Best Cash-Back Rewards Credit Cards
Easy Choice: Citi Double Cash Card
- APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 13% to 23% after that, depending on creditworthiness
- Annual fee: $0
- Rewards: 2% cash back on all purchases, with no limit
- Why its a winner: Double Cash offers a top rewards rate for a flat-rate card, with no strings attached; you simply get 2% back on everything you buy. That adds up: If you spend $2,000 a month, you’d earn nearly $1,000 in two years. Other bonuses: The card offers a 15-month 0% introductory APR and a waived late fee on your first missed payment. You also get your credit score (from Equifax) on each statement or your online account.
- Caveat: You don’t get the cash back all at once. You get 1% when you swipe and the other 1% after you pay your bill.
Best for online Shopping: Discover It
- APR: 0% on purchases and transfers for the first 12 months, then 11% to 23%
- Annual fee: $0
- Rewards:
- 5% cash back in categories that change every quarter, online and off, up to $1,500 per quarter
- 1% back on all other purchases
- Extra cash back on purchases made via Discover’s online portal
- Why it’s a winner: Discover’s online mall sets it apart from its cash-back rivals. The Discover Deals portal lets cardholders earn 5% to 20% in extra cash back from hundreds of retailers, including 5% at Home Depot, the Apple Store, and Walmart. Meanwhile, the rotating 5% rebate categories—such as gas stations, restaurants, or specific retailers, like Amazon.com—apply on up to $1,500 total spent quarterly. (Beyond that, you get 1% back.) Other benefits include access to up to a year’s worth of FICO scores. Plus, if you lose your card, you can freeze your account without canceling all your automatic payments.
- Caveat: Discover is accepted less widely than Visa and MasterCard.
Best for Maximizers: American Express Blue Cash Preferred
- APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 13% to 22% thereafter
- Annual fee: $75
- Sign-up bonus: $150 after spending $1,000 in 90 days
- Rewards:
- 6% cash back on up to $6,000 spent at supermarkets annually; 1% cash back after that
- 3% at gas stations and certain department stores
- 1% everywhere else
- Why it’s a winner: It’s tops among its peers for cash back on everyday purchases. Spend $5,600 on groceries a year (what a typical family doles out), and you earn $336 annually. Another $200 a month at the gas pump gets you $70 a year; that alone will cover most of the annual fee. Meanwhile, the card’s sign-up bonus is lucrative and relatively easy to obtain. And the introductory 0% rate gives you some wiggle room if you need to make a big purchase.
- Caveat: Grocery perks are for supermarkets only; specialty food shops and Costco don’t count.
See all of MONEY’s picks: