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Up to 5% Reward Rate
Earn 5% cash back in categories that rotate quarterly on up to $1,500 when enrolled, 5% on travel purchased throughRead More
$200 bonus
$0
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Excellent, Good (670 - 739)
Why We Like It
On top of rotating 5% bonus categories, earning 3% on restaurants all year long is a fantastic return for a no annual fee card. The Chase Freedom Flex® also offers purchase protection, extended warranty protection, select travel protections and cellphone protection when making eligible charges. It’s also noteworthy that the welcome bonus is attainable thanks to a reasonable minimum spending requirement. Some cards require twice as much spending or more for the same bonus amount.
While this card is a winner already, it can be even better when paired with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. That’s because you can combine the points earned on your Freedom Flex with one of these premium Chase cards to get 25% to 50% more value for your Chase Travel℠ bookings or to access 1:1 points transfers to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
What We Don’t Like
There’s a cap on the 5% earning categories—plus, you have to remember to activate them each quarter.
Who It’s Best For
The Freedom Flex is fantastic for anyone willing to stay on top of the details to maximize the quarterly 5% categories and boost their earnings of valuable Ultimate Rewards®.
Why We Like It
Unlimited flat-rate rewards and no annual fee make the Citi Double Cash® Card a card you can appreciate forever, earning 1% when the purchase is made and 1% when the purchase is paid off. But its introductory balance transfer offer is what sets it apart from other 2% cash-back cards and provides an opportunity to get you back on track with paying off debt.
Simple rewards at a high rate mean this card can fit anyone’s lifestyle, but that’s just the beginning. The card technically earns ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for cash back at 1 cent each or used for other flexible redemption options.
What We Don’t Like
Though there’s no annual fee, you’ll still be subject to foreign transaction fees. Someone who travels or shops abroad could inadvertently see those costs stack up. Since the intro APR only applies to balance transfers, you’ll want to hold back on using the card for purchases while you’re paying down a transferred balance; otherwise, you’ll pay interest on those purchases unless you pay your entire balance, including balance transfers, by the due date each month.
Who It’s Best For
We recommend this card to anyone who wants a simple 2% cash-back card (after purchases are paid off).
Up to 5X Reward Rate
Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstores and dining, including takeout andRead More
Earn $200 cash back
$0
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Good, Excellent (670 - 739)
Why We Like It
New cardholders can make out like bandits with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, thanks to a welcome offer, intro APR (on both new purchases and balance transfers) and noteworthy cash back.
Every purchase earns a minimum of 1.5% cash back, which is above average for a card that also includes a few bonus categories. Like the Chase 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 coverage.
It can be paired with an eligible premium Chase Ultimate Rewards® card to access amped-up travel redemptions.
What We Don’t Like
To earn the most cash back on travel, you’ll have to book your trips through the Chase Travel℠ portal.
Who It’s Best For
This card should be considered by those who appreciate the combination of an elevated base earnings rate and valuable fixed bonus categories.
Why We Like It
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Terms apply, see rates & fees) rewards common daily expenses without charging an annual fee—freeing up your mental capacity for other things. The rewards category for “U.S. online retail purchases” allows you to earn 3% cash back (on up to $6,000 in spending per year, then 1%) on just about any type of purchase, given the ubiquity of online stores these days. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
The card also bundles several statement credit-earning opportunities, which is a terrific way to unlock additional value from purchases you might make anyway. You can earn up to $84 per year ($7 per month after spending $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription, subject to auto-renewal) through the Disney Bundle credit and a Home Chef credit of up to $180 per year ($15 per month, subject to auto-renewal). Enrollment is required for select benefits. Should you need it, the card also includes an introductory APR offer, giving you more than a year to pay off purchases and balance transfers.
What We Don’t Like
Each of the elevated earning categories are capped and all other purchases beyond that will only earn 1% cash back, which is an underwhelming rate.
Who It’s Best For
This card is best for someone who doesn’t expect to spend significantly more than the rewards cap on bonus categories (or who can pull out a second card for purchases beyond those limits).
Why We Like It
If simple rewards and a low intro APR are your aim, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card hits the spot (rates & fees). The card earns straightforward rewards and comes with a lengthy intro APR offer for purchases and balance transfers. Balance transfer fee applies. Cardholders earn even more cash back on eligible Capital One Travel bookings. The card also charges no foreign transaction fees, making it a great pick for those who like to travel abroad.
What We Don’t Like
Other flat-rate rewards cards earn 2% cash back, which will make them more rewarding unless you’ll often book hotels and/or rental cars through Capital One Travel.
Who It’s Best For
The Capital One Quicksilver card is best for someone who wants simple rewards and who is willing to book travel through Capital One to boost their earnings.
