Best Cash Back Credit Card

Up-to-date as of: May 23, 2013

Cash back credit cards are the most flexible type of rewards credit cards because they allow you to earn rewards on all of your purchases and, most importantly, redeem these rewards for cash which can be used to purchase anything. In compiling the list of the best cash back credit cards, our editors tried to find products that met as many, if not all of the following criteria: 1% cash back on all purchases, higher earning rates for certain purchase categories and an initial cash back bonus. Read more about our Editor's Picks for the Best Cash Back Credit Card.

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Excellent Credit

Capital One® Cash Rewards - $100 Cash Back Bonus

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: $100
- Base Earn: 1.5%
- Max Earn: 1.5%
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Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express

Annual Fee: $75
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: $150
- Base Earn: 1%
- Max Earn: 6%
Editor's Notes: The Blue Cash Preferred Card from Amex is one of the best everyday rewards cards on the market given its exceptional earning rates in important spending categories. It offers 6% cash back at supermarkets (up to a $6,000 annual spending limit), 3% cash back at gas stations and department stores, and 1% cash back everywhere else. Some might be turned off by the $75 annual fee, but that’s a moot point for two years if you manage to spend at least $1,000 during the first three months and thereby qualify for its $150 initial bonus. Depending on your spending habits, the Blue Cash Preferred could very well pay for itself on an ongoing basis. If you don’t spend enough on groceries, gas, and clothing to outweigh the fee, check out the standard Blue Cash Card.…more
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Chase Freedom® Visa - $100 Bonus Cash Back + 0% Intro APR

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: $100
- Base Earn: 1%
- Max Earn: 5%
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Good Credit

Capital One® Cash Rewards - $100 Cash Back Bonus

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: $100
- Base Earn: 1.5%
- Max Earn: 1.5%
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Chase Freedom® Visa - $100 Bonus Cash Back + 0% Intro APR

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: $100
- Base Earn: 1%
- Max Earn: 5%
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Fair Credit

Capital One® Cash Rewards for Newcomers

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1%
- Max Earn: 2%
Editor's Notes: Finding a card with no annual fee should be the biggest concern for inexperienced consumers, as issuers often like to use fixed costs to offset the risk posed by this unproven demographic. If a card happens to offer any rewards or low rates to speak of, that’s just gravy. The Capital One Cash Rewards Card for Newcomers is therefore ideal as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and offers 2% cash back on travel as well as 1% on everything else.…more
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Capital One® Cash Rewards

Annual Fee: $39
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1.5%
- Max Earn: 1.5%
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Limited History

College Students

Journey^SM Student Rewards from Capital One®

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1.25%
- Max Earn: 1.25%
Editor's Notes: Not only does the Capital One Journey Student Rewards Card offer straightforward, lucrative rewards without charging an annual fee, it also promotes good habits. You get a 25% rewards bonus each month you make an on-time payment, and getting in the habit of paying for what you spend early in your credit career will put you on the path to excellent credit as well as save you a lot of money in interest in the years to come (assuming you pay your bill in full as well as on time, which we highly recommend).…more
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Citi® Dividend® Card for College Students

Annual Fee: $0*
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1%
- Max Earn: 5%
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Non-College Students

Capital One® Cash Rewards for Newcomers

Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1%
- Max Earn: 2%
Editor's Notes: Finding a card with no annual fee should be the biggest concern for inexperienced consumers, as issuers often like to use fixed costs to offset the risk posed by this unproven demographic. If a card happens to offer any rewards or low rates to speak of, that’s just gravy. The Capital One Cash Rewards Card for Newcomers is therefore ideal as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and offers 2% cash back on travel as well as 1% on everything else.…more
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Capital One® Cash Rewards

Annual Fee: $39
Rewards: Cash Back
- Initial Bonus: None
- Base Earn: 1.5%
- Max Earn: 1.5%
Learn More »

Bad Credit

Secured Card

Unfortunately, there are no cash back credit cards for people with bad credit. Below is the best secured credit card for people with bad credit.

Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

Min Deposit: $49 - $200
Annual Fee: $29
Monthly Fee: None
One-time Setup Fees: None
Regular APR: 22.9% (V)
Editor's Notes: While the Capital One Secured MasterCard charges a higher annual fee than certain other cards in its class, the fact that it can be a partially-secured card makes it quite an attractive option for many consumers. With a partially-secured credit card, your credit line may exceed the amount of your security deposit, thereby providing you with an emergency line of credit, if needed, and enabling you to maximize your available credit. The more credit you have available, the faster your credit standing will improve. The Capital One Secured MasterCard Credit Card is therefore an option that at least merits consideration if you have bad or limited credit.…more
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Unsecured Card

Unfortunately, there are no cash back credit cards for people with bad credit. Below is the best unsecured credit card for people with bad credit.

VISA® Platinum from Credit One Bank®

Annual Fee: $75 1st yr, $99 after
Monthly Fee: None
One-time Setup Fees: None
Regular APR: 23.9% (V)
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Help others find the Best Cash Back Credit Card for their needs by providing recommendations, cautions, and insider tips.

