How Much Cash Back Can You Earn from Rotating Category King Cards?
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We call rotating category credit cards “category king” cards. Category king cards earn 5% cash back on one or more specific categories that rotate every quarter. But what happens if you combine two rotating category king cards? Or if you combine a rotating category king card with a fixed-rate rewards card?
How much cash back can you earn from rotating category king cards? The answer to that question can change dramatically when you use rotating category king cards in various combinations.
Rotating Category King Credit Cards
Let’s begin by looking at popular rotating category king credit cards. You can also find these cards in our article, Rotating Category Credit Cards for 5% Cash Back.
Below you’ll see the rewards and quarterly spending limits for each credit card. We’ll use this information to calculate the best combination of credit cards to produce the maximum amount of rewards.
See also: Introducing the 1-2-3 Cash Back System to Maximize Your Rewards
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Our Rating: 4.8
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Welcome Offer
$200 bonus
Est. Value
$200
Annual Fee
$0
APR
18.74% to 28.99% Variable
Credit Req’d
Good to Excellent 670 – 850
Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotels, and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center. Earn 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories you choose. Earn 2% cash back on one everyday category, like Gas Stations and EV Charging Station, Grocery Stores, or Restaurants. Earn 1% cash back on other purchases.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Our Rating: 4.7
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn $200 in cash back
Est. Value
$200
Annual Fee
$0
APR
18.49% – 28.49% Variable
Credit Req’d
Good 670 – 739, Excellent 740 – 850
Rewards: 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. Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel(SM) portal through 6/30/2026. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Chase Freedom Flex®
Our Rating: 4.7
Chase Freedom Flex®
Welcome Offer
$200
Est. Value
$200
Annual Fee
$0
APR
19.74%–28.49% Variable
Credit Req’d
Good to Excellent 670 – 850
Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate and on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM. Earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and on drugstore purchases. Earn 1% cash back on other purchases.
Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card
Our Rating: 4.4
Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card
Welcome Offer
Unlimited Cashback Match the first year
Est. Value
Cashback Match the first year
Annual Fee
$0
APR
18.74% to 27.74% Variable
Credit Req’d
Good to Excellent 670 – 850
Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more. Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases when you activate. Earn 1% cash back on other purchases.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our Rating: 4.4
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Offer
$200
Est. Value
$200
Annual Fee
$0
APR
18.74% to 28.74% Variable
Credit Req’d
Good to Excellent 670 – 850
Rewards: Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs up to $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter for the 3% and 2% categories, then 1%. Earn 1% cash back on other purchases.
Combining Two or More Rotating Category King Cards to Maximize Your Rewards
The best way to maximize rewards from multiple rotating category king cards is to choose cards that offer mutually exclusive reward categories. For example, one may offer 5% cash back on groceries during one quarter while a second card offers 5% cash back on gas during the same quarter.
It’s not as easy a task as it seems at first glance because it’s not unusual for rotating category king cards to offer overlapping categories. You may not find the perfect fit between two credit cards, but you can still enhance your rewards by combining two cards with mostly different reward categories.
Examples include:
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and Citi Custom Cash® Card
The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card pairs well with other revolving category king credit cards, not only because it offers flexible rewards but also because the spending categories are different from those offered by similar cards.
The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card offers 5% cash back on up to $2,000 spent in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories you choose. Eligible categories not typical of competing cards are cell phone providers, furniture stores, department stores, home utilities, and more.
Also, note that this is a great card to use for holiday shopping. Choose your 5% categories carefully and you can earn up to $100 cash back per quarter on categories other credit card companies do not duplicate. That is up to $400 in cash back each year.
You can use the Citi Custom Cash® Card to take advantage of 5% cash back in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent then 1%. Categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment. You can earn up to $25 per month cash back, or $75 per quarter, or $300 per year, on your top eligible spend category alone.
The table below summarizes the annual cash back from using the two cards in tandem for a full year, assuming $24,000 in total credit card charges. We also include how much you can earn if you decide to further maximize your rewards by investing them:
| Credit Card | Total annual rotating category charges | Rewards percentage | Total annual cash back | After investing total cash back at 9% return for 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card | $8,000 | 5% | $400 | – |
| Citi Custom Cash® Card | $6,000 | 5% | $300 | – |
| All other eligible purchases | $10,000 | 1% | $100 | – |
| TOTAL | $24,000 | – | $800 | $13,167 |
Notice when you use two rotating category king cards, you can maximize rotating category rewards on both cards, generating more cash back.
