Top Cash Back Credit Cards: Maximizing Your Rewards in 2026

Citi Double Cash® Credit Card

Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $1,500 in the first six months.

This card offers a flat 2% cash back on all spending. You’ll earn 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off. Plus, you get 5% cash back when you book hotels, car rentals and attractions through the Citi Travel portal. Rewards are offered as Citi Thank-You points, which you can redeem for a statement credit, a check or a direct deposit into your bank account at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union Crystal Visa

Sign-up bonus: $100 back if you spend $5,000 in the first three months.

The Crystal Visa allows you to earn a remarkable 3% cash back on all purchases for the first year, with no annual fee. From year two onward, the $99 annual fee kicks in, and you’ll earn an unlimited 2.5% cash back—still a strong rate. Spending that exceeds $10,000 in a single month doesn’t earn rewards, which are redeemable as points that you can exchange for cash back. Farmers Insurance FCU is open to anyone nationwide, provided you become a member of the American Consumer Council and deposit $5 into a personal savings account.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $500 in the first three months

The Active Cash card is as simple as it gets: Earn an unlimited 2% on all purchases, with no spending caps or categories. You can redeem your rewards for statement credits, direct deposits (starting at a $25 redemption minimum) into a Wells Fargo account, purchases made through PayPal, or gift cards with any of 250 merchants.

Chase Freedom Flex®

Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $500 in the first three months.

Cardholders earn 5% cash back on the first $1,500 charged in bonus categories that change each quarter. For the first quarter, categories include warehouse clubs, grocery stores and select streaming services. You'll also earn 5% back on purchases made through Chase Travel; 3% at restaurants, on eligible carryout and delivery services, and at drugstores; and 1% on all other purchases. Redeem points for travel purchases, gift cards or cash back, at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Discover it® Cash Back Credit Card

Sign-up bonus: An unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of cash back earned after your first year

Earn 5% cash back on up to the first $1,500 charged in quarterly rotating categories. Categories for the first quarter of 2026 include streaming services, wholesale clubs and grocery stores; other 2026 quarterly categories weren’t yet announced at press time. All other purchases earn 1% unlimited cash back. Redeem rewards as statement credits or a deposit into your bank account.

U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card

Annual fee: $95, waived the first year.

Sign-up bonus: $250 back after spending $2,000 in the first four months.

This card offers an outstanding 6% cash back on the first $1,500 spent quarterly in two retailers of your choosing. Among the options are Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Chewy, Disney, Lowe's, Macy's and Menards.

You can also select one category that earns 3% cash back or up to the first $1,500 charged quarterly. Categories include wholesale clubs, grocery stores and gas stations. All other purchases earn a strong 1.5% back. Use your points at a rate of 1 cent each for a statement credit, a deposit into your U.S. Bank account or a gift card.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Visa

Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first 90 days

Cardholders earn two points per dollar on all travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points per dollar on other spending. And savers who hold sizable deposit and investment balances with Bank of America can rack up points in a hurry, thanks to its Preferred Rewards program. If you carry an average daily balance of at least $100,000 in Bank of America and Merrill investment accounts, for example, you’ll get a 75% bonus on the rewards you earn (for more, see bankofamerica.com/preferredrewards). Use points for travel purchases, statement credits, or deposits into qualifying Merrill or Bank of America accounts at a rate of 1 cent per point.

In addition, cardholders are re-imbursed for up to $100 in incidental airline fees (such as for seat upgrades and baggage) each year, and every four years you can be re-imbursed up to $100 if you use the card to apply for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, which provide expedited security screening at the airport.

Fidelity Rewards Signature® Visa

Reach your savings and investment goals faster with Fidelity’s credit card. You’ll earn 2% cash back on all spending when you redeem your rewards into a qualifying Fidelity account. Eligible options include a brokerage account, IRA, 529 college-savings plan or health savings account. Plus, you can deposit rewards into the eligible account of a friend or family member—say, a grandchild’s 529 plan. Travelers earn a credit of up to $100 when they use the card to apply for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

SoFi Unlimited 2% Credit Card

Sign-up bonus: None.

Financial-technology company SoFi offers cardholders 3% cash back on trips booked through SoFi Travel and 2% cash back on all other purchases. The benefit for savers: You can transfer your rewards into SoFi’s high-yield savings account, which recently offered a 3.3% rate if you meet certain deposit requirements, or a SoFi investment account.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Annual fee: $95, waived for the first year

Intro offer: You may be eligible for as high as $300 cash back after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.

Cardholders earn an excellent 6% back on the first $6,000 charged annually at U.S. grocery stores (1% thereafter). Earn 6% back on select streaming services, too, along with 3% on gas and transit and 1% on other expenses. Redeem rewards for statement credits or Amazon purchases.

American Express® Gold Card

Annual fee: $325

Intro offer: You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.  Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.

Earn four points per dollar on up to the first $50,000 spent per calendar year at U.S. supermarkets. You also get four points per dollar at restaurants (on up to $25,000 spent yearly), three points per dollar on flights, two points per dollar on prepaid hotel reservations booked through Amex Travel, and one point per dollar on everything else. The card comes with several other benefits, too, including $10 monthly in Uber Cash, $50 in semiannual credits when you use your card at restaurants that participate in the Resy platform, and a $10 monthly credit when you use the card at certain dining partners, including Grubhub and The Cheesecake Factory.

See rates and fees.

Terms apply.

Citi Custom Cash Mastercard

Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $1,500 in the first six months

This card lives up to its name by customizing your rewards, automatically providing 5% cash back in whichever one of 10 categories you spend the most each month—including grocery stores. The other categories are restaurants, gas stations, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, live entertainment, select travel, select transit and select streaming services. The 5% rewards are limited to $500 spent monthly (1% thereafter). Hotels, rental cars and attractions booked through Citi Travel earn 4% back, and all other purchases get 1% back. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points, which you can redeem at a rate of 1 cent each for statement credits, a direct deposit or a check.

Citi Custom Cash Mastercard

Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $1,500 in the first six months

If gas is one of your top expenses, consider charging your fuel purchases on this card, which includes gas stations among the 10 categories that may earn 5% back on up to $500 spent each month. The card automatically applies the 5% rebate to whichever category you spend the most in. For more on the card’s eligible categories, rewards structure and redemption rules, see the section above.

Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi

Annual fee: None, but you must be a Costco member (fees start at $65 yearly)

Drivers can take advantage of 5% cash back at Costco gas stations and 4% back on other gas purchases and EV charging. You can spend up to $7,000 combined on gas each year to earn the 5% and 4% rewards; after that, gas purchases earn 1% back. Plus, earn 3% back on dining and travel (including Costco Travel), 2% on other Costco purchases, and 1% on everything else. Cash back arrives as an annual reward certificate you can use for Costco purchases or redeem for cash.

Sam’s Club® Mastercard®

Annual fee: None, but you must have a Sam’s Club membership (starting at $50 annually)

Sign-up bonus: $30 back if you spend $30 in the first 30 days

The credit card from wholesaler Sam’s Club offers 5% back on fuel purchases—both at Sam’s Club and elsewhere—up to the first $6,000 annually, then 1% back. You’ll also earn 3% back on Sam’s Club purchases if you’re a Plus member (otherwise, you get 1% back), 3% on dining and takeout, and 1% on other spending. Redeem your rewards for purchases at Sam’s Club or for cash.