Compare credit cards using our card comparison tool

You can earn cash back and here's the breakdown: 3% at US supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 2% at US gas stations '> >>> Hide

Chase has spent plenty of advertising dollars positioning the benefits of its various rewards credit cards with different types of consumers. While the Chase Sapphire card resonates with jet-setters who love luxury experiences, Chase Freedom's brand aligns with frugal Americans who love to uncover extra cash in their daily activities. That's why Chase's current credit card deal makes their cash back card an even better value. Along with enough rewards points to score a $100 rebate, new cardholders are offered 15 months at 0 percent introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers. There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.


Chase Freedom blends features from the best cash back credit cards

Chase Freedom Visa borrows two concepts from some of the country's best cash back cards. Everyday purchases earn 1 reward point for every dollar spent, adding up to the same base rebate as popular cards from Capital One and American Express. 100 reward points add up to a dollar rebate, and Chase's signup deal kicks off your account with 10,000 bonus points after you reach $500 in purchases in your first three month from account opening.


Like Discover, Chase also enables cardholders to sign up for quarterly bonus offers. Those opt-in deals offer an additional 5 percent cash back on up to $1,500 in rotating feature categories. In addition, the 2013 calendar includes restaurants, gas stations and promotions involving specific merchants such as Amazon.com. It's worth your time to set up calendar reminders for yourself about the sign-up periods, especially when promotions include bonus rewards at gas stations and restaurants.


Trading higher rebates for no annual fee

On paper, other cash back cards offer slightly bigger rebates than Chase Freedom Visa. However, those cards often come with annual fees in the high double digits, and it's no fun to see your rebate evaporate at renewal time. With no annual fee, Chase seems willing to bank on your long term loyalty.


Converting cash rebates into Ultimate Rewards

Chase Freedom and Chase Sapphire credit cards appeal to different kinds of consumers, but they both run on the same engine: Chase Ultimate Rewards. If you'd occasionally like to indulge in some exclusive experiences or pick up some deeply discounted gift cards, Chase's website gives you that option. Of course, you can still request a check or a statement credit for your rebate after you hit a $20 threshold. >>> Hide

This card requires excellent credit to obtain. Balance transfers are either 3% or $5 of the amount of each transfer and apply to this offer. This card offers low interest rates based on your creditworthiness and has no annual fee. And with enrollment you can earn bonus cash back from Citi on eligible purchases on rotating categories each quarter. >>> Hide

Pentagon Federal Credit Union built itself into one of the country's largest nonprofit lenders by helping military families and the citizens who support them. With a mandate to pursue member benefits instead of shareholder profits, PenFed can afford to experiment with some unusual products, like this cash back credit card that acts more like a gas rebate card.

While other cash back card issuers battle for supremacy, the PenFed Visa Platinum Cash Rewards Card offers just a 0.25 percent rebate on everyday purchases.** However, it overcompensates with a wild, 5 percent rebate whenever you pay for gas at the pump.* Fuel purchases for airplanes and boats receive 0.25 percent cash back.

Best gas credit card, despite the name
Normally, a 5 percent rebate ties you to a brand-specific gas credit card that can cost you more money than you save. We hear plenty of anecdotes about readers who have to drive past two or three competing gas stations, often advertising lower prices, just to get to a pump that accepts their card.


Not so with this cash back card, good anywhere Visa's accepted. Just pay at the pump to get your 5 percent rebate on gas purchases, regardless of the brand you see on the sign.* Instead of waiting for an annual rebate check, or redeeming rewards points, you only have to watch your monthly statement to see your rebate applied automatically to your balance.

Watch for special balance transfer offers and signup bonuses

Pentagon Federal has learned how to get attention without a huge advertising budget. Every few months, the credit union floats a special signup bonus for new members. For instance, over the past few years we've tracked this card, we've seen PenFed offer it with a low introductory rate, with zero-balance transfer fees, and with bonus cash rewards of up to $250. Promotions change often, so compare credit card reviews with the latest deals posted on PenFed's website.

