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- Built for cash back, which is what you asked for
- No annual fee
This card is for people who want maximum cash back with zero maintenance. Every purchase earns 1% up front and another 1% as you pay, with no caps or categories. There is no annual fee, and balance transfers get 0% for 18 months. The caveat: a 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor travel companion abroad.
- Built for cash back, which is what you asked for
- No annual fee
Discover it Cash Back is for people who will activate a quarterly category and want an outsized first year. You earn 5% in rotating categories on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter when you activate, and 1% on everything else. At the end of your first year, Discover matches every dollar of cash back you earned. There is no annual fee. The caveat: the 5% requires activation each quarter and stops at the cap.
- Built for cash back, which is what you asked for
- No annual fee
This card is for people who want one number: 2% back on everything, forever, with no annual fee. The $100 bonus requires only $500 in purchases in three months, one of the lowest hurdles among major cards. It also carries a 12-month 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. The caveat is the 3% foreign transaction fee: leave it home when traveling abroad.
This card is for people who want one no-fee card that earns on everything. Every purchase pays at least 1.5%, dining and drugstores pay 3%, and Chase Travel bookings pay 5%. New cardmembers get a $200 bonus after $500 in spend and 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. The 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor card to take abroad.
This card is for people who shop at Walmart often, above all Walmart+ members. It earns 5% cash back at Walmart with a linked Walmart+ membership, 3% without one, and 1.5% everywhere else Mastercard is accepted, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. You apply on Walmart.com, in the Walmart app or in a store. The caveat: the purchase APR depends on the account type you are approved for, 20.24% or 30.74% Variable, and the higher one erases the rewards on any balance you carry.
For drivers and families whose biggest costs are fuel, groceries and dining out. It earns 5X points on fuel and EV charging, 3X at supermarkets and restaurants and 1X elsewhere, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Balance transfers made in the first 60 days get 0% intro APR for 12 months with a 3% fee. PenFed creates your credit union membership during the application. The caveat: points redeem for gift cards, merchandise or travel rather than straight cash, and they expire 5 years from the date earned.
For Navy Federal members who want flat cash back with no annual fee. Every purchase earns 1.5%, or 2% if your approved credit limit is $5,000 or more (the cashRewards Plus version). New accounts can earn $250 after $2,500 in 90 days, and there are no foreign transaction or balance transfer fees. The caveat: you must be a Navy Federal member, which is open to the military, veterans, Department of Defense employees and their immediate family members.
For iPhone users who pay with Apple Pay most of the time. Apple Pay purchases earn 2% Daily Cash, everything bought at Apple and Apple Pay purchases at select merchants such as Uber, Walgreens, Nike and Exxon Mobil earn 3%, and the titanium card earns 1%. There are no annual, over-the-limit, foreign-transaction or late fees. The caveat: purchases made with the physical card earn only 1%, and Apple's page shows no sign-up bonus or intro APR.
For people who spend most in one area and are happy to pick it. You choose one category (gas and EV charging, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement) for 6% cash back in the first year, then 3%, and get 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. One category at a time, up to $2,500 in combined choice and grocery purchases each quarter, then 1%. No annual fee, and 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles. The caveat: the quarterly cap limits big spenders, and a 3% foreign transaction fee makes it a poor card abroad.
This card is for Costco members who spend on gas, dining and travel. It earns 5% on gas at Costco and 4% on other eligible gas and EV charging on a combined $7,000 a year, then 1%, plus 3% on restaurants and eligible travel, 2% at Costco and 1% on the rest. There is no annual fee with a paid Costco membership and no foreign transaction fee. The caveat: cash back arrives once a year as a certificate you redeem at a U.S. Costco warehouse, not as money you can use anywhere.
This card is for Prime members who already do most of their shopping at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market. Those purchases, plus Audible.com and Chase Travel, earn unlimited 5% back. Gas stations, restaurants and local transit or commuting earn 2%, and everything else earns 1%. There is no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee, and Prime members get a $150 Amazon Gift Card on approval. The caveat: the 5% rate needs an eligible Prime membership, so the card only makes sense if you already pay for Prime.
This card is for drivers and diners who want bonus cash back without rotating categories. It earns 2% at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter and 1% on everything else, and Discover matches all cash back earned in the first year. Purchases and balance transfers get 0% intro APR for 15 months, with a $0 annual fee. The caveat: the 2% rate stops after $1,000 in combined gas and restaurant spend each quarter, then those purchases earn 1%.
