In the world of credit card rewards, there are those who dream of free airfare to far off locales, racking up miles as they spend. Then there are those who just want to trim a little off their statement every month with cashback they get on spending.
Personally, I’m of the former sort — but even I have a cashback card in my wallet for use when I’m not earning toward my next vacation.
And why not? There are literally hundreds of cashback cards on the market that allow you to earn money back on every transaction you make. Many of these cards don’t even have an annual fee, so they’re free to use and have little downside.
If you’re going to carry a cashback card, though, it makes sense to optimize the amount you’ll be able to earn based on your spending habits. For example, if you’re feeding and entertaining a family of five, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express could be a good choice due to the 6% that you’ll get on spending at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services.
Others, are great for loyalists of specific retailers. The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card, for example, gets you 6% at your choice of two retailers (on the first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter).
To curate this list of cards with the highest cashback rates, we looked for cards that offered notably elevated rates on spending in specific categories. There are plenty of cards that offer a lower base rate on general spending.
To help you find the right cashback card for your needs, we waded through a wide range of cashback credit cards to select the ones offering the highest levels of cash back: 2% cash back for flat-rate cards and 5% (or higher) for cards with spending categories. As you read on and compare the rewards offered by the best cashback credit cards, keep your own spending habits and organizational skills in mind.
How we evaluate products
Credit cards with the highest cashback offers
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Citi Custom Cash® Card
- Chase Freedom Flex®
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Prime Visa
- U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card
- Citi Double Cash® Card
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Card comparison
Card name | Rewards rate | Annual fee | Excellent for |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
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6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter | Groceries |
Citi Custom Cash® Card
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5% cash back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent, then 1% cash back), plus unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases; plus, as a special travel offer, earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026 | $0 | Flexible spending categories |
Chase Freedom Flex®
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5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases | $0 | Rotating bonus categories |
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
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6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases | $0 | Travel |
Prime Visa
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Unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership, unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and unlimited 1% on all other purchases | $0 | Shopping at Amazon and Whole Foods Market |
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card
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6% cash back on first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter with your choice of two retailers; 5.5% cash back on prepaid hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center; 3% cash back on the first $1,500 in eligible purchases in one everyday category; and 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases | $95 (waived first year) | Shopping at Walmart and Target |
Citi Double Cash® Card
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2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25 | $0 | Flat-rate cashback |
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
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3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 1% cash back on all other purchases | $0 | Dining and entertainment |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter
Rewards: 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases
Welcome offer: $250 statement credit
If you spend a lot of money on groceries, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express can help you earn significant rewards. It has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter, but you can earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases.
To put that in perspective, let’s say you spend $6,000 per year at U.S. supermarkets. In one year, you’d earn $360 in cashback rewards in Reward Dollars (which you can redeem for statement credits). That alone readily outweighs the burden of the annual fee. In fact, you would only have to spend $1,584 at U.S. supermarkets per year to have the card pay for itself.
Read our full Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express review
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent, then 1% cash back), plus unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases; plus, as a special travel offer, earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026
Welcome offer: $200 cash back
The Citi Custom Cash® Card allows cardmembers to earn 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent, then 1% cash back), plus unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases; plus, as a special travel offer, earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.
Eligible spending categories include groceries, restaurants, gas stations, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.
Given the range of bonus cashback categories, there's a good chance they'll align with your everyday purchases.
If you spent the maximum $1,500 each quarter and qualified for the 5% cash back rate, you’d earn $300 in cash back rewards in a year — well over the annual fee.
To learn more, read our full Citi Custom Cash review.
Chase Freedom Flex®
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome offer: $200
Rotating bonus category cards generally allow you to activate categories — typically every quarter — and earn bonus rewards in those categories. If you appreciate the flexibility of earning bonus rewards in a category of your choice, the Chase Freedom Flex® might be a good option for you. Afterall, “Flex” is in the name.
With the $0-annual-fee Freedom Flex, you can earn 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Read our Chase Freedom Flex review
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year)If you want to earn bonus rewards on travel purchases, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® could be a good addition to your wallet. This card offers a generous sign-up bonus: Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
Plus, it has a $0 annual fee, and you can earn 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
While the Chase Freedom Unlimited is marketed as a cashback credit card, it technically earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, making it particularly useful for redeeming your cash back for travel through Chase’s portal. As someone who’s booked travel through Chase before, I can tell you, the benefits are many.
