Cardful

The best cash back credit cards

Of the 47 cash back cards in the catalogue — pays in dollars — Robinhood Gold Card earns the most in a year once its fee is paid: about $744.

Ranked by what each card earns in a year once its annual fee is paid — every rate converted to dollars with a dated point valuation, spending caps honoured, and rotating categories not credited. Priced on an illustrative household spending $2,205 a month on a card — the assumption, in full. Credits and perks are not priced: they are worth their face value only if you would have spent that money anyway.

#CardAnnual feeA year, after the feeA year of rewards on the illustrative household spending described on the method page, minus the annual fee. Your own spending will give a different number.
1
Robinhood, most from Groceries
$50 a year $744
2
American Express, most from Groceries
$95 a year $537
3
Wells Fargo, most from Groceries
none $529
4
Goldman Sachs, most from Groceries
none $529
5
American Express, most from Groceries
none $529
6
U.S. Bank, most from Groceries
none $529
7
Fidelity, most from Groceries
none $529
8
U.S. Bank, most from Groceries
none $529
9
SoFi, most from Groceries
none $529
10
U.S. Bank, most from Groceries
none $493
11
Navy Federal, most from Groceries
none $493
12
U.S. Bank, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $481
13
Capital One, most from Groceries
none $478
14
American Express, most from Groceries
none $457
15
U.S. Bank, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $455
16
Sam's Club / Synchrony, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $451
17
Capital One, most from Groceries
$39 a year $439
18
Citi, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $433
19
Citi, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $433
20
U.S. Bank, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $401
21
Truist, most from Groceries
none $398
22
Bank of America, most from Groceries
none $397
23
Bank of America, most from Groceries
none $397
24
Navy Federal, most from Groceries
none $397
25
Discover, most from Groceries
none $397
26
OnePay / Synchrony, most from Groceries
none $397
27
PayPal / Synchrony, most from Groceries
none $397
28
Capital One, most from Groceries
none $397
29
Bank of America, most from Groceries
none $397
30
Bank of America, most from Groceries
none $397
31
Bank of America, most from Groceries
none $397
32
Chase, most from Groceries
none $397
33
Venmo / Synchrony, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $358
34
Capital One, most from Groceries
$39 a year $358
35
PenFed, most from Groceries
$95 a year $339
36
U.S. Bank, most from Restaurants & Bars
$95 a year $337
37
Bank of America, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $337
38
Chase, most from Groceries
$195 a year $334
39
Bank of America, most from Groceries
$95 a year $332
40
Chase, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $323
41
Amazon / Chase, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $322
42
Amazon / Chase, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $322
43
Navy Federal, most from Restaurants & Bars
$95 a year $315
44
Discover, most from Restaurants & Bars
none $305
45
Wells Fargo, most from Groceries
none $283
46
Discover, most from Groceries
none $265
47
Target
none $0

The best of them for each kind of spending