Best cash rewards credit card no annual fee
Cash back credit cards make it easy to earn rewards for the purchases you make every day. Our top rewards credit card for Apply Now.
A popular cash back card Apply Now. These perks include 1: But the best part is, rewards earned with these cards are transferable, so you can pool your points to earn rewards quickly. Cash back is a marketing term for a type of rewards credit card. A cash back card is often the first rewards card many people get because the cash back rewards structure favors cardholders who are not frivolous and have targeted spending habits.
Check out our shortlist of the best cash back cards of When you find one you like, you can apply online in just a few clicks. Points are also transferrable to leading airline and hotel partners for ultimate flexibility. Are you a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch customer? It offers an interesting cash back bonus for existing customers, plus decent cash back earning potential — all with no annual fee. Past categories have included gas stations, restaurants, and select grocery stores.
Cardholders earn unlimited 1. Because there are no rotating categories or earnings caps to keep up with, you can rack up points quickly without planning an elaborate rewards strategy. Since cards with rotating category bonuses have already announced their selections for the entire year, summer and fall is the perfect time to come up with a cash back strategy. Here are a few tips to consider as you look for ways to rack up as much cash back as you can this year:.
By taking note of those categories, you can use your cards strategically and earn more points over time. In that respect, a card that offers a flat 1.
Best Cash Back Credit Cards of - NerdWallet
For your other travel expenses, use a card that offers at least 1. Then, pay your bill in full to avoid paying interest charges. By signing up for one of the best cash back cards mentioned on this page, you can score a nice signup bonus. While the perfect card is different for everyone, nearly anyone could benefit from a no-fee card that offers cash back on everyday purchases. To help you narrow down your choices, we highlighted some of the top cash back cards in this space.
By studying the benefits and perks of each, you can find the right card for your goals and spending style. Although the use of credit is sometimes looked down upon in the world of personal finance, credit cards can actually be a valuable tool if harnessed properly.
Not only do certain types of cards let you earn valuable rewards and gain certain consumer protections, but they can help you stay on budget too.
The following rules can help you secure the valuable perks credit cards offer without straying from your financial goals:. When credit is a problem for someone, it is usually because they used it as an excuse to spend more money than they planned.
Access Denied
Many people get in trouble with credit because they lose track of how much they spend. If you want to stay on top of your spending, and stay on budget, you need to keep track of all of your expenses as the month progresses.
To do this, sign up for online account management with your credit card company. Then use your log-in and password to check in with your spending at least once per week. Staying on top of your spending this way can benefit you by helping you stay on budget and forcing you to recognize any problem spending areas you may have. If you set aside a certain amount of money for bills and expenses, and want to stay on track, it can be immeasurably helpful to pay your bill credit card bill a few times a month.
At the very least, you should always pay your credit card off at least once before it is due. Letting your account balance grow over the month without paying it off can cause you to disassociate your spending from actual money you have, whereas paying it off a few times per month causes you to part from your dollars and feel the impact right away.
The Best Cash-Back Credit Cards in April -- The Motley Fool
And if you truly want to use credit as a tool instead of a crutch, you should feel the pain of paying your bills as often as possible. If you want to manage your finances with a credit card, it is essential that you never pay interest on any of your purchases.
To accomplish this goal, follow the steps above and pay your bill before it is due — or multiple times per month. Paying interest on your purchases is a sign that you cannot handle credit responsibly at this time. You could always revisit the issue in the future if you feel that your habits have changed for the better.
While a lot of people tout cash-only budgets, there are a lot of benefits to gain by opting for credit-only instead. Here are a few of the biggest benefits that come with using credit as a budgeting tool:. Credit cards offer a slew of consumer protections that other forms of payment simply do not. These coverages are yours free just for choosing a card that offers them.
When you use cash for all of your purchases, there are only a few different ways to keep track of your spending; you either have to keep receipts or write all of your purchases down. If that sounds like a hassle to you, consider how easy it would be to track your spending with a credit card.
Your online account and paper statements will do the hard work for you by listing all of your expenses in order by date. Some credit cards even go the extra mile and lump all of your spending into general categories for your convenience.
You can go back months or even years of your spending history in the blink of an eye, and many credit cards offer online budgeting tools that track your category spending over time. The truth is, cash-back credit cards can offer a huge rebate on your spending if used responsibly.
