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Best cashback credit cards

Get cash back on everyday purchases or earn more on specific categories.

Finder’s credit card experts spent more than 400 hours reviewing and comparing cashback credit cards to narrow down the best cashback credit cards across 10 categories. We considered factors such as cashback limitations, earning categories, redemption flexibility and welcome offers. Unlike our competitors, Finder’s experts provide unbiased, trustworthy evaluations of all cashback credit cards and providers, not just those we partner with on the site.

Credit cardsBest for…Learn more
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Expressmoderate spending on supermarkets
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Terms apply, see rates & fees
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Cardintro rates on purchases and balance transfers
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Terms apply, see rates & fees
Chase Freedom Unlimited®pairing with Chase cards
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Chase Freedom Flex℠earning 5% cash back
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Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Cardbuilding credit
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Expresssupermarkets
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Citi® Double Cash Cardearning unlimited cash back and ongoing rewards after a balance transfer
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Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citigas
Citi Custom Cash℠ Cardease of use
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Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Carddining and entertainment
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Discover it® Cash Backearning a cashback match after your first year

Quick look at the best cashback credit cards

Best no-annual-fee cashback card for moderate spending on supermarkets

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

4.6
★★★★★

Finder score

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Welcome Offer$200
RewardsUp to 3% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers.
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

Best for low intro rates on purchases and balance transfers

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.2
★★★★★

Finder score

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Terms apply, see rates & fees..
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Welcome Offer$200
RewardsUp to 1.5% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670

Best for unlimited cash back

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

4.7
★★★★★

Finder score

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Welcome Offer$200
RewardsUp to 5% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670
The information about Chase Freedom Unlimited® has been collected independently by Finder and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Best 5% cashback card

Chase Freedom Flex℠

4.7
★★★★★

Finder score

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Welcome Offer$200
RewardsUp to 5% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670
The information about Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Finder and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Best for gas

Sam's Club® Mastercard®

4
★★★★★

Finder score

Terms apply, see rates & fees..
Welcome Offer$30
RewardsUp to 5% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670

Best for those new to credit

Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card

3.1
★★★★★

Finder score

Welcome Offern/a
RewardsUp to 10% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit scoreNew / limited credit
Petal credit cards are issued by WebBank, Member FDIC

Best cashback card for groceries

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

4.3
★★★★★

Finder score

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Terms apply, see rates & fees..
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Welcome Offer$250
RewardsUp to 6% cash back
Annual fee$95 after the first year intro
Minimum credit score670
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers.
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

Best cashback card for ongoing rewards after a balance transfer

Citi® Double Cash Card

3.8
★★★★★

Finder score

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Welcome Offern/a
RewardsUp to 2% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670

Best for ease of maxing rewards

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

4.9
★★★★★

Finder score

Terms apply, see rates & fees..
Read review
Welcome Offer$200
RewardsUp to 5% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670

Best cashback card for dining and entertainment

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

4.5
★★★★★

Finder score

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Terms apply, see rates & fees..
Read review
Welcome Offer$200
RewardsUp to 8% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670

Best for Cashback Match after first year

Discover it® Cash Back

4.8
★★★★★

Finder score

Welcome OfferOther
RewardsUp to 5% cash back
Annual fee$0
Minimum credit score670
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Compare cashback credit cards

Though we’ve highlighted some of the top-performing cashback credit cards, there are plenty of great options available not on our list. You can compare all cashback credit cards to find one that best suits your reward preferences.

6 factors to consider when choosing the best cashback card

You’ll want to take stock of your financial needs and preferences as you search for the right cashback card for you. Here are the most important steps to take.

