7 Cool-Looking Credit Cards

Credit cards are a powerful financial tool because you can use them to build your credit and maximize your daily spending by taking advantage of the various rewards options available. They can also offer valuable perks depending on what type of card you apply for. As long as you pay your balance in full each month, you never have to worry about paying interest either.

As credit card companies continue to expand their unique perks and features, there has been an increase in cool-looking credit cards. Although you should always consider the features of a credit card, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to find a really cool-looking one that sticks out when you pull it out. This is why we decided to scour the web to find cool-looking credit cards.

Cool-Looking Credit Cards

If you want a cool-looking credit card with valuable rewards and perks, these are our top seven choices.

1. Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express is a classic in the cool-looking card space. It’s a hefty, platinum-colored, metal card that is pleasing to look at and is likely to draw a look from people who haven’t seen one before.

Along with the hefty weight, it has a hefty annual fee but offers ways to recoup that fee in the form of fee credits. The card is designed for travelers, giving you complementary hotel status, access to airport lounges, and elevated rewards on travel purchases. If you travel a lot, it can be well worth the cost. But people who won’t take advantage of its airline and hotel programs won’t get nearly as much from the card.

• Rewards: 5x points on flights and hotels when booked through AmexTravel.com, 1x points on other purchases
• Perks: TSA Precheck or Global Entry fee credit, $200 in Uber credits per year, hotel credits, Marriott Gold status, Hilton Gold status, trip delay and cancellation insurance, return protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, airport lounge access
• Best for: Frequent flyers and travelers

See Rates & Fees.

2. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card is Chase’s response to the American Express Platinum card. It comes with valuable travel perks and rewards, with a large sign-up bonus. You can travel in style by breezing through security with TSA Precheck and relaxing in the airport lounge before your flight.

The card has an attractive blue design and is made of metal, which gives it some heft in your wallet. It’s best for people who like to travel, as those who don’t spend a lot of time traveling won’t get much out of its rewards or perks aside from having a cool-looking credit card.

• Rewards: Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining, 10x total points on Chase Dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards® & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Perks: Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, $300 annual travel credit, fee credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, airport lounge access, benefits and upgrades at select hotels, one year of DoorDash DashPass
• Best for: Frequent travelers

3. Blue Cash Preferred® Card From American Express

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card From American Express has a great blue design featuring the American Express Centurion logo. It’s the first plastic card on this list, but its attractive design and rewards make up for that.

This card is ideal for people that do a lot of driving or that buy a lot of groceries. Given that food is one of the biggest expenses for the average American family, earning 6% cash back on groceries means saving a lot of money over the course of the year. Terms apply.

For those that want to avoid the $95 ($0 intro annual fee in first year) annual fee, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card offers 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets and 3% back at select U.S. gas stations and online retail purchases, with no annual fee. However, it has a different design that may not be as visually appealing.

See Rates & Fees.

• Rewards: 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in spending per year, 1% after) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% cash back on everything else. Terms apply.
• Perks: Rental car insurance, return protection
• Best for: Drivers and grocery shoppers

Read our Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express review or check it out here.

4. Citi Double Cash Card

The Citi Double Cash Card features a unique blue and green pattern with some metallic shine. While the card is plastic, it’s still one of the really cool credit cards out there.

This is ideal for people who want to keep things simple. You could carry around a dozen credit cards to maximize the cash back you earn in every scenario. However, few people have the patience to deal with all of those cards.

This card offers one of the best cash back rates for non-category purchases. If you want a single card that will get you solid rewards, it’s hard to go wrong with the Citi Double Cash. This cool-looking credit card comes with unlimited cash back and no annual fee.

• Rewards: 2% cash back on everything (1% when you make the purchase and 1% when you pay for it)
• Best for: People who want a single card for every purchase

Read more in our Citi Double Cash Card review.

5. American Express® Gold Card

The American Express® Gold Card is a step down from the Platinum card, offering fewer perks, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad card. It has an attractive gold coloring and more weight than a typical credit card.

This card is great for people who enjoy eating at restaurants thanks to the rewards and credits it offers for dining. If you travel once or twice a year, you may also be able to take advantage of the hotel perks that come with it. Terms Apply.

American Express sometimes offers an alternate version of the card, which has the same fees, rewards, and perks but comes with a rose gold coloring. If you want to stand out a bit, asking for the rose gold variant is one way to do that.

