For general spending, there are now many cards which offer unlimited 2+% cashback on everything (no category restrictions). Because of these options, any card promoting 2% back in a specific category is unnecessarily limiting. And for people seeking simplicity, they can ignore other cards entirely, and only look at the below cards.
Credit cards may have good earn rates in certain categories, but for spending which doesn’t fall into a specific category, you’ll need an “everyday” card to fill in the gaps.
These are the best 10 cards for non-category spending in 2021.
1. US Alliance Financial Credit Union Visa
This is temporarily the top card for cash back. It offers 3% back on all spending until 12/31/22, after which it offers a still-respectable 2% back on everything. The card has Visa Signature benefits too. You can read our full review here.
The downside is that this is a credit union card (sometimes credit unions are difficult to join) and there’s limited information about this card. Plus, the card has a 1% foreign transaction fee. This is lower than the standard 3% fee, but it’s still more than zero. Although some people don’t travel so this fact could be irrelevant (YMMV). There isn’t a sign-up bonus either. Getting this card will have similar results as getting the Discover It Miles, which may be an easier card to obtain, and it has a 0% APR bonus to boot.
Pros: 3% cash back on everything, no annual fee
Cons: 1% foreign transaction fee, no sign-up bonus, earn rate will decrease in the future
2. Alliant Cashback Visa
This card used to have an annual fee, but they removed the annual fee and added restrictions. In theory, people can earn 2.5% cash back on everything. USAA had a similar card on a limited basis (no longer available). For anyone who values simplicity in their wallet and can get approved for this Alliant card, it’s one of the better options. It’s a high amount of cash back for non-category spending, and doesn’t have any fees.
You can read our full review here.
Alliant has an alternative credit card earning 2% back on everything, the Alliant Platinum Rewards, which can be decent. This lesser card also has a small $50 sign-up bonus.
Pros: 2.5% cash back on everything, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
Cons: Getting approved for the card and setting it up is somewhat convoluted, Alliant frequently changes the details about this card, no sign-up bonus
3. Citi Double Cash Mastercard
This is one of the easiest 2% cards to get, and it’s been around for a while. Other high-earning cards tend to have restrictions like regional availability. Of all the cards on this list, you’re most likely to get approved for the Citi Double Cash or Wells Fargo card. In 2018 and 2019, the card had a sign-up bonus of $100 to $150. We’re not sure if this will return.
The card also has Mastercard World Elite benefits. This includes cell phone insurance, plus discounts with Lyft and Doordash.
For extra value, if you have the Citi Rewards+ card too, your points are worth 10% more. This effectively makes the Double Cash 2.2% cash back. That’s hard to beat for a no-fee card.
Pros: 2% or more cash back on everything, no annual fee
Cons: 3% foreign transaction fee, sign-up bonuses are rare
4. Penfed Power Cash Rewards Visa
This is a great no-BS card which earns 2% cash back on everything, without any fees. PenFed also offers cardmembers occasional bonuses. One of the most common bonuses is a free $50 for spending $500 to $1,500 in a month. Power Cash also has a sign-up bonus of $100, plus Visa Signature benefits.
The downside is that this card requires Penfed membership, plus a checking account or military service. Credit union membership is however open to the public now. The checking account also requires a monthly direct deposit of $500+, OR a daily balance of $500+. An easy requirement, but some people don’t like requirements.
Pros: 2% cash back on everything, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
Cons: Requires PenFed credit union membership with Access America checking account
5. SoFi Mastercard
Other than requiring a SoFi account for redeeming points, this is a solid card. It earns 2% cash back on everything without annual fees or foreign transaction fees. There’s a sign-up bonus of $100, and SoFi has various bonuses for members. For example, you can deposit $10 into an investment account for a free $10 in Bitcoin. Redeeming SoFi points into investments carries slight risk (like the Fidelity card below) but can theoretically boost earnings above 2% cash back on everything.
The card also has Mastercard World Elite benefits. This includes cell phone insurance, plus discounts with Lyft and Doordash.
Pros: 2% cash back on everything, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee
Cons: Requires redeeming points to a SoFi savings/investment/loan account
6. Fidelity Rewards Visa
Another decent 2% card without an annual fee. It does have a 1% foreign transaction fee, but that’s much lower than the standard 3% fee. One of Fidelity’s benefits is being able to automatically invest rewards into a brokerage account. If you average 10% annual returns on investments, that effectively makes this card 2.2% cash back. This does have some risk however, and the effective cash back rate could be less than 2% during bear markets. Some people instead redeem points into a cash account to reduce risk.
Fidelity occasionally has a sign-up bonus (up to $300) and targeted offers for extra cash back. Fidelity also gives bonus earnings to some high-net-worth customers. However, the wealth management service has an annual advisory fee which probably negates this bonus. Other cards may be better options.
