Best No Annual Fee Cash Back Credit Cards (+Calculator)

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If you want to maximize your cash back without dealing with annual fees, there is no shortage of excellent credit cards to choose from. Review our picks for the best no annual fee cash back credit cards or jump down to our calculator to find out which cards will earn you the most cash back based on the spend amounts you enter.

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Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Best No-Annual Fee Card For Supermarket, Gas, and Online Retail

Earning Rate: Earns 3% cash back on up to $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases per year (then 1%), 3% back on up to $6,000 in U.S. online retail purchases per year (then 1%), and 3% back on up to $6,000 in U.S. gas station purchases per year (then 1%). All other purchases on the card earn 1% back.
Intro Bonus: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Annual Fee: $0. (See Rates and Fees)
Summary: One of the hands-down best no-annual fee credit cards available. Earn up to $180 bonus cash back in each category when you hit the 3% cap for a total of $540 per year.
Maximize Your Rewards: Avoid the 1% back this card offers by pairing it with the American Express Cash Magnet® Card to earn 1.5% back on all purchases.
Learn More about the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express.
Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express.

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Best For Dining & Entertainment

Earning Rate: Earns an unlimited 3% back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores and 1% back on everything else.
Main Highlights: Uncapped bonus categories and no foreign transaction fee.
Intro Bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee: $0. Plus no foreign transaction fees.
Summary: With no cap on the 3% categories, this is the best option for heavy spenders. If you spend $1,000 or more per month across these categories combined, no card can compete outside of the annual fee version.
Maximize Your Rewards: Pair this card with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card to earn 1.5% back on all other purchases instead of the 1% back this card offers. Makes for an excellent two card combo.
Learn More about the SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Citi® Double Cash Card

Best No-Annual Fee 2% Back Card

Earning Rate: Earn 2% cash back on all purchases — that's 1% cash back on your purchases and 1% cash back when you pay off those purchases.
Rewards Structure: Cash back earned with this card is displayed as ThankYou Rewards points which can be redeemed for cash back.
Main Highlights: Points earned with the card can be redeemed for higher value towards travel if you have the Citi Premier® Card.
Intro Bonus: No current offer.
Annual Fee: $0.
Summary: Earning an uncapped 2% back at no-annual fee makes this one of the best cash back credit cards in the market. Fantastic choice if you want a "one-and-done" card that you can use all purchases throughout the year.
Maximize Your Rewards: Pair it with the Citi Custom Cash Card for 5% back on one eligible category. If you're big on travel, pairing it with the Citi Premier® Card will allow you to transfer rewards to all of Citi's airline and hotel partners which will significantly bump up the value of points earned with this card.
Learn More about the Citi Double Cash Card.
Calculate Card Value & ThankYou Points per dollar spent for the Citi Double Cash Card.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Best For Flat-Rate Cash Back Worldwide

Earning Rate: Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
Main Highlights: No foreign transaction fee.
Intro Bonus: One-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee: $0.
Summary: It's a flat-rate 1.5% cash back credit card that has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and is on the Mastercard network (which means it's pretty much accepted worldwide). It's a simple, standard credit card, but it is super reliable. I personally take this card with me anytime I travel out of the country.
Maximize Your Rewards: If you want additional cash back on a few select categories at no annual fee, pair it with the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card for up to 3% back.
Learn More about the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Best For Automatically Maximizing Back

Earning Rate: Earn 5% cash back on the eligible you spend the most in during each billing cycle on up to $500 (then 1%) and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Rewards Structure: Cash back earned with this card is displayed as ThankYou Rewards points which can be redeemed for cash back.
Intro Bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Annual Fee: $0.
Summary: Pick up this card for the one eligible category you spend close to $500 per month in for an easy $300 in cash back annually.
Maximize Your Rewards: Pair it with the Citi® Double Cash Card to earn up to 2% back on all other purchases. Fantastic 2-card combo for always earning 2% or 5% back on purchases.
Learn More about the Citi Custom Cash Card.
Calculate Card Value & ThankYou Points per dollar spent for the Citi Custom Cash Card.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Best For High Earnings On Rotating Categories

Earning Rate: Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined spend between the categories featured during the quarter (then 1%). Also earns 5% back on Chase Travel, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1% back on everything else.
Rewards Structure: Cash back earned with this card is displayed as Ultimate Rewards points which can be redeemed for cash back.
Main Highlights: Points can be transferred to Chase's travel credit cards for increased value towards travel.
Intro Bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 on the card within the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee: $0.
Summary: At no annual fee, there's really no downside to picking this card up. Chase typically provides great 5% categories every quarter.
Maximize Your Rewards: If you want more value towards travel, pair this card with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Learn More about the Chase Freedom Flex.
Calculate Card Value & Ultimate Rewards Points per dollar spent for the Chase Freedom Flex.