• Rewards: 4x points on dining and groceries, 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, 1x points on other purchases
• Perks: $120 in Uber credits each year, $120 in dining credits for select restaurants each year, $100 credit at select hotels, baggage insurance
• Best for: Occasional travelers who like to dine out

See Rates & Fees.

6. Capital One Savor Cash Card

The Capital One Savor Card has a brushed copper design that you won’t find with any other cool-looking credit card. As a new member, you can earn $300 when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account.

It’s ideal for those who enjoy dining out since you can earn 4% cash-back rewards without any limits. You also get 24-hour travel assistance services and an extended warranty.

• Rewards: 4% in unlimited cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, 3% at grocery stores, and 1% on all other purchases
• Perks: Complimentary Uber benefits and an Uber One membership. Free extended warranty
• Best for: Those who enjoy dining out

7. Delta Skymiles Platinum Business American Express Card

The Delta Skymiles Platinum Business American Express Card is one of those really cool-looking credit cards you have to see for yourself, as it signifies that you enjoy travel with its visual design.

This card comes with a $250 annual fee, so you have to be a frequent flyer to ensure that you get to maximize the benefits. New members can earn 60,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.

Rewards: 3x miles at Delta (every dollar spent on Delta purchases), 1.5x miles on large purchases ($5,000 or more), and 1x miles on other purchases

Perks: Many travel-related perks- priority boarding, first checked bag free, an annual companion certificate (terms and conditions apply), and in-flight savings of 20%

Best for: Frequent flyers and business travelers

How We Chose These Cards

When we selected these cards, we looked at a few criteria.

Obviously, we considered how the cards look. While the visual appeal of a credit card is a personal matter, we tried to find cards that fit different tastes, including metal cards, cards you can customize, and more minimalist designs.

We also looked at the rewards offered by the credit cards. One of the top reasons to use a credit card when shopping is to earn rewards. There are very nice-looking cards that don’t offer any rewards or have horrible reward structures. We excluded them from this list.

Finally, we considered the non-rewards perks that the cards offer. For some premium travel cards, the rewards can be almost an afterthought compared to the perks they offer, like airline access and hotel status. If you can get a card that looks cool and has these perks, that’s a great bonus.

Related: Best Luxury Credit Cards

Is It Important to Have a Cool-Looking Credit Card?

In all honesty, it’s not. Any credit card, from the most basic plastic to the fanciest metal card, does the same thing - it lets you make purchases.

In the same token, you could easily live in a house or apartment with no art or pictures on the wall. The home would work just the same, providing shelter and a place to sleep. But few people would argue that you would enjoy your home more if it looks nice.

Having a card with a design you like is a nice way to personalize your wallet and gives you something nice to look at when you’re out shopping. There’s also some overlap between cards with great designs and ones with good rewards and perks.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about cool-looking credit cards that may be on your mind as you go through this list.

Do metal cards work differently from plastic credit cards?

No, metal credit cards work just the same as plastic credit cards. You can swipe them, use their chip, or tap them to make purchases just as you would with any other card. The metal used in the card’s design gives the card more weight and makes it feel more premium, but it doesn’t affect how you use it.

Is it possible to design your own credit card?

There are some credit card issuers that will let you personalize your credit card or choose from different designs.

For example, the Discover NHL card lets you choose any of the teams in the National Hockey League and get a card with their logo and colors. Wells Fargo lets you upload any image you’d like to design your card, but reserves the right to refuse to print the card with the image you upload.

How can I choose the best credit card?

While the look of your credit card might be important, you also need to consider the card’s other features and how you plan to use the card. If you mostly use your credit card to do things like grocery shopping or paying for meals at restaurants, look for cards that offer strong rewards on those purchases.

If you travel frequently, you’ll want a card that offers travel rewards or perks like airport lounge access. If you have to carry a balance occasionally, get a card with a low-interest rate. Choosing a credit card is a personal decision, but if you take the time to think about how you’ll use it, it can guide that decision and help you make the right choice.

Final Thoughts

Again, it’s not important to have a cool-looking credit card. However, sometimes you just want to add some flavor to your life, and there’s nothing wrong with seeking out a credit card that you’re proud to display.

Almost everyone has credit cards they use regularly, and many cards can wind up looking very similar. If you want a cool credit card that stands out from the crowd while offering valuable rewards and perks, you should consider some of the cards on this list.