Anyone who invests in the stock markets understands the concept of evaluating companies before purchasing them. This process is called due diligence.

However, we aren’t nearly as thoroughly analyzing credit cards and other consumer financial products. It’s a credit card. How different can they be? Very. 

Google the words “credit card evaluation,” and you’ll find a treasure trove of sites that provide information about the latest and most excellent offerings from America’s banks and credit card providers. 

One of the questions regularly answered by financial sites is how many credit cards a person should have. Equifax, the credit ratings agency, suggests you have two or three open at a time. You don’t want more than that because you’ll lose track of when each monthly payment is due. All three credit ratings agencies recommend at least one so that you’re constantly building your credit. 

Ultimately, every person’s situation is different, so the number will also differ. 

One of the most popular credit cards offered is those with cash rewards programs that reward users for making purchases. These programs are great perks, but it’s essential to understand their limitations and rules. They don’t come for free. 

To help you on this front, we’ve compiled a list of 10 credit cards offering 2% back or more on purchases.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

If you’re into dining out, this is the card for you. You earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores. However, the 3% reward excludes Walmart, Target and other superstores. 

Other card bonuses include a $0 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., and you earn $200 as a cash bonus if you spend $500 within the first three months of opening your account. 

The downside of this card is that purchases other than those mentioned above receive 1% cash back. In addition, your recommended credit score should be between 670 and 850 to qualify. 

CapitalOne Spark Cash Plus for Business

This cashback card is the one you want to earn rewards for your business spending. 

For starters, you get 2% cash back for every purchase you make with the card. There is no ceiling. If your business spends $30,000 in the first three months, you get a $2,000 cash bonus, a 6.7% rebate for your troubles. 

Now, the last bonus is a bit of reach for small businesses. If your company spends $500,000 in the first 12 months, you’ll get an additional $2,000 bonus. The same bonus applies for each subsequent $500,000 spent. 

In addition, there are travel rewards of 5% cash back, and your $150 annual fee is refunded if your business spends $150,000 or more. 

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card

If you do a lot of grocery shopping, this American Express card is attractive. It offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to a maximum of $6,000 annually. After that, it drops to 1%. A large family might have a tough time keeping below the maximum. 

Less the $95 annual fee in the second year — the first year, there is no annual fee — you only save about 1.4% on the $6,000. However, other cash-back rewards include 3% back at gas stations, 3% on transit, and 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card

When it comes to credit card rewards, sometimes the best ones are the simplest. This card’s benefits are straightforward to understand.

First, the annual fee is $0. It is always $0. Secondly, you get $200 cash rewards by spending $500 in the first three months. Lastly, you earn 2% rewards on everything you buy with it. Unlimited. And when you open your account, any unpaid balance won’t be charged interest for 12 months. 

Word to the wise: after 12 months, interest rates jump into the 20s, so be careful with this perk. 

Citi Double Cash Card

On the surface, this Citibank cash-back reward card appears to be a loser. It pays just 2% cash back, with 1% when you make the purchases and 1% after you pay for the purchases. 

Who wants a card where you have to pay for your purchases to get the second percent back? I do. Financial planners probably would endorse such a card because it promotes good payment habits. 

So, the four primary rewards are 1) $200 cash back if you spend $1,500 in the first six months (that’s $217 a month), 2) unlimited 2% cash back, no annual fee, and 0% interest on unpaid balances for 18 months.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Let’s start with the basics. This cash-back card has no annual fee, and you’ll get 1.5% cash back on everything you buy. That’s not a special offer. For example, you get 3% cash back at the drugstore, so buy all your snacks there. You also get 3% back at restaurants, sit-down, takeout and eligible delivery services such as DoorDash. Further, booking travel through Chase gives you 5% back. 

They hook you by offering an additional 1.5% back on everything you buy up to $20,000 in your first year. At a minimum, you’ll receive at least 3% back in your first year. You’re also given 0% interest on unpaid balances for 15 months. 

The downside is you need excellent credit to be approved for a card.  

Chase Freedom Flex

Unlike the Wells Fargo and Citi cards mentioned earlier, this one requires some work to benefit from its reward program.

Like many of the cards described in this article, it comes with a $0 annual fee, $150 cash back if you spend $500 within the first three months, and 0% interest on unpaid balances for the first 15 months.

The cash-back rewards get tricky, varying from 1% to 5%. You get 5% back on travel booked through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstores, and 1% back on everything else. 

In addition, you get 5% back on purchases up to $1,500 in different categories that change each quarter. Between July and September, you get 5% back on Gas Stations, EV Charging, Select Live Entertainment, and Movie Theaters. However, to get this cash back, you must activate the category within the quarter to get the cashback.

NHL Discover it Cash Back Credit Card

This particular cashback credit card provides all of the benefits of the standard Discover it Cash Back Credit Card with one addition for NHL fans: You can get a card with the logo of your favorite NHL team on the card. 

Some finance-related benefits include no annual fee, 1% cash back on everything you buy without a maximum spending limit, and 5% cash back at grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and other categories. 

Like the Chase Freedom Flex from above, you’ll have to activate the quarterly reward categories to get the 5% cashback, and there is a maximum per quarter of $1,500.

In addition, Discover will match the amount of your cashback at the end of your first 12 months as a cardholder. That’s cashback times two.

Discover it Student Cash Back

If you’re a student and an NHL fan, it’s a tough choice. However, there’s plenty with this card for students to get excited about. 

First, you don’t need a credit score to apply, and there is no annual fee, making it an excellent choice to build your credit. Secondly, unpaid balances have 0% interest for the first 15 months. Also, if you have a higher-interest-rate credit card, you can transfer the balance, pay a 3% fee on that amount, and go interest-free for 15 months. 

The rest of the cashback rewards are the same as the NHL version, and like all Discover cards, you get the security features it’s become known for.  

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card

Like other cashback credit cards, you can customize rewards to match your spending patterns. 

First off, all spending gets 1% cashback. That’s on unlimited spending. You get 2% cashback at grocery stores and wholesale clubs.

Then, you get to choose one category to get 3% cashback. The categories are 1) gas and EV charging stations, 2) online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming, 3) dining, 4) travel, 5) drug stores and pharmacies, and 6) home improvement and furnishings. You can change the category once a month using online banking or the mobile banking app.

Lastly, you’ll get a $200 bonus if you spend $1,000 in the first three months.

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