Credit Cards That Earn 2% Cash Back on All Purchases

FULL LIST: CREDIT CARDS THAT EARN 2% CASH BACK ON ALL PURCHASES

By Gregory Karp, NerdWallet

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Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Our pick for: Bonus offer

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases and has an annual fee of $0. But a factor that sets it apart from other 2% cash-back cards is that it also comes with a sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. Adding to its winning profile are cell phone protection and a competitive APR offer: 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months and 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR. Unlike with most other 2% cash-back cards, there are no tricks with applying for the card or redeeming rewards. You can get a statement credit or even withdraw from a Wells Fargo ATM using the bank’s debit or ATM card. Maybe its biggest drawback is a relatively minor one: a 3% foreign transaction fee, which many of its direct competitors have, too. So it’s a poor choice to use for purchases abroad. But otherwise? It’s hard to ask for more from a flat-rate cash-back card. Read our review.

U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: U.S. Bank loyalists

The $0-annual-fee U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card offers an eye-popping cash-back rate of up to 4% on all purchases — if you meet eligibility requirements. To get that top rate, you'll need a significant sum of money in a qualifying U.S. Bank account. But there are no special requirements to earn the card's baseline rate of 2% back, which is still quite good. Read our review.

Citi Double Cash® Card

Our pick for: A strong incentive

No hassles to apply and no hassles to get your unlimited reward cash. That describes the Citi Double Cash® Card. Its main quirk is how the card doles out 2% cash back: You get 1% cash back when you make a purchase, then another 1% cash back when you pay it off. But if you pay your balance in full every month — recommended for all rewards cards — it’s essentially 2% back. It has an annual fee of $0, making it free to carry. Redeem for cash via statement credit, direct deposit into a bank account, gift card or check in the mail. The main knocks on the card are that it doesn't usually offer a sign-up bonus, and it charges a foreign transaction fee. Read our review.

Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card

Our pick for: Sky-high cash back

This sweet deal requires some work — you have to join a credit union — and cash back is capped for super-high spenders. You'll also have to open an Alliant High-Rate Checking account, opt in to electronic statements, make one monthly deposit into the account and maintain an average daily balance of $1,000 or more. That's a lot of work to get a higher rate. But the payback with this card is eye-popping. The Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card offers 2.5% cash back on spending up to $10,000 in qualifying purchases per billing cycle (1.5% cash back after that.) Most spenders will seldom come anywhere near that cap. Plus, its annual fee is $0. Anyone can join the credit union for free when applying for the card by agreeing to become a member of an eligible charity. Read our review.

Bread Cashback American Express Credit Card

Our pick for: An AmEx option

The Bread Cashback American Express Credit Card — issued by Comenity Capital Bank, a Bread Financial company — earns an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases, with an annual fee of $0. That's typical for these cards. But this one runs on the American Express payment network and gives you access to merchant discounts via AmEx Offers. It also has no foreign transaction fees. Terms apply. Redeem cash-back rewards for a statement credit or direct deposit into a checking or savings account. However, you won't find a welcome bonus or 0% intro APR promotion for new purchases or balance transfers. You don’t need to be a Bread Financial customer to qualify. Read our review.

Synchrony Premier World Mastercard®

Our pick for: Hassle-free redemption

It doesn’t get much easier than earning 2% cash back on your spending and receiving rewards automatically as a credit to your account. That’s the deal with the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard®, which applies rewards as a statement credit to your account within two billing periods after the purchase is made. It has no sign-up bonus, but the annual fee is $0. Read our review.

Apple Card

Our pick for: Apple Pay users

The Apple Card actually offers triple cash back on Apple purchases and certain retailers, but it makes this list of 2% flat-rate cards for a specific reason: It earns 2% cash back on all other purchases made via Apple Pay mobile payment on iPhone. (However, the physical Apple Card offers a lackluster 1% back.) The card has a No Fees* annual fee. So if you’re an iPhone user and able to spend a lot at merchants that accept Apple Pay, it’s an enticing choice. Read our review.

SoFi Unlimited 2% Credit Card

Our pick for: SoFi customers

The SoFi Unlimited 2% Credit Card is a straightforward credit card that could earn 2% cash back, and it doesn't have an annual fee. You can redeem rewards as a statement credit or deposit into SoFi checking, savings or investment accounts. You can also use rewards to pay down eligible loans with SoFi. Read our review.

OPTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Our pick for: No annual fee

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card pays 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in spending each year, a cap high enough to count as "everything" for a lot of users. Once you hit the cap, you earn 1% cash back for the rest of the year. Rare among business cards, it offers an introductory APR promotion: 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.49%-27.49% Variable APR. Read our review.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Our pick for: Unlimited 2% cash back for business

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. It has a fairly high annual fee of $150, but if you're moving a lot of inventory through the account, your cash back can pile up quickly. Another reason you might choose this over another 2% card is that it comes with one of those generous business-card sign-up bonuses: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months and an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year. (See rates and fees.) Note that this is a charge card rather than a credit card, meaning the balance is due in full each month. Read our review.

