Cash back credit cards from Chase
Quick insights
- Chase has several cash back credit cards that earn rewards points on most purchases.
- Cash back credit cards typically provide a straightforward way to earn and redeem rewards.
- The three main types of cash back credit cards are flat rate, tiered or rotating.
Many people find that cash back credit cards are their go-to card for several key reasons, one usually being simplicity of use. Cash back cards offer a straightforward rewards structure, and an easy way to redeem rewards.
In addition, some cash back cards may come with a welcome bonus offer, low annual percentage rates (APRs) for an introductory period or low annual fees.
In this article, we’ll go over some popular cash back credit cards from Chase, ways to redeem your cash rewards and a breakdown of the different types of cash back cards you may encounter.
Personal cash back credit cards to look for
Chase offers many cash back credit cards, each with its own features and benefits. Here are a few you may want to consider:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: This Chase card provides a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases, making it a straightforward option for consistent cash back earnings.
- Chase Freedom Flex®: Though similar to Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom Flex credit card has one key difference—apart from the fixed bonus categories, it also has rotating bonus categories that you activate each quarter to earn the accelerated rewards.
- DoorDash Rewards Mastercard®: In addition to offering a complimentary DashPass subscription for your first, year, cardmembers can earn 4% cash back on DoorDash and Caviar orders and 3% cash back on dining.
- Instacart Mastercard®: This card earns 5% cash back on Instacart.com and Instacart app purchases on over 1,500 retailers delivering from more than 80,000 stores.
Types of cash back credit cards
There are three main types of cash back credit cards:
Flat-rate cash back
If a card says it offers a flat-rate cash back on all purchases, this means regardless of the type of purchase you make, you will earn a consistent percentage cash back reward.
An example of this is a card that offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases. This may be ideal for people who don’t want to keep track of different rewards categories or percentages in order to earn rewards.
Tiered cash back
This type of credit card has a structure where different spending rewards categories offer varying cash back percentages. For example, a card might offer 3% cash back at grocery stores, 2% cash back at drug stores and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
It is up to the cardmember to keep track of their spending in order to maximize the highest earn categories. If you spend heavily in the categories that offer the highest percentage, you may be able to maximize the cash back rewards.
Rotating cash back
Rotating cash back cards offer higher cash back percentages on spending rewards categories that change generally every quarter. These cards may have a calendar that outlines the eligible categories and the cash back rates they will offer during each time period.
An example of this may be a card that offers 5% cash back on dining for three months, then switches to 5% cash back on grocery store purchases for the next three.
Keep in mind that cardmembers may be required to activate the changing rewards categories each quarter, so you’ll want to read the terms and conditions.
Common cash back rewards categories
Cash back spending rewards categories will vary depending on the specific rewards program and credit card issuer. That said, there are several common categories you’ll find with most cash back credit cards.
- Gas stations
- Travel
- Grocery stores
- Dining at restaurants
- Drug stores
- Streaming services
Remember, if the type of cash back credit card you have is a rotating one, the eligible rewards categories may change over time, so you’ll want to pay close attention to those terms.
How to redeem your cash back with Chase
At Chase, you can pick how you redeem cash back rewards by choosing how you want to receive them. Here are some options you have when redeeming your cash back:
- Statement credit: You can use your cash back rewards to help reduce your credit card balance.
- Products and services: There may be opportunities to use your points for all or part of a payment for the purchase of eligible products or services directly through third-party merchants or service providers.
- Direct deposit: Cash back rewards also can be redeemed via a direct deposit into your preferred bank account.
- Gift cards: You also may be able to redeem cash back for gift cards. You’ll want to check back monthly for discounts on select gift cards.
Make sure that you read your credit card agreement to check what redemption options you have available for that specific card. There might be more options than the ones mentioned above, for example—travel purchases.
The bottom line
If you’re considering a cash back credit card, you may find these cards offer a simple and valuable way to earn rewards as well as redeem them. If you know your spending habits, you can try to find a credit card that offers a higher percentage of cash back for the categories where you spend the most.
