Credit card types–There are hundreds or thousands of potential banks and companies that issue credit cards. However, most of these companies (Capital One, Chase, Bank of America, etc.) generally issue 1 of 4 card “brand” types. These are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discovercard. This is important because when applying, it should state which type of card it is. For example, it may be a Chase Ink Visa, etc.
You want to pay close attention to that, because not all companies accept certain types of credit cards. Here is the top 4 credit cards “brands” or “technologies” ranked from most widely used/accepted to least widely used/accepted.
Best Credit Card Companies to Apply for a Credit Card
1. Visa-almost any company that accepts credit cards will take a Visa. This company is everywhere, and I have yet to see any company that accepts a credit card that doesn’t accept a Visa. Visa cards will be accepted in most locations.
2. Mastercard- Mastercard is right up there with Visa. It seems Visa is a little more widely accepted, but Mastercard is right there with them. Either of these types would be great to apply for and use.
3. Discovercard-Discover card is not accepted as much as Visa or Mastercard in my experience. Don’t get me wrong, they are a great card company and I enjoy using my discover quite a bit. But every so often I will run into a company that only accepts Visa and Mastercard. But more and more are taking Discover as well, but you may run into some issues.
4. American Express-American Express is also a great card, but again, it seems that it may even be accepted a little less than Discover. I have experienced many companies in my town and online that won’t accept American Express in the past. Also, it seems that this brand is a little more difficult to get an approved account. I recall being rejected in the past when I was beginning my credit card activity.
Again, I am sure more and more online companies and brick and mortar businesses will expand to accept this card, and perhaps they have lowered their standards a bit in terms of approving new applicants. But I would stick with Mastercard or Visa to be totally safe if you are just applying for 1 card.
It may be beneficial to have a card with all four major companies, and this is what I have often done. However, if you need only one to start out, I would go with a Visa or Mastercard for sure. Then, you can open accounts with Discover and American Express gradually over time to keep your credit great and have different cards to choose from.