Best Cash-Back Credit Cards Of April 2024 (2024)

Best Cash-Back Card To Pair With Other Cards: U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

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The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card is unlikely to be the best primary credit card in most wallets, but those looking to add a second card to their wallet could benefit nicely.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center, 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories of choice, 2% cash back on one everyday category such as gas stations, grocery stores or restaurants, and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn a $200 rewards bonus after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: The main advantage to the Cash+ is the ability to earn 5% cash back on two selected spending categories each quarter. That alone is cause for celebration, but the included categories cover a lot of purchase types you rarely see bonused, like electronic stores and furniture. There are, unfortunately, downsides. First, you’ll have to manually choose and activate your spending categories. Secondly, the increased earning rate tops out with $2,000 in spending.

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card also offers an introductory APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, then a standard APR of 19.49% - 29.74% variable APR applies. A balance transfer fee of 3% ($5 minimum) applies and balances transferred must be completed within 60 days from account opening.

Best for Large Welcome Bonus Potential: Discover it® Cash Back

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The Discover it® Cash Back card will automatically match all of the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, with no limits. Depending on your spending, this match can easily exceed the bonuses you can earn from other cards. Even after the first year, it offers solid rewards.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter up to a quarterly maximum of $1,500 in spending when activated. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.

Welcome offer: Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first year as a cardmember. There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Discover’s bonus categories have typically been high-value spending areas such as groceries, gas stations and restaurants. The biggest downside to the Discover it® Cash Back is the need to remember to activate the bonus category each quarter or you won’t earn the higher cash-back rate. You can opt-in for Discover to remind you when the bonus category changes.

This card also comes with an introductory APR offer, making it a cost-saving option if you have a big purchase coming up or want to consolidate high-interest debt: 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and eligible balance transfers. Then, a standard rate of 17.24% - 28.24% variable applies. A balance transfer fee of up to 5% of the amount transferred applies. Keep in mind Discover is not as widely accepted outside of the U.S. compared as other card networks.

Best for Preferred Rewards Members: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

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The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card fits nicely in the wallet of Bank of America or Merrill customers. With Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program, the card’s earning rates can increase by as much as 75%. Without Preferred Rewards, other cards may offer a better return for your spending.

Rewards: Earn 3% cash back in the eligible category of your choice, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers an introductory APR: 0% introductory APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases and balance transfers, 18.24% - 28.24% variable APR applies thereafter. Intro rate applies for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days; balance transfer fee of 3% applies to each transfer during this period, then 4%. Cardholders also receive free online access to their FICO Scores.

Best Rotating Category Cash-Back Card: Chase Freedom Flex℠*

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The Chase Freedom Flex℠* charges no annual fee and features valuable bonus categories, which makes it a good choice for almost anyone looking to earn cash back.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 5% cash back on combined gas station and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: In addition to the useful bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Flex℠* offers purchase protection, extended warranty protection, select travel protections and cellphone protection when making eligible charges.

This card is a winner already, but it can be even better when paired with a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. That’s because you can transfer the points earned on your Freedom Flex to one of these premium cards where they can be redeemed for 25% to 50% more value through Chase Travel℠or Pay Yourself Back. Points can also be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Chase’s airline and hotel partners including United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt.

Best Cash-Back Card for Travel: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is another great no annual fee cash-back option. It offers simple rewards categories, though someone tracking spending categories strategically could potentially earn more with the Freedom Flex.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases, plus an additional 1.5% cash back on the first $20,000 in purchases the first year.

Welcome offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year, worth up to $300 cash back.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Like the Freedom Flex, the Freedom Unlimited offers purchase protection and extended warranty protection. It also offers some travel benefits including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, travel and emergency assistance services and secondary auto rental collision damage coverage.

It too, can be paired with a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards card to amp up the value of eligible redemptions.

Best Flat-Rate Cash-Rewards Card: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

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The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a solid option for those looking for a flat-rate rewards card.

Rewards: Earn 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: In addition to flat-rate rewards that beat most competition, the Active Cash offers a cellphone protection benefit of up to $600 twice per year, subject to a $25 deductible and a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies.

This card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee so it is not a good choice for purchases made abroad.

