Best for 2% cash rewards with intro APR
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Best for 2% cash rewards with intro APR
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- 2% Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Cash back credit cards earn rewards on your purchases. Depending on your spending habits, you could get anywhere from 1 percent to 6 percent cash back on everyday essentials, travel and more.
The best cash back credit cards also come with cost-saving features that can help you fight back against the rising costs of inflation. On top of earning cash back in your biggest spending categories, many cash back cards come with generous sign-up bonuses, consumer protections and intro APR offers that give you an interest-free promotional period to pay off purchases or get control of your debt. Check out the best cash back credit card offers from our partners below.
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Recommended credit
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Recommended credit
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Recommended credit
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Recommended credit
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Recommended credit
Intro offer
Annual fee
Regular APR
Recommended credit
Card name | Best for | Cash back highlights | Bankrate review score |
---|---|---|---|
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card | 2% cash rewards with an intro APR | Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases | 4.3 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | Restaurants | Unlimited 3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding Walmart® and Target®) | 4.9 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Discover it® Cash Back |
Rotating cash back categories |
5% on rotating category purchases on up to $1,500 a quarter (activation required), then 1% | 4.4 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Citi Custom Cash Card |
Automatic bonus category |
5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. |
4.4 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Citi Double Cash Card | Up to 2% cash back | Up to 2% cash back (1% when you make purchases + 1% when you pay for them) |
4.2 / 5
|
U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card | Customizable rewards | 5 percent cash back on purchases in two categories of your choice (up to $2,000 in combined purchases per quarter, then 1 percent) |
3.2 / 5
|
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card | 1.5% cash back | 1.5% unlimited on all purchases | 3.8 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | Groceries | 6% at U.S supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, 1% after) | 4.4 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card | Customizable 3% category | 3% in choice category (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) | 4.3 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Upgrade Cash Rewards Elite Visa | Personal loan alternative | 2.2% unlimited cash back on card purchases every time you make a payment | 4.2 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Chase Freedom Unlimited | Sign-up bonus | 5% on Chase Ultimate Rewards travel purchases, 3% at restaurants and drugstores | 5 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card | Online shopping | 5% at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market (2% at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; 1% back on all other purchases) | 4.2 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card | 2.5% cash back | 2.5% cash back on all purchases (up to $10,000 in qualifying purchases each billing cycle, maximum cash back earning per billing cycle of $250) | 3.9 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | Fair credit | Unlimited 1.5% on all purchases | 4.1 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card | Bad credit | 2% cash back on gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in combined spending per quarter and 1% on everything else) | 5 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Aside from the stellar rewards rate, there’s another standout feature — cellphone protection. This covers you against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cellphone bill with your card.
Simplicity seekers and people planning to make a large purchase. Thanks to the card’s intro APR offer, you can earn consistent cash rewards and minimize interest charges on new purchases.
If you’d like to earn a higher rate of rewards in a variety of spending categories, the Discover it® Cash Back Card earns higher cash back in different bonus categories that rotate each quarter (upon enrollment) subject to a quarterly maximum.
Restaurant-goers, grocery shoppers and even social butterflies can find something to love about this card
While the SavorOne Cash Rewards Card earns generously at grocery stores, there are cards that earn more on these purchases. Plus, the card’s 3 percent back on dining is outpaced by the Citi Custom Cash card’s high rate of bonus cash back in your top eligible spend category, including restaurants.
This card’s elevated rewards rates can be especially rewarding for cardholders who can flex their spending to align with the Discover boosted cash back categories each quarter (enrollment required, quarterly maximum applies).
People who can adjust their spending to maximize cash back earnings across various categories and aren’t troubled by keeping up with Discover’s 2023 cash back calendar.
If you value simplicity or your spending stays consistent throughout the year, you may prefer a card that doesn’t require enrolling in new bonus categories each quarter. Opting for a flat-rate cash rewards card like the Citi Double Cash or Wells Fargo Active Cash can make it easier to earn more cash back consistently.
The rewards structure incentivizes you to stay on top of your payments. You’ll only earn the full 2 percent cash back on your purchases once you’ve paid them off — 1 percent back when you buy, 1 percent when you pay off purchases.
Hands-off rewards earners. Cardholders get a straightforward cash back card for no annual fee without tracking or enrolling in tiered categories.
If you have large purchases coming up and want a promotional period to save money on interest charges, consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card. It earns the same flat rate on purchases but comes with a long intro APR offer for purchases and balance transfers.
People eager to maximize cash back earnings with a multi-card strategy. This card’s flexibility and high earning potential make it a particularly great option for people who don’t mind juggling multiple credit cards to get as much value out of them as possible.
Whole Foods shoppers and Amazon Prime members. Earning 5 percent back for both online purchases and groceries is a rare offer, making the card ideal for Amazon customers who are looking for new ways to save.
Cash back credit cards reward you for eligible purchases by giving you a percentage of your purchase price back as cash. For example, a 3 percent cash back rate means you earn 3 cents back for every dollar in eligible spending. For someone with a $4,000 annual grocery bill, earning 3 percent with a cash back card for groceries could mean up to $120 in cash back rewards. Cash back is essentially a discount on eligible purchases — you may not see the discount at checkout, but the payoff comes when you redeem your rewards.
Cash back cards come in a variety of forms. The best cash back credit card type for you depends on your spending habits and lifestyle. Before you apply, you should know all of the options available to you.
While cash back cards can put hundreds of dollars per year back into your wallet, they can also come with drawbacks that make them less appealing. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of carrying a cash back card.
Earn rewards: If you pick a card that fits your spending habits, you can earn some extra cash every month just by using your credit card.
Build credit: Used responsibly, a cash back credit card can help you improve your credit score by adding to your credit history.
Many have no annual fee: Plenty of the best cash back credit cards feature no annual fee. As long as you pay your bill in full, you won’t have to worry about whether you’re coming out ahead, no matter how you spend with the card
Sign-up bonuses: A sign-up bonus or welcome offer is an incentive offered to new cardholders who spend a certain amount within the first few months of opening the account. Cash back credit cards often offer bonuses worth a few hundred dollars.
Sometimes less valuable than travel rewards: With cash back cards, you usually can’t score a particularly lucrative deal with your redemption, as you might when trading in travel rewards points for a flight.
Higher APRs: Rewards cards typically come with higher interest rates, so it almost always makes sense to choose a low-interest credit card instead of a cash back card if you carry a balance from month to month.
Value-limiting restrictions: As with any credit card, make sure to read the fine print. Some cards require you to periodically activate or enroll in your cash back category to earn cash back.
Penalty APRs: If you are late making a payment, some cash back cards won’t just hit you with a late payment fee. They’ll also give you a higher APR, which could last a year or longer. That means more interest charges if you carry a balance.
Just about anyone can benefit from getting a small portion of their purchases back. And unlike travel points or miles, you’re free to use cash back however you please. In fact, our experts share that credit card rewards are a way Americans can combat today's rising prices and interest rates.
For suggestions based on your spending habits, try Bankrate’s Spender Type Tool. Select the spender type that you most closely identify with and you’ll get card recommendations that may suit your spending habits.
Here are some tips that can help ensure you’re getting as much cash back as possible with your credit card.
To see how popular cash back cards stack up against one another, check out the following card comparisons:
Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.