What Cash Back Cards to Get - 2019 Edition

I get it, for some, thinking about what card to use when is too much. So let’s go over what cash back cards to get 2019 edition. After all, this is an increasingly competitive space that has some great stuff nowadays!

What You Shouldn’t Get

Ok, so this one is for all my Hawaii readers. American Savings Bank recently launched a new “Unlimited” credit card. They proclaim the card gives you 2% cash back on all purchases, making it superior to a points or miles card (yeah, no). But, guess what? This card is a terrible deal. Why? Because it isn’t free.

What Cash Back Cards to Get - 2019 Edition

Yup, the ASB Unlimited Visa has an annual fee. Waived in the first year, the card carries a $40/year annual fee. For a cash back card. Seriously. The APR isn’t even all that great either, starting at 18.24% and topping out at 24.24% at the time of this writing. Oh, and there’s the fact that the card is issued by First BankCard; not by ASB.

Cards You Should Consider

Citi Double Cash

If you really want a brainless cash back card, consider the Citi Double Cash. It gives you 2% cashback kind of like the ASB Unlimited, though it works a little differently. Whereas with the ASB Unlimted you get straight 2% cash back, with the Citi Double Cash, you get 1% at the time of purchase and another 1% when you pay off your balance. So the card promotes smart use and doesn’t reward you for merely racking up spend.

The best differentiator for the Double Cash, as opposed to the ASB Unlimited though, is the fact that the Citi Double Cash has no annual fee! And, it’s APR range begins lower at 15.74% and topping out at 25.74%. Citi also has a lower balance transfer fee too. So, again, why would you PAY for the ASB Unlimited when there’s a similar card with no annual fee?

Uber Visa

If you do a lot of dining out, traveling, shopping online, and streaming (video or music), you should consider the Uber Visa by Barclays. Like the Double Cash, there is no annual fee, but it has a different reward structure. Specifically, you’ll earn 4% cash back on restaurants (including takeout, bars, and Uber Eats); 3% cash back on airfare, hotels, and vacation rentals; 2% cash back on online purchases including Uber, online shopping (what’s the difference?!), and video and music streaming services. All other purchases earn 1% cash back. The card also has no foreign transaction fee, whereas the Citi Double Cash does.

Costco Anywhere Visa

Much like the Uber Visa, the Costco Anywhere Visa has a tiered cashback system. With this card, you’ll earn 4% cash back on gas purchases up to $7,000 per year, 3% cash back on all dining and travel, 2% cash back from Costco, and 1% on everything else. There’s no annual fee for this card, though you do have to be a Costco member to qualify. This card doesn’t have an annual fee too, but to get your cash back, you have to redeem a certificate for merchandise or cash at a Costco location. And you only get the certificate once a year after the close of your February statement.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred

If you don’t mind paying an annual fee, this card might be for you. For $95 a year, you get 6% cash back on grocery stores up to $6,000 in spend per year, 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back on gas and transit (including tolls, parking, buses, trains, and more), and 1% cash back on everything else. But the card does have a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, which is odd for a card with an annual fee.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday

This is one has no annual fee is somewhat similar to the Blue Cash Preferred, though it ears less. But that might be a worthy tradeoff if you can’t stand annual fees. Especially because this card gets you 3% cash back on grocery purchase up to $6,000 annually, 2% at all U.S. gas stations and select departments stores, and 1% on everything else.

Amazon Prime Visa Signature

For all you Amazon shopaholics, you might want to consider the Amazon Prime Visa Signature from Chase. As the name suggests, you do need to have an Amazon Prime account to even apply for the card. But, the card itself has no annual fee. Plus, it earns 5% on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases; 2% at restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores; and 1% everywhere else.

Bank of America Cash Rewards

Now here’s an interesting no annual fee cash back card. The Bank of America Cash Rewards card gets you 2% at grocery stores and whole sale clubs (though its a Mastercard and won’t work at Costco). But, you can also choose to earn 3% cash back on gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings spend. All other spend earns 1% back, per the usual.

