Full List of Our Picks for Best Cash Back Credit Cards

Click on the card name to read our full review.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

What we love about the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card: Uncomplicated, unlimited rewards

The Chase Freedom Unlimited Card is a powerhouse card with few equals when it comes to cash back, offering the high rewards rate you want without the complexities that come with rotating categories and offers that require activation. You’ll get 5% for travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% for dining and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases. You can redeem your rewards for cash back, gift cards, or travel through the Ultimate Rewards website. Plus, you will earn an additional 1.5% back on all purchases for your first year (up to $20,000) which equates to up to $300 more in cash back year one. There is no annual fee. Read our full review

Capital One SavorOne Rewards

What we love about the Capital One SavorOne Rewards Card: Cash back on top categories

The Capital One SavorOne Rewards Card is a great choice for those looking to get a good, straightforward rate of cash back on everyday purchases without an annual fee. The card gives you unlimited 3% cash back on groceries, dining, entertainment, and streaming services, plus you can earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. All other purchases will generate 1% cash back. Those who expect to carry a balance early on will appreciate the 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; APR after that; a 3% fee applies on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months. The card also comes with a welcome offer of $200 when you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months. Read our full review

American Express Blue Cash Preferred®

What we love about the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card: Cash back on common purchases

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card stands out for its generous cash back rates on some of the purchases you spend the most on, such as groceries and gas. You’ll earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 6% back on US streaming plans, and 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit. You’ll earn 1% cash back after limits are reached, and you’ll also earn 1% on all other purchases. The card’s $95 annual fee kicks in after the first year’s intro $0 annual fee. And don’t forget the welcome offer: You receive a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first six months. Read our full review

Chase Freedom Flex^SM

What we love about the Chase Freedom Flex Card: Ample rewards for the savvy spender

The Chase Freedom Flex Card gives you lucrative rewards on revolving categories, allowing you to elevate your earnings by activating bonus categories each quarter. You also get solid flat-rate earnings on other categories, such as 5% for travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% for dining and drugstore purchases, and 1% on all other purchases. Rewards can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, or travel through the Ultimate Rewards website. As a bonus offer, you receive $200 after spending $500 in the first three months. Additionally, for a limited time you’ll earn 5% back on grocery store purchases on up to $12,000 spent in the first year (excluding Target and Walmart). The Freedom Flex Card has no annual fee. Read our full review

PNC Cash Rewards® Visa®

What we love about the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Card: First-year match on cash-back rewards

The PNC Cash Rewards Visa Card gives you enhanced cash back in several key spending categories, and it sweetens the deal with a generous matching offer. You’ll earn 4% back on gas station purchases, 3% on dining and 2% on grocery store purchases for the first $8,000 in combined purchases annually, then 1% on all purchases after you hit the limit. You’ll get 1% cash back on all other purchases. For the first year, PNC will match the cash back you earn. The card also comes with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles for balance transfers within the first 90 days of account opening. After that, the APR is . Read our full review

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards

What we love about the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Card: Personalized rewards and extended intro APR offer

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Card is an excellent choice for people who want control over which types of spending earn the most cash back. You can earn 3% cash back in your chosen category – now with expanded categories, 2% cash back at supermarkets and on wholesale club purchases (up to $2,500 in combined 3% and 2% bonus categories quarterly) and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. The newly expanded 3% categories are gas (to now include Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Stations) and online shopping (to now include cable, streaming, internet and phone services). You can also take advantage of a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days after opening an account. Many people will also appreciate the 0% introductory APR for 15 billing cycles for both purchases and balance transfers made within the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends a APR will apply. Read our full review

Discover it® Cash Back

What we love about the Discover it® Cash Back Card: Matches cash back in first year

The Discover it Cash Back Card has a popular welcome offer to go along with some solid cash back rewards. As a sign-up bonus, Discover will match the cash back you earn for the first year with no maximum or minimum requirements, allowing new cardholders to quickly supercharge their earnings. When you activate Discover’s quarterly deals, you can earn 5% cash back on purchases at select places. Then you earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. The Discover it Card offers a generous intro APR period of 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a APR will apply. Read our full review

American Express Blue Cash Everyday®

What we love about the American Express Blue Cash Everyday® Card: Well-rounded rewards

The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express comes with a full package of features, including an appealing welcome offer, balanced rewards, and a nice intro APR period on balance transfers. New card members can earn a $200 welcome offer. You will earn $200 after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your card within the first six months. Elevated rewards rates are offered for several common spending categories, with 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, 3% back on U.S. online retail purchases and 3% back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 spent in each category, then 1% back after that). The card also has 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date you open an account. After that, APR. There’s no annual fee for the Blue Cash Everyday Card. Read our full review

BMO Cash Back Credit Card

What we love about the BMO Cash Back Credit Card: Solid cash back and no annual fee