Upgrade Triple Cash Visa Card

Home Projects & Large Purchases

Earning Rate: Earn 3% cash back on home, auto, and health purchases and 1% back on everything else.
Main Highlights: Large credit line, opened to FICO score of 600 or higher, and also doubles as a personal loan.
How Does This Card Work: Any balances not paid by the due date will be converted to an installment loan at a fixed interest rate with equal monthly installments over a set period. You can also treat it like a loan and request funds from your card's credit limit.
Intro Bonus: Get a $200 bonus when you open and fund a new Upgrade Rewards Checking account and make 3 debit card transactions within 60 days of your Upgrade Card account opening.
Annual Fee: $0.
Summary: Great option to keep in your wallet for home projects and large purchases. Even if you don't use the card on a consistent basis, it makes for an excellent backup credit card for unexpected expenses such as an emergency repairs to home and car or surprise medical expenses.
Get Pre-approved for the Upgrade Triple Cash Visa Card.
Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the Upgrade Triple Cash Visa Card.

Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards

Best For High Credit Limits & Flexibility

Earning Rate: Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no cap on how much you can earn.
Main Highlights: Large credit line, opened to FICO score of 600 or higher, and also doubles as a personal loan.
How Does This Card Work: Any balances not paid by the due date will be converted to an installment loan at a fixed interest rate with equal monthly installments over a set period. You can also treat it like a loan and request funds from your card's credit limit.
Intro Bonus: Get a $200 bonus when you open and fund a new Upgrade Rewards Checking account and make 3 debit card transactions within 60 days of your Upgrade Card account opening.
Annual Fee: $0
Summary: Great hybrid option if you plan on paying off your credit card purchases every statement period, but would like the ability to also have easy access to a personal loan if needed. Makes for a fantastic backup/emergency credit card to have on hand.
Learn More about the Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards.
Calculate Card Value & Rewards per dollar spent for the Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards.

Best Credit Cards Summary

Credit Card	Annual Fee	Best For
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	$0	Supermarket, Gas, and Online Retail
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card	$0	Dining & Entertainment
Citi® Double Cash Card	$0	2% Back
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card	$0	Flat-Rate Cash Back Worldwide
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card	$0	Automatically Maximizing Cash Back
Chase Freedom Flex℠	$0	High Earnings On Rotating Categories
Upgrade Triple Cash Visa Card	$0	Home Projects & Large Purchases
Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards	$0	Best For High Credit Limits & Flexibility

Credit Card Cash Back Calculator

Use the Credit Card Cash Back Calculator to find out which no-annual fee cash back credit cards earn you the most cash back and best return on your spend.

Results will be sorted by net return. This is calculated by taking the average value of the rewards earned adding the average value of card benefits and subtracting any annual fees the card has.

Results will consist of cash back credit cards from our partners.

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Results

These estimates are to help guide you towards making the best decision when it comes to picking up a rewards credit card. They should be used for illustrative purposes only.

You can click on the estimated earnings to see the calculations or click on the card to learn more and apply for the card through our partners.

Do note that all spend amounts entered into the tool above will carry over to every credit card rewards calculator on the site, so there's no need to re-enter spend if you choose to dive deeper into calculating rewards for credit cards on the site.

Best Credit Cards

Listed below are up to 10 of the best rewards credit cards based on the spend amounts you entered (when applicable).

Travel Cards

Travel credit cards are great for building rewards redeemable towards a wide variety of travel including airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and more. Most travel cards also offer a range of benefits that can make your trips more enjoyable and save you money.

Cash Back Cards

Cash back is one of the most flexible form of rewards and most easy to understand. Rewards earned are worth face value and they can be used towards almost anything.

Rewards Cards

If you're looking to earn a solid return on your spend, rewards credit cards are the way to go. These cards offer general rewards that can be used towards a number of different redemptions including cash back, statement credits, travel, gift cards, and more.

Airline Cards

These are the best credit cards if you're looking to use rewards towards award flights. Co-branded credit cards offer benefits such as lounge access the ability to earn qualifying miles through spending.

Hotel Cards

If you're looking to use rewards towards free nights at hotels, these are the best cards for you. Many co-branded hotel cards offer great benefits such as annual free nights, complimentary elite status, and more.

No Annual Fee Cards

If you're looking to minimize your immediate costs while still earning plenty of value, you may want to consider a credit card with no annual fee. Some of these cards also offer lower interest rates and balance transfer offers.

No Foreign Transaction Fee Cards

When you make a charge with your credit card outside of the U.S., many card issuers will charge you a foreign transaction fee which is typically around 3% of the purchase price. Luckily, many credit cards waive foreign transaction fees which is great if you're looking to earn rewards on international spending and travel.

FAQ

What are no annual fee credit cards?

Credit cards that have no annual fee means that you do not have to pay an annual fee to hold the card. These type of cards usually offer less rewards and benefits than their annual fee counterparts.

Are annual fees worth it?

Annual fees can be worth paying if the card offers more value than the fee. To find out if an annual fee is worth it, you will need to run the calculations to see if the rewards you earn and the benefits the card offers outweighs the fees.

How can I find out if an annual fee is worth it?

You can use the Credit Card Comparison Tool to calculate the cash value of any credit card featured on the site. This will give you an idea on whether or not a card is worth the annual fee.

What is the best no annual fee credit card?

There is no 'best' card as everyones needs and spend habits are different, but there are cards that stand out above others. I recommend checking out the Top No Annual Fee Credit Cards.