Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.
5% cash back has become the gold standard for credit card rewards, and using a card that earns 5 points per dollar is a great way to maximize your spending. However, the best credit cards that earn 5% cash back or more also offer a variety of bonus categories, spending caps, and other benefits, so you should look beyond the earning rate before you add one of these cards to your wallet.
Read on to see our picks for the best 5% credit cards and learn which ones best suit your needs.
We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Methodology: How We Chose the Best 5% Cash Back Credit Cards
We evaluated the cash back credit cards currently available to new applicants that earn 5% cash back in various categories and compared them based on several factors:
Ease of use — Are the 5% cash back categories on the card automatic, or are there actions you need to take like activating them quarterly or monthly?
Earning potential — Are the bonus categories capped at a certain amount of spending? Are there other categories with high earning rates?
Fees — Most cash back cards have no annual fee, but are there other fees to be wary of, like foreign transaction fees?
Types of cards for different consumers — Our highest-rated 5% cash back cards include options for various types of users, from folks who want to maximize rewards to those who prefer fewer hoops to jump through and a hands-off approach.
For a full explanation of our methodology, see our guide to how we rate credit cards at Insider.
5% Cash Back Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is there a credit card that earns 5% cash back on everything?
There's no single credit card that earns 5% cash back on everything you buy. However, by choosing credit cards that earn 5% back in the categories where you spend the most, you can maximize the rewards on your spending.
Which card earns 5% cash back on gas?
If gas is a big monthly expense for you, consider using the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Product Name Only for your fuel purchases. Gas stations are one of its eligible 5% categories, so you could earn 5% cash back on up to $500 in gas purchases each billing cycle (then 1%) — or up to a total of $25 cash back.
What credit score do I need for a 5% cash back credit card?
A 5% cash back credit card is definitely worth it if your spending habits line up with the card's bonus categories. However, if the bulk of your spending is in categories that don't earn a bonus, you're likely better off opening a card that earns a flat rate of rewards on everything.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Product Name Only offers tremendous value for any credit card, let alone a card with no annual fee. You can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases (then 1%) in rotating quarterly categories when you activate, and on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel portal. You also earn 3% back on drugstore and dining purchases, including eligible delivery services, and 1% on other purchases.
This card comes with a strong introductory offer of Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Intro Bonus. Additionally, new cardholders receive a Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Intro APR, followed by a Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Regular APR APR.
One of the best features of the Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Editorial Name Only is that its rewards have potential beyond the standard redemption value of 1 cent per point. When paired with annual-fee Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer your rewards to Chase's airline and hotel partners that offer a much greater average return. Beyond the rewards, the card offers benefits like purchase protection and extended warranty, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and more.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Editorial Name Only has several less desirable features, including the $1,500 cap on 5% bonus spending each quarter, unpredictable bonus categories that may not align with your spending needs, and weak earnings of only 1% on purchases outside of bonus categories. You also have to activate the 5% bonus manually each quarter; if you forget, you'll only earn at the lower base rate.
The Discover it® Cash Back - Product Name Only is similar in many ways to Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Editorial Name Only. It offers 5% cash back in popular rotating quarterly bonus categories when you activate, on up to $1,500 in combined spending (then 1%). You'll also earn 1% back everywhere else Discover It Cashback rotation. It has no annual fee, and offers a Discover it® Cash Back - Intro APR, followed by a Discover it® Cash Back - Regular APR APR.
What sets this card apart is Discover's unlimited cash back match, which matches all the rewards you earn during your first year as a cardholder. That means you can effectively earn 10% cash back on spending in bonus categories and 2% cash back on all other purchases for the first year.
Discover's quarterly 5% bonus has a $1,500 spending cap, and bonus categories for each quarter are announced only a month ahead of time. This card has no foreign transaction fees, offers free FICO scores, and waives fees for the first late payment. However, the card lacks other ancillary benefits like purchase protection, travel insurance, and cell phone protection.
The main argument against the Discover it® Cash Back - Editorial Name Only is that rewards have a (mostly) flat redemption value of 1 cent per point. You can sometimes redeem rewards for retail gift cards at a modestly better rate, but you don't get the upside of transferring to airline and hotel transfer partners. Discover offers the cash back match in lieu of a sign-up bonus, but you may be able to earn an extra $50 or $100 in cash back if you're referred by an existing cardholder.
Instead of offering rotating bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Product Name Only rewards you for purchases in whichever eligible category you spend the most each month, including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment. You'll automatically earn 5% cash back on up to $500 in spending each billing cycle with no need to activate the bonus. Purchases beyond the $500 limit and in other categories earn a flat 1% cash back.
The card comes with an introductory offer of Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Intro Bonus. Plus, new cardholders receive a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Intro APR (then a Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Regular APR APR). Points are worth 1 cent apiece when you redeem for cash, but you can boost the redemption value if you also have a Citi credit card that enables transfers to airline and hotel partners.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card - Editorial Name Only has no annual fee, but the 3% foreign transaction fee means it's not a good option for purchases outside the US. However, as a World Elite Mastercard, it offers some basic perks that make it viable for booking travel. With no annual fee, this card is ideal for spending in a single category year-round.
Unlike the cards above, the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Product Name Only lets you choose your own bonus categories. Each quarter, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $2,000 of combined spending in two categories you select from a list: fast food, home utilities, TV, internet, and streaming services, department stores, electronic stores, cell phone providers, sporting goods stores, furniture stores, movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers, ground transportation, and select clothing stores.
You'll also earn uncapped 5% cash back on prepaid travel booked through the US Bank travel portal, 2% on your choice of groceries, restaurants, or gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations, and 1% on other purchases.
The card comes with a U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Intro Bonus, and offers a U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Intro APR (then a U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Regular APR APR). You'll also get standard Visa Signature benefits like travel and emergency assistance services and perks from hotels booked through the Luxury Hotels Collection, all without paying an annual fee.
The relatively high cap on bonus spending and the flexibility to choose your own bonus categories help the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only stand out. The list of eligible bonus categories features home utilities, cell phone providers, and TV, internet and streaming services, but also includes several uninspiring options like sporting goods stores and movie theaters that are less likely to offer consistent value. The card also adds foreign transaction fees, and there's a $25 minimum redemption threshold to redeem rewards. Finally, rewards expire 36 months after the billing cycle in which they were earned, so you can't hold onto them indefinitely.
In some respects, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - Product Name Only crushes others on this list. This small-business credit card offers 5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services, and that high earning rate applies to up to $25,000 of combined spending each year (then 1%). It also comes with an introductory offer of Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - Intro Bonus; that's an impressive bonus for a no-annual-fee business credit card.
This card also earns 2% cash back on up to $25,000 spent annually at gas stations and restaurants (then 1%), and 1% cash back elsewhere. It comes with a Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - Intro APR (then a Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - Regular APR APR), and offers an array of additional benefits like primary rental car insurance (when renting for business purposes) and purchase protection. Like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Editorial Name Only, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - Editorial Name Only earns points you can transfer to airline and hotel partners when you pair it with an eligible Ultimate Rewards card.
The main drawback of the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - Editorial Name Only is its limited selection of 5% cash back categories. If you're willing to put in a little legwork, however, then you can extend those savings to a broader range of purchases by buying third-party gift cards at office supply stores.
These cards don't earn the most valuable rewards and may not be your best option for general spending, but they're hard to beat in their respective stores.
