Many top credit card benefits are tailored toward frequent travelers. TSA PreCheck fee reimbursements, airport lounge access, hotel room upgrades and free checked bags have become standard perks for travel cards. A growing list of cards, meanwhile, are becoming coupon books, offering massive lists of monthly statement credits for purchases with specific merchants, some of which only have locations in select major cities.
If you don’t travel often and won’t make use of those complicated credits, odds are a cash-back card is more your speed. You don’t have to settle for something barebones, because there are cash-back cards with plenty to offer. Plus, when it comes to actually using the rewards you earn, you can’t get more flexible than cash. (If you do want to redeem for travel, that’s possible with some of these options.)
Better yet, many of these cash-back cards come with no annual fee, or at least a waived one in the first year, which could be music to the ears of many shoppers. A NerdWallet survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll, asked Americans which credit card benefits would be most important to them if they were applying for a new credit card. The top perks? Nearly 3 in 5 Americans (57%) say no annual fee, and the same proportion (57%) say cash back rewards.
If you fall into that camp, here are some cards that may suit you.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns an unrivaled cash-back rate on groceries and is a rewarding choice for other common monthly expenses. It offers:
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, including taxis, ridesharing services, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
- 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Terms apply.
There’s a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. But if you spend around $31 a week on groceries, you’ll offset it. (See rates and fees.)
The benefits of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express go beyond those evelryday purchases. Here’s what makes it fancier:
- A generous welcome 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. That’s one of the largest bonuses you can find among cash-back cards.
- Disney Bundle credit: Receive a Disney steaming credit when you use the card to pay for the subscription service. Enrollment required; terms apply.
- Events with Amex: Get access to event ticket presales, and special ticket access, for live events including sports, music and theater.
Terms apply.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Considering its $0 annual fee, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns respectable cash-back rates:
- 3% back on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
- 3% back at drugstores.
- 5% back on travel booked through Chase.
- 1.5% back on everything else.
- Through Sept. 30, 2027, 2% back on qualifying Lyft services purchased through the Lyft app.
But the card’s other offerings take it up a notch:
- A solid welcome offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Travel protections: You may not travel often, but when you do, you might benefit from trip cancellation or interruption coverage. You can get reimbursed up to $1,500 per covered traveler, and up to $6,000 per trip, for prepaid or nonrefundable travel that goes awry due to a covered reason, such as illness or severe weather.
- Transfer points to Chase’s travel cards: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® actually earns cash back in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can redeem for a penny each. Alternately, though, you can transfer those points to a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. From there, you can redeem for travel through Chase or transfer the points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners.
Full list of Chase transfer partners
Airlines
- Aer Lingus (1:1 ratio).
- Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
- Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio).
- British Airways (1:1 ratio).
- Iberia (1:1 ratio).
- JetBlue (1:1 ratio).
- Singapore (1:1 ratio).
- Southwest (1:1 ratio).
- United (1:1 ratio).
- Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
- Hyatt (1:1 or 4:3 ratio; varies by card).
- IHG (1:1 ratio).
- Marriott (1:1 ratio).
- Wyndham (1:1 ratio).
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card likes to go out, but also appreciates a night in. While other cards earn higher rewards rates, 3% back in a broad range of categories is impressive for a card with a $0 annual fee. Here’s what you can earn:
- 3% cash back on dining and entertainment, which includes movie theaters, professional sporting events, tourist attractions, aquariums, zoos, dance halls, record stores, pool halls or bowling alleys.
- 3% cash back on purchases at grocery stores and on popular streaming services.
- 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases,
- 5% cash back on hotel stays, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
You’ll also get:
- A welcome offer: For a limited time, earn a one-time $250 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
- The ability to combine rewards: You can move your points over to one of Capital One’s travel cards, such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. From there, you can redeem rewards for a statement credit to cover travel purchases, book travel through Capital One, or transfer them to one of Capital One’s airline or hotel partners.
Full list of Capital One transfer partners
Airlines
- Aeromexico (1:1 ratio).
- Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
- Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio).
- Avianca (1:1 ratio).
- British Airways (1:1 ratio).
- Cathay Pacific (1:1 ratio).
- Emirates (1:1 ratio).
- Etihad (1:1 ratio).
- EVA (2:1.5 ratio).
- Finnair (1:1 ratio).
- Japan Airlines (2:1.5 ratio).
- JetBlue (5:3 ratio).
- Qantas (1:1 ratio).
- Qatar Airways (1:1 ratio).
- Singapore Airlines (1:1 ratio).
- TAP Air Portugal (1:1 ratio).
- Turkish Airlines (1:1 ratio).
- Virgin Red (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
- Accor (2:1 ratio).
- Choice Privileges Hotels (1:1 ratio).
- I Prefer Hotel Rewards (1:2 ratio).
- Wyndham Rewards (1:1 ratio).
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page.
