Highest Cash Back Credit Cards
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The highest cash back credit cards offer 5% or 6% cash back in select categories. Some reward programs have stable bonus categories, while others change throughout the year or let you pick your own. There are even some ways to boost your cash back beyond the typical rates.
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Want great rewards? How about simple redemption systems that let you get those rewards quick and easy?
We’ve rounded up the most rewarding cash back credit cards on the market. They offer 5% back or more for certain purchases, a pretty significant discount you can take advantage of over and over again.
5% cash back means you’ll get a minimum 5% return on your spending, usually in the form of a statement credit. Spend $100, get $5 in cash back.
If you want to earn a little back for every purchase you make, these cards should be on your radar.
Insider tip
Cash back cards usually aren’t too complicated, but if you really want to maximize your credit card, there are some ways to boost the value of the cash back rewards you earn in some cases. We’ll show you how.
What’s the Highest Cash Back Credit Card?
Here’s a quick summary of the six cards with the highest cash back rates:
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Review): 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year) and select U.S. streaming services
- Discover it® Cash Back (Review): 5% cash back in rotating bonus categories (up to $1,500 per quarter, activation required); double cash back the first year
- Chase Freedom Flex℠ (Review): 5% cash back on Lyft and in rotating categories (up to $1,500 per quarter for rotating categories); opportunities to increase reward value
- U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card: 5% cash back in your choice of two categories (up to $2,000 per quarter)
- Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card (Review): 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Review): 5% cash back on Lyft, office supplies, and internet, cable, and phone services (up to $25,000 per year for certain categories)
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Details
(Rates & Fees)securely on the issuer's website
- Earn a $300 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 introductory annual fee for one year, then $95.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Plan It® gives the option to select purchases of $100 or more to split up into monthly payments with a fixed fee.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
- Terms Apply.
American Express is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
Groceries and gas are necessities. Why not have a card that’s great for both?
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Review) delivers, offering the best rate you’ll find at U.S. supermarkets along with a competitive rate for gas.
As for the other bonus categories, they’re nothing to sneeze at, either: Transit covers rideshares like Uber and Lyft, and who doesn’t use at least one streaming service? (The list of eligible services is extensive, covering all the usual suspects like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, and then some.)
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Key Features
- Amex Offers: Discounts or extra cash back at a changing selection of retailers
- Complimentary ShopRunner membership: Register with ShopRunner for free two-day shipping and returns at select online retailers.
- Entertainment Access: Exclusive discounts to dining events, concerts, sports, and shows
- Shopping and travel protections: Purchase Protection, Return Protection, Extended Warranty, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
- Purchase APR: 0% on purchases for 12 months, then 13.99% - 23.99% Variable
- Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
Insider tip
If the Blue Cash Preferred card looks good but you don’t spend too much in its categories, consider the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Review). It’s a similar card with no annual fee and lower cash back rates. (Rates & Fees)
Discover it® Cash Back
The Discover it® Cash Back (Review) boasts a unique offer that puts it near the top of the cash back pecking order. Like all Discover credit cards, not only will you get handy reward categories for no annual fee — you’ll also get double cash back for every purchase in your first year.
That’s an excellent find on a card that gives you 5% bonus cash back on a changing selection of categories, which rotates every three months and typically includes everyday purchases like groceries, gas, and dining. Check out the categories below, or read more about them here.
After the first-year bonus you’ll end up with an unrivaled 10% cash back! And non-category purchases will cash out at 2% back, on par with the very best flat-rate cash back cards.
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| Quarter | 2020 Categories | 2021 Categories |
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| January – March |
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| April – June |
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| July – September |
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| October – December |
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Key Features
- Free FICO credit score: Track your FICO Score 8 over time, based on your TransUnion credit report.
- Social Security number alerts: Get notified if your SSN is found on any thousands of risky websites.
- New account and inquiry alerts: Activate alerts to see if any new accounts or credit inquiries appear on your Experian credit report.
