Looking for a fantastic cash-back credit card? You’re hardly alone. In a survey from private-finance site WalletHub, 79% of people said they are most attracted in earning cash-back credit card rewards, a much higher percentage than those who prefer rewards points or miles.
To help you in your search, we have compiled a list of fantastic cards that provide cash back on every hold (or reward you with points that you can easily trade for cash at a strong value).
For each card, we’ve calculated a typical annual rebate based on costs patterns in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Data Consumer Expenditure Survey and high and mighty $25,000 spent on the card annually (unless if not noted). For cards that do not waive their annual fee the first year, we’ve subtracted the annual fee from the cash value of the annual rebate.
Best Cards for Flat-Rate Cash Back
These cards provide simple and strong cash-back rewards on all costs.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Visa
- Website: www.wellsfargo.com
- Appeal rate: 0% for 15 months, then 17.24% to 27.24%
- Annual fee: None
- Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $1,000 in the first three months
- Typical annual rebate: $500
This card provides 2% cash back on all buys, making it a fantastic card to slip into your wallet if you prefer simple, straightforward rewards. Ways to redeem your cash back include as a proclamation credit, cash at the ATM with a Wells Fargo debit or ATM card (in $20 increments), gift cards ($25 increments), or a credit to a qualifying Wells Fargo credit card, read-through account or finance. A nice side benefit: You get up to $600 per claim of safeguard for your cell phone against hurt or theft if you pay your monthly wireless bill with the card. You pay a $25 deductible, and you get up to two paid claims per 12 months.
Farmers Indemnity Federal Credit Union Crystal Visa
- Website: www.figfcu.org
- Appeal rate: 0% for six months, then 14.49% to 18%
- Annual fee: $99, waived the first year
- Sign-up bonus: $100 back if you spend $5,000 in the first three months
- Typical annual rebate: $750 the first year; $526 from the second year on
The first year you have this card, you’ll rake in cash back at a rate of 3% on every hold, with no annual fee. After that, you’ll get 2.5% back—still an outstanding offer—and an annual fee of $99 kicks in. (The amount of costs that exceeds $10,000 each month does not earn rewards.) You collect rewards in the form of points, and they’re worth a penny each for a bank account deposit or proclamation credit ($50 minimum deliverance). Anyone can become a member of Farmers Indemnity FCU by joining the American Consumer Council and depositing $5 into a savings account.
Citi Double Cash Mastercard
- Website: www.citi.com
- Appeal rate: 16.24% to 26.24%
- Annual fee: None
- Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $1,500 in the first six months
- Typical annual rebate: $500
Get 1% cash back when you make a hold and an bonus 1% back when you pay the bill, for a total of 2% on all you buy. Rewards come in the form of Citi ThankYou points, and cardholders can chat points earned (a total of two points for each dollar spent) at a rate of a penny each for a proclamation credit, check or direct deposit into a bank account. You can also chat points for gift cards, travel and other options through the ThankYou program, but point values vary for those redemptions.
Best Cards for Cash Back in Rotating Categories
Earn top rewards in categories that may change each month or quarter.
U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa
- Website: www.usbank.com
- Appeal rate: 0% for 15 months, then 16.74% to 26.74%
- Annual fee: None
- Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $1,000 in the first 120 days
- Typical annual rebate: $530
This card may prove valuable if you spend noteworthy bucks on your wireless plot, utilities, or TV and internet air force. Each calendar quarter, pick two categories that earn 5% cash back on up to $2,000 in collective buys; among the 12 choices are cell phone service providers; sphere stores; quick food; TV, internet and streaming air force; and home utilities (note that some utility providers charge an extra fee if you pay your bill with a credit card).
You also get 5% back on prepaid travel reservations made through U.S. Bank’s Rewards Travel Center and 2% back in one category of choice among three options: grocery stores, restaurants, or gas stations and gripping-vehicle charging stations. All other costs earns 1% back. Redeem cash back as a proclamation credit, a deposit into a U.S. Bank read-through or savings account, or a U.S. Bank prepaid debit card ($25 minimum deliverance). Cash back expires after three years.