Up to 8% Cash Back
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® andRead More
Earn $200 cash back
$0
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Excellent, Good (670 - 739)
Why We Like It
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a unique take on cash-back rewards, making it ideal for anyone whose lifestyle includes going out. Despite perks and benefits being light on this card, the Savor has a lot going for it. Its bonus earning categories span different purchase types, giving you ample opportunity to boost your balance.
There’s also no foreign transaction fee (rates & fees) on this card, making it a great choice for travel, especially since typical vacation expenses like hotels and rental cars (booked through Capital One Travel), dining and entertainment all earn extra cash back.
New card members are treated especially nice, with the one-two punch of a welcome offer and an introductory APR to pay off eligible purchases and balance transfers. Balance transfer fee applies.
What We Don’t Like
Like many no annual fee cards, this one’s cash back drops to just 1% for spending outside its bonus categories.
Who It’s Best For
Since earning elevated cash back on entertainment purchases is relatively rare, this card could provide uncommon value for people who spend a lot in this category.
The Savor Rewards card from Capital One is an excellent choice for those who want to treat themselves (or their family and friends), whether it’s going out for a bite, a show, or both. The card offers generous cash back on dining, entertainment and select streaming, all without an annual fee (rates & fees). Plus, with no foreign transaction fees, it’s also ideal for those who enjoy splurging both locally and abroad.
Up to 5% Reward Rate
Earn 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle. 4%Read More
Earn $200 cash back
$0
18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
Excellent, Good (670 - 739)
Why We Like It
The Citi Custom Cash® Card* offers several eligible 5% categories to choose from that cover everything from restaurants to groceries to home improvement. The card also offers free access to your FICO Score and comes with an introductory APR offer that gives cardholders a lengthy amount of time to pay down debt from purchases and balance transfers.
What We Don’t Like
Other than your top eligible spending category and Citi Travel℠ bookings, you’ll earn a meager 1% on everything else. And watch out for the $500 spending cap each billing cycle. After that, earnings will drop to 1% for purchases within your top eligible spending category too.
Who It’s Best For
Since this card’s earning rates are hot and cold, it makes more sense for someone with at least one other credit card to pair with it.
Up to 5X Reward Rate
Earn 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center, 5% cashRead More
Earn a $200 bonus
$0
18.49% - 28.74% Variable
Good, Excellent (670 - 739)
Why We Like It
It’s all about choice with the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card*. Not only can you choose three bonus categories that fit your spending patterns, but you can change them every quarter as your needs change.
The customization on this card is fantastic and lines up well for making large purchases, with optional bonus categories including furniture stores, electronic stores and other buckets not ordinarily seen. Cardholders can also pick from one everyday spending category like groceries, gas or restaurants. Together, this can mean generous earnings.
The card also has no annual fee, a welcome offer and an intro APR—all things we love to see.
What We Don’t Like
This card forces you to stay on top of your game. Bonus earnings require manual selection every quarter and there are spending limits. Additionally, travel bonus earnings only apply to prepaid reservations made through the U.S. Bank Rewards Center.
Who It’s Best For
The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card* is best for someone who appreciates the ability to mix and match different bonus category options quarterly.
The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card* can provide excellent value for shoppers who strategically choose their spending categories, especially since there is no annual fee.
Why We Like It
The Discover it® Cash Back features rotating bonus categories every quarter, which is a good way to earn even more on select purchases. Discover’s bonus categories have typically been high-value spending areas such as groceries, gas stations and restaurants.
Plus, the card will match exactly what you earn in rewards in the first year. 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. Time it with an expensive year, and that could lead to a large bonus. The Discover it® Cash Back also offers an introductory APR, making it a cost-saving option if you have a big purchase coming up or want to consolidate high-interest debt.
What We Don’t Like
The biggest downside to the Discover it® Cash Back is that you must 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.
For everyday spending after the first year, you’ll be better off with a 2% cash-back card. Also, keep in mind that Discover is not as widely accepted outside of the U.S. as other card networks.
Who It’s Best For
The Discover it® Cash Back is perfect for someone who loves strategizing to maximize bonus categories.
Unlimited 2% Rewards Rate
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
$200 Cash Rewards
$0
19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR
Excellent, Good (670 - 739)
Why We Like It
Choosing the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (rates & fees) is like pressing the easy button. You’ll earn generous flat-rate rewards with essentially no details to worry about or keep track of. With the no annual fee Active Cash, every purchase earns 2% cash rewards on purchases with no category requirements, spending caps or expiration dates as long as your account remains open.
In addition to a welcome offer, this card throws in an intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers.
What We Don’t Like
It’s possible that someone with specialized expenses and a commitment to optimizing their earnings could get higher rewards on a different card.
