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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.
I've carried the Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer 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% cash back 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% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness. 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.
Rewards:
2% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
0% Intro APR: Get 0% APR on balance transfers for the first 18 months
The Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® is as simple as they come. You earn 2% cash back on all purchases. No rotating categories to worry about. In addition to the cash back rewards, the card offers Lyft credits, a Doordash membership and discount, identity theft protection, and $0 fraud liability.
It does not, however, come with other features offered by some of the cards on this page. For example, it doesn't come with a signup bonus or a 0% APR introductory rate.
Rewards:
2% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn 2% cash back on every purchase
Welcome Bonus: None
0% Intro APR: None offered
Annual Fee: $0
Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of each transaction converted to U.S. dollars
Wells Fargo recently launched the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. This card 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.
Rewards:
2% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Welcome Bonus: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
0% Intro APR: 0% for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers and for 15 months from account opening on purchases, then regular APR of 20.24%, 25.24% or 29.99% applies.
Annual fee: $0
Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of each transaction converted to U.S. dollars.
Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card is the newest card offering from Chase. It's a little unique in that you need to pay your balance in full at the end of every month (select purchases can be paid off over time). The market for this card is a little narrower than most business credit cards, although it does offer a nice bonus and cash back rewards.
Rewards:
2% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases.
2.5% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn 2.5% total cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more.
5% cash back
Travel
Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Welcome Bonus: Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Sofi Credit Card gets you unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase. Plus since it's a World Elite Mastercard, you get some extra perks like cell phone protection (up to $1,000), a free membership to Shoprunner, and a three month free trial of Dash Pass (which qualifies you for free delivery on DoorDash orders). And if you open a SoFi Checking account with direct deposit, you'll earn 3% cash back for the first year (up to $12,000).
Rewards:
2x points
All eligible purchases
You will earn 2 reward points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases.
3% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn up to 3% cash back for 365 days when you get approved for a credit card, and set up direct deposit through SoFi and redeem it to pay down eligible debt, save, or invest.
Welcome Bonus: Earn up to $200 when you fund an Invest account as well as a Checking and Savings account after getting approved for the SoFi Credit Card. See Terms.*
Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card changed its cash back rewards structure and it now offers 2.5% cash back on the first $10,000 in qualifying purchases per billing cycle and 1.5% cash back on everything else.
However, to earn 2.5% cash back you'll also need to open an Alliant High Rate Checking account, receive at least one direct deposit per month, and maintain an average daily balance of at least $1,000. Furthermore, you only receive your cash back rewards as a statement credit or deposited into your checking account.
Rewards:
1.5% cash back
On all other eligible purchases
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other qualifying eligible purchases.
2.5% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn up to 2.5% cash back on your first $10,000 of qualifying eligible purchases per billing cycle.
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, you can redeem your cash back rewards for travel or merchandise, but they're only worth 1% cash back.
Rewards:
2% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn unlimited 2% cash back on everyday spending
Welcome Bonus: None
0% Intro APR: None offered
Annual Fee: $0
Foreign Transaction Fee: 1% of each foreign transaction
Capital One Spark Cash Plus 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. You also get a $200 cash bonus if you spend $200,000 or more in a calendar year, which will cover your annual fee. This is a charge card, not a credit card, which means you'll need to pay your balance in full every month.
Rewards:
2% cash back
On all other eligible purchases
Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere-with no limits or category restrictions.
5% cash back
Hotels
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels booked through Capital One Travel.
5% cash back
Rental Cars
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Welcome Bonus: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months.
In truth, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card card isn't a true 2% cash back card. Yes, you do earn two miles for every $1 spent. The miles are only worth one penny if you use them to pay for travel purchases, and slightly higher if you transfer them to Capital One's travel partners. Use the points for anything else, and the value is cut in half. As a result, it qualifies as a 2% rewards card only if you use the rewards for travel. For frequent Travelers, however, this card can serve as a 2% credit card.
Rewards:
2x miles
All eligible purchases
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
5x miles
Hotels
5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Welcome Bonus: Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
PayPal Cashback Mastercard is a great card if you use PayPal to pay for purchases. You'll earn 3% cash back on those purchases and 2% cash back on everything else. Similar to the Fidelity card, the cash back from this card is deposited into a linked PayPal account. From there, however, you can transfer them to a linked bank account and use them however you'd like.
Rewards:
2% cash back
On all other eligible purchases
Earn 2% cash back on all other purchases
3% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn 3% on Eligible Purchases you make using your Card Account through your PayPal account
We give the Apple Card an honorable mention. First, you get 3% cash back on all purchases from Apple. This includes not only hardware from an Apple store or online, such as iPhones, iPads and AirPods, but also subscriptions such as Apple Music and iCloud.
Beyond Apple purchases, it pays 2% cash back on all purchases made through Apple pay. 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.
Rewards:
1% cash back
On all other eligible purchases
1% cash back on purchases made with the Apple Card.
2% cash back
All eligible purchases
2% cash back on purchases when you use your Apple Card with Apple Pay.
3% cash back
Select Categories
3% cash back on goods or services when you use your Apple Card with Apple Pay on purchases directly from Apple. These include purchases from Apple retail stores, the Apple online store, iTunes, Apple Music and other Apple-owned properties. App Store purchases (including In-App Purchases ).
3% cash back
Select Categories
3% cash back on select merchants when you use your Apple Card with Apple Pay: Ace Hardware, Duane Reed, Exxon, Mobil, Nike, T-Mobile, Panera Bread, Uber, Uber Eats, Walgreens
Yes. A credit card that pays 2% cash back or more on every purchase is rare. The vast majority of cash back credit cards pay one to 1.5% cash back. Those cards that pay more typically have limitations, such as the categories that qualify for the enhanced rewards, spending caps, or rotating categories that change every 3 months.
Does Capital One have a 2% cash back card?
Yes, it does offer a 2% cash back credit card for small businesses. For consumers, it does not have a true 2% cash back card, although the Venture Card does payout 2% in rewards if used for travel.
Which credit card gives the most cash back?
The credit card that pays the most cash back on all purchases is currently the Alliant cashback Visa signature card. It pays 2.5% cashback on all purchases up to a monthly spending cap of $10,000.
Don't some credit cards pay 5% cash back?
Yes, but not on all purchases. The 5% cash back cards pay the enhance rate all only specific types of purchases that change each quarter. In addition, the 5% cash back is limited to no more than $1,500 in spending each quarter.
Rob Berger is the founder of allCards.com. He's written about personal finance and investing since 2007 and is the author of the highly acclaimed book, Retire Before Mom and Dad. He is a former litigation attorney in the securities field and the Founding Editor of Forbes Advisor.
