Best Cash-Back Credit Cards for May 2023

The Active Cash card is one of the best general credit cards you could choose. Not only does it reward you for your purchases, but it also features a welcome bonus that’s easy to reach through normal spending and an introductory APR offer on purchases and qualifying balance transfers.

And all of the benefits come with no annual fee. The Active Cash card outranks its main competitor, the Citi Double Cash, thanks to its welcome bonus and additional features like phone protection and access to a few Visa Signature benefits. It would pair well with a credit card that covers multiple bonus categories.

You can learn more in our Wells Fargo Active Cash card review.

The Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa card combines a personal loan with a credit card. You use your card for purchases, but at the end of the month, your balance is converted to a personal loan with a set interest rate and monthly payment.

It’s more personal loan than credit card, but it could be a good way to finance a large purchase if you don’t have time to save up for it.

You can learn more in our Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa card review.

While it may fall a bit short compared to the Active Cash card, the Citi Double Cash is still a strong contender. And if you need to eliminate some existing credit card debt it’ll be the better option.

It earns rewards for all purchases, has no annual fee and features a relatively long introductory 0% APR for balance transfers. Cardholders get 18 months (then 18.99% to 28.99% variable) to pay off a transferred balance. While those are compelling reasons to get the card, it doesn’t offer much else outside of them.

You could use it to knock out existing credit card debt by transferring your balance and paying it down while it accrues no interest and then continue to use it to earn rewards afterwards.

You can find all the details in our Citi Double Cash card review.

This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers more flexibility than most cards, but it’s held back by a low spending cap. That means it’s better suited to lower spenders as your rewards rate will fall to 1% once you spend $2,500 in combined purchases across its bonus categories each quarter.

It offers the choice of a few unique 3% cash back categories including online shopping and home improvement/furnishings, while its 2% cash back choices cover everyday expenses like grocery stores and wholesale clubs. If your combined quarterly expenses in the 3% and 2% rewards categories aren’t greater than $2,500, this could be a good card to pick. Consider pairing it with a flat-rate, no-annual fee card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash card.

You can learn more in our Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card review.

The Blue Cash Preferred is one of, if not the most, rewarding credit cards when it comes to U.S. supermarket purchases and select U.S. streaming subscriptions. While it does carry an annual fee of $95 ($0 intro annual fee for the first year), its high rewards rate makes it easy to quickly cover the fee.

It would take just $1,600 in U.S. supermarket spending each year (roughly $133 per month) to essentially cover its annual fee, without taking into account any rewards generated from its other bonus categories. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. Most people spend far more than that each year on groceries, especially considering how much food prices have increased over the past year.

Learn more about earning rewards on essential purchases in our American Express Blue Cash Preferred review.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The U.S. Bank Cash+ offers rewards that cover some unique purchase types, including fast food, gym and fitness centers, furniture stores, movie theaters and home utilities, to name a few. You’ll need to manually activate your top two eligible categories each quarter to qualify.

You can earn a maximum of $100 each quarter before the 5% rewards rate on your two chosen categories falls to 1%, but there’s no limit to the number of rewards you can earn with its 2% cash back categories.

The Freedom Unlimited is a great dining companion for travelers. It combines a strong base rewards rate with an introductory APR offer and high travel rewards when you book through Chase Ultimate Rewards. It also lacks an annual fee -- a welcome surprise for a card with these features.

It’s straightforward and rewarding. If you don’t already have a card that earns 1.5% cash back for general spending, this card has you covered.

You can read more about it in our Chase Freedom Unlimited Review.

This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card isn’t the best-in-class of any category, but as a combination its benefits become competitive. The flat-rate rewards may appeal to those seeking simplicity in their credit card, and the introductory APR is one of the longest on the market. The welcome bonus is also on par with other cash-back cards with no annual fee.

If you’re looking for a way to earn rewards for essential purchases like U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, consider the Blue Cash Everyday Card. While everyday spending is at the forefront of the card, it also features a rare bonus category for U.S. online retail purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

It provides a higher cash-back rate than most other no-annual-fee cash-back cards and features an introductory APR for purchases and balance transfers, which provides even more utility. Earning rewards for purchases you need to make no matter what should be an easy choice to make.

You can find all the details in our Blue Cash Everyday card review.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The Citi Custom Cash Card has more flexibility than the average rewards card. Each month, cardholders earn 5% cash back (on the first $500 spent each billing cycle, then 1%) on their top eligible spend category. Eligible categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.

