Best 2% Cash Back Credit Cards of 2021

Forget about rotating categories. Ignore cards with enhanced rewards on just some purchases. In this article, we list the best 2% cashback credit cards.

The “best” rewards cards will vary depending on how you use the card. They will also vary based on how many cards you want to use. What won’t change is the card you should use for everyday purchases. And that card should give you at least 2% in rewards for every $1 you charge to the card.

With that here’s our list of the best 2% cash back credit cards.

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card

Wells Fargo recently launched the Active Cash Card. The card is as simple as they come. It pays 2% cash back on all purchases. No rotating categories. No waiting to pay your credit card bill to get the full two percent cash back. The card charges no annual fee, offers a signup bonus, and a 0% introductory APR.

• Cash back: 2% on all purchases
• Signup bonus: $200 (terms apply)
• Annual fee: $0
• Intro APR: 0% for 15 on balance transfers (transfer fees apply) and for 15 on purchases, then regular APR of 14.99% - 24.99% applies.

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Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Card

Update: While I still carry this card, there have been issues with the credit union’s website. At present, you can’t set up automatic redemptions of cash back or redeem the cash back online. You have to call the credit union, which is a royal pain. As a result, I’ve stopped using this card until these issues are resolved.

This is currently my go-to EveryDay credit card. I will say, as good as it is, that it used to be better. When I applied for the card, it paid 3% cash back on every purchase for the first year, and then 2.5% cash back there after. In addition, there were no spending caps. Unfortunately, this is now changed. Still, it’s an excellent credit card.

This is currently my go-to EveryDay credit card. I will say, as good as it is, that it used to be better. When I applied for the card, it paid 3% cash back on every purchase for the first year, and then 2.5% cash back there after. In addition, there were no spending caps. Unfortunately, this is now changed. Still, it’s an excellent credit card.

It now pays 2.5% cash back on everything. The 3% cash back the first years now no longer available. And there is a monthly spending cap of $10,000. Well that won’t limit most people, for you Big Spenders, anything over $10,000 in a given month will earn just 1%.

There is a $99 annual fee, however it is waived the first year. As a result, for those that spend more than $20,000 a year on the card, the annual fee is worth the cost. If you spend less than $20,000 a year on the card, you’ll want to consider other options below. 

Citi Double Cash Card

I carried the Citi double cash card for years. It pays 1% cash back on every purchase plus 1% when you pay for the purchase. Because we pay off our credit cards in full every month, we effectively earn 2% cashback on all purchases.

The card comes with other features we like as well. There is no annual fee. And if you need a balance transfer, this card offers 0% for 18 months. That said, there are some downsides. It’s not a great card to travel overseas with as it charges a foreign transaction fee. It also requires excellent credit to get approved.

Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card

With this card you don’t have to worry about when you pay the charges. It rewards you with an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. There’s no cap on rewards and there’s no annual fee.

So what’s the catch? The rewards have to be paid into an eligible Fidelity account. That’s not a problem if you already have a Fidelity account. If you don’t have a Fidelity account, the credit card is probably not a good enough reason to open one.

Capital One Spark Cash for Business

This is another card I carried for years. Actually, I first started off with the Capital One spark miles for business. It paid 2x on every purchase, but only if you used it for travel. With Spark Cash, you get 2% cash back on every purchase. There is a $95 annual fee, but it’s waived the first year. In addition, you could earn a one-time $500 cash bonus as a new card member after spending $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account. 

For my money, this is one of the best business credit cards available today.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

In truth, the Capital One Venture card is not a true 2% cash back credit card. Yes you do arm two miles for every $1 spent. The miles are only worth one penny, however, if you use them to pay for travel purchases. Use them for anything else, and the value is cut in half. As a result, he qualifies as a 2% rewards card only if you use the rewards for travel.  for frequent Travelers, however, this card can serve is a 2% credit card.

PayPal Cashback MasterCard

This 2% cash back credit card is one that not many people are familiar with. The rewards are simple. You learn 2% cashback on all purchases anywhere MasterCard is accepted. Similar to the Fidelity card, the cash back from this card is deposited into a linked PayPal account. From there, however, you can transfer the words to a linked bank account or use them to make purchases and payments via PayPal.

The card, issued by Synchrony Bank has no annual fee. 

Apple Card

We give the Apple card honorable mention. Well it doesn’t pay 2% cash back on every purchase, it comes very close depending on how you use it. First, you get 3% cashback on all purchases from Apple. This includes not only buy Hardware from an Apple store or online, but also on subscriptions such as Apple music and iCloud.

Beyond Apple purchases, it pays 2% cashback on all purchases made through Apple pay. That’s how we use the card. If you swipe the card, however, you only earn 1% cash back.

Beyond rewards, the card has many great features. It doesn’t charge an annual fee or just about any other fee for that matter. And the Apple card app on the iPhone is a thing of beauty. It helps you manage your spending and shows you the effect of interest charges if you don’t pay off the card in full each month.

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