Cash Back Credit Cards Compared — United States
Flat-rate vs. tiered, side by side · 🇺🇸 United States
Start with one question: do you want to think about your card or not? A flat 2% card pays the same on everything, while a tiered card might pay 5% on rotating categories but only 1% elsewhere. Say you spend $24,000 a year as of 2026 with $6,000 of it on dining and groceries; a 2% flat card returns about $480, but a card paying 5% on $1,500 of quarterly bonus spend (capped, as most are) plus 1% on the rest lands closer to $480 too, with way more effort. Skip tiered cards if you won't activate quarterly bonuses or track caps; the 1% base eats your return fast. Confirm current rates and category caps on the issuer's site before you apply.
32 cards to compare side by side
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase
A solid no-fee everyday card, but its real value shows up only when you also hold a Sapph…
Prime Visa (Amazon)
Amazon / Chase
Only worth it if you already pay for Prime, since the 5% at Amazon and Whole Foods is gat…
Chase Freedom Flex
Chase
Worth it only if you'll remember to activate the 5% rotating categories each quarter; mis…
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
American Express
For grocery-heavy households this beats most flat-rate cards, paying 6% at U.S. supermark…
Citi Double Cash Card
Citi
Effectively a 2% flat card (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay it off) with no annual fee,…
Discover it Cash Back
Discover
The first-year math is the headline: Discover matches all the cash back you earn, so 5% r…
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Wells Fargo
If you want one card that pays well on everything with no fee, this is the flat-rate benc…
Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
Chase
Use the Ink Business Unlimited as the flat-rate floor for business spending that doesn't…
Discover it Secured Credit Card
Discover
This is the rare secured card that actually pays rewards: 2% at gas and restaurants (on u…
Citi Custom Cash Card
Citi
The set-it-and-forget-it answer to rotating-category cards: it auto-pays 5% on your singl…
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi
Costco / Citi
The standout here is fuel: strong cash back on gas (up to an annual spending cap) makes i…
Ink Business Cash Credit Card
Chase
The Ink Business Cash earns a strong 5% at office-supply stores and on internet/cable/pho…
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One
The Savor is the simplest dining-and-fun card: unlimited 3% on dining, entertainment, pop…
Discover it Student Cash Back
Discover
For a first card, the standout is Discover's first-year Cashback Match, which doubles eve…
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One
A no-annual-fee card that pays unlimited 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming and groce…
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards
Capital One
A no-fuss flat 1.5% cash-back card with no annual fee, but here's the honest comparison:…
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards
Bank of America
The real reason to hold this is the Preferred Rewards boost: with enough deposits or inve…
Apple Card
Apple / Goldman Sachs
Best suited to iPhone users who live in Apple Pay, where it earns 2% Daily Cash, versus a…
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
American Express
Pick the Blue Cash Everyday for no-fee grocery and online-shopping cash back: 3% at U.S.…
U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card
U.S. Bank
The Cash+ is the card to pick if you want to aim your own 5%: you choose two 5% categorie…
U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card
U.S. Bank
Foodies get the most here: 4x on dining including takeout and delivery with no annual fee…
U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card
U.S. Bank
On paper a flat 2% on everything, climbing to 4% if you park enough in U.S. Bank Smartly…
Sam's Club Mastercard
Synchrony
This one earns its keep on gas: 5% back on the first $6,000 of fuel a year (then 1%), plu…
OnePay (Walmart) Cash Back Card
Walmart / OnePay
Built for regular Walmart shoppers through the OnePay app, with elevated cash back on Wal…
PayPal Cashback Mastercard
Synchrony
The pitch is 3% back any time you check out with PayPal and 1.5% on everything else, no a…
REI Co-op Mastercard
REI Co-op
Built for people who buy gear: 5% back on REI purchases on top of the annual co-op member…
My Best Buy Visa Card
Best Buy
If you buy electronics at Best Buy regularly, this Citi-issued Visa earns up to 5% back t…
Verizon Visa Card
Verizon
The hook is up to 4% back on grocery and gas plus 3% on dining, but every cent comes back…
Macy's American Express Card
Macy's
This Citi-issued Macy's Amex makes sense mainly for Macy's loyalists: it earns up to 5% b…
Synchrony HOME Credit Card
Synchrony
This is really two cards in one: 2% back on eligible purchases under $299 at participatin…
New Fintech Rewards Card (Reported / Coming Soon)
Reported in the news
Skip the compare button on this one for now: it's a reported, not-yet-launched fintech re…
U.S. Bank Cash+ (2026 Category Refresh)
U.S. Bank
This is a refresh-in-progress of the U.S. Bank Cash+ choose-your-5%-category card, and th…
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