Best EMV Chip Credit Cards – 2018

I’m almost certain that rolling into 2018 that everyone is already quite familiar with what the EMV Chip is for. You may have noticed such a transition in the credit card industry just from visiting your local grocery store alone. Such a pesky thing as I’m constantly reminded everyday to “Insert My Credit Card Here,” however, such a transition is for the best considering this option provides the utmost security with your information.

ACI Worldwide estimates that 46% of Americans have had their card information jeopardized at some point in the past 5 years with approximately 37% of all credit card fraud in the United States being related to counterfeit. Good thing these embedded chips make it virtually impossible for hackers to counterfeit your card. Remember that the objective of this post is to list all the best EMV chip credit cards that go above and beyond in exceptionally providing rewards and no foreign transaction fee.

If you’re big on travel and practicality then the Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ may very well be the better option for you, if you’re willing to pay the $450 premium AF price tag of course. The CSR earns 3X on Travel and Dining purchases. Points earned in Chase’s UR Portal will be redeemable for 1.5+ cents apiece towards travel booked, with a variety of loyalty programs for airlines or hotel point transfer. Not only that, but the $300 annual statement credit towards travel, access to 900+ airpost lounges, and no foreign transaction fees; this card is the pinnacle of balance.

Editor’s Note: Earn yourself a 50,000 UR Point bonus after you make a spending of $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.

Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ Card Summary:

• Apply Now
• Maximum Bonus: 50,000 UR Points
• Spending Requirement: You must spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• Annual Fee: $450, not waived for the first year
• Bonus Worth: The 50K points alone is worth $625 towards airfare/hotel.

If you’re looking for general cash-back rewards, then the Discover It CashBack Match Card may offer you quite the benefit of 5x cash back in categorical spending based on the quarters, capped at $1,500 per quarter. Note that this card offers double cash back on the first year. Rewards can be redeemed at any time for any amount; cash back or statement credit. This card also comes through with no penalty interest rate, no foreign transaction fees, and an automatic waiver on your first late payment fee.

Discover It Cashback Match Card Summary:

• Learn More
• Earning Rate: 5% cash back on quarterly purchases
• Annual Fee: $0
• Bonus Worth:  Total yearly maximum of $6,000 for 5% cash back purchases plus amount earned for all 1% cash purchases which does not have a limit.
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice:  New customers can double the cash back earned at the end of the first year, up to the maximum of $1,500 each quarter for 5% cash back purchase categories and no limit for all other 1% cash back purchases.

Learn more about this card and find out how you can apply here.

The VentureOne® Rewards Card from Capital One earns you 1.25x the miles per dollar spent on all of your purchases, everyday. you can use your miles for any flight or hotel stay, as well as car rentals, cruises, and so much more. There’s no foreign transaction fees and you can travel when you want with no blackout dates. Miles won’t expire either (as long as your account is open) and there’s no limit to how much points you can earn. The cherry on top is the 20,000 Bonus miles you get for $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.

VentureOne Rewards Summary:

• Learn more about Capital One Venture Rewards and apply here
• Maximum Bonus: 20,000 bonus miles
• Spending Requirement: None
• Annual Fee: None
• Bonus Worth: 20,000 bonus miles is worth $200
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: There is no cap on miles and rewards don’t expire.

If you’re a travel enthusiast who’s not up to the Sapphire Reserve’s Premium Annual Fee, than the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card variant is also a solid option with 2X the rewards on all travel purchases, 20% discount on travel booking through UR and the various travel partners that you can transfer your points to. Earn yourself 50,000 Bonus Points after making a spending of $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, essentially valued at $625 towards travel when booked through the UR Portal. Don’t forget that the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $0 intro annual fee, $95 thereafter with an attached no foreign transaction fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Summary:

• Learn More
• Maximum Bonus: 50,000 bonus points + Additional 5,000 points
• Spending Requirement: You must spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, and add an authorized user (no annual fee) within the first 3 months and they make a purchase.
• Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)
• Bonus Worth: The 50K points alone is worth $625 towards airfare/hotel.
• Expiration Date: No expiration
• Additional Advice: If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, we recommend combining it with another Ultimate Rewards-earning card, such as the no annual fee cash-back card Chase Freedom Card. This way, you can transfer the points you earn on the Chase Freedom to your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card account and redeem them for more than 1 cent per point. Since both cards are on the Ultimate Rewards platform, you can also combine the points instead of using two different rewards platforms. That’s an immediate 25% increase on the value of your points when used for travel. Since the Chase Freedom has no annual fee, it’s worth considering to squeeze out every dollar you can for your wallet.

Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® is an excellent option for those of you that prefer to earn rewards as statement credit towards your travel purchases rather than on airlines or hotel reward points. Earn 2x the miles everywhere with each mile being worth one cent as statement credits toward travel purchases. On top of that, receive 5% of your redeemed miles back, all for a $89 annual fee, waived for the first year on top of no foreign transaction fee.

Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard Summary:

• Apply Now
• Earning Rate: 2x everywhere
• Maximum Bonus: 50,000 Bonus Miles
• Spending Requirement:  Must spend $3,000 within first 90 days
• Annual Fee: $89 (waived for first year)
• Bonus Worth: The 50,000 Bonus Miles is worth $500
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: There is no cap on bonuses so earn as much as you can!

Get yourself a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and bag yourself a pretty attractive 6% cash back on all grocery store purchases, capped at $6,000 in purchases every year, and 3% on U.S. gas stations & select U.S. department stores. You can also reap $200 in statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months. Note that this card does have a $95 annual fee and a 2.7% foreign transaction fee attached, so it’s a really solid recommendation as long as you do not use this card out of state, I don’t see why you’d want to though since this card is the epitome of family spending-earned rewards.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express Summary: 

• Learn More
• Maximum Bonus: $200
• Spending Requirement: Must spend $1,000 within first 3 months
• Annual Fee: $95
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: The 6% is capped for $6,000 per year then 1% if you max out the spending.

The  Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns you a flat 1.5% UR points everwhere on top of a standard $150 signup bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months of account opening. The Ultimate Rewards Portal is one of the most attractive redemption options to surface the credit card industry. There’s no minimum to redeem for cash back and not only that but cardholders can redeem their cashback anytime and anywhere, making for convenience and utmost flexibility.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Card Summary:

• Learn More
• Maximum Bonus: $150
• Spending Requirement: You must spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Annual Fee: $0
• Bonus Worth: $150
• Expiration Date: No expiration
• Additional Advice: Pair the Chase Freedom Unlimited with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred for more value on your redemptions.

Conclusion:

Now, keep in mind that EMV Chips and Pin makes it virtually impossible for anyone to counterfeit your credit card, however, most of the protection you receive are mostly in-store, purchases made online may be a different story. Hope this list could clear up what we believe to be the Best EMV Chip Credit Cards of 2018. Of course, if you have any further inputs or credit cards you want to add to the list, be sure to comment below! From the  Chase Sapphire Reserve to the Blue Cash Preferred® Card, you’ll be staying protected and earning insane rewards! Also, find out which card is right for you by checking out our complete list of Credit Card Promotions today!