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Credit Cards

Best Flat-Rate Cash Back Credit Cards

If you do not want to think about which card to pull out, flat-rate cash back is the answer. Same percentage on every purchase, no categories to track, no quarterly activation. These are the cards we rank highest for simple, reliable rewards.

Top matches

#1 Pick

Wells Fargo Active Cash

2% cash back on everything
  • Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
  • No annual fee
  • Intro 0% APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (12 months)
#2 Pick

Chase Freedom Unlimited

1.5% base, 3% dining/drugstores, 5% Chase travel
  • 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel
  • 3% on dining and drugstores
  • 1.5% on all other purchases; no annual fee
#3 Pick

Chase Ink Business Cash

5% office/internet/phone (to cap), 2% gas/dining
  • 5% on the first $25,000 in combined office supply and internet/cable/phone each year
  • 2% at gas stations and restaurants on the first $25,000
  • No annual fee
#4 Pick

Citi Double Cash

2% (1% buy + 1% pay)
  • 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay it off
  • No annual fee
  • Long intro 0% APR window for balance transfers
#5 Pick

Blue Cash Preferred from American Express

6% U.S. supermarkets and streaming, 3% transit and U.S. gas
  • 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%
  • 6% on select U.S. streaming; 3% on transit and U.S. gas
  • $0 intro annual fee first year, then $95
#6 Pick

Discover it Cash Back

5% rotating categories, 1% other
  • 5% in quarterly bonus categories on up to $1,500 (activation required)
  • Unlimited Cashback Match at the end of year one
  • No annual fee

How we ranked these: We ranked every cash-back-tagged card in our database by our overall methodology score, which weighs rewards value, simplicity, and fees.

Last updated 2026-06-06

Questions, answered

What counts as a good flat-rate cash back percentage?

A flat 2% on every purchase is the baseline for a competitive no-fee card. A handful of cards pay more, up to 2.5%, but usually with membership or cap requirements. Anything under 1.5% is hard to justify when 2% cards are everywhere.

Are flat-rate cards better than category cards?

Flat-rate cards win when your spending is spread across many categories or you do not want to track which card to use. Category cards win when your spending is concentrated enough in the bonus areas to beat a flat 2% return on the same purchases. Your call, based on how you actually spend.