Start building your financial swiss army wallet with a second credit card.
After getting comfortable with your first credit card, you may find it doesn’t quite do everything you need it to do financially. A second credit card that complements your first can fill these gaps and supplement your overall financial health. We considered all credit cards that are excellent complementary options, weighing in on rewards, intro APR periods, welcome offers, annual fees and additional features. We picked the cards with the best overall value for the lowest cost in these categories to give you a leg up on choosing the best second credit card for your needs.
4 best second credit cards to complement your first
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of the best card for points transfers between other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards. This card pairs well with a Chase Sapphire card because you can boost even your 1.5% base rewards rate to either 1.87% or 2.25% on travel redemption.
Pros
Earn cash back. Earn 6.5% cash back on Chase Travel Portal purchases, 4.5% back on dining, including takeout and delivery, and 4.5% back on drugstore purchases. On everything else, earn 1.5% back.
Signup bonus. Earn an additional 1.5% back on all purchases on up to $20,000 spent total in your first year. This is a $300 value.
Intro APR on purchases. Enjoy 15 months of 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers. After that, a variable APR of 19.49% to 28.24% applies.
Point transfer value. Pair this card with one of the Sapphire cards and you get either 25% or 50% higher redemption value for travel purchases at the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.
Cons
Foreign transaction fee. All purchases made abroad or online with foreign merchants cost 3% of the amount.
Annual fee
$0
Purchase APR
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 19.49% to 28.24% variable)
Balance transfer APR
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 19.49% to 28.24% variable) $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days
Welcome Offer
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back
The Chase Freedom Flexâ„ card is a solid second card option because of its rotating categories. This can help you earn a generous cashback rate on different types of purchases each quarter. This card pairs well with similar cards offering 5% cash back on rotating categories. It's rare that accelerated cashback categories overlap during a quarter, meaning you can maximize your rewards.
Pros
Cash back. Earn 5% cash back in select rotating categories on up to $1,500 each quarter you activate, then 1%. You'll also earn 5% back on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards and on Lyft through March 2022, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores and 1% back on all other purchases.
Signup bonus. Earn $200 cash back after you make $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
Intro APR. Get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months from account opening, then 19.49% to 28.24% variable.
Cons
You'll need to keep track of rotating categories. You won't get the 5% cashback rate on the same categories each quarter. Also, you'll need to activate your cashback categories, or you won't receive the bonus rate.
Categories not always known. Often, Chase won't reveal the whole year's rotating categories until they're close to launching.
Foreign transaction fees. You'll pay a 3% fee on transactions made abroad.
Annual fee
$0
Purchase APR
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 19.49% to 28.24% variable)
Balance transfer APR
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 19.49% to 28.24% variable) $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days
The Citi® Double Cash Card comes with one of the longest intro APR periods on balance transfers to help you pay off your debt with no interest. And once you clear your balance, earn one of the highest cashback rates on all purchases. This card pairs well with credit cards offering accelerated cash back on categories where you spend most. That way you can earn more cash back on those categories with the first card and use the Citi® Double Cash Card on all other purchases.
Pros
Earn cash back. Earn cash back twice on everything you buy — 1% when you make the purchase and 1% when you pay your balance. Similar cards let you earn 1.5% back. That's up to a $100 difference if you spend $20,000 a year with your card.
Intro APR on balance transfers. Enjoy 18 months of a 0% intro APR period for balance transfers. Compared to similar cards, this is one of the longest intro periods you can get. After that, a variable APR of 18.49% to 28.49% applies.
Citi Entertainmentâ„ . Get special access when buying presale tickets or VIP packages for concerts, sports events, dining and more.
Cons
Foreign transaction fee. All purchases made abroad or online with foreign merchants cost 3% of the amount.
Annual fee
$0
Purchase APR
18.49% to 28.49% variable
Balance transfer APR
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 18.49% to 28.49% variable) 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)
This is one of the best credit cards for everyday purchases as it comes with the highest cashback rate on categories such as US streaming services or purchases at US supermarkets. Because this card doesn't come with any travel perks and has foreign transaction fees, it pairs well with travel credit cards, airline and hotel cards that do have those perks and no foreign transaction fees.
Pros
Welcome offer. Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases during your first 6 months of card membership.
Earn cash back. Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year. After that, you'll earn 1% back. You'll also earn 6% on select U.S. streaming services and 3% on transit purchases. At U.S. gas stations, you'll earn 3% back. For all other eligible purchases, you'll get 1% back.
Intro APR period. Enjoy a 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months of account opening. After that, a variable APR of 18.74% to 29.74% applies.
Cons
Annual fee. The card comes with a $95 annual fee after the first year intro.
Cashback cap on groceries. Your 6% cashback rate at U.S. supermarkets is capped on up to $6,000 each year, and 1% after that.
Annual fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)
Purchase APR
0% intro for the first 12 months (then 18.74% to 29.74% variable)
Balance transfer APR
0% intro for the first 12 months (then 18.74% to 29.74% variable) Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Welcome Offer
$250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months
If your first credit card offered flat cash back and you enjoyed the simplicity of the card, the Citi Custom Cashâ„ Card is a perfect card to boost that cash back further without complicating your spending. It earns 5% back on purchases in the top eligible spending category each billing cycle on your first $500 total spent. This means it can make as much cash back as a rotating category card without the hassle of activating reward categories or spending on a tightrope.
Pros
Flexible rewards. The Citi Custom Cash℠Card earns 5% back on your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle, on up to $500 that cycle. After meeting the cap you’ll earn 1% back until the next billing cycle. Eligible categories are grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, drugstores, live entertainment, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, travel, transit and streaming services.
Signup bonus. The card’s $200 bonus after spending $1,500 in the first 6 months is higher than the average you’d find on a 5% cashback card.
No annual fee. You won't pay an annual fee to use this card.
Cons
High penalty APR. Missing payments on this card can result in a hefty penalty APR of up to 29.99% variable.
Foreign transaction fees. This card isn’t great for travelers abroad. You’ll pay 3% on transactions made outside of the US.
Annual fee
$0
Purchase APR
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 18.49% to 28.49% variable)
Balance transfer APR
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 18.49% to 28.49% variable) Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Welcome Offer
$200 cash back after spending $1,500 in the first 6 months. Fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back
Consider what you’re missing when choosing a second credit card
When you’re looking for a second credit card, consider what you’re missing from your current card. If you already earn rewards on gas, for example, you probably don’t need another gas rewards card. Instead, try to get a card that fulfills one of the other benefits to using a credit card. Here are a few examples.
An intro APR. Credit cards that earn big rewards either omit intro APR offers or have smaller offers than a dedicated intro APR card. If you’re looking to save on interest on a future purchase or existing debt, this is a great secondary option.
Different earning rates or categories. For reward chasers, this is one of the most common reasons to pick up a second card. Picking up a credit card that earns rewards or cash back in categories not featured on your existing card is a foundation of creating a credit card rewards strategy.
Specific benefits. Many cards come with benefits that make your life easier when making purchases or traveling. These can include free checked bags, purchase protections, extended warranties and even travel insurance. Depending on your needs, these benefits alone can be worth picking up a specific card.
A signup bonus. Sometimes a credit card’s signup bonus is so valuable that it can be worth picking up the card for the bonus alone.
2 signs you’re ready to get a second credit card
You’ll know you’re ready for your second credit card when:
You’re completely comfortable in handling and paying off your existing credit card.
You’ve identified a new financial need and a second credit card will fulfill that task.
These tasks can vary from helping you consolidate your debt with a balance transfer to letting you use travel perks like free checked bags, airport lounge access and priority boarding. A second credit card is almost always useful not just for their individual benefits, but for the positive influence a larger credit limit will have on your utilization rate.
If you tend to overspend or you’ve missed a few payments with your existing card, you’ll want to hold off on a second card until you get those habits in check. A second credit card should help you, not cause more difficulties. We have several tips for managing multiple credit cards if you think you’ll need help keeping your plastic under control as you add more to your wallet.
Bottom line
If your credit score has improved and you successfully managed to pay off your balance from your first credit card, now is a good time to consider applying for a second credit card. If you already have a good first credit card with rewards, think about which perks you still need that your card doesn’t have. Compare credit cards to find the best second credit card for you. And of course, you don’t have to stop at just two.
Kliment Dukovski is a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in investments and cryptocurrency. He's written more than 700 articles to help readers compare the best trading platforms, understand complex investment terms and find the best credit cards for their needs. His expert commentary has been featured in such digital publications as Fox Business, MSN Money and MediaFeed. He’s also well-versed in money transfers, home loans and more — breaking down these topics into simple concepts anyone can understand. In another life, Kliment ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
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