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: See Terms for See Terms, then See Terms
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
Insider tip
In college? There’s another card made for you in Discover’s lineup, with the same great rewards program: Discover it® Student Cash Back (Review).
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Like the Discover card above, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ (Review) provides 5% back in categories that switch every three months. In this case you’ll also earn 5% back on Lyft purchases, a timely addition as rideshares become more popular.
5% is a great rate, but here’s a neat trick to get an even better return on your spending. If you also have certain other cards in the Chase Ultimate Rewards family, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review), you can expand your redemption options by transferring your rewards from the Flex over to that other card, where they can be worth more.
Rather than getting $1 in value for every $1 in cash back, like you normally would, you could get $1.25, $1.50, or even $2.00 or more through point transfers to partner airlines and hotels. That’d boost your cash back equivalent with the Freedom to upwards of 6.25%, 7.5%, or even 10% — not too shabby, but it takes a bit of extra work.
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| Quarter | 2020 Categories | 2021 Categories |
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| January – March |
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| April – June |
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| July – September |
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| October – December |
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Key Features
- DoorDash membership: Get a free membership (DashPass) for three months, and a 50% discount for the next nine months; a DashPass provides free delivery and reduced service fees on orders over $12.
- Shop through Chase/Chase Offers: Earn extra cash back or find discounts with the Shop through Chase and Chase Offers programs.
- Shopping and travel protections: Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance, Travel and Emergency Assistance, Cellphone Protection
- Purchase APR: 0% for 15 months, then 14.99% - 23.74% Variable
- Balance Transfer APR: 14.99% - 23.74% Variable
- Annual fee: $0
Insider tip
There’s another rewarding card in the Freedom lineup, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Review). It’s like the Freedom Flex but it offers a flat 1.5% cash back for non-category purchases, instead of rotating categories.
U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card
securely on the issuer's website
- Earn up to $550 cash back in the first year.
- $150 bonus after spending $500 in eligible net purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
- 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible net purchases ($100 per quarter) on two categories you choose. That adds up to $400 cash back!
- 2% cash back on your choice of one everyday category, like gas stations or grocery stores.
- 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases.
- No limit on total cash back earned.
- 0% Intro APR* on balance transfers for 12 billing cycles. After that, a variable APR currently 13.99% – 23.99%
- No annual fee*
- Great Offer from U.S. Bank, a 2020 World’s Most Ethical Company® – Ethisphere Institute, February 2020
Sick of credit cards that are always bossing you around, telling you where to shop to get the best rewards?
The U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card gives you the freedom to pick two (!) 5% cash back categories every three months, out of a healthy selection that includes common expenses like ground transportation along with rare finds like home utilities, department stores, furniture stores, and streaming services.
If you’re the type to plan out big purchases in advance, you can adjust your 5% bonus rewards to fit. This could work especially well with furniture, electronics, and clothing.
Don’t forget about the 2% options: You can choose one “everyday” category to fill out your rewards program. But this rate is on the low end, so you may want to consider a different rewards credit card for that kind of spending.
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| 5% Cash Back Categories | ||
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| Ground Transportation | Fast Food | Cell Phone Providers |
| Department Stores | Home Utilities | Select Clothing Stores |
| Electronics Stores | Sporting Goods Stores | Movie Theaters |
| Gyms/Fitness Centers | Furniture Stores | TV, Internet & Streaming Services |
| 2% Cash Back Categories | ||
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| Gas Stations | Grocery Stores | Restaurants |
Key Features
- Free credit score: See your VantageScore 3.0 based on your TransUnion credit report.
- Visa Signature Concierge: Call for personal assistance with travel bookings, dining reservations, business services, and more.
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection: Get perks at select hotels like a $25 food and beverage credit and room upgrades when available.