Best Cash-Back Card With Changeable Bonus Categories: Citi Custom Cash® Card

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The Citi Custom Cash® Card makes earning at elevated rates easy with its changeable bonus categories. Plus, those with fair credit may apply.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in a top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 in spending each billing cycle and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn $200 in cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. The bonus points come in the form of 20,000 ThankYou® Points that can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

Annual fee: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Cardholders will automatically earn at the 5% rate on their top spending category from 10 potential categories that cover everything from restaurants to groceries to home improvement. Just watch out for the $500 cap each billing cycle; After that, earnings drop to 1%. The Citi Custom Cash® Card also offers free access to your FICO Score and comes with an introductory APR: 0% introductory APR for 15 months from date of account opening on purchases and from date of first transfer for balance transfers completed within 4 months of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on creditworthiness. There is also a balance transfer fee of 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.

Best Cash-Back Card for Fair Credit: Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa®

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It’s relatively rare to find a card for those with fair credit that offers the ability to earn up to 5% cash back on purchases. If you’re looking for an unsecured card, the Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa® is a solid option with nominal fees.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash-back rewards on the first $5,000 of eligible gas, grocery, internet, cable, satellite TV, and mobile phone service purchases each year, then 1% thereafter. All other purchases earn 1%.

Welcome offer: This card does not offer a welcome bonus.

Annual fee: $95

Other benefits and drawbacks: The Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa® offers free access to your credit score.

Best Cash-Back Card for Gas and Groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

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If you prefer to buy your groceries at the store rather than dine out, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) is one you may want to consider. Even with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee, the high rewards on U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations can help offset the expense for many families.

Rewards: Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.

Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95

Other benefits and drawbacks: The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express also offers return protection¹, secondary car rental loss and damage coverage² and an up to $120 annual statement credit for Equinox+ membership when you pay for an auto-renewing subscription at equinoxplus.com with your card ($10 in statement credits each month). You won’t receive this benefit if membership is purchased via the Equinox+ app or through a third party. To receive this benefit, cardholders must enroll in their Amex card account.

If you would rather avoid an annual fee, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) offers 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and online retail purchases in the U.S. (on up to $6,000 in each category per year in purchases, then 1%), and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits or at Amazon.com checkout with no annual fee.

Pro Tip

You can maximize your cash-back rewards by choosing a card with bonus categories that closely match your personal spending categories. You may be able to earn at a higher rate in purchases including groceries, gas, travel or restaurants. Be honest with yourself, though. If you’re not willing to keep track of bonus categories, you might be better off with a card that earns a higher flat-rate on all purchases.

Pro Tip

Don’t bite off more plastic than your wallet can chew. While the desire to maximize your rewards in every single category feels exciting, keep an eye out for annual fees, monthly maintenance fees or other costs that can drive your total reward amount down. Consider too the value of your time—at what point is an extra percent reward in a category you’ll only spend $100 each year worth the time it takes to manage yet another credit card account?
Also consider the value of benefits—a card offering an extended warranty benefit on a dishwasher you buy could save you more money in the long run even if its rewards rate is slightly lower than a different card.

Every card presents cash-back rewards in different ways. Many of them allow you to take your earnings in the form of a statement credit, which reduces the monthly balance you need to pay on your bill. Other cards may instead offer cash back as an electronic deposit to your banking account or a check in the mail.

There’s no one best cash-back credit card for everyone. Your spending habits and preferences determine which card will hold the most reward potential for you. Though many cards may net you more value with bonus categories, welcome bonuses and other benefits, the highest flat-rate cash back can be achieved with the the Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Credit Card*, which earns up to 2.5% cash back with no categories to track on up to $10,000 in purchases each billing cycle with qualifying accounts. All other purchases earn 1.5%, charges no annual fee and requires cardholders meet certain requirements before earning cash back, including membership with the credit union.

Maximizing the cash back you’ll earn from a credit card typically involves ensuring you’re using the best card or cards for your spending. If you spend $500 on gas every month but put it on a card that only earns 1% on gas purchases, you might be missing out on extra rewards. Finding the right card for your spending is the first step to maximizing your reward potential.

The expiration date, if there is one, on any cash-back rewards you’ve earned from your card depends on your credit card’s policies. Some cash-back rewards never expire and others may require card activity to keep your rewards from expiring. Check your card’s terms and conditions to make sure you don’t accidentally lose any earnings. In addition, be sure to cash out your rewards before you close a credit card account.

While many credit card cash-back reward programs redeem cash back as a statement credit to your account, some also allow you to redeem your cash-back rewards as a check or deposit to your bank account. If you’re looking for a program to literally mail you a stack of benjis, you’re probably out of luck.