5 top flat-rate 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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Everyone likes earning cash back on their credit card purchases. Everyone wants to earn has much cash back as possible, but let’s be honest: Not everyone likes jumping through tiers, spending caps and categories hoops to maximize your cash-back rewards with some cards.

That’s the beauty of flat-rate cash back rewards. Every qualifying purchase you make earns you the same rate. It’s easy to keep track of.

So, you’ve set your sights on a flat-rate cash back credit card, but which one? There are several factors to take into consideration beyond just the rate being offered (generally between 1% and 2.5%). You’ll want to look at the interest rate (APR) charged by the card, annual and other fees (late payment, foreign transaction, etc.), as well as any introductory bonuses, rate incentives and intro APR offers.

It’s a lot to digest. Fortunately, our editors have culled through the cards on the market and compiled a list of some top flat-rate cash back cards to consider.

Best overall flat-rate cash back

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cash-back
Welcome Offer
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Rewards
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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Citi is a CardRatings advertiser

Best with no foreign transaction fees

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cash-back
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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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Best for small business

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cash-back
Welcome Offer
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Rewards
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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Best for fair credit

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Fair Credit
Welcome Offer
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Rewards
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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(To qualify for the welcome bonus, you must open and fund a new Rewards Checking Plus account through Upgrade and make 3 qualifying debit card transactions from your Rewards Checking Plus account within 60 days of the date the Rewards Checking Plus account is opened. If you have previously opened a checking account through Upgrade or do not open a Rewards Checking Plus account as part of this application process, you are not eligible for this welcome bonus offer. Your Upgrade Card and Rewards Checking Plus account must be open and in good standing to receive a bonus. To qualify, debit card transactions must have settled and exclude ATM transactions. Please refer to the applicable Upgrade VISA® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information. Welcome bonus offers cannot be combined, substituted, or applied retroactively. The bonus will be applied to your Rewards Checking Plus account as a one-time payout credit within 60 days after meeting the conditions.)

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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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.