Best flat rate cashback credit card

Woman paying with credit card at a boutique store.

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There are so many reward card strategies to consider – like the bonus category, Travel Points and Miles Reviews Others – Some cardholders have chosen to go on a simpler route. With a flat rate cashback card, you can earn a consistent, unlimited reward rate with every purchase. The redemption option is also easy. It is usually in the form of a statement credit, direct deposit or gift card.

Other cardholders combine flat interest rates Cashback Card Use a different bonus category reward card. Their bonus category cards can only offer 1% on non-bonus purchases, so they use flat rate cards for those purchases to earn 1.5 or 2% instead. Here are some of the best flat rates you’ll find.

Top card for flat cashback

Compare the best cards for flat rate cashback

Card name	It’s perfect for	Annual fees	Flat reward rate	Welcome bonus
Wells FargoActiveCash® Card	Maximum price with intro APR	$0	Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards upon purchase	Earn $200 cash reward bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
City Double Cash® Card	Positive trust habits	$0	Get 2% per purchase with unlimited 1% cashback on purchase, plus 1% purchased. To earn cashback, at least pay on time. Plus, you’ll earn a total cashback of 5% on hotels, cars and attractions booked with City Travel.	You will earn $200 cashback after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of opening an account. This bonus offer is filled as a $20,000 appreciation point. This can be redeemed with a $200 cashback.
Capital One Quick Silver Cash Rewards Credit Card	Flexible repayment	$0	Earn unlimited 5% cashback on hotels and car rentals booked with Capital One Travel. Here you can get the best prices with thousands of travel options. Terminology applies Earn unlimited 1.5% cashback every day for every purchase	Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on a purchase within three months of opening an account
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Reward Credit Card*	Current Bank of America Saver	$0	Earn 2% cashback on all purchases in the first year after account creation Earn 1.5% cashback on all purchases after the first year of account opening	Online cash rewards bonus of $200 after making at least $1,000 purchases in the first 90 days of opening an account.
Upgrade your CashRewards Visa®	Funding up over time	$0	1.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases	$200 bonus after opening a reward check plus account and creating 3 debit card transactions*
Chase FreedomUnlimited®	Flat and Bonus Categories	$0	Enjoy 5% cashback on trips purchased from Chase Travel, a premier reward program that allows you to redeem cashback, travel, gift cards and more. 3% cashback on drugstore purchases and restaurant meals (e.g. takeout and eligible delivery services). 1.5% cashback on all other purchases.	Intro Offer: After spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening an account, you earned a $200 bonus

How to choose a flat rate cashback card

Consider these factors and choose the right one before applying for a pre-approved or flat rate cashback card.

Reward rate: If you are simply trying to win the best flat rate possible, one of the 2% cards is the way to go – unless you happen to have more than $50,000 on your Bank of America account, you can earn at least 2.25% on your unlimited Cash Rewards card. With the most expensive cards, you don’t have to pay attention to spending categories, redemption options, or other card perks. As long as you pay your balance on time, you’ll get a simple cashback with every purchase.
Welcome bonus spending requirements: The above cards offer similar cashback as a welcome bonus ($200-$300), but spending requirements range from $500 to $1,500 over the set period. You need to be able to reach the required card requirements so you don’t miss out on the free money.
Redemption options: Some cashback cards only offer redemption options such as statement credits, direct deposits, and gift cards. In particular, half of reward cardholders (50%) prefer cashback rewards, according to Bankrate’s 2024 Credit Card Rewards Survey. However, travel points and miles tend to be more valuable. If you choose a cashback card from the same issuer as your travel card, you may be able to convert your cash to points or miles.
Funding needs: Some of the cards on this list are low interest in installments options for 0% intro APR offers or upgraded Cash Rewards Visa. If you need to buy bulk for more than 12 months without paying interest, look for a card with that type of offer.

Comparing rewards you earned Flat Rate Cards and Bonus Category Cards

Calculate the cashback numbers you can earn with a flat cashback card, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card. American Express Blue Cash Everyday® Card.

Please note that Wells Fargo Active Cash Card offers 2% cash rewards on purchases, while Amex Blue Cash Enyriad Card offers 3% cashback with 1% cashback on US supermarkets, US gas stations, US online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year for each category, then 1%) and all other eligible purchases.

Neither card charges a yearly fee to be subtracted from revenue.

Expense Category	Annual spending	Cash rewards earned with Wells Fargo Active Cash cards	Cashback earned with American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card
Grocery	$6,000	$120	$180
dining	$2,500	$50	$25
Gas station	$2,000	$40	$60
Transport and ride sharing	$800	$16	$8
trip	$2,000	$40	$20
Entertainment	$1,500	$30	$15
Online shopping	$2,400	$48	$72
Home Utility	$4,000	$80	$40
Drugstore	$1,200	$24	$12
total	$22,400	$448	$432

What’s next?

Conclusion

For responsible credit card holders, it makes sense to earn cashback rewards for everyday spending. If you’re too busy with complex reward strategies, you can get the right cashback card for your wallet. Alternatively, you can swipe for these bonus categories that other reward cards earn less. With no annual fees, as long as you pay your balance on time to earn a lot of interest with one of the above cards.