The BMO Cash Back Credit Card combines strong cash back rates in some categories with a nice welcome bonus and no annual fee. The top bonus categories include streaming, cable TV and satellite services, where you’ll get 5% cash back when you use the card to pay your monthly bill. You’ll collect 3% back on eligible gas and grocery purchases on the first $2,500 spent each quarter and 1% on all other purchases. The sign-up offer gives you a $200 cash back bonus when you spend $2,000 within three months of opening your account. The BMO Cash Back Credit Card has a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 12 months for balance transfers made within the first 90 days of account opening. After that, the APR is . Read our full review

U.S. Bank Cash+® VISA Signature®

What we love about the U.S. Bank Cash+® VISA Signature® Card: Great cash back potential

The U.S. Bank Cash+ Card gives you an appealing cash back opportunity if you don’t mind monitoring and picking your categories. The card offers 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined purchases each quarter on two categories of your choice. You’ll also get 2% cash back on one everyday category (like gas stations, EV charging stations, grocery stores or restaurants), and 1% cash back on all other purchases. For the welcome offer, you get a $200 bonus after you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening. The card has a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles, then a will apply. Read our full review

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What Is a Cash Back Card?

As the name suggests, cash back cards earn you a practical reward that just about everyone can benefit from — money. When you make purchases with a cash back card, you get back a specified percentage of what you spend in the form of cash. While other types of credit cards reward you with points or miles that you may only be able to use for certain purposes, cash back cards offer a level of simplicity that many cardholders appreciate.

Here’s an example: If a card offers 2% cash back on gas station purchases and you spend $60 to fill your tank, you’d get $1.20 back. How you receive your cash back rewards varies from card to card. Some may give it to you in the form of a statement credit, while others may pay you back in actual cash. Other cards may allow you to choose how you want to receive it.

As you compare cash back cards, you’ll notice that some offer flat cash back rates for all types of purchases, while others offer different cash back values depending on which category your purchase falls under. Some cards rotate which categories feature enhanced cash back rewards, with a new category offering extra cash back each quarter.

Types of Cash Back Credit Cards

Cash back credit cards can structure their rewards bonuses in several ways. Let’s examine three common types:

Flat rate – The simplest of all cash back cards, flat-rate cards give you the same percentage of cash back for all eligible purchases across all categories. A solid rate to look for in a flat-rate card is 1.5%, although there are a few cards that offer 2%. 

If your purchases are typically spread out among different categories or if you plan to use the same cash back card for most of your spending, a flat rate card may be the best choice for you. 

Tiered – Many cash back cards use a tiered structure when rewarding cash back, with certain types of purchases generating a higher cash back rate than others. For example, a card might give you 5% cash back on purchases at grocery stores, 3% cash back at restaurants and 1% cash back on everything else.

Tiered cards make it possible to rack up cash back rewards, especially if a large portion of your monthly spending falls into one or two categories. But you’ll want to take a close look at whether the high cash back rates have spending caps. Many cards will offer lucrative rewards on spending up to a certain limit, but once that limit is reached the rate falls to 1%.

Rotating bonus categories – Some cards put a spin on the tiered cash back structure by regularly changing which categories offer the highest cash back rates. Categories are often rotated on a quarterly basis during the calendar year. For example, a 5% cash back rate may apply to streaming services during the first three months of the year, and then that high rate may switch to gas station purchases for the next three-month period.

For many cards, you’ll need to activate each bonus category to receive the enhanced rate. This can usually be done on the card’s website or by clicking on an email. Some cards also impose spending caps before the rate falls back to the regular cash back rate, usually 1%.

Common Cash Back Bonus Categories

There’s a wide range of cash back categories that may be featured by different cards, but three of the most common are:

Grocery stores – This category typically includes any purchase made at a supermarket, regardless of whether it is food or another item. However, many cards have restrictions on which stores qualify, and they often don’t count purchases made at warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club and Costco or at superstores such as Target and Walmart.

Gas stations – For most cards, this category includes anything purchased at a gas station, whether it’s gas or supplies stocked in the gas station’s convenience store. As with the groceries category, purchases made at gas stations connected to a superstore often are excluded from this bonus category. It is becoming more common to see EV charging stations included in this category.

Restaurants/Dining – Cards may refer to this category as either “restaurants” or “dining,” and it typically consists of spending at eateries ranging from fast-food joints to the fanciest sit-down restaurant. Cards differ on whether third-party food delivery service spending qualifies in this category.