Chase Freedom Flex Mastercard
- Website: www.chase.com
- Appeal rate: 0% for 15 months, then 17.24% to 25.99%
- Annual fee: None
- Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $500 in the first three months; 5% back on gas station buys on the first $6,000 spent in the first year
- Typical annual rebate: $468
Earn 5% back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in rotating categories. In 2022, first-quarter categories built-in grocery stores and eBay; second-quarter categories were Amazon.com and select video- and music-streaming air force, counting Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Spotify; and third-quarter categories are gas stations, car-rental agencies, movie theaters and select live entertainment. (Fourth-quarter categories have not yet been announced.)
Plus, all year you get 5% back on travel buys made through Chase’s Essential Rewards program, 3% back on restaurant and drugstore buys, and 1% back on all other costs. Rewards are tracked as Chase Essential Rewards points, which you can redeem at a rate of 1 cent each for cash back, travel bookings or gift cards.
The card comes with a few extra perks, too, counting a $5 Lyft credit when you take three rides in a calendar month, 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025, and a $5 Fandango reward if you spend $20 on Fandango movie tickets or Fandango’s streaming service. You also get three months of free connection to DashPass (evenly $10 a month), which waives the manner of language fee and reduces service fees on eligible orders through food-manner of language service DoorDash. After three months, you’re reluctantly enrolled for nine months of DashPass connection at a rate of 50% off (you can cancel connection anytime).
Bank of America Bespoke Cash Rewards Visa
- Website: www.bankofamerica.com
- Appeal rate: 0% for 18 months, then 16.24% to 26.24%
- Annual fee: None
- Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days
- Typical annual rebate: $391
You choose one category that earns 3% cash back, and you can change your choice each calendar month. The six options are gas, online shopping, restaurants, travel, drugstores, and home enhancement and gear. Get 2% back on costs at grocery stores and indiscriminate clubs. Each quarter, a collective $2,500 costs limit applies to the 3% and 2% categories—after that, buys in those categories earn 1% back, and all other costs gets 1% back, too.
There’s no minimum rewards balance vital to redeem your cash back as a proclamation credit, deposit into a Bank of America read-through or savings account, or credit to an eligible Merrill cash management account. A $25 minimum applies to redemptions in the form of a check, compulsory deposit into a Bank of America read-through or savings account, or role to a qualifying Merrill 529 account.
This card is mainly appealing for those who have noteworthy balances in Bank of America deposit and investment fiscal proclamation. Through the Ideal Rewards program, you can get a bonus as high as 75% on card rewards that you earn, depending on your account balances. For more, see the bank’s Ideal Rewards page.
Best Cash-Back Credit Cards for Savers
You get the best value with these cards if you stash rewards in a bank or investment account.
Dependability Rewards Visa
This card is a stable winner for the 2% rewards rate that Dependability Funds customers can earn on every dollar spent. You get two points per dollar for each hold, and points are worth a penny each when you redeem them as a cash deposit into an eligible Dependability account (2,500-point minimum). You can divide rewards among up to five fiscal proclamation—counting a brokerage account, cash management account, 529 college-savings plot, retirement account, donor-advised fund, Dependability Go robo-adviser account and health savings account—and even direct cash back into the account of a family member or friend (donor-advised funds are disqualified).
For Dependability Wealth Management clients who use the card, cash-back rates for such redemptions are higher: 2.25% for those with $250,000 to $1 million in eligible assets, 2.5% for those with $1 million to $2 million, and 3% for those with $2 million or more. You can also chat points for travel, sell, gift cards or proclamation credits, but the points are not worth as much for such redemptions.
