Best credit cards for cash back of December 2024

Bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: You'll earn unlimited 1% back when you make your purchases and another 1% back when you pay your bill on time (at least the minimum balance due), for a possible total of 2% cash back on all your purchases, a nice lift over the typical 1.5% cash back offered by many flat-rate cash-back rewards credit cards. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• This is a good card to use if you want to be sure you’ll pay off your purchases because you’ll earn unlimited 1% when you make the purchase and 1% when you pay for your purchases.
• If you have a balance on a card with a higher APR, you could save on interest with the intro 0% APR for balance_transfer_duration_months (then, RegAPR).
• Earning 2% cash back (assuming you’re paying off the purchases you make) on a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee is higher than you’ll often find on other no-annual-fee cards.

CONS:

• Earning up to 2% cash back on every purchase is a great rate for a flat-rate cash-back card, but there are cards with rotating categories or tiered cash-back rewards that could award more.
• Keep in mind this card charges foreign transaction fees, so it's not great for making purchases in foreign currency.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Earn $200 in online cash rewards after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: Earn 3% cash back in your choice category among the following: gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishings purchases and 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases), and earn an unlimited 1% back on all other purchases. Update your choice category for future purchases once each calendar month using the mobile banking app or online banking, or do nothing and it stays the same.

Additional Details: As a Preferred Rewards client (membership and tiers are based on a three-month average balance across your eligible Bank of America accounts) you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on each purchase depending on your tier. Bank of America also offers BankAmerideals® through which you select deals from an ever-changing list of retailers, restaurants and websites, pay for your product or service with an eligible Bank of America credit or debit card, and earn the listed cash back directly into your linked account. The card described here is among the bank's card that are eligible for the program.

PROS:

• This card lets you choose the category in which you'll earn the highest rewards which could be an excellent option for many people's spending habits.
• If you're already a Bank of America Preferred Rewards client, you can earn even more: 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase.

CONS:

• Be aware that this card charges foreign transaction fees, so you'll want to carry another option along when you travel abroad.
• You can only adjust your 3% cash-back earning category once per calendar month. If an unexpected expense comes up in a different category after you've already made your choice, you’ll only earn 1% cash back on that category until the following month rolls around.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Intro offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! Plus, take advantage of an intro offer of 15 months no interest on purchases and balance transfers. After the intro period, the rate jumps to RegAPR.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining; and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! 
• You can combine the points you earn with this card with the points you earn using one of Chase’s other cards, such as CardNamediscontinued or CardNamediscontinued which can end up helping you rack up even more points. Plus, rewards could be worth extra when redeemed for travel under one of these accounts.

CONS:

• The 6.5% cash back earned on Chase Travel purchases is nice, but remember, this isn't a true travel card so all other travel purchases will only earn 1.5%.
• This card charges foreign transaction fees, which can add up if you regularly need to make purchases outside of the U.S.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Earn a one-time $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within your first three months as a cardholder.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: Earn 1.5% cash back on your purchases. There are no categories or spending caps to think about. Additionally, you can take advantage of an introductory 15 months no interest on purchases and balance transfers (then, RegAPR; balance transfer fee applies.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no annual fee.
• This is a great card to take along on international trips as there's no fee charged on foreign transactions.

CONS

• If a big chunk of your spending is in a particular category, you could earn more rewards with a card that offers bonus rewards in those categories instead of a flat-rate amount.
• Paying no annual fee is great, but if you plan to use your card often, choosing an annual fee card that offers higher rewards might be worth it for some cardholders.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

PROS:

• Discover will MATCH all the cash back new cardholders earn during their first year as a member. That means $200 in cash back will automatically become $400 at the end of your first year.
• This is an excellent no-annual-fee card for people who are willing to maximize the spending categories each quarter.
• You can also take advantage of an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (then, RegAPR).

CONS:

• This card requires a fair amount of planning to maximize the rewards.
• You’ll earn 1% cash back on non-bonus category spending, which isn't a high earn rate. If you aren't going to maximize the bonus categories, you'd be better off with another card that earns a higher ongoing rate.
• If you're going to put the balance transfer offer to use, remember that you'll pay a BalanceTransferFees.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Spend $1,500 on purchases within the first six months of opening an account and you’ll receive 20,000 ThankYou® Points, worth $200.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent (1% cash back thereafter) - there are no category enrollments to worry about or no need to juggle reward tiers. On everything else you purchase, you’ll get 1% cash back. Eligible 5% categories include: restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, fitness clubs, live entertainment, drugstores, and home improvement stores. As a special travel offer, earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• This is a good card if you don't want to worry about rotating categories or category enrollments as it automatically earns you bonus rewards in the eligible category where you spend the most.
• The welcome bonus is a nice perk considering the fact that this card doesn't charge an annual fee.

