Our Top Cashback Card Picks
Citi Double Cash® Card
Best flat-rate: 2% on everything, no exceptions
Earn 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay — effectively 2% on every purchase with no annual fee. The simplicity alone makes this the default recommendation for most people.
✅ Pros
- 2% flat on all purchases — no thinking required
- No annual fee
- $200 welcome bonus after $1,500 spend
- Transfer to ThankYou Points for airline miles
❌ Cons
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- No bonus categories
- Competing cards beat it in specific categories
Blue Cash Preferred® (Amex)
6% back at US supermarkets — unmatched
At 6% at US supermarkets (up to $6,000/year) and 3% at US gas stations, the math easily justifies the $95 annual fee for households spending $400+/month on groceries.
✅ Pros
- 6% is the highest grocery rate available
- 3% at gas stations + streaming
- $0 first year
- Amex Offers add 1-3% more regularly
❌ Cons
- $95 annual fee after year 1
- 6% cap at $6,000/year groceries
- Only at US supermarkets (not Target/Walmart)
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
1.5% base + 5% travel + 3% dining
Freedom Unlimited stacks well with Chase Sapphire cards — alone it earns 3% on dining and 1.5% everywhere else with a $0 annual fee. Combined with a Sapphire card, all cashback converts to premium travel points.
✅ Pros
- No annual fee
- 5% on Chase travel bookings
- 3% dining & drugstores
- Pairs with Sapphire Reserve for 1.5¢/point travel value
❌ Cons
- 1.5% base falls behind Citi Double Cash
- Chase 5/24 rule applies
- Need Sapphire to maximize point value
The 2% Math
A household charging $4,000/month earns $960/year at 2% flat. That beats most 1.5% cards by $240 annually — equivalent to a $0 annual fee card beating a $199 premium card with marginal category bonuses.
| Card | Annual Fee | Base Rate | Best Category | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Double Cash | $0 | 2% flat | 2% everywhere | Simplicity seekers |
| Amex Blue Cash Preferred | $95 | 1% | 6% groceries | Grocery spenders |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited | $0 | 1.5% | 3% dining | Dining + Chase ecosystem |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash | $0 | 2% flat | 2% everywhere | No annual fee alternative |
| Discover it Cash Back | $0 | 1% | 5% rotating quarterly | Maximizers |
Don't Carry a Balance
Cashback rewards are typically worth 1–2%. Credit card interest rates average 22%. Carrying even a small balance for one month erases months of rewards. Only use cashback cards if you pay in full every month.
Calculate your cashback potential
Enter your monthly spending by category to see which card earns you the most.