Recently, quite a few beginners have asked what credit card they should get if they do not want to spend time learning about credit cards, airline miles, hotel points, or various statement credits. So here is a list of credit cards that earn straightforward cash back, come with decent welcome bonuses, and are also worth using for everyday spending. To keep things simple, we are recommending cards with annual fees of $100 or less! We have also included a few points cards whose points can be redeemed for cash at a 1:1 rate.
Contents [Hide]
- 1 Personal Cards
- 1.1 Capital One Venture $750
- 1.2 Chase Sapphire Preferred $750
- 1.3 Citi Strata Premier $600
- 1.4 Citi Strata Card $300
- 1.5 Barclays Upromise $300
- 1.6 AMEX Blue Cash Preferred $300
- 1.7 AMEX Blue Cash Everyday $250
- 1.8 Citi Double Cash $200
- 1.9 Chase Freedom Flex $200
- 1.10 Citi Custom Cash $200
- 1.11 Amazon Prime $150
- 2 Business Credit Cards
- 3 Summary
Personal Cards
Personal cards generally do not have very high bonuses, but they can still be very worthwhile for everyday use. The following cards are especially suitable:
Capital One Venture $750
The welcome bonus also comes with a $300 hotel credit, if you can make use of it. The miles can be redeemed for cash, and it earns 2x on everyday spending, so it is also a solid card to keep using.
Capital One Venture Credit Card
2x miles on all purchases!
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 Capital One points (spend $4,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 2x on all purchases
- Redemption: 100 miles = $1 toward travel purchases; 1:1 transfer to airline miles
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
Chase Sapphire Preferred $750
A must-have for fans of travel, dining, and Ultimate Rewards. Points can be redeemed directly for cash at 1:1, which is very convenient. There is also an annual Chase Travel hotel credit; if you can use it, that effectively offsets $50 of the annual fee.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Chase mid-tier travel credit card; includes a $50 annual hotel credit and free rental car insurance!
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 points (spend $5,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 5x on select travel; 3x on dining and streaming; 2x on other travel; 1x on all other purchases; 10% annual bonus
- Redemption: Can be redeemed for cash back; 1:1 transfers to airline and hotel loyalty programs; redeem at 1:1.25 toward travel purchases; value 1.6 cent/points
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
Citi Strata Premier $600
Points can be redeemed directly for cash, and the bonus categories fit everyday spending quite well.
Citi Strata Premier Credit Card
One of the best all-around credit cards for both everyday spending and travel. Plus, get a $100 annual hotel benefit.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 ThankYou Points (Spend $4,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel; 3x at supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, on airfare, hotels, and EV charging; 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel loyalty programs, or redeemed for cash back
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
Citi Strata Card $300
This card earns 5x on hotel bookings, car rentals, and attraction bookings through Citi Travel; 3x at supermarkets, on select transit, gas, and EV charging; and 3x in one chosen category (gyms, streaming, online entertainment, beauty/barber shops, or pet supply stores). It complements the two Citi cards above quite well. You could say it works well for both travel and everyday spending. It is also a good card to keep long term.
Citi Strata Rewards Credit Card
A great everyday spending card with no annual fee
- Welcome bonus: 30,000 Thank You Points (spend $1,000 in three months)
- Rewards: 5x on hotel, car rental, and attractions bookings through Citi Travel; 3x at supermarkets, select transit, gas stations, and EV charging; 3x in one selected category (fitness clubs, streaming, live entertainment, beauty salons/barbershops, or pet supply stores); 2x on dining; 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: If you also have a premium card, points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel partners; you can also redeem for cash back
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Barclays Upromise $300
It has a $300 welcome bonus, no annual fee, and no foreign transaction fee, which makes it a pretty decent option. In the long run, 1.25%-1.529% cash back on all spending is also fairly solid.
1.529% cash back on all purchases; no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: $300 (spend $1,000 in 90 days)
- Rewards: 1.529% on all purchases (requires linking to a College Savings Plan; otherwise 1.25%)
- Redemption: Cash back as a statement credit
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
AMEX Blue Cash Preferred $300
You can earn up to 6% cash back at supermarkets (on the first $6,000 in spending). We can do a simple calculation: if your annual supermarket spending is $3,166 (or $263 per month), then the cash back earned from Blue Cash Preferred will be exactly $95 more than Blue Cash EveryDay. In other words, if you spend more than $263 per month at supermarkets, then the Blue Cash Preferred, even with its annual fee, will earn you more cash back. If you spend less than that, then Blue Cash EveryDay is of course the better choice.
AMEX Blue Cash Preferred Credit Card
6% cash back at supermarkets and on streaming services! Added $84 annual credit!
- Welcome bonus: $300 after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Rewards: 6% at supermarkets (up to $6,000); 6% on streaming services; 3% on transit and gas; 1% on everything else
- Redemption: Can be redeemed for cash back directly; discounted gift card redemptions occasionally available
- Annual fee: $95（First year waived）
- Apply now>>
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday $250
3% cash back at supermarkets, on online shopping, and at gas stations, plus Disney and Home Chef credits. A great everyday lifestyle card.
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday Credit Card
3% cash back at supermarkets; no annual fee! Now includes up to $260 in annual credits!
- Welcome bonus: Up to $200 cash back (spend $2,000 in the first 6 months)
- Rewards: 3% cash back at supermarkets, online shopping, and gas stations (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year in each category), 1% on all other purchases
- Redemption: Can be redeemed directly for cash back; discounted gift card redemptions are sometimes available
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Citi Double Cash $200
2% cash back on all spending. Super simple!
