Best cash back credit card bonus offers

When looking for a new credit card, it may be tempting to choose a card with flashy travel perks like airport lounge access, a free TSA PreCheck membership or automatic elite status. But if you’re not a frequent traveler, you may get more use out of cash back rewards over travel rewards.

Although the best cash back credit cards may seem less exciting at first glance, they can still provide a lot of value to cardholders. Cash back cards can save you time and effort thanks to their simple redemption process. You won’t have to worry about navigating a long list of complicated rules just to be able to access your rewards. To redeem your cash back, all you’ll have to do is request your distribution mode of choice, whether that be via a statement credit, check or direct deposit to your bank account. Plus, some cash back cards allow you to redeem cash back in more ways, such as for gift cards or online shopping.

Wait — it can get better. Many cash back credit cards cycle through limited-time cash bonuses for new cardholders. If you’re looking for a new credit card, going above and beyond the typical offer. Here are some of the best cash back credit card sign-up bonuses available right now.

Best annual-fee cards with a flat cash back bonus

Flat cash back bonuses are just that: A fixed amount of cash, often in the form of a statement credit, that you’ll receive after meeting certain spending requirements within a specified time frame.

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

• Welcome bonus: $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 within the first six months of card membership
• Annual fee: $95 ($0 intro annual fee for the first year)
• Rewards rate: 6 percent cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1 percent back); 6 percent cash back on select U.S. streaming subscription services; 3 percent cash back on U.S. gas station purchases and transit; 1 percent cash back on other purchases
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then a variable APR of 19.24 percent to 29.99 percent; complimentary ShopRunner membership; purchase and return protection on eligible items; extended warranty coverage; earn bonus rewards through Amex Offers

Read our full review of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*

• Welcome bonus: $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 within the first three months
• Annual fee: $95
• Rewards rate: 4 percent cash back on entertainment, dining and select popular streaming services; 3 percent cash back at grocery stores; 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: Save money when you shop online with the Capital One Shopping browser extension; Capital One Entertainment access; no foreign transaction fees

Read our full review of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Best no-annual-fee cards with a flat cash back bonus

Don’t want to pay an annual fee? Consider these card options:

Chase Freedom Unlimited

• Welcome bonus: Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate:  5 percent cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards; 5 percent cash back on Lyft purchases (through March 2025); 3 percent cash back on dining; 3 percent cash back at drugstores; 1.5 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 20.49 percent to 29.24 percent (intro balance transfer fee of 3 percent (minimum $5) applies for transfers made in the first 60 days); can combine cash back with a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card to transfer rewards to a Chase travel partner at a 1:1 ratio; free DashPass subscription for three months, then 50 percent off for nine months (must activate before Dec. 31, 2024)

Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

• Welcome bonus: $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 10 percent cash back on purchases made through Uber and Uber Eats (plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024); 8 percent cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 5 percent cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 3 percent cash back on dining, on entertainment, on popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target); 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 19.99 percent to 29.99 percent (3 percent balance transfer fee applies on amounts transferred within the first 15 months or at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR); save money when you shop online with the Capital One Shopping browser extension; Capital One Entertainment access; no foreign transaction fees

Read our full review of the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

• Welcome bonus: $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.5 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 19.99 percent to 29.99 percent (3 percent balance transfer fee applies on amounts transferred within the first 15 months or at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR); Capital One Entertainment access; no foreign transaction fees

Read our full review of the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card

• Welcome bonus: $200 online cash rewards after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 3 percent cash back in the category of your choosing from the following list: Gas and EV charging stations; online shopping (including cable, streaming, internet and phone services); dining; travel; drugstores; or home improvement/furnishings; 2 percent cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (3 percent and 2 percent cash back categories capped at $2,500 in combined quarterly purchases, then 1 percent cash back in these categories); 1 percent cash back on everything else
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, then a variable APR of 18.24 percent to 28.24 percent (balance transfers must be made in the first 60 days to qualify for the intro offer; a 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days, then 4%); can change 3 percent cash back category once a month; Bank of America Preferred Rewards clients can earn a 25 to 75 percent more rewards on each purchase depending on their status tier; access to limited-time offers through BankAmeriDeals

Read our full review of the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card.

The information about the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card was last updated on Feb 7, 2024. 

Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express

• Welcome offer: $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 within the first six months of card membership
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 3 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets, at U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 in purchases in each category per calendar year, then 1 percent); 1 percent cash back on other purchases
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 19.24 percent to 29.99 percent; Amex’s Pay It Plan It; access to American Express Experiences; complimentary ShopRunner membership; earn bonus rewards through Amex Offers; receive a $7 credit each month when you spend $9.99 or more per month on an eligible Disney Bundle subscription (subject to auto renewal)

Read our full review of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.

Chase Freedom Flex*

• Welcome bonus: $200 cash bonus after spending $500 within the first three months
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 5 percent cash back on activated, rotating bonus category purchases (on up to $1,500 in purchases per quarter, then 1 percent back); 5 percent cash back on Lyft purchases (through March 2025); 5 percent cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards; 3 percent cash back on dining and at drugstores; 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 20.49 percent to 29.24 percent (intro balance transfer fee of 3 percent (minimum $5) applies to transfers made in the first 60 days); free DashPass subscription for three months, then 50 percent off for nine months (must activate before Dec. 31, 2024); cellphone protection; trip cancellation/interruption insurance

Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex℠.

Prime Visa

• Welcome bonus: $100 Amazon gift card upon approval
• Annual fee: $0 ($139 Amazon Prime subscription required)
• Rewards rate: Unlimited 5 percent cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market and on travel purchased through the Chase portal with an eligible Prime membership; 2 percent cash back at restaurants, gas stations and on local transit and commuting; 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: Purchase protection; extensive travel protections like travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, an auto rental collision damage waiver and roadside dispatch

Read our full review of the Prime Visa.

Best cards with a higher bonus potential

If you spend more with these cash back cards, you can get a bigger welcome bonus. Plus, all of these cards come with no annual fee, which means they can be particularly lucrative — especially if the earnings categories already align with your spending habits.

Discover it® Cash Back

• Welcome bonus: Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 5 percent cash back on activated, rotating bonus category purchases (on up to $1,500 in purchases per quarter, then 1 percent); 1 percent cash back on other purchases
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 17.24 percent to 28.24 percent; no penalty APR or late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $41 fee); free identity theft alerts (requires activation); no foreign transaction fees

Read our full review of the Discover it® Cash Back.

Discover it® Chrome

• Welcome bonus: Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 2 percent cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined quarterly purchases, then 1 percent); 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 17.24 percent to 28.24 percent; free identity theft alerts (requires activation); no penalty APR or late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $41 fee); no foreign transaction fees

Read our full review of the Discover it® Chrome.

Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard*

• Welcome bonus: 5 percent cash back on in-store Walmart purchases for the first 12 months when you use your card with Walmart Pay
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 5 percent cash back at Walmart.com (including pickup and delivery); 2 percent cash back in Walmart stores and fueld stations, at restaurants and on travel; 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: Can use the card immediately after approval in the Walmart app; no penalty APR

Read our full review of the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®.

Discover it® Student Cash Back

• Welcome bonus: Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards rate: 5 percent cash back on activated, rotating bonus category purchases (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter, then 1 percent); 1 percent cash back on all other purchases
• What else you should know: No credit history is required to apply; 0 percent intro APR on purchases for six months and 10.99 percent intro APR on balance transfers for six months (then a variable APR of 18.24 percent to 27.24 percent); identity theft alerts (requires activation); no penalty APR or late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $41 fee); no foreign transaction fees

Read our full review of the Discover it® Student Cash Back.

The bottom line

Earning cash back with a credit card is great, but earning an extra cash bonus after opening a new card is even better. You’ll have to decide if a credit card with flat-rate cash back rewards or rotating bonus categories is a better fit for you. Either way, don’t let exciting welcome offers encourage you to spend more than you can afford to pay off since paying interest may very well cancel out the benefits of earning a welcome bonus.

*All information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.