If cash is stolen out of your purse, you have little recourse other than filing a police report. So if someone gets a hold of your credit card and runs up a bunch of charges, you are completely off the hook. In most cases, your card issuer will just close your account and issue you a new card with a new number. Using the right credit cards in the right situations can save you some significant cash.
Depending on your situation, there are specific credit cards tailored to your everyday purchases where you can earn rewards in the form of cash back for spending your hard-earned money. This is the first thing you should do prior to signing up for any credit card. In order to find the best cash back credit card or combination of cards, you have to know where your money is spent. To determine which cash back card is your top choice, create a list of what you buy each month and each year.
The monthly breakdown will help calculate any spending that could potentially happen while using a rotating category cash back card. A list of your yearly spending will help determine if you spend enough to maximize the rewards for a designated category cash back card. Once you have an itemized list of what you spend your money on, use that information to look for a cash back credit card. As I outlined here, there are three top cards worth considering for the majority of people.
This will help ensure your original calculations were correct when you created a list of what you buy each month. When you select a cash back card, make sure you become familiar with the rewards program of that card.
When using any cash back card, you also want to be aware of where your spending is at so you stop once you hit your rewards caps. Many cards offer the ability to redeem rewards for things other than cash or statement credit. However, if you really want to feel see the impact of cash back rewards on your everyday life, I advise you to simply take the cash or statement credit. Also, once in a while, the cards will offer higher redemption for certain retailers and you might be able to take advantage if one of your common purchases is there.
After three months, the rotating category cash back cards will change categories. Prior to the expiration date of the rotating category, you should assess whether or not there is something within the category you will use in the future.
This might take some adjustment and planning within your budget, which is why I recommend this as a more advanced technique to save money. While it may only be a consolation prize, the more gas prices rise, the more rewards you earn on gas purchases. Listed below, you will find a directory of the most popular cash back credit cards available. This directory was used as a starting point for my research and analysis, which is based on the data derived from each card.
The directory is updated weekly to reflect any new changes, to add new cards, and to remove expired cards. The cash back credit cards directory is a sub-directory of rewards credit cards. This custom directory highlights the most important features for cash back cards specifically and displays all important information about each card.
The directory is maintained and updated on a weekly basis to ensure it is always current. The cash back rewards credit card directory lists every cash back credit card and the vital information for that card.
In order to rank and value each of these cards, certain features were weighted accordingly based on overall importance to the prospective cardholder. Sort, filter, or search for what matters most to find the best cash back credit card for you. The most heavily weighted and most important elements of a cash back credit card are introductory APR, sign-up bonus, ongoing rewards, and benefits.
Depending on your situation, you might want to be aware of the ongoing APR as well. Based on these important features and other data, I developed a Cash Back Card Rating for each card.
This rating takes the features that matter most for a cash back card and combines them together to rate each card based on a group of important features. I also included an Overall Rating , which displays the card rating as an overall credit card, comparing it to every other credit card type on the market.
There are a number of factors that went into rating each card and the most important are described below. To analyze rewards, I assessed each cash back credit card on its ongoing rewards and rewards categories.
Ongoing rewards refers to the actual rate at which you can earn rewards using the cash back card. As a part of the rewards, I also analyzed the rewards categories, which highlight the versatility of each cash back card. The categories rotate every three months, so you always have something new to capitalize on. These cards will also score high because you can capitalize by making common purchases, such as groceries and gas.
There are some additional perks of owning a cash back credit card beyond earning rewards, but this category is not as important as those listed above. Cash back credit cards offer a higher rewards percentage as the main selling point instead of a large sign-up bonus. However, every dollar counts and you can still get a decent sign-up bonus from a cash back card.
The introductory APR for the best cash back credit cards is usually very generous. Some cash back cards go as high as 14 or even 15 months. What this means for a prospective cardholder is you can sign up for a new card prior to making a large purchase you know is coming, but choose to pay it off over the course of the next year or so.
But, if you must carry a balance, a cash back card may hurt you the least of any rewards card. Cash back cards have ongoing APRs that range as low as The key determinant of your ongoing APR is your credit score and history. If you have good credit, the APR rate for you will be on the lower end.
APR differs from Intro APR because it is the more permanent rate. Once you get beyond the designated time period for any introductory APR offers, the credit card will default to the ongoing APR rate. APR is not factored into our ratings as a very important category because it nullifies the ability to earn rewards.