Beyond that, cardholders enjoy flexible redemption options in general, including the opportunity to redeem rewards for statement credits, gift cards, or online shopping on Amazon.
Read our full Chase Freedom Unlimited review
Prime Visa
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: Unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership, unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and unlimited 1% on all other purchases
Welcome offer: $100 Amazon gift card
The Prime Visa is an excellent option if you shop online at Amazon.com or like to do your grocery shopping at Whole Foods Market. It has no annual fee, and you can earn 5% cash back on Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership and 2% cash back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare).
You can also earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Read our full Prime Visa review
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Rewards: 6% cash back on first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter with your choice of two retailers; 5.5% cash back on prepaid hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center; 3% cash back on the first $1,500 in eligible purchases in one everyday category; and 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Welcome offer: $250
The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card allows you to earn 6% cash back on first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter with your choice of two retailers; 5.5% cash back on prepaid hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center; 3% cash back on the first $1,500 in eligible purchases in one everyday category; and 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
If you’re one of countless Americans who shops at Walmart and Target on a regular basis, you can choose them as your retailers to get the 6% cash back rate on any variety of items.
This card also allows you to earn $250 after spending $2,000 on eligible purchases in the first 120 days.
Read our full U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards review.
Citi Double Cash® Card
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25
Welcome offer: $200 cash back
If you don’t want to worry about spending categories, the Citi Double Cash® Card can be a solid choice. It has a $0 annual fee and you can earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.
That’s an above-average offer for a flat-rate card with no annual fee, and it also offers another perk: an introductory APR.
Cardmembers get 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months (then 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)). This could be useful if you want to transfer debt from a card with a higher interest rate and pay it off over time.
Read our full Citi Double Cash Card review
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome offer: $200 cash bonus
With the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, you can earn 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
What makes this card really stand out is that there’s no spending cap on how much cash back you can earn in each category. With other cards, you’d only earn the higher rate of return on the first $1,500 or $2,500 spent per quarter. This card doesn’t have a limit, so if you spend a significant amount of money dining out or on entertainment, this credit card offers a large amount of rewards.
Read our full Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card review
What is considered a high cashback rate?
When you’re looking for a cashback rewards card, the rewards you can earn will be dependent on the card’s structure.
For example, flat-rate rewards cards offer one cashback rate on all purchases. With these cards, there are no spending categories to remember, and they often have no limit on how much you can earn in rewards.
An average flat-rate rewards credit card typically offers around 1.5% cash back on every purchase, so anything higher than that would be considered a high cashback rate.
Your other option is a card with spending categories. These cards offer higher levels of cash back — such as 3% to 5% — on certain purchases, like groceries or gas. They also usually have spending limits, so you’ll only earn the higher rate on some of your spending.
For example, you may be able to earn 3% back on groceries but only on up to $2,500 in purchases per quarter. So these cards in general take a bit more attention.
How to pick the best cashback credit card for you
To choose the best cashback credit card for you, review your bank and current credit card statements to get an idea of your spending habits. Identify the categories where you spend the most money. That will help you find the credit card that will allow you to earn the most rewards in those areas.
For instance, if you spend a lot at the supermarket, you might benefit from one of the best credit cards for groceries. Or if you have a long commute, you might get the most value from one of the best credit cards for gas.
Other factors to consider include:
- Types of cashback credit cards: Are you interested in rotating categories, certain bonus categories, or flat-rate cash back?
- Credit history: Do you know your credit score? Many of the top cashback cards require a good to excellent credit score.
- Redemption options: Are you simply interested in redeeming your rewards for cash back? Or do you want more flexible redemptions?
- Bonus offer: Is a bonus offer important to you? Choosing a card with a generous bonus offer could help you maximize your cashback earnings.
- Annual fee: Do you want a no-annual-fee card? Or are you OK with paying an annual fee?
Bottom line
With an abundance of options, it’s important to make sure you’re choosing a cashback card that aligns with your spending habits. The best cashback credit cards give you the chance to earn an elevated rate on your normal spending.
Aim for 5% or higher on bonus categories that align with your recurring expenses. If you pay off your balance in full each month, you’ll avoid costly interest fees, so it’s basically like getting free money back.