Pros: 2% cash back on everything, no annual fee
Cons: Requires redeeming points to a Fidelity account, 1% foreign transaction fee
7. Wells Fargo Active Cash Visa
There’s a sign-up bonus of $200, higher than most other 2% cards. Since this is a new card for Wells Fargo, it’s possible they’d reduce the bonus in the future. This could be an introductory offer. If the foreign transaction fee doesn’t matter to you, this card is a good option. It’s also the only 2% card to have 0% APR for the first 15 months. Active Cash is arguably a top-tier everyday credit card, especially with Visa Signature benefits.
Pros: 2% cash back on everything, no annual fee, 0% intro APR
Cons: 3% foreign transaction fee
8. TD Bank Double Up Visa
TD Bank is limited to 16 states, and this credit card requires a TD checking account, but the card is reasonable otherwise. Redeeming points is similar to Fidelity and SoFi. It earns 2% cash back on everything and has a sign-up bonus of $150. Not the best bonus, although it’s better than most everyday cards.
Pros: 2% cash back on everything, no annual fee
Cons: 3% foreign transaction fee, regional limitations, requires TD checking account
9. Paypal Mastercard
This card earns 2% cash back on everything without an annual fee. It requires a Paypal account and the card is issued by Synchrony Bank. Some people don’t like Paypal or Synchrony, otherwise the card might be higher in this list. For more downsides, there isn’t a sign-up bonus either, and Paypal added a foreign transaction fee in mid-2021. On the plus side, the card is easy to use and Paypal occasionally offers bonuses to existing cardmembers. For example, one email offered $15 or more off a $75+ eBay purchase.
Pros: 2% cash back on everything, no annual fee, easy to use with Paypal
Cons: 3% foreign transaction fee, no sign-up bonus
10. SDFCU Premium Cash+ Visa
The main downside is the membership requirement. Joining the State Department Federal Credit Union is impossible for a large percentage of people. Other than that, the credit card is good. It earns 2% cash back on everything, without any fees, and there’s a $200 sign-up bonus. The SUB downside is that it requires spending $3,000, compared to Wells Fargo requiring $1,000 in spending for the same $200 bonus. The SDFCU card has Visa Signature benefits and comes with a minimum credit line of $5,000.
Pros: 2% cash back on everything, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees
Cons: requires SDF credit union membership
Honorable mentions
- AOD Federal Credit Union – 3% cash back on everything, possibly limited to Alabama only (YMMV)
- Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards or Travel Rewards or Premium Rewards card, paired with Platinum or Platinum Honors status for 2.25% or 2.62% on everything
- Capital One Quicksilver – only gets 1.5% cash back on everything, but World or World Elite versions have decent benefits; plus, there’s a $200 SUB and 0% FTF.
- Capital One Venture X – can potentially earn more than 3% cash back on everything (with good utilization of their transfer partners)
- Carolinas Telco Credit Union – 2% on everything, $0 AF, 1% FTF
- Chase Freedom Unlimited (CFU) when combined with the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) for earning 2.25% or more on everything (up to 3% or 4.5% cash back with Hyatt transfer redemptions). Also see: The Chase Trifecta.
- Coinbase Debit Card – can earn 4% cash back in select cryptocurrencies, which can be converted to USDC or cash to reduce volatility, but capital gains taxes apply.
- Dover Federal Credit Union – 2% on everything, $0 AF, 1.8% FTF
- Fifth Third Bank – 2% on everything, $0 AF, 0% FTF, requires Preferred Banking ($100,000 minimum investment/deposit total)
- FNBO Evergreen Visa – 2% on everything, $200 SUB, 0% APR for 12 months, $0 AF, 3% FTF
- Kroger Family of Companies Mastercard – 5% cash back on mobile wallet transactions, limited to $3,000 per year
- Ollo Optimum Mastercard – 2.5% on everything (invitation-only card)
- PCMCU Platinum Rewards Mastercard – 5% on everything for Wisconsin residents (limited to $1,000 in monthly spend) and $49 AF (can be waived)
- PSECU Founder’s Rewards Visa – 2% on everything, $300 SUB, $0 AF, 0 FTF
- Signature FCU Visa Signature – 2% on everything, 6% on streaming, $0 AF, 0 FTF
- Status Money Visa – 2% on everything, $200 SUB, $0 AF, 0 FTF
- Synchrony Premier – 2% on everything, $0 AF, 3% FTF
- U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve – can earn up to 4.5% cash back on mobile wallet purchases. While not every location supports mobile wallets, some people can effectively use the Altitude Reserve as an “everyday” card (fast food, gas, groceries, retail stores, etc.)
Note: This review was last updated in December 2021. Details may have changed since then. Please do your own research where applicable, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Or contact us directly for personalized consulting services! Additional note: since many cards now offer 2% or more on all purchases, we’ll have to take a closer look at the non-cash-back benefits. Some cards may offer travel insurance, extended warranty protection, or other perks.