- Shopping and travel protections: Purchase Security, Extended Warranty, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Roadside Dispatch
- Purchase APR: 13.99% - 23.99%* Variable
- Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 12 billing cycles on Balance Transfers*, then 13.99% - 23.99%* Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0*
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
Dining is a popular expense, and you don’t typically find cash rewards credit cards with very high rates. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card (Review) offers an industry-leading 4% at restaurants (for static categories), but it comes at the cost of an annual fee.
New cardmembers typically get a nice welcome bonus to help offset the fee, but you may want to consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (Review) instead. It’s a less-rewarding offer with no annual fee and an introductory APR, and it may be more palatable.
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Key Features
- World Elite Mastercard Concierge: Call any time for non-emergency help with making reservations, finding hard-to-find gifts, and more.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits: Including Price Protection, Extended Warranty, MasterRental Insurance, Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, and more
- CreditWise: Check your VantageScore 3.0 credit score for free, based on your TransUnion credit report, and see information from that report.
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $95
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
Details
- Requires active Prime membership
- Cash back can be redeemed for statement credits or at Amazon.com checkout
- Earn 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
- Earn 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and drugstores
- Earn 1% back on all other purchases
- Get a $70 Amazon.com Gift Card instantly upon credit card approval
There are a handful of Amazon credit cards, but the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card (Review) is best for your average Amazon aficionado.
Cardholders earn 5% back on every Amazon purchase, which can add up to some great savings alongside the free shipping and deals you can get with Amazon Prime. Whole Foods Market is included at that rate, too (thanks to Amazon buying the grocery chain).
There are some useful 2% categories tagging along as well (drugstores made the list, which you don’t often see). The card is even made with metal, which is a bit more fun than your average plastic card.
You’ll need Amazon Prime to get and use this card; if you don’t have Prime, or if you cancel the subscription, you’ll get the less-impressive Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card. It may not be metal, but it’s still a solid card.
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Key Features
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection: Perks at eligible hotels, including complimentary WiFi, room upgrades when available, a $25 food and beverage credit, and more
- Visa Signature Concierge: Call anytime for non-emergency assistance.
- Shopping and travel protections: Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Baggage Delay Insurance, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Travel and Emergency Assistance, Travel Accident Insurance
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 14.24% to 22.24% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
Insider tip
There are a couple other Amazon credit cards that can get you 5% cash back at the online mega-retailer (if you have Prime):
- Amazon Prime Store Card (Review)
- Amazon Business Prime American Express Card (Review) (5% cash back up to $120,000 spent per year)
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Don’t fret, small business owners — we’ve got a card for you too.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Review) has industry-leading rewards for a no annual fee card, offering 5% back on a pair of typical business expenses, plus Lyft. You’ll have to deal with a $25,000 annual limit on those 5% business categories, however, with a separate $25,000 limit for the 2% categories, and that could feel restrictive.
If you’ll be butting heads with the limits, think about pairing this card with other business reward credit cards, especially flat-rate cards with no spending limits, to maximize your cash back earnings.
Like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ above, you can get more out of this card by pairing it with certain other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards. In this case, you may want to combine the Ink Business Cash with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Review), which gives a 25% bonus for travel redemptions and allows point transfers to travel partners. Once again, this could let you reach cash back equivalents upwards of 10% with the Ink Business Cash.
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Key Features
- Free employee cards
- Chase Offers and Shop through Chase: Earn extra cash back with Shop through Chase or find discounts with Chase Offers.
- Shopping and travel protections: Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Travel and Emergency Assistance, Roadside Dispatch
- Purchase APR: 0% for 12 months, then 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer APR: 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Annual fee: $0
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please click here.
Brendan Harkness
Brendan has been writing about personal finance for over eight years, and is now taking on the challenge of bringing high quality credit education to the masses. He makes sure that Credit Card Insider is covering the most important credit topics transparently and precisely, and that we have up-to-date reviews of credit cards so you can find cards that are right for you.
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