You can also take it a step further to get the most out of your cash back rewards. Consider how your cash back can grow if you invest it for 10 years assuming a rate of 9% return (we call this rewards stacking). We used a compound interest calculator from TD Bank and started with a $800 initial investment. That’s the total annual cash back in the example above. We also assumed contributing $800 annually for 10 years with a 9% annual rate of return.
As you can see from the image below, an $800 initial investment can grow to $13,167 in 10 years. That’s a decent chunk of change for not a lot of extra effort besides spending as you normally would and putting your cash back rewards into an investment account.
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card
When you combine the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card, the outcome is virtually identical, and for the same reason. The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card provides 5% cash back on specialized categories, while Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card does the same with more general categories. With the Discover it card, you can earn 5% cash back on the quarterly bonus categories up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter when you activate.
Once again, you can use the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card to cover spending categories not included with the Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card. In case you missed it earlier, here’s a look at the Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card 5% cash back quarterly calendar for 2024:
- January – March 2024: Restaurants and Drug Stores
- April – June 2024: Gas Stations & Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, Home Improvement Stores, and Public Transit
- July – September 2024: Walmart and Grocery Stores
- October – December 2024: Amazon.com and Target
Using the Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card and maxing out the 5% cash back category can fetch you up to $75 per quarter, or up to $300 per year, on total annual purchases of $6,000. Note, the 5% bonus categories for Q4 also make this card an excellent one for 2024 holiday shopping.
Total cash back rewards are as follows:
| Credit Card | Total annual rotating category charges | Rewards percentage | Total annual cash back | After investing total cash back at 9% return for 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card | $8,000 | 5% | $400 | – |
| Discover It® Cash Back Credit Card | $6,000 | 5% | $300 | – |
| All other eligible purchases | $10,000 | 1% | $100 | – |
| TOTAL | $24,000 | – | $800 | $13,167 |
Combining Rotating Category King Cards with Other Cash Back Cards
You can also enhance your cash back rewards by using a rotating category king credit card with a flat-rate “daily driver” cash back card or other elevated cash back rewards card.
We’ve selected three credit cards from our list of Best Cash Back Credit Cards. In addition, none of the three credit cards charge an annual fee that might reduce your annual rewards.
The three cards are as follows:
- Citi® Double Cash Card: Unlimited 2% cash back on purchases (1% cash back on purchases, plus 1% on card payments).
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Earn 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. Earn 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Earn 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases. Terms Apply.
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. Earn 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). Earn 3% cash back at grocery stores excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®, and on dining, popular streaming services and entertainment. Earn 1% cash back on other purchases.
The Citi® Double Cash Card provides unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express and Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card provide variable elevated rewards on common expense categories, which may work well in combination with certain rotating category cards.
Below are combinations between the three credit cards above and a rotating category king card that can maximize total annual rewards.
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and Citi® Double Cash Card
Earlier, we paired the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card with another rotating category king card. Now, let’s look at the result of combining it with the Citi® Double Cash Card.
Our Rating: 4.9
Citi® Double Cash Card
Welcome Offer
Earn $200 cash back
Est. Value
$200
Annual Fee
$0
APR
18.49% – 28.49%, Variable
Credit Req’d
Good to Excellent 670 – 850
Rewards: Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
Here’s what the annual cash back rewards for both cards look like when you split purchases between the two credit cards:
| Credit Card | Total annual rotating category charges | Rewards percentage | Total annual cash back | After investing total cash back at 9% return for 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card | $8,000 | 5% | $400 | – |
| Citi® Double Cash Card Double Cash – all other purchases | $16,000 | 2% | $320 | – |
| TOTAL | $24,000 | – | $720 | $11,850 |
While it’s true that using the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card along with the Citi® Double Cash Card produces a little bit less in the way of rewards than combining the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card with another rotating category king card, it does have its advantages. Citi® Double Cash Card pays 2% cash back on all purchases; there’s no need to concern yourself with managing or activating rotating categories each quarter.
