 1 x MWK 500,000, 10 x MWK 200,000, 10 x MWK 100,000; grand prize: all-expenses-paid Morocco trip for 2 with USD 1,500 shopping allowance each | 9.7/10 |
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| 73 |  NCB JamaicaPartner | 9.7/10 |
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| 74 |  Absa Bank MauritiusPartner | 9.6/10 |
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| 75 | Absa SeychellesPartner | 9.6/10 |
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| 76 |  Banco PichinchaPartner | 9.6/10 |
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| 77 |  Banco SantanderPartner | 9.6/10 |
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| 78 |  BancolombiaPartner 3 months of Super Duolingo for opening a Cuenta Global de Wenia | 9.6/10 |
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| 79 | CMFPartner Monthly discounts at partner merchants with the Tarjeta Prepago CMF Mastercard | 9.6/10 |
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| 80 |  BSP Samoa Classic Visa Debit CardPartner | 9.6/10 |
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About Top credit and debit cards compared
This ranking covers credit and debit cards from 1,573 brands, ordered for readers who weigh costs, the safety of the money and how the account behaves day to day. The order is not a league table of plastic. Some names here are cards you spend from, some exist to build a credit file from almost nothing, and others lend money quickly, so the first question is what the account is actually for. Costs arrive in layers: an annual fee, a rate on borrowed money, and a charge every time you spend in another currency. The typical annual fee across this list is €0, so the yearly charge rarely decides it, while conversion and the rate after an interest free offer are where money goes missing. By the middle of this group foreign exchange costs 1%, and several cards convert for nothing at all. Credit history narrows the field more than price does: 56.2% of the cards here want good credit, against 21.3% that work with poor credit. Support counts too, because a card is only as useful as the help when a payment is blocked.
How we picked
Every card here is scored on three things, weighted for readers who care about costs, the safety of the money and how the account works. Trust carries the most weight at 40%, cost comes next at 35%, and the offer itself sits at 25%. The score combines what each provider publishes about fees, rates, credit checks, protection features, support channels and the account tools inside the app. Figures come from plan pages, pricing pages, product terms, help centres and perk lists, so an annual fee is taken from the plan that carries it and a rate is taken from the product page that states it. Where a card has more than one plan, the fee is described with the plan it applies to. Partners are listed first in the order the score gives them, and everything else follows by score alone. Cards that only lend money sit in the same ranking as spending cards because readers ask both questions at once, and each write-up says which is which rather than blurring the difference. Where a card earns nothing back, that comes from its rewards listing rather than an assumption.
How we rankWhat to look for
- The annual fee
- Most cards in this group charge €0 a year, and the lower quartile sits at €0, so the yearly charge rarely decides it. The upper quartile sits at €8.59 and the top of the range reaches €570.03, which is where premium travel and metal cards sit.
- What conversion costs
- Foreign exchange is where everyday spending quietly costs extra. The middle of this group charges 1% to convert, the upper quartile 2.5%, and a good share of cards charge 0%. If you travel or buy in another currency, this line matters more than the yearly fee.
- The rate on borrowed money
- A balance left uncleared or a purchase you do not clear is billed at the card rate, and the middle of this group sits at 14.45% with the upper quartile at 22.8%. Cards built for thin credit files often sit at 0% with a low spending limit instead of a competitive rate.
- Who can actually get one
- Credit checks decide more than fees do. Cards wanting good credit make up 56.2% of this group, while only 21.3% will work with a poor credit history. A soft prequalification before a full check is offered by 14.9% of them.
- Getting help when a payment goes wrong
- A blocked payment at short notice needs a person rather than a form. Phone support appears on 76.5% of these cards, a help centre on 72.8%, and live chat on 33.5%. An email address alone leaves you waiting at the worst moment.
- What the card pays back
- Cashback is the most common reward structure in this group at 45.8%, with 28.2% paying nothing back at all. Read what any rate depends on, such as a subscription tier or a qualifying deposit, before treating it as income.
Frequently asked questions
Which card in this list offers a balance transfer?+
The Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card is the one built around it, with an interest free window of 21 on balance transfers and on purchases, plus a money transfer option. The balance transfer fee is 2.95%, and anything left after the window is billed at 27.9%. The card is issued by Nationwide Building Society, trading as Virgin Money.
Are there cards here with no annual fee?+
Plenty. bunq charges €0 on its personal plans, Wise £0, Starling's personal account £0, Chime $0, both Varo cards and Crezu ES €0. That makes the annual fee a poor way to separate these cards. Conversion costs, the rate after an interest free offer and whether a security deposit is needed are the lines worth reading instead.
Which cards here work with poor credit?+
The Varo Believe Secured Credit Card and Chime both list poor as the credit level they work with, as do Creditilia and Crezu ES. The Varo cards and Chime need no credit check to apply, and a Varo cardholder sets the spending limit with no minimum security deposit. Creditilia and Crezu ES lend money instead, at rates of 4% to 289% and 0% to 36% on what you borrow.
Which card here is cheapest for spending abroad?+
Several convert for nothing: Starling's personal account lists 0%, the Virgin Atlantic card 0%, Chime and both Varo cards the same. Wise takes 0.1% on conversion, and bunq charges fees of 0.5% to 3%, so for regular foreign spending the cards that convert at no charge are ahead on that point alone.
Do any of these cards pay cashback?+
Several do. Chime's rate depends on the subscription tier and on qualifying direct deposits, so read the tiers before counting on it. Varo cashback comes from merchant offers and varies by merchant, and the Virgin Atlantic card pays through offers in the app. Starling and Crezu ES pay nothing back, with rewards listed as none and none.
How much do I need to put down for a secured card?+
Nothing at the Varo level. The perk list for the Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply, sets no minimum security deposit and lets the cardholder choose the spending limit. Chime's secured card also carries an annual fee of $0 and works with a poor credit history, which beats any card that wants a deposit first.
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The data behind this ranking
| Metric | Value | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Median headline rate | 3 % | 337 |
| Lower quartile headline rate | 1.12 % | 337 |