US Bank Cash+

We don’t often think of US Bank as a rewards card player, but they’ve got an interesting option in the US Bank Cash+. It’s kind of like a Chase Freedom, but better. With this no annual fee card you’ll earn 5% back on $2,000 spend in a category of your choosing every quarter. On top of that gas, grocery, and restaurant spend earns 2% back, while everything else earns 1%.

Capital One SaverOne Rewards

While most of the travel blogosphere went nuts over the Savor Rewards card, I’m kind of *meh* about it. I really don’t need to collect points for yet another program and pay another annual fee. But, the Capital One SaverOne is a very similar card with no annual fee. Whereas the Savor Rewards earns 4% on restaurants and entertainment, the SaverOne earns 3%. Both cards also earn 2% at grocery stores and 1% on all other spend. To me, giving up 1% earnings on dining and entertainment seems like a better option than spending $95 on an annual fee.

Wells Fargo Propel Amex

Depending on your spending habits, this no annual fee card could be another winner. Why? Because it earns 3% back on dining, gas station, rideshare, transit, airline, hotel, homestays, car rental, and streaming service spend! All other purchases receive 1% cash back.

Analysis

Now here’s where I attempt to turn the above figures into hard numbers. This is going to be an extremely generalized analysis, though, with actual numbers varying wildly based on your own spending habits. So, don’t take my calculations at face value; they’re for comparison purposes only. Further, I’m going to recycle the same assumptions from my Hawaii Credit Card Travel Guide as follows:

Groceries: $6,000/year
Gas: $3,840/year (2 cars)
Dining: $6,000/year
Travel: $6,000/year
Entertainment: $1,200/year
Other: $10,800/year

And The Winner Is…

I know, the table is tiny… I apologize for that. But, what I can say, without a doubt, is that the Amazon Prime Visa Signature is the clear winner here. Now, this is assuming that you make all grocery purchases at Whole Foods and spend $2,000 per year at Amazon (I do none of these).

So, let’s say you make a quarter of your purchases at Whole Foods; your grocery cash back drops to $120 per year. Spend only $1,000 at Amazon? That figure drops to $148. And, as a result of those adjustments, the card’s total earnings drop to $536.80 per year. Pretty big difference!

If You Don’t Shop at Whole Foods

Don’t shop at Whole Foods much or at all? The Uber Visa is probably your best bet. That card came in at $723 in cash back per year. BUT, Uber’s success is no guarantee at this point. So what happens if Uber goes belly up or restructures? And, Uber has a loyalty program now, so will the card change to sync with that in some way? Who knows!

The Safe Bet

If you want to avoid the uncertainties of the Uber Visa and don’t have the spend pattern to maximize an Amazon Prime Visa, then the best card to carry is the Citi Double Cash. Its easy 2% across all categories clocks in at $676.80 cash every year.

What About Freedom and Discover IT?

If you’re able to maximize Freedom or Discover IT’s categories every quarter (5% for up to $1,500 in purchases), then you’ll earn $632.40 cash per year. Realistically, most won’t hit this and will earn much less. As a result, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred, Costco Anywhere Visa, US Bank Cash+, and Well Fargo Propel Amex would all be better options.

The Freedoms are a great choice if you want flexibility, though. What I mean by this is if you want cash back now, but are thinking of picking up one of the Sapphires to get into the points & miles game, then get the Freedoms. They earn Ultimate Rewards on their own, though you can only use the points for cash and gift cards, unless you get a Sapphire. So you start earning UR points/cash back all-in-one right away!

Caveats

Cash back cards rarely have much of the way in benefits beyond their core reward. But if they do, they won’t have powerful travel protections like travel credit cards will. So if you travel often, and especially if you rent a car often, one of the Chase Sapphire cards is still a really good option. Their primary rental collision coverage could save you money in the event of an accident and lets you forgo purchases extra insurance from rental agencies.