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filadendron / iStock.com

When shopping for a credit card, the only thing you won’t find is a shortage of options. That’s because different people need different cards with different rewards at different stages of their lives and financial journeys. Here’s a look at how the top cards on the market work better for some people than others depending on where they are in terms of finances.

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For Your First Card: Petal 2 Visa

The second of Petal’s two specialty cards offers impressive perks for a starter card designed for people with limited or no credit history. If you’re just starting out, Petal 2 delivers up to 1.5% cash back — good even for a mainstream flat-rate card — and credit limits between $500-$10,000. There are no fees at all, including annual and international fees. There’s not even a fee for returned or late payments — another feature that would be impressive even on a card for people with good credit.

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For Your College Years: Capital One SavorOne Rewards for Students

The student segment is packed with many options, but Capital One’s SavorOne line offers a student card that is not like the rest.

SavorOne Rewards for Students delivers an unrivaled 3% cash back on dining, streaming and entertainment — key categories for students — and 1% on everything else. This makes it a top choice for a student-centric card.

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For the Hustle and Bustle of Young Adulthood: Citi Double Cash

Some cards deliver 5% and even 6% cash back — but you have to keep up with rotating bonus categories that change every quarter and remember which card you’re supposed to use when and where. For young adults whose lives, careers and finances tend to play out at a fast pace on uneven ground, the surer bet might be a simple, easy flat-rate card.

Citi Double Cash delivers 2% unlimited cash back on every purchase with no annual fee. No flat-rate card can beat it, but a new kid on the block — the Wells Fargo Active Cash card, brand new as of 2021 — now packs the exact same punch.

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For When You Have a Family: American Express Blue Cash Preferred

If having a family forced you to get organized and budget more tightly, Amex Blue Cash Preferred delivers market-leading cash back where it counts — all without quarterly activation requirements or rotating categories. Your family gets a sky-high 6% back on groceries — up to $6,000 a year, then 1% after that — and another 6% back on streaming subscriptions.

Another family-centric perk is 3% cash back on transit, which includes gas, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, public transportation and taxis. You get 1% cash back on everything else. There’s a $95 annual fee, but it’s waived for the first year.

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For When That Family Needs a Vacation: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Chase Sapphire Preferred has been one of the most flexible, simple and popular travel cards since its debut in 2009, when it became known for delivering premium rewards for a sub-$100 annual fee. The fee is still $95, but the card has made headlines more recently for its massive 100,000-point sign-up bonus.

Good for $1,250 in travel spending, it’s the biggest bonus in the card’s history, and many industry watchers have said it’s the biggest they’ve seen, period. You have to spend $4,000 in three months, which is not a particularly heavy lift. Beyond that, you get up to 5x points on travel purchases and 3x points on streaming, online groceries and food, including restaurants, take-out and delivery.

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For When You Become an Entrepreneur: Chase Ink Business Unlimited

If you decide to strike out on your own and open a small business, the Chase Ink lineup offers different cards for different kinds of entrepreneurs. None are simpler and more direct than Ink Business Unlimited. It comes with a hefty $750 sign-up bonus after a $7,500 minimum spend in the first three months. You get 1.5% unlimited cash back on every single purchase and the card’s 0% introductory APR lasts for 12 months. As an added perk, your employees get cards for no additional fee.

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For When You Hit a Rough Patch: Petal 1 Visa

Anyone can fall behind on payments, charge too many purchases in times of need, experience a job loss or emergency or otherwise stumble into financial trouble. If this sounds familiar, look back to where your credit journey first began — the Petal suite of cards. Unlike Petal 2, which is meant to build credit for the first time, Petal 1 is for people with damaged credit.

It has a lower limit and a higher APR than Petal 2, but there are still no annual or international fees — although late and returned payment fees might apply — and you still get generous cash back at select merchants.

What really sets this card apart, however, is that it considers banking history and other factors beyond just your credit history when determining your APR and your $500-$5,000 credit limit. Whatever limit you get, six on-time payments in six months land you a credit building increase to that line.

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Last updated: Oct. 19, 2021

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Best Credit Card for Every Stage of Your Financial Life

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