Justin Adams: I absolutely love my Discover Card with Cashback bonus. As a general rule I get 1% cash back on all of my purchases, but every quarter Discover adds different purchase categories that receive 5% cash back. Right now for example I get 5% cashback on all purchases from home improvement stores, which is very useful since I am starting to look at my summer project list. A recent useful addition is the ability to use my Discover cashback on Amazon purchases, this has payed for my wife's birthday and anniversary presents. My wife and I have been very happy with the Discover card with cashback bonus and I highly recommend it to anybody looking for a credit card that offers these types of benefits.
May 20 at 11:10pm
Anonymous User: My favorite cash back credit card would probably have to be the Journey Student Rewards for Capital One. As a college student myself who had no credit whatsoever, the card was definitely a great starter for people like myself. While the cash back feature wasn't clearly the best out of the cards there are to offer (i.e. there is no initial bonus), it's still definitely decent for college students, as usually those who get this card are just starting out. The max you can earn is 1.25%, which while usually.25% lower than other cards. Obviously not the best, but if you're starting out with credit cards and are currently in college, it's definitely the best one to get.
May 20 at 10:56pm
Anonymous User: The best cash back credit card that I have come across is the Citi Dividend Platinum Visa Card. This card gives you 1% cash back on all purchases and sometimes up to 5% cash back at certain stores, like Home Depot. They also have quarterly categories that earn additional cash back if you spend money at the specific locations. They also give you $100 cash back after your first $500 in purchases within three months of opening the account. There is no annual fee for this card and they also have a 0% APR on Balance Transfers and as low as a 12.99% APR thereafter, depending on Credit Worthiness.
May 14 at 2:10pm
Frank Papageorgio: My favorite card for Cash Back is the Capital One® Cash Rewards card. I like it because it's the best card that gives you the most cash back without charging you an annual fee. Other Capital One cards like Venture might give you up to 2% back in points or miles, but if you want to receive cash for them your points are worth half as much. The Cash Rewards card gives you 1.5% back that you can redeem in cold hard cash and with no annual fee, making it super simple! And of course if you still prefer to receive a gift card instead of cash, you can still redeem for that as well.
May 14 at 1:13pm
Margie Cole: Without a doubt, my favorite cash back credit card is the Blue Cash Preferred from American Express. You might think that I’m crazy for singling out a card with a hefty annual fee, but you have to spend money to make money, and the $75 you pay for the Blue Cash Preferred gets you a whole bunch of value in return. Just look at how much cash back it offers and the types of purchases for which it provides the greatest return on your dollar and tell me it’s not the best cash back credit card on the market. I mean, 6% cash back on groceries, 3% at gas stations and department stores, and 1% on everything else? I know that reflects my biggest expenses and probably those of most other people too. The rest of you can take a card that gives you miles and save up for a free trip; I’ll just save on a consistent basis and then afford to take whatever trip I want whenever I want, instead of being stuck to when reward travel is available, or whatever. I’m kind of on a roll right now, so I’ll go ahead and talk about another card that I find particularly attractive as well. I think the Capital One Cash Rewards Card is a great option for people who either don’t want to be bothered with keeping track of how much cash back they earn in this category vs. that or who want to complement the Blue Cash Amex Card. The Cap One card gives you an awesome 1.5% cash back across all purchases. No loopholes, no fine print. That’s a breath of fresh air for most people out there. Plus, it’s great for overseas use since Capital One does not charge foreign fees on any of its cards. So, those are my picks for the best cash back credit cards. I’d love to hear what others think as well because if I don’t have the best cards in mind, I want to know it so I can go out and get them.
August 23 at 1:14am

Why get the best cash back credit card and not the best travel rewards credit card?
In a word, flexibility. Though certain travel rewards credit cards might be more lucrative, the best cash back rewards credit cards simplify redemption and broaden rather than limit the possible uses of your earnings. In addition, cash back credit cards represent a lower risk because credit card companies cannot devalue what you have already earned, as they can with rewards miles or points. Whether you don't travel enough to warrant getting a travel rewards credit card or you merely value the simplicity of cash rewards, you can't go wrong with the best cash back card.

How often do the best cash back credit cards change?
The best cash back credit cards page changes whenever new deals that warrant inclusion are introduced. There is no specific timetable for this as credit card companies alter offers at their own discretion based on various economic trends. As a result, the best cash back credit cards for 2011 will likely differ from those for 2010.

Do the best cash back credit cards make rewards redemption easier?
Rewards redemption is very simple with all cash back credit cards. You earn rewards in terms of cash, which you receive in the form of checks or statement credits. There are no blackout dates, no risk of devaluation, no loopholes, no point benchmarks to reach, just a clear cash earning rate. The best cash back cards simply heighten the benefits provided by your typical cash back credit card.

About the Editors' Picks — Best Cash Back Credit Card
Our editors' recommendations for the Best Cash Back Credit Card are a reflection of their own subjective opinions, and they should not be relied upon as the sole basis for choosing your credit card. Certain offers originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on a card’s details page, when applicable. We work hard to present you with the most accurate credit card information, however, the credit card terms and conditions do not originate from us and thus we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information. Before applying for a credit card we recommend that you verify the credit card terms and conditions on the credit card company's web site. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.