Who It’s Best For
Anyone looking for a flat-rate card, either for exclusive use or in tandem with another credit card, will appreciate the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.
Earning and redeeming cash back is typically as easy as making eligible purchases on your cash-back credit card. Then, your card issuer will issue your cash back based on the total cost of your purchase and the stated rewards rate offered by that card. When you’re ready to redeem, you may have multiple ways to access your cash back, such as requesting a statement credit against your balance, a direct deposit or a check.
Generally, three kinds of cash-back credit cards rule the market: flat-rate, tiered-rate and rotating category credit cards.
The ideal cash-back card for you is the one that best fits your lifestyle and spending habits, even if it wouldn’t be the right pick for someone else. Forbes Advisor aims to help you by identifying what each cash-back card is best for, but you should always do the math yourself and consider not only how much cash back you could earn but also how you might use the other card benefits.
After identifying how much you spend in different areas and what other card features could be useful, you’re ready to compare credit cards. Here are some things you should incorporate into your evaluations.
Robin Frankel
Credit Cards Writer
Becky Pokora
Credit Cards Writer
Clint Proctor
Credit Cards Lead Editor
I pair my Chase Freedom Flex with my Chase Freedom Unlimited Card to make sure I’m earning better than 1% cash back on all my spending. I combine those rewards with the earnings from my Chase Sapphire Reserve to have one stockpile of points.
Credit Cards Writer
Although this might sound like an overly simple strategy, I focus on a flat-rate 2% cash-back card. My spending is all over the place so this is easier than worrying about bonus categories while still ensuring I’m earning an above-average rate.
Credit Cards Writer
I like to choose cash-back cards that, in reality, earn cash-redeemable points since this gives me more flexibility. With my Chase Freedom Flex, for example, I can redeem my Ultimate Rewards points for cash back or combine them with my Sapphire Preferred to access additional travel redemptions that could provide more value.
Credit Cards Lead Editor
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Redemptions are straightforward: You earn cash | No opportunity to redeem rewards at a higher rate than they were earned |
| Earning is easy to calculate—multiply your net purchases by the reward rate | Fewer built-in benefits; Cards tend to focus on rewards instead of travel benefits, credits or access |
| You know what you’re getting: Rewards are generally more transparent | Many cash-back cards charge foreign transaction fees |
Many cash-back bonus categories focus on rewarding everyday spending in areas such as dining, groceries and gas. Some cards allow you to choose your own category or reward the category in which you spend the most. Others focus on more obscure categories.
Depending on your preferred redemptions, comparing other types of credit card rewards alongside cash-back credit cards may be a worthwhile exercise when deciding on your next card.
Read more: Best Travel Credit Cards of 2025
No single credit card is the best option for every family, every purchase or every budget. We've picked the best credit cards in a way designed to be the most helpful to the widest variety of readers.
Cash-back credit cards are an excellent way to earn straightforward rewards on qualifying purchases. There’s generally no learning curve required, and you can claim your rewards with a few clicks in your online account—sometimes they’re even provided as a statement credit automatically.
But for all of the benefits of cash-back cards, they generally offer few sweet spots to stretch your rewards further. If you get a kick out of finding higher-value redemptions (more than a penny a point) for your credit card rewards, you’ll want to consider a travel card or flexible points card instead.
Forbes Advisor combed through the profiles of dozens of cash-back credit cards. We focused on major banks and standout credit cards at lesser-known banks with online accessibility. We looked for credit cards that outperformed other cards across various factors, including cash-back rates, fees, welcome bonuses, and other rewards and features.
Cards are then compared against other similar cards, in this case, cards offering cash-back rewards.
Forbes Advisor reevaluates each credit card list at least every 12 months to determine if any cards need to be added and/or removed. However, a list could be updated sooner if significant changes are made to the mentioned cards or if a new credit card is announced that’s likely to impact the category.
To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.
To view rates and fees for Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express please visit this page.
There’s not one best cash-back credit card to rule them all. 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 Robinhood Gold Card*. But it requires a Robinhood Gold membership and it currently has a waiting list. Because of these limitations, this card did not make it on this list.
The amount of cash back you can earn depends on how much you spend on your card and its rewards rates. If you spend $5,000 per year on a card that earns 2% cash back on every purchase, you’ll earn $100 in cash back. Someone spending $25,000 on the same card would earn $500.
You can earn more cash back using credit cards with higher earning rates in select categories. For example, if you spend $5,000 on groceries on a card that offers 6% on that category, you’ll earn $300 in cash back—a much larger reward for the same spending.
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 as a check or deposit to your bank account. If you’re looking for a program to literally mail you a stack of dollar bills, you’re probably out of luck.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: Citi Custom Cash® Card, U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card, Robinhood Gold Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
