If you could recommend one cashback card to most people, would it be a flat 2% card, or a rotating category 5% card? Which one?

I know it depends on spending habits, but the question is if you had to make one general recommendation for the average American family.

For 2025 I gave a summary of what I thought the best credit cards were, but with people posting I've learned some new things, as well as some of the offers have changed. I'm going to give an update of what I found here. I also originally had this as "my list", but now want to make it a more general list. This is specifically not calling out any bonuses that they might have, so if you're a churner this list won't be too helpful.

Some important caveats - some of these offers are no longer available, however, for overall tracking purpose I'm going to include them here. Also, some of these bonuses are only available with other qualifying actions, such as keeping 100K in account value. I know that's not achievable for everyone, but doesn't change the fact that they might be the best option.

If I've missed any please feel free to let me know - however, this list is not really for the "also rans", i.e. BoA Customized Cash offer includes 2% on groceries and wholesale clubs (3.5 if you're platinum Honors), but that is below other higher offers. Similar with Capital One Quicksilver, 1.5% as a general card falls below the 2% available at many other vendors. Aside from general cashback, anything below 5% just doesn't really cut it.

Selectable Categories - 8.25% - 2500 Per Quarter

• BoA Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card - No Annual Fee - Chose one from(Can change a month): gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. *8.25 is for the first year with 100k+ held in BoA accounts or linked Merrill accounts and only applies for the first year, after that, you lose the promotional "+3%" and drop down to 5.25%. You can hold multiple cards

Selectable Categories - 6% - 1500 Per Quarter

• US Bank Shopper Card (V) - $99 Annual Fee, waived for the first year - chose two from (changing on the quarter reset): AceHardware^® Apple^®Amazon.com^®Anthropologie^®Bed, Bath, & Beyond^®Best Buy^®Chewy.com^®CrateandBarrel^™Disney^®HomeDepot^®Ikea^®Kohl's^®Lowe's^®Lululemon^®Macy's^™Menards^®Nordstrom^™Pottery Barn^®QVC^®Restoration Hardware^™Target^®Walmart^®Wayfair.comWilliams Sonoma^®

Groceries - 6%

• Aven Rewards (V) - 6% cash back on groceries up to $10K a year 0- No Annual fee

• Blue Cash Preferred (AE) - 6% cash back on groceries up to $6K - 95 annual fee waived for the first year

Selectable Categories - 5%

• US Bank Cash+ (V) - No Annual Fee - 2000 Per Quarter -Chose 2 from (changeable at the start of the quarter *MUST RESELECT TO GET BONUS): Fast food, Home utilities, TV, internet and streaming, Department stores, Cell phone, Electronic stores

• Citi Custom Cash (MC) - No Annual Fee - 500 Per Month on largest category spend; can have multiple cards.

• Max Cash Preferred (V) - No Annual Fee -2000 Per Quarter - Chose two TV and Internet & Streaming Services,Fast Food,Cell Phone Providers,Department Stores,Home Utilities,Furniture Stores,Electronic Stores,Recreation,Entertainment

Rotating Categories (Check here to see categories)- 5% - 1500 Per Quarter

• Chase Freedom (V) - No annual fee (no longer available)

• Chase Freedom (MC) Flex (same categories as regular Freedom) - No annual fee

• Citi Dividend (MC) - No annual fee (no longer available)

• Discover IT (D) - No annual fee

Set Categories - 5%

• US Bank Ralphs (MC) - No Annual Fee - 5% digital Wallet 3000 per calendar year, 5% Kroger 3000 per calendar year -

• PenFed (V) - 5% Gas - No annual fee (no longer available)

• Ink Business Cash Credit Card 5% (V) - No Annual Fee - Internet Cable Phone and Office Supply Stores 25000 Per Calendar Year

• Autograph Journeys Card (V)- 5% Hotels 4% Airlines [95$ Yearly Fee but 50$ travel credit, so ~45$]

• AAA Daily Advantage 5% Groceries - Rewards capped at 500 per year

• AAA Travel Advantage - 5% Gas and EV Charging - Rewards capped at 350 per year

General Cashback

• USBank Smartly Credit Card (V) - 4% - Up to 10,000 per billing cycle *Need to either be grandfathered in to have 100k in investment, or have 100k in checking to get bonus.

