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Earn accelerated cash back on rotating categories you choose or on two fixed categories.
A 5% cashback card is probably one of the most rewarding types of cards you can get. Depending on which categories you mostly spend money on, you can get a card with rotating categories or with fixed categories like gas or Amazon purchases for the entire year.
In addition to cash back, most of these cards offer a signup bonus, and they usually have no annual fee. With some cards you can even get an intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers.
Chase Freedom®
0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.99 to 25.74%
Balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
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
Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - it's automatic
Cash back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back
Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠
If you’re looking to earn 5% cash back on as many rotating categories as possible, then the Chase Freedom® credit card could be worth considering. You earn high cash back on rotating categories every three months you activate, which often include gas, groceries and wholesale clubs.
Also, for up to three quarters you can use Chase Pay to earn accelerated cash back. This earns you the highest rate on purchases, which aren’t included in the categories, such as restaurants.
Furthermore, the card offers a decent signup bonus, long intro APR period on balance transfers and purchases, and if you make a late payment — you only incur a fee instead of a penalty APR.
Cash back.
Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases on quarterly rotating categories when you activate, including gas, groceries, wholesale clubs, digital wallet payments and more.
Signup bonus.
Spend $500 on purchases during your first 3 months of card membership and earn a $150 cash bonus.
Intro APR period.
Enjoy a 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months following your account opening. After that, a variable APR of 16.99% to 25.74% applies.
No penalty APR.
For late or returned payments, you’ll only pay a fee of up to $38. With other cards, you could incur a penalty APR of up to 31% variable, which can last indefinitely.
No annual fee.
Earn all the cash back you can without paying an annual fee.
Foreign transaction fee.
You’ll pay a fee equal to 3% of each transaction you make when traveling abroad.
Earning 5% cash back is not automatic.
To earn this rate, you have to activate it each quarter. Luckily, Chase lets you activate late — up to the 14th day of the last month of the quarter and still earn the 5% retroactively on qualifying purchases.
Best credit card for high signup bonus: Discover it® Cash Back
Discover it® Cash Back
Earn 5% back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories every quarter you activate, then 1% thereafter. Earn 1% back on all other purchases.
The Discover it® Cash Back card doesn’t offer the standard signup bonus you get with other cards. It offers something better — a cashback match. Suppose you reach the cap on all 5% cashback purchases. You would earn $300 on that alone. Add another $100 on all other annual purchases and you have yourself $400 cash back. Discover Cashback Match doubles this amount for the first year, turning your $400 into a $800 cash bonus.
Aside from this awesome perk, you also get a long intro APR period on balance transfers and purchases, free FICO credit score access and whole slew of other security features without paying an annual fee.
Cashback Match.
Discover will match all cash back you earn during your first year. This perk beats any signup bonus offered by a similar card, especially if you’re a heavy spender.
Cash back.
Earn 5% cash back in rotating categories for each quarter you activate, including gas, groceries, dining, wholesale clubs and Amazon.com purchases.
Intro APR period.
Enjoy an interest-free intro APR period on balance transfers and purchases for 14 months following your account opening. After that, an APR of 13.99% to 24.99% variable applies.
Free FICO score.
Keep an eye on your FICO score on your monthly statement or online.
No annual fee.
Get this cards and all of its perks without paying an annual fee.
Balance transfer limitations.
The intro APR period on balance transfer is available to transfers that post to your account by February 10, 2019.
Low minimum credit line.
Depending on your credit score and other financial data, you could get a credit line of $500, which is the minimum credit line for this card.
Best customizable categories: U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card
U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card
5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible net purchases each quarter on two categories you choose.
With most 5% cashback cards with rotating categories, you don’t have control over which categories appear during each quarter. In most cases, you don’t even know what they are until announced. With the U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card you choose which purchases earn accelerated cash back.
Your options include furniture, home utilities, department stores, electronics stores and select clothing stores. And you can plan your purchases ahead. If you’re looking to buy new mattresses and clothes — enroll in those two categories for the first three months. You want to buy new TV or a computer? Enroll in electronics stores for the second quarter.
Cash back.
Earn 5% cash back on up to $2,000 per enrolled quarter in combined purchases in two categories of your choice and 1% back after that, 2% back on either gas or groceries and 1% back on everything else you buy. Redeem cash back as a statement credit or a deposit to your U.S. Bank savings, checking or money market account.
Signup bonus.
Spend $500 on purchases in your first 90 days of card membership and get $150 bonus cash.
Intro APR period on balance transfers.
Get 12 billing cycles following your account opening of 0% intro APR period on balance transfers. After the intro period passes, your rate reverts to variable 15.99% to 24.99%.
Cash back is not automatic.
