5 Credit Cards That Will Help You Earn 5% Back on Nearly Every Purchase

A few years back, I began to realize my suite of credit cards wasn't earning the most for my spending. My best credit card at the time earned 3% back on food, while my go-to card for every purchase earned 1.5%. When a friend told me that she was earning 5% back on nearly every purchase, I began to realize I was leaving money on the table -- a wake-up call that has helped me build the credit card arsenal I have today.

In my quest to earn 5% back on nearly every purchase, I've come across quite a few cards that deserve a permanent place in a 5%-earning wallet. While there are plenty of cards that might deserve mention, the following five are some of my favorites.

1. Amex Blue Cash Preferred

Good for: Grocery shopping

Let's start with a card that doesn't earn 5% back. Instead, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions, then 1% after (terms apply, see rates and fees). The card also earns 3% at U.S. gas stations and on transit, including ride hailing (terms apply; $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.).

If you spend at least $6,000 at U.S. supermarkets each year, you would earn $360 in cash back, which becomes $265 after we subtract the annual fee. Meanwhile, a no-fee card that earns 3% back on groceries -- like the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card -- would have earned just $180 on the same spending.

2. Citi Custom Cash Card

Good for: Flexible spending categories

To earn 5% back on nearly every purchase, you need at least one credit card with a flexible cash back rate; that is, a card whose 5% categories you can choose from a list. This can help you fill in the gaps where other cards would earn less. A few cards have flexible rates, but the Citi Custom Cash® Card is one of the few whose categories include those that take up nearly every household budget.

The Citi Custom Cash® Card automatically applies the 5% cash back rate to your your top eligible spend category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent). So if you were to max out the rate each billing cycle, you'd end up with $300 in total cash back. Categories include the following:

1. Drugstores
2. Gas stations
3. Grocery stores
4. Fitness clubs
5. Home improvement stores
6. Live entertainment
7. Restaurants
8. Select streaming services
9. Select transit
10. Select travel

3. U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card

Good for: Walmart, Target, retail shopping

The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 6% back on your first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter from two retailers that you choose. These retailers currently include:

• Ace Hardware
• Apple
• Amazon.com
• Anthropologie
• Bed, Bath, & Beyond
• Best Buy
• Chewy.com
• Crate & Barrel
• Disney
• Home Depot
• Ikea
• Kohl's
• Lowe's
• Lululemon
• Macy's
• Menards
• Nordstrom
• Pottery Barn
• QVC
• Restoration Hardware
• Target
• Walmart
• Wayfair.com
• Williams Sonoma

Since many grocery credit cards don't count Walmart or Target as supermarkets, this card could give you a way to earn 6% on those two stores. The card has a $95 annual fee, which is waived for its first year. If you spend $1,583 on any combination of the stores above, the card's cash back would pay for its fee.

4. Chase Freedom Flex

Good for: Rotating categories, travel

The Chase Freedom Flex® earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate, plus an unlimited 5% cash back on all travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

This gives you fresh ways to earn 5% cash back each quarter. If you max out the bonus categories, you can net $75 in cash back each quarter, or $300 annually. For 2024, the categories have included grocery stores, fitness clubs, gym memberships, hotel stays, restaurants, and qualifying Amazon purchases.

5. Prime Visa

Good for: General spending

For Prime members, the Prime Visa earns an unlimited 5% cash rewards on Amazon, AmazonFresh, and Whole Foods, and Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership. Since Amazon sells pretty much everything, this card can be an excellent way to earn 5% cash rewards on spending that doesn't fit neatly into other bonus categories. For example, you could use the card to buy electronics, games, books, clothing, sports equipment, and toys.

To be sure, no card earns a flat 5% back on every purchase. But when you put a few curated cards in the same wallet, you can earn that much on your biggest spending categories. If you're not earning 5% on (nearly) every purchase, add one or several of these rewards cards to your mix to generate rewards that you deserve to earn.