The best 2% cash back credit cards

Written by
Brooklyn Lowery
Terms apply; see the online credit card application for full terms and conditions of offers and rewards.

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Every year, the credit card market becomes flooded with more cards offering at least 2% cash back on all your purchases. Some keep it simple and offer a flat cash back rate on all purchases, while others will also offer special categories offering a higher cash back rate.

Choosing the cash back cards best suited to your lifestyle and spending habits can prove challenging. With many cards, the higher rate “bonus” categories are rotated each month or each quarter. You need to keep track of the rotations and even plan certain larger purchases to make the most of your rewards.

Given all the details, sometimes carrying multiple cards with static bonus categories is the best way cover all your bases.

There are other factors to consider when choosing a cash back card that earns at least 2%. You will want to consider fees, interest rates, additional perks and benefits and whether the card’s rewards program is easy to use. Below, our editors evaluated these and other factors to compile a list of the best 2% cashback credit cards.

Best overall card for 2% cash back rewards

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cash-back
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Rewards
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Annual Fee
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Citi is a CardRatings advertiser

Best for gas purchases

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cash-back
Welcome Offer
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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American Express is a CardRatings advertiser

Best for groceries

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Credit Needed
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Best for small business

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Business Card
Welcome Offer
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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Best for students

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Student Card
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Welcome Offer
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Rewards
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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For rates and fees of the American Express cards mentioned on this page, please see the following: CardName (See Rates and Fees); CardName (See Rates and Fees)

author
Brooklyn Lowery
Editor & Credit Card Expert

A journalist for nearly 20 years, Brooklyn has published work on a broad range of topics including personal finance and business as well as travel and human interest pieces. As a finance expert, she has provided commentary on credit cards, card rewards and personal finance...Read more

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Disclaimer:

The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.