• BoA Unlimited Cash Rewards - 3.125% *For the first year, then falls to 2.625%, but both of these numbers reflect the "Platinum Bonus" of having 100k in BoA or linked Merrill Accounts, otherwise 2% first year falling to 1.5%)

• Robinhood Gold Card - 3% - I believe 5$ a month, so 60$ a year

• 2% - Too many to List Fidelity / Citi Double Cash® Card (MC) / Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (V) / The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (50k limit) (AE) / Synchrony Premier World (MC) / Apple Card (Must use apple Pay) / PNC / NFCU

Honorable Mentions (Debit Cards)

• Paypal Debit Card (MC) - 5% Up to 1000 per month (changeable at the start of the month *MUST RESELECT TO GET BONUS) Chose one from: Restaurants, Groceries, Fuel, Apparel, or Rideshare/Transit.

• Schwab Debit (V) - All ATM Transaction Fees Refunded

• Current cards: (list cards, limits, opening date)

  • Citi Double Cash $17,400 limit, 2003

  • Citi Double Cash $14,000 limit, 2002

  • Discover It $26,600 limit, 2002

  • US Bank Perks+ $9,800 limit, 2005?

  • BofA Rewards Visa Signature $16,000, 2005?

• FICO Score: e.g. 777

• Oldest account age: e.g. 23 years

• Income: e.g. $115,000

• Average monthly spend and categories:

  • dining $500

  • groceries: $800

  • gas: $200

  • travel: $0

  • other: $10,000+

• Open to Business Cards: e.g. No

• What's the purpose of your next card? I am looking for a better cash back card. I have been spending on average $10k a month the last 6 months and will continue to do so. My side job has been buying stuff online and flipping (mainly computer related). I primary buy from FB, craiglists, offerup, ebay, etc but paying with Paypal G&S or Venmo G&S so i have some protection in case the transaction doesn't go well. I have been mainly using the Citi Double Cash to get the 2%, but I want to explore any other cards with a higher cash back %. I am also considering closing 1 or 2 cards as I realized i have too many open. Unless that isn't a good idea and leave them open? I would consider category spending but not sure if Paypal G&S is considered in a category. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

• Do you have any cards you've been looking at? no, I am looking for recs

• Are you OK with category spending or do you want a general spending card? yes

I currently use BOA travel rewards which only gets back like 1.65% in travel rewards. I am going to phase that card out and I want a credit card that gives just cash back rewards instead of one specific to travel.

I’d like to balance a higher rewards percentage with a great experience using that card (great customer service, no fees, etc).

What card do you use and love?

I recently found out about CareCredit, which is currently offering 4% cash back on in-network purchases under $200. That seems to apply to at least one copay I have, so I'm interested.

However, they seem to have a rather poor reputation in this subreddit (though mainly to do with their promotional financing), and I'm concerned that they don't appear to offer a direct deposit option for redeeming cash back. Statement credit is fine but not ideal, especially given I would not be using this card every single calendar month. Moreover, the cash back rate is explicitly time-limited to the end of 2026, at which point they may or may not extend a similar offer.

Are there any other cards that could provide a comparable cash back rate for medical costs, or even just a rate beyond the baseline 2%? More tailored offerings are fine as well, since they may or may not apply in my case.

To start off, I'm already aware of the Wells Fargo Attune card, which as of 2025-11-22 has 4% cash back on:

• Beauty and Barber Shops

• Gym Memberships and Fitness Studios

• Health and Beauty Spas

• Massage Parlors

There's some overlap with the CareCredit card there, specifically the last two of those categories.

For someone who spends a good chunk using a credit card, what is currently the best card to give some cash back? Preferably monthly, not yearly.

I see a lot of questions on the best cash back cards, and I wanted to give my suggestions on how best to figure out the best cards in your context. By the way, none of the links below are referral/affiliate links; they are straight to the credit card website.

I used the wiki for this sub to help determine the best cash back card for my use case. I would suggest looking at your category spending in the past year or so, and then look at your top spends. Is it groceries? Then skip down to the groceries section. Eat out a lot? Check out the restaurant section.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CreditCards/wiki/best_cash_back_cards_by_category/

If you are looking for a catch all card, here is the wiki to help determine the best flat rate cash back card:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CreditCards/wiki/list_of_flat_cashback_cards_with_benefits/

For myself, along with Discover (rotating 5%), Chase (rotating 5% + Amazon 5%), and the Target RedCard (5%) here is my three card set-up, which I have posted many times to this sub over the past several months:

Redstone FCU Visa Signature
https://www.redfcu.org/personal/credits-cards/visa-signature/
5% Restaurants, Gas
3% Groceries, Discount stores, Wholesale clubs, Utilities, Phone, Streaming services
1.5% Everything elseNo AF, No FTF

Need to: join a qualifying organization (it’s free and a simple button click), and keep $5.00 in bank

When applying, there is an area to select your “eligibility”. The last one is completely free:

• Associational Group

• Student

• A family/household member of applicant is currently a member of at Redstone FCU. Please enter the name of the person and their relationship.

• I opt to join the Association of the United States Army (Redstone-Huntsville Chapter) in order to become a member of Redstone FCU.

Cash Back redemption: Redstone bank account (can ACH out afterwards), gift cards, travel, or charitable donations. No minimum redemption. Cash back capped at $7,000 spend per category.

Personal note*: This is a great single card setup if the categories align with your spending. It's a money making machine. There are those who think it's too good to last and it will be nerfed eventually. Who knows? But is that a valid reason not to get the card while it lasts? To all the naysayers, I am still earning a ton of cash back while you sit on the sidelines speculating on this card's future.*

AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature
https://www.aaa.com/AAA/common/bread/breadfinancial.html
5% Grocery store
3% Gas/EV, Wholesale clubs, Streaming services, Pharmacy, AAA purchases
1% everything else
No AF, No FTF

Cash Back redemption: statement credit (website) or bank deposit (need to call customer service) No minimum redemption. Maximum of $500 cash back ($10,000 spend for top category) earned in a calendar year at grocery stores, wholesale clubs and gas stations combined. After that, purchases will earn 1% cash back for the remainder of the calendar year.

Personal note*: The categories are good, but you're going to have to deal with Comenity. Their bad reputation precedes them, and I also unfortunately experienced it. I only use this card for groceries, as I don't want to give them any more business than I have to. Also, there is no app. Website only.*

Alliant Visa Signature
https://www.alliantcreditunion.org/bank/visa-signature-card
2.5% Everything
No AF, No FTF

Cash back limited to first $10,000 spent per billing cycle, 1.5% thereafter.

Need to: keep $1,000 in bank, sign up for electronic statements, have one qualifying electronic deposit per month.

Cash Back redemption: Alliant bank account (can ACH out afterwards), or statement credit. Redemption starts at $50.

Personal notes*: Ok, so there is a lot of (justifiable) balking about the required $1k deposit into their bank, so let’s do the math:*

People claim that they are losing out on ~5% (current HYSA interest rates), making this an “effective” $50 annual fee card. (1000 x 0.05 = $50), making a 2% catch all card a better deal.

The interest rate at Alliant is 0.25%, not zero.

So the actual difference is (1000 x (0.05-0.0025)) = $47.50

But you would pay taxes on this, right? Assuming a 15% *effective* tax rate (NOT your highest tax *bracket*), you’re taking home (47.5 x 0.85) = $40.38 in interest. Substitute your own number here for your own context, of course.

The difference between 2.5% Alliant and a regular 2% card is 0.5%. So the needed spend is 40.38/0.005 = $8,076.

So, look at your own spending on your current 2% catch all card. If it’s less than $8k, then stay. If it’s significantly over $8k, then it’s worth it to at least look at the Alliant. YMMV, good luck.

* * *

I've recently become a platinum honors member at Bank of America (requires $100k with them/Merrill), so here are two additional:

Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards
https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit-cards/cash-back-credit-cards/
2.625% Everything
(This has replaced the Alliant Visa Signature)

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards
https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit-cards/cash-back-credit-cards/
5.25% choice of: Gas & EV charging stations, Online shopping & more, Dining, Travel, Drug stores & pharmacies, Home improvement & furnishings
3.5% Grocery stores, Wholesale clubs
1.75% Everything else

5.25% and 3.5% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter; then earn 1%.

Good luck, everyone!

So I’ve had a Capital One Quicksilver card for over 5 years now and out of all my cards this is what I use the most. It’s unlimited 1.5% back on all purchases and I’m looking to basically find something to replace it. I’m not a fan of cards for specific purchases like travel, gas, grocery etc. What would you guys recommend? 805 credit score.

For those who are strictly team cash-back (not Churners, or points), what is your ideal/dream cash back set-up? Please mention cards, categories and percentages.

I’m also curious to get an idea of the ratio of optimization (most cash back) vs efficiency (least amount of cards) in other’s potential set-ups.

Looking for a 2+ percent general use card with another targeted card. I still don't really care to juggle a dedicated travel card unless it helps towards airline status (Chicago, so United or American).

CREDIT PROFILE

• Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of:

  • Discover it Student

• FICO scores with source: Experian 790

• Oldest credit card account age: 2yrs 10mos

• Cards approved in the past 6 months: 0

• Cards approved in the past 12 months: 0

• Cards approved in the past 24 months: 0

• Annual income $: 175000

CATEGORIES

• Ok with category-specific cards?: Yes

• Ok with rotating category cards?: No

• Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below.

  • Dining $: 650

  • Groceries $: variable

  • Gas $: 200

  • Travel $: variable

  • Using abroad?: ~5 domestic trips/yr, ~1-2 abroad (some domestic trips expensed)

  • Other categories or stores: utilities

  • Other spend:

  • Pay rent by card? No

MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

• Amazon Prime member: Yes

• Costco or Sam's Club member: Costco

PURPOSE

• Purpose of next card: Cashback

• Cards being considered:

  • Fidelity Visa Signature

    • I like this card, but I do all of my investing through Schwab and banking through Ally - however I wouldn't mind parking a few thousand in rainy day funds at Fidelity if it made sense over other 2% cards like Citi

ADDITIONAL INFO

• Cards paid off in full monthly, spend can range from $2-5k/mo

• Would prefer VISA and/or no FTF - biggest pet peeve with my Discover

Hi,

As someone who makes 45k a year and whose main expenses are groceries, bills (phone and gym), and public transportation. What's the best cashback credit card I can have ?

I do have the basic cashback card from National Bank, but it only offers 1% cashback, so it's really not much.

I'm also looking if possible for a no anual fee card or low anual fee card.

Thanks,

Was travelling a lot for work the last 2 years, so I've been rotating through the bonus cards and now probably need to take a long break from bonuses (I think I'm probably 7/12 or 12/24) and figured I'd try and review my overall cashback cards. The new Smartly 2/4% card probably makes most of this somewhat moot and just picking up pennies, but want to take this opportunity to review - cancel anything I don't need, and hopefully get informed about anything I am missing. I'm lucky in that I have a partner that we can have multiple of some of the cards so the list might need some tweaking if that's not an option for you.

