While we love earning travel rewards here at TPG, there’s also some real value in using a cash-back credit card to earn cold, hard cash back in your pocket. There are several cards that will give you a solid 2% cash back on every single purchase you make — with hardly any effort.
With these fixed 2% cash-back credit cards, there’s no need to pay attention to category bonuses, activate an increased earning rate or even select a category of your choice. The cash back is yours, regardless of the purchase you make. It’s truly as simple as it looks.
Best of all, these cards have no — or extremely high — caps to the amount of cash back you can earn.
Overview of the best 2% cash-back credit cards
Here are five of our top picks for the best 2% cash-back cards.
The information for the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuers.
The best 2% cash-back credit cards
Citi Double Cash Card
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.
Why we like it: The Citi Double Cash Card is one of the simplest and most valuable credit cards available. With 2% cash back — 1% when you make a purchase, plus 1% when you pay that purchase off — your rewards are very simple every time you swipe it.
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Best of all, if at a future time, you decide that you’d prefer to redeem your cash-back rewards for travel instead, you’ll have that opportunity as well — if you pair this card with a premium Citi ThankYou product, such as the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees).
While this card has a $0 annual fee, the card doesn’t offer many perks in the way of purchase or travel protection. It’s also not an ideal card for international travel due to its 3% foreign transaction fee.
For more details, read our full review of the Citi Double Cash.
Apply here: Citi Double Cash Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus when you spend $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Why we like it: The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card is one of the few unlimited 2% cash rewards cards with no annual fee that also comes with a welcome bonus. With this card, you’ll earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months.
Additionally, the card offers cellphone protection that covers against theft or damage as long as you pay for your entire bill with the card. With this benefit, you’ll be covered up to $600 per claim (with a $25 deductible), though you are capped at two claims per 12-month period.
You’ll get your 2% cash rewards in the form of a statement credit, which makes it incredibly easy to receive your rewards. There’s also no cap on the amount of cash back you can receive.
For more details, read our full review of the Wells Fargo Active Cash.
Apply here: Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Synchrony Premier World Mastercard
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: None
THE POINTS GUY
Why we like it: While the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard isn’t often discussed, it’s a top choice for earning cash back. You’ll earn 2% cash back on every purchase you make — with no caps — applied as a statement credit automatically.
Even though the card doesn’t offer a sign-up bonus, card members will get some lucrative benefits, despite it being a card with no annual fee. Since the card is a World Mastercard, you’ll receive perks like Lyft credits, Hello Fresh credits and a DoorDash membership.
For more details, read our full review of the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard.
American Express Blue Business Cash Card
Annual fee: $0Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases on your card in your first three months of account opening.
Why we like it: Another business credit card where you’ll earn 2% cash back is the American Express Blue Business Cash Card. This card is also extremely straightforward, but your increased earnings are capped at $50,000 per calendar year (then 1%).
Redeeming your cash back is incredibly easy, as you’ll receive the money earned automatically as a monthly statement credit. If you have a small business that spends less than the cap threshold annually, this may be a preferred card due to the $0 annual fee (see rates and fees).
For more details, read our full review of the Blue Business Cash.
Apply here: American Express Blue Business Cash Card
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Annual fee: $150
Welcome offer: Earn a $2,000 cash bonus when you spend $30,000 in the first three months. Plus, earn an additional $2,000 bonus for every $500,000 spent in the first year.
Why we like it: If you have a decent amount of spending coming up and are looking for a small-business card, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus may be the right option for you. While earning 2% cash back on all purchases is one reason to get the card, the current sign-up bonus makes it even more enticing.
This is a huge offer to jump-start your company’s cash reserves, but it does have a high spend requirement to unlock the bonus.
While the card may initially be appealing due to its large sign-up bonus, you’ll want to make sure the continuous benefits outweigh the $150 annual fee (see rates and fees) in subsequent years.
If they do, you’ll enjoy benefits like no foreign transaction fees, roadside assistance, extended warranty protection and free employee cards (see rates and fees). Additionally, you can get your $150 annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000.
For more details, read our full review of the Spark Cash Plus.
Apply here: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Honorable mentions
In addition to the list above, there are a few other credit cards that will also earn you 2% cash back. However, they are not as simple. From being required to join a credit union to being an iPhone user, there are more caveats to these cards, so they won’t work for the masses.
If you’re looking for another option, though, these cards will also earn you 2% back with a little bit of effort:
- Apple Card
- The Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card
- SoFi Credit Card
- Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Credit Card
- PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Credit Card
Still, one of the best things about a cash-back card is its simplicity, so consider whether the extra steps these cards require will be worth it for you in the long run.
The information for all the cards listed in this section has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: The pros and cons of cash-back credit cards
Bottom line
If you want simplicity in your life, a 2% cash-back credit card may be the answer.
While other credit cards offer more rewards on specific category purchases, they may require you to juggle multiple cards in your wallet at once while being on top of which card to use for every single purchase you make. Knowing you’ll always receive 2% cash back may be an easier and more appealing option for you.
Related: How to choose a cash-back card
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash Card, click here.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
