I’m certainly a fan of earning travel rewards, but it’s tough to beat plain hard cash back, especially in a year in which travel is especially difficult.
Every time you swipe a credit card, the merchant pays a fee in the neighborhood of 3%. Businesses that want to be profitable will factor those costs into the price of the products and services they offer.
New to the market in 2021 is a simple cash back credit card that gives you 2% cash back on purchases. No categories to track, no strings attached, and most importantly, no annual fee.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first three months. The card also offers 3% back on restaurant and drugstore purchases, and a flat 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card will also get you 1.5% back on all purchases. Like the others above, there is no annual fee, and like the HSBC card, there are no foreign transaction fees when using this card outside of the United States.