With 2015 coming to a close, we thought you, our readers, might be interested to know the new (or revamped) credit cards that hit the market during the past 12 months. While some credit card issuers actually withdrew some of their card offers, here are our favorite new credit cards for the year 2015:
This is the newest addition to the many other Barclaycard credit cards already on the market. Members earn cash rewards on every purchase without having to deal with rotating categories or spending limits.
Here are the highlights:
- New members only – Receive a $100 cash rewards bonus after spending a minimum of $500 on eligible net retail purchases within the first 90 days that your account is open. Net purchases are the total amount of transactions minus any credits, returns or fees.
- New members only – Enjoy a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on both purchases and balance transfers. Note: Balance transfers must be completed and post to your account within 45 days from the date your account is opened. Also, a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the transfer amount (whichever is greater) is applied to all balance transfers. Once the promotional period ends, the variable APR will be 14.99%, 18.99% or 22.99% based on your creditworthiness at the time of approval.
- Earn unlimited 5% cash rewards on every purchase, all the time. Rewards may be redeemed as a deposit into your bank account, a statement credit or gift cards. Redemptions start at $50.
- Receive a 5% cash rewards redemption bonus to use towards your next redemption every time you redeem cash rewards.
- Rewards do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
- EMV chip technology
- Free access to FICO credit score
- No annual fee
In 2015, Discover added the Discover it Miles card to its lineup of other credit cards such as Discover it and Discover it for Students. Here are the specifics:
New members only – Receive a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from the date your account is opened. After this time, the variable APR will be 10.99% to 22.99% depending on your creditworthiness at the time of approval.
- New members only – Receive an introductory Balance Transfer APR of 10.99% for 12 months from the date of the first transfer (transfers must post to your account by March 10, 2016). After this, the variable APR will be 10.99% to 22.99% based on your creditworthiness at the time of approval. A balance transfer fee of 3% of the total amount transferred is applied to any balance transfer that posts to your account. This fee is not waived during the promotional offer.
- New members only – Discover will automatically double the Miles you’ve earned on your Miles card at the end of your first year.
- Earn 1.5X unlimited miles on every purchase
- Redeem miles in any amount for a travel credit to your statement that covers travel purchases. You may also redeem for cash at any time.
- 1:1 ratio of redemption – 100 Miles always equals $1.00
- Receive up to $30 in credit annually for In-Flight Wi-Fi purchases made with your card
- No blackout dates. Choose any airline, any time.
- Free access to FICO credit score
- No annual fee
3) Wyndham Rewards Visa
While this card is technically not a new entry into the credit card market, for all practical purposes it is since Wyndham Hotels completely revised their rewards program in 2015. An award night at any of their properties now requires only 15,000 points making it a strong contender in the hotel rewards arena. Here are the highlights:
- New members only – Earn 15,000 bonus points after making your first purchase on the card (no minimum amount). Earn an additional 15,000 bonus points after spending at least $1,000 on purchases within 90 days of account opening. (30,000 points are enough for up to two free nights at a Wyndham property.)
- New members only – Receive a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers which post to your account within 45 days of account opening. After this time, the variable APR will be 15.24%, 19.99% or 24.99% based on your creditworthiness. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the total amount of the transfer (whichever is greater) is applied to all completed balance transfers.
- Earn 5X points per dollar spent on every participating hotel stay
- Earn 2X points per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Earn 6,000 bonus points after your account anniversary every year
- Annual fee of $69 (not waived)
4) Stash Hotel Rewards Card
This card is issued by Synchrony Bank and is a bit different from other co-branded hotel rewards cards. Stash is not a hotel brand or franchise but a rewards program put together by a group of independent hotels located throughout the U.S. (including Hawaii), the Caribbean and Panama. Here are the details:
- New members only – Earn 10,000 Stash points after making $1,500 in eligible purchases within 90 days of opening your account.
- Earn 3X points at Stash hotels
- Earn 2X points at all other hotels plus dining and gas purchases
- Earn 1X point on all other purchases
- Receive a 10% rebate on points redeemed for award nights at any Stash hotel property
- No blackout dates
- Points never expire
- No foreign transaction fees
- Annual fee of $85 is waived for the first year
This card was recently issued by Bank of America after Amtrak ended its credit card relationship with Chase. Here are the highlights:
- New members only – Earn 20,000 bonus points after making a minimum of $1,000 in purchases within 90 days of opening your account.
- New members only – Receive a complimentary Companion Coupon, One-Class Upgrade and a single-day Club Acela pass for access to Club Acela, Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge or First Class lounges upon account opening
- Earn 3X Amtrak Guest Rewards points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel including onboard purchases
- Earn 2X points on other qualifying travel purchases
- Earn 1X point on all other purchases
- Get a 5% Amtrak Guest Rewards point rebate when you book Amtrak redemption travel
- Earn 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) towards earning status each time you make $5,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year (up to 4,000 TQPs per year)
- Receive a Companion Coupon and One-Class Upgrade each year when you renew your card membership
- No foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited points which can be used at any time. Points do not expire.
- EMV chip technology
- Annual fee of $79 (not waived)