If you want to start getting rewarded for your purchases, consider signing up for a Cash back credit card! Some cards also offer sign-up bonuses while other cards give extra rewards on groceries, dining, gas, travel and other spending categories.
Depending on the card, you will earn different benefits and rewards so before you sign up for just any card, you should see which one best suits your needs. Continue reading below to learn about our list of The Best Cash Back Credit Cards.
Best Cash Back Credit Cards Summary
Citi® Double Cash Card | Best flat-rate cash back card Best no-annual-fee cash back card |
Chase Freedom FlexSM | Best cash back card with rotating bonus categories |
Bank Of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card | Best cash back card with custom bonus categories |
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card | Best cash back card for dining & entertainment |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card From American Express | Best cash back card for gas & groceries |
Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card | Best cash back card for fair or average credit |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Best cash back card for pairing |
Types of Cash Back Credit Cards
There are four different reward structures that a cash back credit card can fall under:
Flat-rate, cashback cards. Some cards earn a flat rewards rate on all purchases with no bonus categories. For example, Citi® Double Cash Card offers a flat rate of 2% on all purchases. This does limit your earning potential but its good for your everyday purchases.
Tiered rewards. Like most travel credit cards, tiered cash back cards offer bonus earnings on specific categories. For example, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers 6% cash back on certain categories, 3% on others and 1% on everything else.
Rotating categories. Earn different rewards rates on the categories your choose. These options rotate on a quarterly basis. For example, Chase Freedom Flex offers 5% cash back in bonus categories that change every three months. While the earning rate is high, they usually have a limit on their bonuses. Keep in mind that you must activate new categories each quarter.
Customized categories. You are able to pick your bonus category on a month-to-month basis. For example, Bank of America Cash Rewards Credit Card allows you to pick your 3% cash back category. You can adjust the rewards structure to better fit your spending.
What to Consider
We’ve taken into account the following factors when deciding on the best grocery credit cards:
- Welcome bonus
- Earning potential
- Annual fee
- Unlimited vs. capped rewards
- Redemption threshold
- Rewards simplicity
- Additional benefits
The Best Cash Back Credit Cards of 2020
The Citi® Double Cash Card is the best flat-rate cash back card and it has no annual fee. It earns 1% cash back on all purchases and 1% back when you pay for those purchases.
If you have a card that earns Citi ThankYou® Rewards, you can convert your Citi Double Cash rewards into ThankYou points.
The Chase Freedom Flex? is the best cash back card with rotating bonus categories. It earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter. Plus, new cardmembers get a $200 welcome bonus, which is rare for a card with no annual fee.
The Chase Freedom FlexSM offers a $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.24% - 27.99%. You'll earn: • Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel?, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service • Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases You cash back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back. This card has no annual fee. |
The Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card is the best cash back card with custom bonus categories. It earns 3% cash back in the category of your choice, 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% back on all other purchases. This card also has a $200 welcome bonus, which is great for a no annual fee card.
The Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card is the best cash back card for dining and entertainment spending. With this card, you can earn 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% back on groceries and 1% back on all other purchases.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is the best overall card for gas and grocery spending. with a high cashback rate. This card offers 6% back on the first $6,000 you spend on groceries each year.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It(R) to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors. Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 18.49% - 29.49%. You'll 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). • 1% Cash Back on other purchases. • $84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S. 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 does come with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Card is the best cash back card for those with average credit. It earns an unlimited, flat rate of 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
With the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, you can enjoy: Earning unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply. With responsible use, you can help strengthen your credit and be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months. You'll be able to monitor your credit profile with the free CreditWise® app and enjoy $0 fraud liability if your card is ever lost or stolen. This card comes with a $39 annual fee. |
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the best cash back card to pair with a points-earning one. It gives an unlimited, flat rate of 1.5% cash back on all purchases, and you can convert your cash rewards into valuable points if you have a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card offers a $250 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. In addition, you can earn: • 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more • 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service • 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. There is no minimum to redeem for cash back & your cash back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open. This card comes with no annual fee and you'll get a free credit score that is updated weekly with Credit JourneySM. Member FDIC |
Best Cash Back Credit Cards That Require Memberships
Listed below are cash back cards that are great options as well, but they require certain memberships. Keep in mind that the information may have changed by the time this is published. Please check with the card’s issuer before considering the membership associated with these cards.
Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Credit Card. 2.5% cash back on all purchases. $99 annual fee, waived your first year. You must be an Alliant Credit Union member.
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi. 4% cash back on gas (up to $7,000 per year, 1% thereafter), 3% on dining and travel, 2% at Costco and 1% on all other purchases. No annual fee with your paid Costco membership.
Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card. 2% cash back on all purchases. No annual fee. You must have a specific Fidelity account.
Sam’s Club Mastercard. 5% cash back on gas (up to $6,000 per year, 1% thereafter), 3% on dining and travel, and 1% on all other purchases. No annual fee. You must have a Sam’s Club membership.
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card. 5% cash back on the first $3,000 on combined gas and U.S. military base purchases per year, 2% on the first $3,000 on grocery purchases per year, and 1% on all other purchases. No annual fee. You must be a USAA member.
Additional Guides
Bottom Line
If you aren’t already, you should start getting reward for your purchases. Looking for an easy way to earn rewards with simple redemption options? A cash back credit card would be your best option.
Before you apply to just any credit card, consider doing your research to see which one is the best for you to maximize your earnings. For more credit cards, see our latest list of the best credit card bonuses!