OPTIONS THAT PAY 2% ONLY FOR CERTAIN REDEMPTIONS

Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: Fidelity investors

If you don’t mind immediately turning spending rewards into savings, consider the Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card. It pays out a flat 2% back on every purchase, and has a $0 annual fee. Rewards are deposited automatically into a Fidelity Investments regular brokerage account, individual retirement account or 529 college savings plan. Other redemption options drop the value below 2% back. Read our review.

Rocket Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: New Rocket mortgage customers

The Rocket Visa Signature® Card positions itself as a way to help you pay for a mortgage. It's indeed possible to earn the equivalent of 2% back in value, or even higher — but your mileage will vary depending on how you redeem and whether you're a new or existing Rocket mortgage customer. Read our review.

OPTIONS FROM SMALLER ISSUERS

Smaller banks and credit unions typically like to see some loyalty when they give 2% cash back. Here is a sampling of more options — best for existing customers of these financial institutions or people who prefer smaller ones. None of these cards has an annual fee.

PNC Bank

The PNC Cash Unlimited Visa Signature Credit Card earns an uncapped 2% cash back on all purchases. However, you must have an existing banking relationship with PNC to get one of its cards. The bank has locations in nearly 30 states and Washington, D.C. Read more about PNC Bank here.

FNBO

First National Bank of Omaha offers 2% cash back on every purchase with the Evergreen by FNBO Credit Card. You don’t need an FNBO bank account, giving this one wider appeal than those that require you to have one with the issuer. But you may still face geographical restrictions. Read more about FNBO here.

TD Bank

The TD Double Up℠ Credit Card allows you to earn 2% cash back. However, the card isn't open to consumers in all U.S. states. Read more about TD Bank here.

KeyBank

The Key Cashback credit card comes with hurdles to get 2% cash back. You must have a KeyBank checking account with at least $1,000 in deposits each month, as well as a KeyBank savings or investment account with a minimum daily balance of $1,000. If you don’t, you'll earn 1.5% cash back on purchases instead. It’s open to applications from some U.S. states only.

Also related to KeyBank is the Laurel Road Student Loan Cashback Card. It is from Laurel Road, a digital lending platform and brand of KeyBank. It offers 2% cash back toward private or federal student loans with eligible servicers, or 1% cash back in the form of a statement credit. It also comes with a sign-up bonus and a 0% intro APR promotional offer. It has no foreign transaction fees.

PenFed Credit Union

The PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns either 1.5% or 2% cash back on all purchases and comes with a sign up bonus. To get 2% back, you not only have to be a member, you also must be in its Honors Advantage program. That requires you to maintain a PenFed Access America Checking Account or meet the military service criteria — active duty, reserve, honorably discharged or retired.

Navy Federal Credit Union

The Navy Federal Credit Union cashRewards Plus Credit Card earns 2% cash back on all purchases, but there are some caveats. First, you'll need to join the credit union to apply, and membership rules are pretty strict. Also, applicants will actually be considered for two cards: both the 2%-earning "Plus" version as well as the original, non-"Plus" version, known as the Navy Federal Credit Union® cashRewards Credit Card. And that version of the card earns only 1.5% back on purchases.

Fifth Third Bank

The Fifth Third Bank Preferred Cash/Back Card earns an unlimited and uncapped 2% back on all purchases. However, you must live in one of the handful of U.S. states that the bank services and have a Fifth Third Preferred Banking account to get the credit card. Read more about Fifth Third Bank here.

Honorable mentions

These cards don’t give you quite 2% cash back all the time, but they’re notably close.

• Citizens Bank Cash Back Plus® World Mastercard®. Flat 1.8% cash back.

• Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back card. Flat 1.67% cash back.

• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card. If you keep big money in Bank of America® or eligible Merrill accounts, your “everything else” cash back on this card goes from 1.5% to 1.875% or 2.25% or 2.625%, depending on your balances.

• Upromise Mastercard. This Barclays-issued card can earn 1.529% cash back on all eligible purchases if you link your Upromise account to an eligible college savings plan. (Otherwise, you'll earn only 1.25% back on your purchases.)

Perfect pairings

Flat-rate 2%-or-more cards are ideal for pairing with a card that features bonus categories — areas of spending that offer more than 2% cash back. Examples are spending at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and travel or entertainment vendors.

The idea is you would use the cards in tandem: Use the bonus-category card for its categories and the 2%-or-more card for everything else. Examples of cards that play well with a flat-rate 2% cash-back card:

• The Chase Freedom Flex® and the Discover it® Cash Back earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in spending in quarterly rotating bonus categories that you activate, like gas stations or grocery stores (1% back on everything else). In addition, the Chase Freedom Flex® earns 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase and 3% at restaurants and drugstores.

• The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back* at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending per year (then 1%); 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit; and 1% cash back on everything else. Terms apply (see rates and fees).

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*Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.