Pros and Cons of Using a Cash Back Card

A cash back card occupies the front sleeve of many wallets, and for good reason. It’s an absolute workhorse of a card that can save you money every day. But while it’s the best option for some, it may not be a great choice for others. Let’s look at the pros and cons:

PROS

Rewards you can actually use – Miles and points often can only be redeemed for specific uses, and even then you may be dealing with a maze of restrictions and blackout dates. But cash? Yep, everyone still accepts cash, including you when it comes to rewards. Sure, the right travel card might earn you a free flight from Los Angeles to Tahiti. Too bad you live in Pittsburgh.

Low or no annual fees – Those pesky annual fees. Many are $95, but some reach up above $600. Sure, you can “make up for it” by compiling a bunch of perks, but who knows if you’ll use them? The beauty of cash back cards? Most have either no annual fee or a very low annual fee.

Sign-up bonuses – While cash back cards don’t always have the most lucrative sign-up bonuses, they often have a lower spending requirement to qualify for the bonus.

CONS

Lower value potential – Some cards open up the possibility of squeezing major value out of rewards points if they are used strategically. Cash back cards generally aren’t those cards.

Bad for carrying balances – While some cash back cards — including a few on this list — offer a 0% introductory APR, many don’t include that feature. So if you expect to carry a balance on your card, there are likely better options out there that will make it easier for you to pay it off.

When You Shouldn’t Get a Cash Back Card

Cash back cards are versatile everyday cards that can benefit a wide range of consumers. They reliably pay you back a small percentage for each purchase you make, and it’s easy to see the appeal of that. But they’re not the best option for everyone. Here’s when you may want to look elsewhere for a credit card:

You travel frequently – If you’re booking flights, hotels, rental cars and other travel services on a regular basis, you can almost certainly find more value in one of the many credit cards that cater to your lifestyle. The right travel or airline card can accelerate the pace at which you accumulate miles or points, and you probably won’t have any trouble redeeming those points on future trips. 

You live for the perks – Who doesn’t like elite status, right? There are plenty of cards that will get you exclusive reservations at top restaurants and free access to airport lounges. However, most cash back cards are relatively simple, with few bells and whistles. 

You plan to carry a balance – Some cash back cards feature 0% introductory APRs that can also make them good candidates for when you need to make a big purchase or transfer a balance from another card. In fact, a few on this list also made our Best Balance Transfer Cards list. But there are also many cash back cards that don’t offer a low introductory APR, meaning it may be difficult to pay off any balance you build up.

How To Compare Cash Back Credit Cards

There are several factors to consider when selecting a cash back card:

Annual fee – Most cash back cards have no annual fee or at least a low annual fee. However, don’t automatically rule out a card with a fee. Sometimes a generous cash back rate in the right categories could allow you to quickly make up for the cost of the fee.

Sign-up bonus – Most cash back cards will offer a sign-up bonus, usually in the form of cash back or a statement credit after you spend a certain amount within a specified timeframe. For example, a card might give you a $200 cash bonus after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. You’ll want to consider the size of the bonus, and then determine whether you plan to spend the amount needed to receive it.

Bonus categories – Of course, one of the main factors you’re probably interested in when it comes to a cash back card is how high of a rate you can get and what purchases will earn you that rate. After you check the rate structure, make sure to look at any spending caps that are imposed on enhanced rewards. For example, a card may offer 6% cash back on groceries on up to $6,000 spent during the year.

0% introductory APR period – If you think you may need to carry a balance or if you plan to make a balance transfer, you’ll want to check whether the card offers a 0% introductory APR, and for how long the introductory rate lasts. If you’re considering a balance transfer, you should also check whether the card charges a balance transfer fee.

How To Maximize Cash Back

To fully take advantage of cash back rewards, you need to play your cards right. Here are a few ways to do that:

Pay your balances in full each month – It doesn’t matter how strategically you use your cash back cards if you don’t pay your card off each month. The interest you’ll incur will likely cancel out those earnings.

Look for a sign-up bonus – You might as well get a head start on your cash back. With so many cash back cards offering bonuses for signing up, it doesn’t make much sense to ignore this opportunity. Just remember that most bonuses require you to spend a certain amount in a specified period of time in order to receive the cash reward.

Utilize rotating bonus categories – If you have a cash back card with rotating bonus categories, make sure you’re keeping track of which purchases can earn you the highest rate. You may be able to hold off on making some types of purchases until a larger bonus kicks in. Just be sure to activate your bonus categories if your card requires it.

Combine cards – You may be able to maximize your cash back rewards by carrying multiple cards and using the one with the highest rate on whichever type of purchase you’re making. This may take a little more planning and discipline, but it could pay off considerably.

Best Credit Cards 2023

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Methodology

CardCritics, our resident credit card experts, identify the best credit cards by compiling and extensively analyzing data on all of the major credit cards available, then rating them on a 5-star rating system. The comparison factors include annual fees, APRs, sign-up bonuses, ongoing rewards, accessibility, redemption options, and more. These factors were then weighted by importance to focus on key features that are most important in each specific category.