You have to enroll in the categories you want to earn 5% and 2% cash back every quarter. You have 45 days before the beginning of or during each quarter to enroll.
Foreign transaction fee.
Each transaction made abroad in US dollars comes with a fee of 2% of the transaction. For transactions in foreign currency, the fee is 3% of the transaction.
Balance transfer limits.
To use the intro APR period on balance transfers you must complete your transfers within 60 days of your account opening.
Best for Amazon purchases: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
Earn 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market.
If you spend more than $3,000 annually on Amazon and at Whole Foods Market — and especially if you’re already an Amazon Prime member — the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card could be the best choice. It lets you earn unlimited cash back on these two categories throughout the year. Plus you earn high points on gas, dining and for shopping at drugstores, and you get an Amazon gift card as soon as you’re approved for the card.
Cash back.
Earn points worth 5% in cash back on all of your Amazon and Whole Foods Market purchases. Earn 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores, and 1% back on everything else you buy. Redeem points for cash, gift cards, travel or use toward your new Amazon purchases.
Amazon gift card.
Get $70 once you’re approved for this Chase credit card.
Metal card.
This is a metal card with the look and feel of the more expensive cards like the Amex Platinum.
No foreign transaction fee.
You can use this card freely when traveling abroad and you won’t pay a foreign transaction fee.
Travel insurance and luggage reimbursement.
Use your card to pay for your transportation ticket and get coverage against accidental death or dismemberment. Your luggage is also covered against loss, damage or delays for more than six hours.
Annual fee.
Technically, the card has no annual fee. But to be a card owner you must be an Amazon Prime member, which comes with an annual fee of $119 or $12.99 monthly.
Limits on earning points.
If you fail to make the minimum payment within 30 days of when it’s due, you may not earn any points on your purchases.
Loss of points.
If you fail to make the minimum payment within 60 days of when it’s due, you may lose all of your points.
Best for gas: Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited
Unlimited 5% cash back on sporting goods, store and gas purchases.
Similar cards offer 5% cash back on gas with a limit of up to $1,500 per quarter or up to six months annually. With the Ducks Unlimited credit card you get unlimited 5% cash back on gas during the entire year. If that’s where you spend most money at, this card is an easy choice.
Cash back.
Earn 5% cash back on gas and on purchases made at sporting goods stores without any quarterly restrictions. On everything else you buy, earn 1% back.
Support Ducks Unlimited.
With every purchase you make, you help fund wetland conservation.
No penalty APR.
If you make a late payment, you’ll pay a fee of up to $37. With other cards you could incur a penalty APR of up to 31%, which may last indefinitely.
No annual fee.
You won’t pay an annual fee to own the card.
No intro APR period.
It doesn’t matter what your creditworthiness is, you’ll get a variable APR of 20.99%.
No signup bonus.
There’s no signup bonus with this card. But if you spend a lot on gas, you would earn way more in the long run than the $150 signup bonus offered by similar cards.
Foreign transaction fee.
Each transaction made abroad will cost you a fee of 3% fee of the transaction.
How to compare 5% cashback credit cards
This type of card usually offers 5% cash back on rotating categories every three months. Some cards let you choose which categories would earn accelerated cash back and some offer the same cashback rate on up to two categories throughout the year. That’s why it’s important to consider the following:
Do you want to earn 5% cash back on a variety of categories? If that’s the case, consider Chase Freedom®, which offers solid options each quarter from gas, groceries and wholesale clubs to digital wallet purchases of Apple Pay, Google Pay, Chase Pay and more.
Do you want a high signup bonus? The Discover it® Cash Back doesn’t offer a signup bonus in the usual sense, but you get a cashback match designed to reward those who earned the most cash back during the first year.
Do you want to choose which categories earn high cash back? With the U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card, you get to choose which categories earn 5% and 2% back each quarter.
Do you mostly buy things on Amazon? The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card offers 5% back on all of your Amazon and Whole Foods Market purchases throughout the year.
Do you spend heavily on gas? If you do, the Ducks Unlimited would be a solid choice. Especially if you spend more than $600 a month on gas.
Bottom line
Finding a card that offers 5% cash back is a good perk to have. However, there are sometimes categories you have to manage and caps on the amount of cash back you can earn. If you’re not sure if any of these cards would be a good choice, take a look at other cashback credit cards and compare your options until you find the right card for your needs. The 3 types of cashback credit cards, explained
Frequently asked questions
This means you get $5 back on every $100 you spend. A credit card with $1,500 cap on 5% cash back each quarter will earn you a maximum of $300 on these categories.
Kliment Dukovski is a writer who specializes in global financial markets and personal finance, with a focus on credit cards. His main goal is to deliver honest and accurate information to help you make the right financial decision. When he's not writing about finance-related subjects, he writes sci-fi stories.
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