It includes some rare categories – namely fitness clubs, home improvement stores and live entertainment – that most other cards don’t. And while 5% cash back sounds like a lot, it has a pretty low spending cap. You can only earn $25 in rewards each billing cycle before the rate falls to 1%.

You can learn more about it in our Citi Custom Cash Card review.

The Petal 2 card, issued by WebBank, is easier to qualify than most cards, as you don’t need an extensive credit history or high credit scores to get approved. It’s meant to help build your credit while also offering a return on your spending.

There are no late fees, annual fees or foreign transaction fees to worry about. Instead, it seeks to incentivize you to pay your bill on time and in full each month by offering greater cash back opportunities for doing so.

You can learn all the details in our Petal 2 review.

The Capital One SavorOne** is another card that offers a ton of features without asking for an annual fee in return. Its limited-time offering of 10% cash back for Uber and Uber Eats (through 11/14/2024) is far higher than what most rewards cards -- even those with an annual fee -- offer. Coupled with its 8% cash back for Capital One Entertainment, you could earn a huge return on your entertainment spending.

In addition to its high earning potential, it has an introductory APR offer to help avoid interest charges on new purchases and any transferred balances. If you’re looking for a card that rewards you whether you’re going out or staying in to watch your favorite streaming service, this is definitely one to consider.

You can learn all the details in our Capital One SavorOne review.

It’s nearly impossible to match the number of products Amazon offers shoppers, and its Prime Visa* is almost as impressive. It’s important to note that, while it doesn’t carry an annual fee, you’ll need to subscribe to Amazon Prime ($139 annually) to qualify. Otherwise, there’s a non-Prime version.

Unlike many retailer-specific credit cards, you can also earn rewards outside of the Amazon ecosystem. The welcome bonus is also unique in that you can earn up to a $150 Amazon gift card upon approval -- no spending requirements necessary to unlock it.

You can learn more in our Prime Visa review.

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card** offers an average cash-back rate rounded out with an introductory APR offer and an easily obtainable welcome bonus. Unlike some comparable cards, it could also double as a travel rewards card considering the lack of foreign transaction fees.

Learn more in our Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card review.

Few other cards can match the versatility of the Chase Freedom Flex**. Its rewards span across multiple different purchase categories and it offers a nice selection of additional card perks, along with an introductory APR offer.

Even some credit cards with an annual fee have a hard time matching the earning potential of the Freedom Flex. It’s only held back somewhat by its spending limit on its quarterly rotating category -- which, for April through June, is purchases at Amazon.com and Lowe’s -- but even when that limit is hit, you can still earn a good return for purchases in its other bonus categories.

Keep in mind you’ll need to activate the bonus categories manually each quarter. However, even if you activate late, you’ll earn retroactive rewards as long as you activate by the deadline.

You can read more in our Chase Freedom Flex review.

While there is no annual fee for the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi**, you will need to be a Costco member to qualify, which costs $60 per year.

Its strongest feature is its gas rewards, as it earns much more than its competitors. However, you can only redeem rewards on an annual basis rather than the standard monthly basis -- and you may forfeit your rewards if you don’t redeem them in time.

Find all the details in our Costco Anywhere Visa Card review.

The Discover it® Cash Back** offers cardholders rewards that shift every quarter. For April through June, it offers cash back at restaurants and wholesale clubs. It also has one of the best welcome bonuses on the market: Discover will essentially double the cash back you earn for your first year with the card at the end of your first year.

Each quarter you’ll need to manually activate the rewards. Just be sure you do so on time, because unlike the Freedom Flex, there are no retroactive rewards to be earned here. In addition to the rewards and welcome bonus, you can use its introductory APR offer to avoid interest charges for a time.

You can read more in our Discover it Cash Back review.

The Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Credit Card** has a lot going for it. It’s got a potentially high cash-back rate along with a number of solid travel and shopping protections. However, you’ll need to be a Alliant Credit Union member to qualify, and you’ll want to have an Alliant High-Rate Checking account to get the most out of it.

If you have an Alliant High-Rate checking account, you can earn 2.5% cash back on the first $10,000 spent per billing cycle in qualifying eligible purchases (then 1.5%), which is more than some of what the best flat-rate cash-back cards offer. However, it is a bit more restrictive than those other cards considering you’ll need to be an Alliant member to use it.