Best Cash Back Credit Cards in the US: Flat-Rate and Category Picks

The best cash back credit cards for most people are flat 2% cards with no annual fee: the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card and the Citi Double Cash Card. Heavy grocery shoppers should compare the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, and diners should look at the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. Rates and fees are as of September 2026; confirm them on the issuer's site before you apply.

What is the best cash back credit card?

For most households, the best cash back card is a flat 2% card, because it pays the same on every purchase with no caps, categories or annual fee. The Active Cash pays 2% cash rewards on purchases, and the Double Cash pays 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay.

A category card beats 2% only when a big share of your spending lands in its bonus areas. The Blue Cash Preferred pays 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 a year, and the Savor pays 3% at grocery stores and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming. Many people do best with one of each.

Cash back credit cards compared

Rates, caps and fees are as of September 2026.

Flat-rate or category cash back: which pays more?

Flat-rate pays more for most people unless one category dominates their budget. Here is the math on $24,000 a year of spending, or $2,000 a month:

• A 2% card earns $480 a year.
• A 1.5% card earns $360 a year, so the extra half point is worth $120.
• If $6,000 of that $24,000 is U.S. supermarket spending, the Blue Cash Preferred earns $360 on groceries alone, or $265 after its $95 fee. A 2% card would earn $120 on the same groceries.

That is why a two-card setup works: a category card for your biggest expense and a 2% card for everything else. Our guide to the best two-card combos shows common pairings, and cash back vs points vs miles explains when points pay more.

Is the Blue Cash Preferred worth the $95 annual fee?

It is worth it if you spend more than about $3,170 a year at U.S. supermarkets, roughly $265 a month. That is the point where its 6% grocery rate, against the 3% on the no-fee Blue Cash Everyday, covers the $95 fee. Above that, every extra dollar up to the $6,000 cap earns 3 cents more than the Everyday.

The Preferred also pays 6% on select U.S. streaming and 3% on transit and U.S. gas, which can push the break-even lower. Both cards charge a 2.7% foreign transaction fee and are less widely accepted abroad than Visa or Mastercard. For fuel-heavy budgets, compare our gas and grocery card guide.

Are rotating 5% categories worth it?

They are worth it if you will activate every quarter and your spending lines up with the categories. The Discover it Cash Back pays 5% on up to $1,500 of category spending a quarter when you activate, which is at most $75 a quarter or $300 a year at the 5% rate. Discover then matches all cash back earned in your first year.

The Chase Freedom Flex works the same way, with 5% on up to $1,500 a quarter in activated categories plus 3% on dining and drugstores. If you forget to activate, both drop to 1%, below any flat-rate card.

What happened to the Citi Custom Cash?

Citi stopped accepting applications for the Citi Custom Cash Card on May 28, 2026, and now directs applicants to the Citi Double Cash. The Custom Cash paid 5% in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle, up to $500 a month. The closest alternatives now are cards where you pick your own bonus categories, such as the U.S. Bank Cash+ or the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards.

The best cash back cards, card by card

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card

The simplest 2%: nothing to track, a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, and up to $600 of cell phone protection with a $25 deductible. It charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.

Citi Double Cash Card

Also 2%, split between buying and paying, plus an extra 3% on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel. It is a good home for a balance transfer. The 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor choice abroad.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

The top grocery card for families: 6% at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 a year and 6% on select U.S. streaming. The $95 fee only pays off above about $3,170 a year in supermarket spending.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Savor is the best no-fee card for dining, groceries, entertainment and streaming, with no foreign transaction fee. Everything else earns 1%, so pair it with a 2% card.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Freedom Unlimited pays 1.5% on everything plus 3% on dining and at drugstores. It is worth more if you also hold a Chase Sapphire card, since Chase lets you pool rewards across cards. It has a 3% foreign transaction fee.

Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express

This no-fee version pays 3% at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail and U.S. gas stations, each up to $6,000 a year. It suits moderate spenders below the Blue Cash Preferred's break-even.

Discover it Cash Back

The first-year Cashback Match makes it one of the strongest cards for year one. After that, the 5% categories reward people who activate each quarter. Discover is accepted less widely outside the US.

U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card

Smartly pays 2% on everything and can rise to 4% if you keep qualifying U.S. Bank Smartly savings and checking balances. Reaching the top rate takes sizable deposits, and the boost tiers are subject to change.

How we picked

We compared the cash back cards in our US catalogue on:

• Effective cash back on typical household spending, after caps and annual fees.
• How much effort the rewards take, such as quarterly activation.
• Foreign transaction fees and network acceptance.
• Extras such as intro APRs and cell phone protection.
• Availability: we removed cards no longer taking applications.

Data comes from our card database and issuer websites as of September 2026.

Who should skip a cash back card?

Cash back is not the best fit in a few cases:

• If you travel often and will learn transfer partners, points cards can return more. See our best travel credit cards.
• If you carry a balance, a 0% intro APR matters more than rewards. Compare our balance transfer cards.
• If you live in Canada, see the best cash back credit cards in Canada.
• If you want a card with no fee at all, including abroad, our no annual fee guide flags which picks skip foreign transaction fees.