Like other credit unions and regional banks that have made waves on the national credit card market, PenFed remains choosy about selecting new members. First, you must join Pentagon Federal with a "share account," a credit union's version of a savings account with a small opening deposit. If you're not an active-duty service person, a veteran, or the relative of a soldier, you can still join PenFed by pledging a donation to an approved charity. Once you're in, you'll need an excellent credit history to qualify for this card.

How this card compares to other cash back rewards cards
For purchasing categories other than gas, it's hardly a fair fight. Just about any rewards credit card on the market can beat this card's non-gas rebate.


For instance, PenFed's own Platinum Rewards Visa offers the equivalent of a 1 percent rebate on everyday purchases when you exchange rewards points for Visa gift cards. Chase Freedom Visa also offers a 1 percent rebate, while including gas purchases as one of its rotating 5 percent rebate categories. >>> Hide

The Discover it Card brings back the same kind of feeling that early customers had when Discover invented the cash back credit card in the 1980s. Times have changed, and everyone from major banks to neighborhood credit unions now offers rewards. That's why Discover has returned to their roots, refreshing a classic product with a commitment to customer experience that may cause competitors to start playing catch-up all over again.

How Discover it Card aims to redefine credit card customer service
A recent Bain '> >>> Hide

With a fresh look and a focus on customer service, the Discover it card aims to win back the cash back credit card category that the original Discover card invented in the 1980s. With no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and amnesty for many of the situations that cause most banks to hike their rates and fees, Discover it has the potential to set a new standard for American rewards credit cards.

Discover it offers easy redemption of unlimited cash back rewards
Previous versions of the Discover card featured a perplexing reward structure, often stacking tiered rebates based on annual or quarterly spending. Most card promotions highlighted 5 percent cash back on featured categories, but with spending caps that limited their value. Early cardholders had to wait to request an annual CashBack Bonus rebate in the form of a check or a statement credit, leaving little room for spontaneous rewards.

Today's Discover it card eliminates most of those hassles and hangups, in favor of a simple, streamlined path to rewards. As a cardholder, you'll earn a predictable 1 percent cash back on all of your purchases, with no limits. While quarterly promotions still carry spending caps, you won't need to wait long to redeem your cash. Amazon.com now lets cardholder redeem CashBack Bonus credit for purchases, and Discover's website lets you request immediate statement credits.

Best cash back card for consumers concerned about finances
As part of Discover it's launch campaign, you've probably seen a series of ads featuring cardholders talking to their doppelgängers at one of Discover's call centers. The company wants to tell the story that you'll talk to someone who'll treat you the way you'd want to be treated.

Exclusively based in the United States, Discover's call center agents have been empowered to waive your first late payment service charge, to expedite emergency card replacements, and to process same-day payments up until midnight Eastern time. Agents even have the authority to work out an adjusted repayment schedule if you lose your job and can't make your current minimum payment. It's an honest, refreshing approach to customer service that reflects today's economic realities for many families.

Discover's American support centers don't just handle questions about missed payments and lost cards. They also form the backbone of an identity theft detection and resolution system that has earned Discover top marks from some of the industry's toughest critics. According to experts at Javelin Strategy '> >>> Hide

Here is a low rate credit card with cash back rewards. There are no limits on the cash back and no expiration date on eligibility for accounts in good standing. There is travel accident coverage up to $500,000 and no annual fee. There is also a low introductory purchase and balance transfer rate. Downside: Rewards are not as aggressive as many other cards. Excellent credit rating required. Candidate must have a minimum 6 months employment with current employer. Verification and proof of income required for both applicant and joint applicant. >>> Hide

This is a very popular cash back card and for good reason. Cardholders can earn 3% cash back at US gas stations and on gasoline at Costco up to $4,000 per year in purchases, then 1%; and 2% cash back at US restaurants; 2% cash back on eligible travel purchases, including at Costco; 1% cash back on other purchases, including at Costco. Your cash back will be issued annually in the form of an annual reward coupon. This card offers additional perks such as Purchase Protection and Global Assist *Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Cardholders pay no annual fee with a paid Costco membership. The card serves as both your American Express credit card as well as Costco membership card. >>> Hide