Rotating Categories - 5% - 1500 Per Quarter

• Chase Freedom (V)

• Chase Freedom (MC) Flex (2x)

• Citi Dividend (MC)

• Discover IT (D) (2x)

Selectable Categories - 5% - 2000 Per Quarter

•  US Bank Cash+ (V) -  Utilities + Electronic stores

•  US Bank Cash+ (V)-  Utilities (need 2x utilities as we go over 2k per quarter) + Furniture Stores

Selectable Categories - 6% - 1500 Per Quarter

• US Bank Shopper Card (V)- Target Walmart

• US Bank Shopper Card (V) - Amazon Home Depot

Set Category -  

• US Bank Ralphs (MC) - 5% digital Wallet 3000 per calendar year (2x)

• PenFed (V) - 5% Gas (Unlimited?)

• Ink Business Cash Credit Card 5% (V) - Internet Cable Phone and Office Supply Stores 25000 Per Calendar Year

• Citi Custom Cash (2x) (MC) - 500 Per Month

• Autograph Journeys Card (V)- 5% Hotels 4% Airlines [95$ Yearly Fee - Not worth it now with Smartly?]

• Paypal Debit Card (MC) - 5% Groceries

• Paypal Debit Card (MC) - 5% Restaurants

• Schwab Debit (V) - All ATM Transaction Fees Refunded

General Cashback

• Smartly Credit Card (V) - 4% - new General Purpose Card and specifically Costco

• Various 2% Card (Citi Double, WellsFargo, PNC Bank - maybe worth it with the bonus but not day to day since Smartly came out - still potentially want to hold on to one as Smarty has foreign transaction fees)

• Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards - now probably not worth it?

• American Express Blue -  3% Groceries Now probably not worth it

• Cash App Debit - Used to be worth it for the rotating categories (used to have 10% on groceries) no real reason to cancel or have now

• Venmo Debit Card - Have it, never really use it

Is there anything I'm missing? Currently we are using a Venture X for Lounge and Priority pass access, but I think Amex Plat/Chase Sapphire/Venture X we'll just churn through for the big bonus and to keep access.

Looking at credit cards and most cards tend to be best for gas or groceries but not both.. what card would you choose for more than 2% Cashback on both gas AND grocery?

Looking to get a cash back card on everything without having to jump thru hoops and or movable categories. Any suggestions.

Hi all,

I’m looking into getting a new credit card and I’m not sure if I want to play the game with having 2, 3, 4, or 12 different credit cards to get me bonuses for everything. I am looking for just a simple card that will give me the best value on any and all purchases I make with it. Preferably one that just subtracts the cash from my statement so that I do not have to actively do anything with it (I know I’m lazy)

I currently have the PNC 2% unlimited cash card however I am curious if there are other ones that would be more beneficial while maintaining the simplicity of just reducing the amount of money I pay for my credit card bill.

Thank you for all of your input!

I really don't know much about credit cards and mainly just want a reliable card that gives me consistent 2 or 3% back on all purchases. i've looked through this forum but get confused honestly. Just looking for card recommendations for something to use everyday! I do have good credit but there are so many options its hard to know what to get

I’ve been reading a bit about cashback credit cards lately, and it’s kind of confusing. Every site claims theirs is the best, and I’m curious about which ones actually feel valuable in real life.

It’s interesting to see how some cards give rewards automatically, while others have all these categories and rules to track. Some seem really simple and straightforward, and others feel like they take a lot of attention to actually get anything back.

I’m just fascinated by how these programs work in practice — like which setups make it easy to earn rewards, and which ones feel complicated but maybe give more if you actually use them carefully.

Would love to hear general experiences or just stories about how people interact with these cards. Even little observations about what makes a card feel “worth it” are interesting.

I'm looking for a credit card that has better cash back than my current ones. I don't really care for the travel points or anything like that. Just strictly cash back. I've heard chase sapphire is good and discover it, but I'm wondering what you all have found to be the best. Thanks!