  1. Consider the annual fee. Consider. If you choose a card with an annual fee, make sure you can earn enough rewards within a year to offset the fee.
  2. Review your spending habits and needs. Think about the areas you spend the most and pick a card that earns more cash back in those areas.
  3. Compare each card’s signup bonus. Cashback cards commonly offer signup bonuses to new cardholders. If a card has a bonus, consider whether you can meet the spending requirement in time.
  4. Look at your average spending amounts. Some cashback cards cap the amount of rewards you can earn within a certain time period.
  5. Think about your reward preferences. Cashback cards typically only offer cash back as an option. If you want to convert your earnings into travel opportunities for example, a cashback card is likely inferior to a travel card.
  6. Additional features. Some cashback cards might come with intro APRs or forgo foreign transaction fees.

Ann Martin, director of operations at CreditDonkey, tell Finder: “If you’re not sure what type of credit card is best for you, you generally can’t go wrong with cash back. Here are some of the main things to look for in a cashback card.

No or low annual fees. Cashback cards tend to have $0 or low annual fees, so there’s no reason to pay a lot of money for one.
High rewards rate. Look for at least 2%. Cash back on streaming services. Some programs, including Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, now offer this perk.
Signup bonus. Many cashback cards offer a signup bonus at select times. With some planning, you can score some cash right off the bat.

As an overall rule, it’s best to find a cashback card that gives high rewards for the type of purchases you make most often. So if you’re a homebody with a big family, look for a card that rewards grocery purchases. If you’re a jetsetter who likes dining out, look for a card that rewards restaurant and travel bookings.”

Pros and cons of cashback credit cards

Pros

  • Earn cash on your everyday spending. Rewards are the foundational benefit of a credit card and cash back is the simplest way to earn those rewards.
  • Different types for different spending. With three types of cashback cards to choose from, you can create a robust earning strategy based on your spending habits.
  • Widely available. There are plentiful cashback credit cards on the market, meaning you’re sure to find one that fits your needs.

Cons

  • Rewards inflexible. Unlike points or miles earned with a rewards card, you typically can’t transfer your cashback rewards into other loyalty programs. Your only option is a statement credit.
  • Lacking in perks. Cashback credit cards can lack the bells and whistles you’d find on a travel or rewards card (such as concierge service or travel insurance).

You asked, we listened: Top 5 common questions

Cash back on purchases sounds straightforward, but there can be a few caveats. Here are the five most common questions we receive on the subject.

  1. Do cashback cards actually give cash? No. Instead, you’ll receive a statement credit on your card account.
  2. How many cashback cards should I have? There’s no “correct” number of cashback cards to have. However, there are effective earning strategies you can create by pairing cashback credit cards.
  3. Do I owe taxes on cash back? No. Cash back is treated as a discount for the purpose of taxes.
  4. Which is better: cash back or reward points? This depends on what you ultimately want to use your rewards points on. While you can potentially get more value out of reward points, cash back is also worth it if you personally find it valuable.
  5. What types of cashback cards are there? Cashback cards fall into three earning categories: flat rate, tiered and rotating categories.

Bottom line

Cashback cards are pretty easy to understand and a great way to dip your toes into earning rewards with a credit card.

Consider your spending to figure out which kind of card might reward you most. Then, compare your cashback options to find the best product for you.

Credit card ratings

★★★★★ — Excellent

★★★★★ — Good

★★★★★ — Average

★★★★★ — Subpar

★★★★★ — Poor

Our team evaluates credit cards to determine their value against similar cards on the market.

We rank card types — travel, cash back, business — on a set of factors that are most relevant to that type of card. We create these rankings to help you narrow down a credit card that best suits your spending and budget.

Learn the details of our methodology and scoring.

Steven Dashiell's headshot
Senior writer

Steven Dashiell is an editor for Bankrate and CreditCards.com and formally a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in credit cards, banking and growing and protecting your income. His insights and expertise has been featured on Nasdaq, U.S. News & World Report, Time, CBS, ABC, Fox Business, Lifehacker and Martha Stewart Living, among other top media. Steve holds a BA in English from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, minoring in composition and rhetoric. In his spare time Steve nerds out on birds, paints and plays a whole lot of Street Fighter. See full bio

Steven's expertise
Steven has written 65 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Credit cards
  • Budgeting and saving
  • Rewards programs

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