Best cash back credit cards

Off-Ramp
105

My cash back collection, updated for Q4.

Card

Cash back

Categories

Cap

Comments

Amex Blue Cash Preferred

6%

Groceries, Streaming

$6,000/year

Annual fee waived for current year (+$150 upgrade bonus)

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Visa (3)

5.25%

Online Shopping, Online Shopping, Dining

$2,500/quarter
 per card

Includes 75% relationship bonus;

Categories can be changed once a month (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings);

Three of these in our household; each has a separate cap

Chase Amazon Rewards Prime Visa

5%

Amazon.com, Whole Foods

 

10% on gas (promo / possibly targeted)

$1,500/quarter

Amex BCP pays 6% on groceries, so this card isn’t useful (to me) for 5% at Whole Foods.

Amazon Prime membership required for card eligibility.

Discover it

5%

Amazon.com, digital wallets

$1,500/quarter

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards with 3% (5.25%) category set to Online Shopping offers a marginally better value.  5% on Digital Wallet purchases this quarter tops US Bank Altitude Reserve at 4.5% on Apple Pay (the only service I use, and that’s only occasionally).
 
 5% categories change quarterly and are set by the issuer.

Chase Freedom

5%

Walmart, PayPal

$1,500/quarter

This is the original Freedom card, which is currently closed to new applicants.
 
 If you use Ultimate Rewards points optimally (which I do not), 5X URs > 5% cashback, and Q4 categories overlap with other cards.

5% categories change quarterly and are set by the issuer.

Chase Freedom Flex

5%

Walmart, PayPal

$1,500/quarter

If you use Ultimate Rewards points optimally (which I do not), 5X URs > 5% cashback, and Q4 categories overlap with other cards.

 

5% categories change quarterly and are set by the issuer.

US Bank Cash+

5%

Home Utilities, TV/Internet/Streaming

$2,000/quarter

Some utility bills have a credit card surcharge, but these are easy to outrun by overpaying the balance and carrying a credit on the utility account;

Choose two categories per quarter (furniture, electronics, department stores, select clothing stores, select sporting goods stores, home utilities, cell phone providers, gyms, ground transportation, movie theaters, fast food, TV/internet/streaming)

 

Capital One Walmart Mastercard

5%

Walmart.com

Unlimited

Walmart.com purchases (including pickup and delivery)

Bank of America Travel Rewards

2.625%

All purchases

Unlimited

Includes 75% relationship bonus 

This cards gets miscellaneous spending that isn’t covered by categories that pay 5% or more.

 

4 Likes
106

FWIW Citi Custom Cash Mastercard has 5% cash back on the cardholder’s most common spending category each month for up to $500 of spending. No annual fee.

1 Like
107

Also similar to that and the USBank cash+ is the Elan Max Cash rewards. 5% in top two categories capped $2k a quarter

1 Like
108

Definitely targeted. Didn’t work for me.

109

Checked mine and it wasn’t on there either.

1 Like
110

Is your ‘Cap’ the max spend or the max cash back per term? 5% off of only $1500 isn’t too exciting.

111

Does the Preferred give you the $300 travel credit? The annual fee on the reserve isn’t bad at all once you account for the travel/grocery credit

112

The cap refers to how much spending gets the cashback rate listed, and above that the card’s rewards rate reverts to something lower for the same purchases.

Is that exciting?

Well, if you’ve ever done ecstasy, I can tell you it’s nothing like that.

113

No it doesn’t.

114

This was an offer that came in by email and required activation.

Even with the offer activated, I don’t see any evidence of it when I log into my account.

I can’t find the email back, but this is a similar offer my mom received on her United card.

Emails arrived on or about 9/28.

united gas offer
united gas offer1234×2382 379 KB

115

Does this card allow you to earn the 5% as Chase UR? Or is it a statement credit?

116

The Chase Amazon cards do not earn URs.

Redemption options:

2 Likes
117

A couple people sent me the activation form - if you were not targeted it did not work.

1 Like
118

Preferred does not. I was going to switch to reserve this year because my Pre-Check was up and I switched to Global Entry, but I forgot, and I fly at least once a month, so I just sucked it up and paid the $100. I’ll re-evaluate it when it’s up again in 2027, I guess.

119

If you live anywhere near the border or cross the border semi frequently, do Nexus over Global Entry or Pre Check. Credit card won’t cover it, but Nexus is only $50 (must do the interview at a border crossing) and includes expedited entry into Canada as well as Global and Pre.

1 Like
120

I looked at LAX Global Entry and first appointment is 11 months from now…ick.

121

Find an airport that accepts walk ins and try your luck. 99% of the time it works every time.

122

That’s my problem nearest airport is LAX and it’s 60 miles away (2 hours in LA driving weather).

San Diego is got one closer but 3 hours…SF has immediate, but will that’s like 400 miles.

I got TSA Pre at John Wayne and that’s good enough (Though the 53 minute line at customs recently made me rethink that for bit)

I did read that if you are coming INTO LAX and have a Global Entry Appt, they will take you in as a walk in right there.

123

Google “Interview upon arrival”

1 Like
124

I had to go in for my renewal, I waited six months and had to drive to the Mexico border.