2x on all purchases, no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: $200 (spend $1,500 in 6 months)
- Rewards: 1x+1x (earn 1x points when you make a purchase, plus another 1x when you pay it off)
- Redemption: 100 points = $1 cash back; with a premium card, you may be able to transfer points to airline and hotel partners
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Chase Freedom Flex $200
The 5% rotating quarterly categories are very practical. Just pull it out and use it during the right quarter.
Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card
Quarterly 5x rewards, great for everyday spending; no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: 20,000 Ultimate Rewards (UR) (Spend $500 in 3 months)
- Rewards: 5x through the Chase Travel Portal; 3x at restaurants and drugstores; an additional 5x in rotating quarterly categories each quarter (such as groceries, dining, Amazon, gas, PayPal, etc.)
- Redemption: Redeem for cash back at 100 UR = $1; if you also hold a premium card, points can be transferred 1:1 to airline miles or hotel points, or redeemed toward travel at 1:1.25; estimated value 1.6 cent/point
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Citi Custom Cash $200
As long as one spending category is your top category for the month, you can earn 5% cash back on it. However, only the first $500 each month is eligible for 5%.
Automatically earn 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category; no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: 20,000 ThankYou Points (spend $1,500 in the 6 months before account opening)
- Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle, on up to the first $500 in purchases; after that, earn 1%. Categories include: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, travel, transit, streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
- Redemption: Can be redeemed directly for cash back, or transferred to airline miles if you also have a premium card
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Amazon Prime $150
If you spend a lot on Amazon, this is an easy card to apply for.
Chase Amazon Rewards Credit Card
5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods; no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: Prime sign-up bonus: $150 gift card (issued upon card opening)
- Rewards: 5% at Amazon, Whole Foods, and Chase Travel; 2% at restaurants, public transit, and rideshare, 2% on gas; 1% on all other purchases
- Redemption: Cash back
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Business Credit Cards
Business cards generally offer much higher bonuses. Still, we recommend first learning how business credit cards work and how to apply for them.
Capital One Spark Cash $1,000
The annual fee is waived for the first year. After earning the bonus, you can consider downgrading in year two to avoid the annual fee.
Capital One Spark Cash Credit Card
2% cash back on all purchases!
- Welcome bonus: $1,000+$250 travel reimbursement (spend $10,000 in 3 months)
- Rewards: 2% cash back on all purchases; 5% on Capital One Travel purchases
- Redemption: Redeem for cash back
- Annual fee: $95（No annual fee for the first year）
- Apply now>>
Chase Ink Unlimited $900
The welcome bonus is very good, and for everyday use you can simply treat it as a 1.5x card.
Chase Ink Unlimited Business Credit Card
1.5x points on all business purchases; no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards (UR) (spend $8,000 in four months)
- Rewards: 1.5x on all purchases, unlimited
- Redemption: Redeem for cash back at 100 UR = $1; if you also hold a premium card, points can be transferred 1:1 to airline miles or hotel points, or redeemed for travel at 1:1.25/1.5; point value: 1.6 cents/point
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Chase Ink Cash $900
The welcome bonus is high, and it is especially useful for office supply spending.
Chase Ink Cash Business Credit Card
5x at office supply stores, internet, cell phone, landline, and cable TV; no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards (UR) (spend $8,000 in 4 months)
- Rewards: 5x at office supply stores and on internet, cell phone, landline, and cable TV bills (on up to the first $25k in purchases); 2x at gas stations and restaurants (on up to the first $25k in purchases); 1x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Redeem for cash back at 100 UR = $1; if you also hold a premium card, points can be transferred 1:1 to airline miles or hotel points, or redeemed toward travel at 1:1.25/1.5; point value: 1.6 cent/point
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Chase Ink Preferred $900
After earning the welcome bonus, keep it if its bonus categories fit your spending, or downgrade it to Ink Cash or Ink Unlimited.
Chase Ink Preferred Business Credit Card
A strong choice for people with heavy spending in specific categories, Chase business card
- Welcome bonus: 90,000 Ultimate Rewards (Spend $8,000 in the first 3 months after opening)
- Rewards: 3x on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone services, and advertising (Travel, Shipping purchases, Internet, Cable and Phone services, Advertising), on up to the first $150k; all other purchases 1x
- Redemption: Redeem for cash at 100 UR = $1; can transfer 1:1 to airline miles or hotel points; can redeem at 1:1.25 toward travel purchases; value 1.6 cent/points
- Annual fee: $95
- Apply now>>
Capital One Spark Cash Select $750
It has no annual fee, so the value is excellent.
Capital One Spark Cash Select Business Credit Card
1.5% cash back on all purchases!
- Welcome bonus: $750 cash back (spend $6,000 in the first three months)
- Rewards: 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- Redemption: Redeem for cash back; if you have a Venture card, you can transfer points
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
US Bank Triple Cash Rewards $500
The 3% categories fit business spending well, and the $100 software credit is easy to use.
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Business Credit Card
3% on gas, restaurants, cell phone services, and office expenses; plus up to $100 in annual software statement credits!
- Welcome bonus: $750 cash back (spend $6,000 in 150 days)
- Rewards: 3% on gas, restaurants, cell phone services, and office supplies; 1% on all other purchases
- Redemption: Cash back
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Wells Fargo Signify Business $500
A solid welcome bonus, no annual fee, and 2% cash back. A card you can keep for the long term.
Simple and straightforward: 2% cash back + no annual fee!
- Welcome bonus: $500 (spend $5,000 in 3 months)
- Rewards: 2% cash back on all purchases
- Redemption: Redeem for cash back directly
- Annual fee: $0
- Apply now>>
Summary
This ranking is specifically for people who do not want to spend time studying credit cards but still want to get solid cash value from them. It is especially useful if you have a large upcoming expense, since applying for a card and picking up a welcome bonus can work out very well. For other rankings, see: