What are the best credit cards for 2021?

We review over 100 credit cards and cover the following card types:

• Cashback credit cards
• Reward credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Purchase cards
• Credit repair cards

The first four categories are reviewed together and are listed under the best five- and four-star personal credit cards.  In addition, we also rate credit repair cards as a separate category.

We look at the credit cards and assess their product features and the scale of any penalties or fees associated with the cards. We also assess their additional services and ongoing benefits.

Those with the widest range of features and benefits will be awarded a top rating of five stars, with those that are close, but with a little more to do, achieving four stars.

The ratings provided by Moneyfacts are an indication of which cards offer consumers the best range of product features and benefits. When looking for a credit card you should still do your own research and check that any card you are looking at meets your needs.

For 2021, the following credit cards received the top rating of five stars. These have the strongest range of features of all credit cards currently in the market.

• AIB - AIB Visa Option 1
• American Express - American Express Platinum Cashback Card
• American Express - American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday Card
• American Express - American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
• American Express - American Express Rewards Credit Card
• American Express - British Airways American Express Card
• American Express - British Airways American Express Premium Plus
• American Express - Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express Credit Card
• American Express - The American Express Nectar Credit Card
• American Express - Vitality American Express Credit Card
• Barclaycard - Barclaycard Rewards Visa
• Halifax - Halifax 0% Purchase and Balance Transfer Mastercard
• Halifax - Halifax Clarity Credit Card Mastercard
• Halifax - Halifax Low Fee 0% Balance Transfer Mastercard
• HSBC - HSBC Premier Credit Card Mastercard
• HSBC - HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
• M&S Bank - M&S Bank Reward Plus Mastercard
• M&S Bank - M&S Bank Shopping Plus Mastercard
• M&S Bank - M&S Bank Transfer Plus Mastercard
• Metro Bank - Metro Bank Personal Credit Card Mastercard
• NatWest - NatWest Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard
• NatWest - NatWest Credit Card Mastercard
• NatWest - NatWest Reward Black Credit Card Mastercard
• NatWest - NatWest Reward Credit Card Mastercard
• NatWest - NatWest Student Credit Card Mastercard
• Royal Bank of Scotland - Royal Bank of Scotland Balance Transfer
  Credit Card Mastercard
• Royal Bank of Scotland - Royal Bank of Scotland Reward Black
  Credit Card Mastercard
• Royal Bank of Scotland - Royal Bank of Scotland Reward
  Credit Card Mastercard
• Royal Bank of Scotland - Royal Bank of Scotland Royal Bank
  Credit Card Mastercard
• Royal Bank of Scotland - Royal Bank of Scotland Student
  Credit Card Mastercard
• Santander - Santander All in One Credit Card Mastercard
• Santander - Santander World Elite Mastercard
• Santander - Santander Zero Credit Card Mastercard
• Tesco Bank - Tesco Bank Clubcard Credit Card for 22 Months Balance
  Transfer Mastercard
• Tesco Bank - Tesco Bank Clubcard Credit Card Purchases Mastercard
• Tesco Bank - Tesco Bank Clubcard Plus Credit Card Mastercard
• Virgin Money - Virgin Money 15 Month All Round Credit Card Mastercard
• Virgin Money - Virgin Money 16 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card
  Mastercard
• Virgin Money - Virgin Money Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
• Virgin Money - Virgin Money Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Credit Card

• Bank of Scotland - Bank of Scotland Platinum 0% Purchase and
  Balance Transfer Mastercard
• Bank of Scotland - Bank of Scotland Platinum Low Fee 0% Balance Transfer Mastercard
• Bank of Scotland - Bank of Scotland Platinum Low Rate Mastercard
• Barclaycard - Barclaycard Platinum 18 Month 0% Purchase and
  Balance Transfer Visa
• Coutts & Co - Coutts & Co Silk Credit Card Visa
• Danske Bank - Danske Bank Standard Mastercard
• HSBC - HSBC Rewards Credit Card Mastercard
• Lloyds Bank - Lloyds Bank Platinum 0% Purchase and Balance Transfer Mastercard
• Lloyds Bank - Lloyds Bank Platinum Low Fee 0% Balance Transfer Mastercard
• Lloyds Bank - Lloyds Bank Platinum Low Rate Mastercard
• MBNA Limited - MBNA Limited 0% Transfer and Purchase
• Credit Card Mastercard
• MBNA Limited - MBNA Limited Long 0% Balance Transfer Mastercard
• MBNA Limited - MBNA Limited Long 0% Money Transfer Credit Card Mastercard
• MBNA Limited - MBNA Limited Low Fee 0% Balance Transfer Mastercard
• Nationwide BS - Nationwide Member Credit Card All Rounder Visa
• Nationwide BS - Nationwide Member Credit Card Balance Transfer Visa
• NatWest - NatWest Longer Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard
• Post Office Money® - Post Office Money® Travel Credit Card Mastercard
• Royal Bank of Scotland - Royal Bank of Scotland Longer Balance Transfer
• Credit Card Mastercard
• Sainsbury's Bank - Sainsbury's Bank Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard
• Sainsbury's Bank - Sainsbury's Bank Dual Offer Credit Card Mastercard
• Sainsbury's Bank - Sainsbury's Bank Low Balance Transfer Fee
• Credit Card Mastercard
• Tandem Bank - Tandem Bank Journey Credit Card Mastercard
• Ulster Bank - Ulster Bank Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard
• Ulster Bank - Ulster Bank Credit Card Mastercard
• Ulster Bank - Ulster Bank Longer Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard
• Ulster Bank - Ulster Bank Student Mastercard
• Virgin Money - Virgin Money 18 Month All Round Credit Card Mastercard
• Virgin Money - Virgin Money 20 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard
• Virgin Money - Virgin Money 22 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard

• 118 118 Money - 118 118 Money Guaranteed Rate Card Mastercard
• Barclaycard - Barclaycard Better Together Initial Visa
• Barclaycard - Barclaycard Forward Credit Card Visa
• HSBC - HSBC Classic Credit Card Visa
• Tesco Bank - Tesco Bank Foundation Clubcard Credit Card Mastercard

• Ocean Finance - Ocean Credit Card Mastercard
• Post Office Money® - Post Office Money® Classic Credit Card Mastercard
• Capital One - Capital One Classic Mastercard

• American Express - The American Express Green Card
• American Express - The Platinum Card

• Coutts & Co - Coutts and Co Silk Charge Mastercard