CONS:

• If you're willing to keep up with rotating categories or a tiered-rewards structure, you may stand to earn more rewards with another card.
• This isn't a good card to travel internationally with as it charges a fee on foreign transactions.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: Earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: Earn 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services. 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. 1% Cash Back on all other purchases.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• This card is one of the only cards offering high rewards focused on dining out and entertainment.
• This card could be perfect for families or singles who enjoy dining out or cooking at home – earn cash back at both restaurants and grocery stores.
• It's rare to see no-annual-fee cash-back credit cards with no foreign transaction fees. This is a great card to take with you abroad as it doesn't charge extra on foreign transactions.

CONS:

• This is an ideal card for people who love to eat. If you don't regularly use your cards for food purchases, this might not be the best option for you.
• While cash-back rewards are always welcome, there isn't a lot of redemption flexibility or opportunity to, so-called, maximize rewards as you can with cards that offer points.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Welcome Offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within the first six months.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: Earn 6% back on up to $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets annually (then, 1%) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; earn 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit including rideshares, train fares, tolls, parking and more; earn 1% back on other purchases.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• This is among the highest reward rates out there for U.S. supermarket purchases, so it could be lucrative if you have a big grocery bill.
• This is a great card for a wide variety of people as it offers rewards in so many different categories.

CONS:

• American Express cards aren’t as widely accepted as cards issued by Visa or Mastercard, but the American Express network is ever-expanding both in the U.S. and abroad.
• This card charges foreign transaction fees, something you should avoid if you’ll be using your card for purchases abroad.
• There's also the annual fee to consider; make sure you'll earn enough rewards to more than offset this cost.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: New cardholders earn a bonus of $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: Earn 5% cash back on purchases at office supply stores and purchases of internet, cable and phone services (up to $25,000 in combined spending each account anniversary year). Additionally, earn 2% back on the combined $25,000 spending each account year on gas station and restaurant purchases. Earn 1% back on your other purchases as well as in the bonus categories once you reach the spending cap.

Additional Info: This card's cash back rewards accumulate as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which means you can decide to use the rewards as cash back or redeem them for travel. Furthermore, you can combine points you earn with this card with points you've earned through other Ultimate Rewards cards, such as the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, in order to make your points add up more quickly and possible be worth more. Ink Business Preferred® cardholders receive 25% more value when they redeem points for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• Making $3,000 in purchases with the card in three months, you could pocket $350 cash back, and making $6,000 on purchases in the first six months, you could pocket an additional $400. What a great way to jump start your rewards.
• Whether you're buying office supplies or paying for internet, cable and phone services, you'll benefit big with 5% cash back earned, up to $25,000 annually. Outside of these categories, you'll earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year, and unlimited 1% on everything else.

CONS:

• The $25,000 annual cap on bonus category spend could be limiting depending on your spending. If you know you'll be spending far above $25,000 annually on your business needs, you might want to consider a card with a higher spending cap.
• Earning 5% cash back on select business categories is great, but only if you regularly spend within those categories. With this card, you'll only earn 1% on all "other" purchases.
• If business frequently takes you abroad, this might not be the card for you as it charges foreign transaction fees.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Bonus: There isn't a traditional bonus with this card, but a cash-back rewards card for people with average, fair, limited credit is fairly unique, so let's think of the bonus as your opportunity to earn cash-back rewards while you work on moving your credit score into the good/excellent range.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees

Rewards Rate: Earn 1.5% back on your purchases without having to worry about rotating categories or spending caps. In addition, you could get access to a higher credit line in as little as six months.

Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded

PROS:

• This card is available for people with fair or limited credit histories meaning it's a great option for those who are new or working on their credit, but still want to earn rewards.
• This is a great card to take along on international trips as there's no fee charged on foreign transactions.

CONS

• You’ll have to consider the annual fee and whether you are earning enough with this card for it to be worth it.
• The interest rate is fairly high because it is for people with fair or limited credit. This isn’t a card you will want to carry a balance on.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

PROS:

• This is one of the few secured credit cards that offers cash-back rewards.
• Not only is this a secured credit card that offers ongoing rewards, but it also offers a welcome bonus— which isn’t always offered with secured credit cards.
• At seven months, Discover will automatically start reviewing your account monthly to determine whether you’re eligible for transition to an unsecured credit card.

CONS:

• There’s no annual fee but the minimum security deposit amount could be a stretch for some people. If you can’t see yourself coming up with a deposit, there are additional secured credit cards with lower security deposit requirements.
• Although the rare cash-back rewards associated with this card is attractive, not everyone will be approved. Approval depends on credit history and other financial variables. If you’re uncertain that you will be approved and don’t want a hard credit inquiry on your report, a different secured credit card might be a better fit for you.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.