Remember, I ranked the best cash back credit cards based on the features that matter to the people who use the cards the right way. The best cash back credit cards have unique structures to their rewards programs. Generally speaking, cash back cards offer the highest rewards percentages of any credit cards for specific or rotating categories. Due to the high rewards earning potential, cash back credit cards also come with caps on the amount you can earn in those categories.
This case study will break down the difficult choice between the two popular styles of cash back cards. There is no overlying consensus on which type of card is best for everyone. The best cash back card type is the one that offers the most rewards on the purchases you make.
The other element that factors into the decision is which other credit cards you already own. To show these cash back rewards programs in action, this case study will analyze the difference between the two types of cards when both cash back categories are maxed out. It will also detail which cash back card is the best choice for you depending on the type of credit cards you already own.
Using the top cards from each of the two types will help illustrate what your best choice is. There is no annual fee and rewards never expire. In my opinion, Chase made some major improvements in regarding the rotating categories by adding grocery stores. The cash back rewards are as follows: Creating a single fixed scenario to judge these cards is next to impossible.
The table below shows an overview of the best type of cash back card to get for each of the various purchases you might make.
Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards of - NerdWallet
This is where the battle really heats up. Both cards offer some solid rewards for those of you who like to shop. This case study clearly illustrates that all cash back credit cards are not created equal — even when you compare two of the best.
For a variety of purchases, the rotating category cash back cards are the way to go. If you have a set spending budget and you know things like groceries and gas are your main purchases, then you should go with the designated category cash back credit card.
The question will be answered in this brief case study and comparison of the two cards. There are no caps for either card on the amount you can earn from gas purchases. The sign-up bonus and annual fee are factored in each year because this is a cumulative measurement of how much you earn in rewards over a four-year time period. Those amounts carry over, while the rewards earnings compound year after year. Your email address will not be published. Just sign up to The Simple Dollar Daily and start saving today.
However, the rankings and listings of our reviews, tools and all other content are based on objective analysis. For more information and a complete list of our advertising partners, please check out our full Advertising Disclosure. The information in our reviews could be different from what you find when visiting a financial institution, service provider or a specific product's website. All products are presented without warranty. Credit Cards Investing Banking Education Insurance Taxes.
Best Cash Back Credit Cards for Reward yourself with a card that puts money back in your pocket.
Card Highlights Provided by Discover: Redeem your cash back for any amount, any time. Cash rewards never expire. Sign up at the beginning of each quarter to maximize cash back. Use your Discover card!
Redeem your cash back anytime, for any amount. Many people enjoy flat rate cash back cards for their simplicity. But depending on your spending patterns, you might be able to earn more with a higher, variable cash back rate. No annual fee NEW OFFER: Maximize cash back by using this card at grocery stores, wholesale clubs, and gas stations. Pay off large purchases and any balance transfers within the intro APR period.
Redeem Cash Back rewards for cash, gift cards, or travel. After that, a variable APR will apply, Transfer balances from high-APR cards in your first 45 days. Redeem cash rewards for statement credits, bank deposits, or gift cards. While a flat cash back rate is convenient, you could earn significantly more with a card that offers a higher rate in select categories. Over 1 million more places in the U. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.
Use this card to earn extra cash back on groceries at U. Planning a large purchase? Make it soon after opening the card and budget to pay it off during the intro APR period.
Redeem your Rewards Dollars cash back as a statement credit. Airline Credit Cards All Credit Cards Balance Transfer Credit Cards Business Credit Cards Cash Back Credit Cards Credit Cards for Bad Credit Low Interest Card Prepaid Debit Cards Rewards Credit Cards Student Credit Cards Travel Credit Cards.
Loading Credit Card Database. Sort By Card Name Sign up Bonus Tier Level. Search Do you know of a card that is not in our directory?
Suggest a Card Here. BuyPower Card from Capital One. April 24, Updated on: June 20, Edited by: Sarah Ban, Michael Gardon, Christine Neilson Research by: Mike Jelinek, Montana Thomas, Michael Gardon. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Table of Contents 0. Summed Up 9 Maximize Your Cash Back Card with the Right Strategy 10 Managing Your Money with a Credit Card Always treat credit like cash Track your credit spending in real-time Pay your bill before it is due or several times per month Never pay interest 11 The Benefits of Using a Credit Card as a Budgeting Tool Get the new e-book, Ways to Save Money Now , for free!
Select a Degree Level. The Simple Dollar Freshome Reviews. About The Simple Dollar Contact Careers. No card found matching your search.