Citi® Double Cash Card provides another benefit that’s not always appreciated. Consider when you use a rotating category king credit card, there may be entire quarters where none of the cash back bonus categories will provide you with much, if any, rewards. You don’t have to worry about that with the Citi® Double Cash Card. You’ll get 2% cash back on everything, all the time. Which means you may come out ahead with this combination than with two rotating category cards.Here’s a look at how we used the investing calculator to come up with $11,850 if you invest your rewards from this card combo:
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
At first glance, it might seem that using the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express with the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card would provide more generous cash back rewards. But, it doesn’t quite work out that way. Here’s a closer look at the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
Our Rating: 4.4
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Welcome Offer (Terms Apply)
Earn a $200 statement credit
Est. Value
$200
Annual Fee
$0
APR
18.49% – 29.49% Variable
Credit Req’d
Good, Excellent
Rewards: Earn 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. Earn 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Earn 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. Earn 1% cash back on other purchases. Terms Apply.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express limits each of the 3% cash back categories to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1%. That results in a slight reduction in cash back at the end of the year when you compare it to earning 2% cash back all year.
The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express combination stacks up like this:
| Credit Card | Total annual rotating category charges | Rewards percentage | Total annual cash back | After investing total cash back at 9% return for 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card | $8,000 | 5% | $400 | – |
| Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | $6,000 | 3% | $180 | – |
| All other purchases | $10,000 | 1% | $100 | – |
| TOTAL | $24,000 | – | $680 | $11,192 |
The moral of the story in this case is that the credit card paying the highest percentage of cash back may not necessarily result in the most considerable cash back rewards at the end of the year.
Here’s how we calculated the amount you might earn if you invest the rewards for this card combo:
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
This combination produces a similar outcome to the one above. The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card combo can result in a lower annual rewards total than the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and the Citi® Double Cash Card combo. Here’s a look at the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Our Rating: 4.5
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Offer
$250 Cash Back
Est. Value
$250
Annual Fee
$0
APR
19.74% – 29.74% Variable
Credit Req’d
Excellent, Good
Rewards: Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. Earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). Earn 3% cash back at grocery stores excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®, and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services. Earn 1% cash back on other purchases.
The annual cash back rewards you can earn by combining the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card with the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card are as follows:
| Credit Card | Total annual rotating category charges | Rewards percentage | Total annual cash back | After investing total cash back at 9% return for 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card | $8,000 | 5% | $400 | – |
| Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | $6,000 | 3% | $180 | – |
| All other purchases | $10,000 | 1% | $100 | – |
| TOTAL | $24,000 | – | $680 | $11,192 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I get 5% cash back on everything?
The only way to get 5% cash back on everything would be a flat-rate cash back card offering 5% across the board. As of this writing, no credit card provides such a generous offer – but we’re always on the lookout, just in case one happens to come around!
However, there is a credit card currently offering a flat rate of 3% cash back on all purchases. The Robinhood Gold Card earns unlimited 3% cash back on all eligible purchases and there’s no annual fee. The catch is that you need to be a member of Robinhood Gold, which is $5 per month or $50 per year if you pay annually. Rewards are deposited into your Robinhood account and there’s also a waitlist for the card.
How much money do you get from cash back?
For a typical rotating category credit card, you’ll earn 5% each quarter on $1,500 spent on one or more categories. That will allow you to earn up to $75 each quarter and potentially as much as $300 annually for a 5% category.
How much cash can you get back on a credit card?
The specific amount of cash back you can earn on any credit card will depend on the cash back rewards offered by that card and how much you spend. Continuing the example above, let’s assume your rotating category credit card offers unlimited 1% cash back on all eligible purchases – above the 5% quarterly categories.
If you normally spend $24,000 per year using your credit card, and $6,000 of that is spent on 5% cash back categories, that will leave $18,000 in general purchases at 1%. That will provide $300 per year on the 5% rotating quarterly categories, plus $180 for the year on general purchases at 1%. Your total cash back on the card will be $480 for the year in this scenario.
Final Thoughts
Rotating category king credit cards can provide generous rewards as long as the categories included are ones you frequently make purchases in. Those rewards can be even more generous if you combine two or more rotating category king cards or use one or more rotating category cards in conjunction with a good flat-rate cash back card.
It’s a balancing act to come up with the right mix when you’re trying to maximize your cash back. Start with credit cards that offer rewards in the purchase categories you are most likely to use, and then look for the cards offering the most generous rewards in those categories. With the right card combination, earning hundreds of dollars in cash back rewards and even thousands is possible.
