FinanceBuzz Announces 2026 Credit Card and Banking Awards

DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today FinanceBuzz, a personal finance website focused on helping consumers build financial confidence, announced the winners of its 2026 Best of FinanceBuzz Credit Card and Banking Awards.

The 2026 FinanceBuzz awards recognize the brand's top picks in credit cards and banking, helping consumers navigate the complex search for financial products to meet their money goals. Award categories span a wide range of consumer profiles, including students, travelers, business owners, savers, and everyday consumers looking to better manage their money in 2026.

"Our goal at FinanceBuzz has always been to meet consumers wherever they are in their financial journey and help guide them in a way that makes sense for them," Melinda Sineriz, Managing Editor at FinanceBuzz, said. "With our awards, we were intentional about creating categories that align with different needs to simplify the decision-making process around choosing the right financial product."

To compile the list of award winners in 70 categories across credit cards, checking, high-yield savings, and credit unions, FinanceBuzz editors and personal finance experts evaluated more than 500 credit cards and banking products against an in-depth scoring system designed to measure value to consumers.

Please visit the 2026 Best of FinanceBuzz Awards page to see the full list of award winners and scoring methodology.

Best of Credit Card Award Winners 2026

Travel Credit Cards

• Best Overall Travel Credit Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Best Premium Travel Card: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Best Airline Card: United℠ Explorer Card
• Best Hotel Card: The World of Hyatt Credit Card
• Best No-Annual-Fee Travel Card: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
• Best for Simple Travel Rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Best for Lounge Access: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
  Best for Everyday Spending: Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
• Best for Luxury Travel: The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Best Travel Card Debut: Citi Strata Elite® Card
• Best Travel Card Revamp: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Cash Back & Rewards

• Best Overall Cash Back Credit Card: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
• Best for Dining Out: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Best for Food Delivery: American Express® Gold Card
• Best for Groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• Best for Streaming: U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
  Best for Gas: Citi Custom Cash® Card
• Best Retail Store Card: Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
• Best Online Store Card: Synchrony Amazon Store Card
• Best Cash Back & Rewards Card Revamp: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

0% Intro APR and Balance Transfers

• Best 0% Intro APR and Balance Transfer Card: Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
• Best for Balance Transfers: Citi Simplicity® Card
• Best Intro Purchase APR Card: U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card
• Best for 0% Intro APR and Rewards: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Best 0% Intro APR Card Debut: U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card

Student

• Best Student Credit Card: Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
• Best Student Card for Building Credit: Discover it® Student Chrome
• Best for Off-Campus Living: Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Best for Flat-Rate Cash Back: Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students

Credit Builder

• Best for Building Credit: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Best for No Credit: Chase Freedom Rise®

Business

• Best Overall Business Credit Card: Capital One Venture X Business
• Best for Solopreneurs: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
• Best for a Brick and Mortar Business: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Best for Online Businesses: American Express® Business Gold Card
• Best No-Annual-Fee Business Card: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
• Best Debut Business Card: Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
• Best for Flat-Rate Cash Back: TD Business Solutions Credit Card

FinanceBuzz Best of Banking Award Winners 2026

Checking

• Best Overall Checking Account: Capital One 360 Checking
• Best Online Checking: SoFi Checking and Savings
• Best for Rewards: Upgrade Rewards Checking Plus
• Best Low or No Fee Checking: LendingClub Rewards Checking
• Best for Bonuses: U.S. Bank Smartly® Checkin
• Best Checking and Savings Combo: SoFi Checking and Savings
• Best for Overdraft Protection: Truist One Checking
  Best for High Net Worth: Chase Private Client
• Best for International Travelers: Betterment Checking
• Best for Kids and Teens: Greenlight
• Best for College Students: PNC Virtual Wallet Student
• Best for Bad or No Credit: Chime® Checking

High-Yield Savings

• Best Overall High-Yield Savings Account: Capital One 360 Performance Savings
• Best Online High-Yield Savings: Marcus by Goldman Sachs
• Best for Low or No Fee Savings: Barclays Tiered Savings
• Best for Large Deposits: Wealthfront Cash Account
  Best for New Savers: Current
• Best for Kids and Teens: Capital One Kids Savings Account
  Best for Automated Savings: Ally Bank Savings Account
• Best for Customer Service: American Express High Yield Savings Account
• Best for Consistent Savers: LendingClub High-Yield Savings Account
• Best for High APYs: OpenBank by Santander

Credit Unions

• Best Overall Credit Union: Alliant Credit Union
• Best for Military and Veterans: Navy Federal Credit Union
• Best Online Credit Union: Alliant Credit Union
• Best for In-Branch Access: PenFed Credit Union
• Best for Checking Accounts: Connexus Credit Union
• Best for Savings Accounts: Quorum Credit Union
• Best Regional Credit Union: Digital Federal Credit Union
  Best for Debit Card Users: Andrews Federal Credit Union

About FinanceBuzz:

FinanceBuzz offers the expert resources and support necessary to navigate the complexities of personal finance. FinanceBuzz empowers consumers to build financial confidence at every life stage, via its personal finance website covering a wide range of topics, including credit cards, insurance, banking, investing, retirement, and more.

FinanceBuzz, a Launch Potato brand, was founded in 2016, and the company is headquartered in Delray Beach, FL. For more information, visit FinanceBuzz.com.

Media Contact:

Chris Lewis

(650) 704-8237

[email protected]

SOURCE FinanceBuzz