TD Double Up Visa
- Website: www.td.com
- Appeal rate: 16.49% to 26.49%
- Annual fee: None
- Sign-up bonus: $100 back if you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days
- Typical annual rebate: $500
If you’re a TD Bank consumer, thought-out signing up for its Double Up card, which provides a total of 2% cash back on all costs when you redeem rewards into an eligible TD deposit account. Here’s how it works: Each hold you make earns one point per dollar. When you redeem points into your TD account, they are worth a penny each, and TD deposits an bonus 1 cent into your account for each point redeemed, producing a 2% return on card costs. You can also trade points at a value of a penny a piece as a proclamation credit, a deposit into a read-through or savings account with another fiscal society, gift cards, or travel, but you don’t get a match from TD, sinking your rewards rate to 1%.
Upromise Mastercard
- Website: www.upromisemastercard.com
- Appeal rate: 17.24% to 27.24%
- Annual fee: None
- Sign-up Bonus: $100 back if you spend $500 in the first 90 days
- Typical annual rebate: $382
Each hold you make earns 1.529% cash back if you link your Upromise Program account to a 529 college-savings plot. (If your account is not linked to a college-savings plot, you get 1.25% back.) Upromise reluctantly transfers cash back to your 529 plot monthly if your rewards balance meets a vital minimum. You can choose to have each hold you make with the card rounded up to the nearest dollar and have the alteration converted to cash back rewards, too.
Best Cash-Back Cards for Gas and Grocery Costs
These cards offer ample cash back on buys at gas stations, grocery stores or both.
Abound Credit Union Platinum Visa
- Website: www.aboundcu.org
- Appeal rate: 10.75% to 18%
- Annual fee: None
- Typical annual rebate: $406
This card offers 5% cash back on fuel buys paid at the pump plus 5% back in weekly rotating categories. In 2022, the categories are health and fitness (such as fitness clubs and generous-goods stores) in the first quarter; travel in the second quarter; streaming, phone, cable and internet air force in the third quarter; and Amazon buys in the fourth quarter. Cash back is limited to $100 a month in the rotating categories. After that, you earn 1%, and all other costs on the card gets 1% back. Cash back is reluctantly certified to your monthly proclamation.
Anyone nationally can become a member of Abound CU by joining nonprofit establishment USA Cares (no fee), paying a one-time, $10 connection fee to the credit union and depositing $5 into a savings account.
American Express Blue Cash Ideal
- Website: www.americanexpress.com
- Appeal rate: 0% for 12 months, then 16.24% to 27.24%
- Annual fee: $95
- Sign-up bonus: $350 back if you spend $3,000 in the first six months
- Typical annual rebate: $472
This card offers an superlative 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in supermarket costs each year. (Grocery buys at superstores such as Target and Walmart and at indiscriminate clubs don’t qualify.) Cardholders also get 6% back on a list of more than 30 streaming air force, 3% back at gas stations and on transit (counting taxi and ride-sharing air force, train and bus fares, and parking fees), and 1% back on other costs. Redeem cash back as a proclamation credit.
Cardholders also get a monthly proclamation credit of up to $10 for connection fees for the Equinox+ health and fitness app as well as a $7 proclamation credit each month for a Disney Bundle subscription through Disneyplus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com.
Citi Custom Cash Mastercard
- Website: www.citi.com
- Appeal rate: 0% for 15 months, then 16.24% to 26.24%
- Annual fee: None
- Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $1,500 in the first six months
- Typical annual rebate: $448
Citi Custom Cash provides 5% cash back reluctantly in whichever of 10 categories you spend the most each month, and grocery-store and gas-station costs are among the qualifying categories. (The others are restaurants, select travel, select transit, select streaming air force, drugstores, home-enhancement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment. The 5% rebate is limited to $500 in monthly costs.) All other buys earn 1%. You earn rewards as Citi ThankYou points, which you can trade at a rate of a penny each for a proclamation credit, direct deposit or check. You can also trade points for other rewards, such as gift cards and travel, but deliverance values vary.