Compare 25+ Cash Back Credit Cards in This Free Spreadsheet
Note – we read the following post on Reddit and realized it would be useful for many of our readers – especially those with questions about cash back cards following the Apple Card announcement. This post was syndicated and lightly edited with permission from Redditor Jakfrist. See the original post with here.
Tiller edited the list into a Google spreadsheet, which you can access below. There are no affiliate links in this post.
I made this list for myself as I was researching the best options for cash back credit cards.
I already have strong credit, but I wanted to find cards that I could keep open long term and build my credit as my lifestyle changes.
My #1 rule was “no annual fees.”
Without an annual fee, there’s no penalty for keeping an account open to help grow my average account age.
And while there are a few cards with annual fees and nice benefits, I personally didn’t find they outweighed the chance that my lifestyle would change or a better card would come along and I’d need to close the account.
I wound up applying for the Citi DoubleCash & US Bank Cash+.
If I end up spending more than $1,000 on the Citi DoubleCash I’ll probably apply for the Alliant Signature Visa, since I’ll be over the breakeven point.
As for the US Bank Cash+, I really like this card because I can see keeping it open for quite a long time due to
Best All Categories Cash Back Credit Card
If spending < $1,000 / mo:
Citi DoubleCash 2% interest with no annual fee and no restrictions makes this my current catch-all card.
If spending > $1,000 / mo.
Alliant CU Signature Visa if you plan to spend more than $11,800 / yr on this card then 2.5% cash back more than covers the $59 annual fee, especially in the first year when all purchases receive 3% cash back.
Cards with variable cash back rewards depending on where you spend.
You Choose the Categories
US Bank Cash+ Select 2 categories of your choice and receive 5% cash back up to $2,000 / qtr is just about the best I found anywhere. Pretty much the only way I found to beat this is with a small army of cards dedicated to separate categories.
Store-Based Cashback Rewards
Costco and Amazon – Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card nets 5% and Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi nets 4% back total on purchases with those retailers if you have a membership.
So if you already have a membership and frequently shop at Costco / Amazon both of those cards seem like pretty good deals as well.
Cash back cards with bonuses
Best bonus by percentage:
Chase Freedom Unlimited, US Bank Cash+, and Bank of America Cash Rewards all offer $150 when you spend $500 in the first 3 months which is an astounding 30% back.
Best bonus by dollar amount
Despite the annual fee Capital One Savor offers a $500 promo if you think you are going to spend more than $3,000 in the first 3 months.
Personally, I am not a fan of the annual fee associated with this card, but if you are just about those promo offers, $500 is nothing to scoff at.
Get the spreadsheet and compare cash back rewards for yourself
Compare cash back offers from over 25 credit cards in this Google spreadsheet. Things to keep in mind:
- The data is current as of March 28, 2019.
- We will update the spreadsheet with new cards and offers every quarter.
- Use this spreadsheet as a place to begin.
- There are a few cards not listed here – make a copy of the sheet and add them as you do your research.
- And, please leave comments and suggestions for new cards to add to the list in the blog comments below.
Make it yours
The spreadsheet is linked in View mode. To create your own editable copy, click File > Make a Copy and add it to your Google Drive account.
Or, simply open a copy of the spreadsheet here.
More Links
The Apple Card Is Here. Is It Worth Getting? – Wirecutter
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