Heads up! We share savvy shopping and personal finance tips to put extra cash in your wallet. Mobile Nations may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network*
Apple's new credit card features one of the easiest to grasp rewards programs in the industry. A lot of credit cards are based on points, which, depending on your knowledge of your credit card provider's program, can become incredibly confusing and frustrating to manage. Apple has instead elected towards a simple, straight-forward, and non-limiting cash back program for Apple Card. The cash back benefits are as follows per Apple's website:
- Get 3% back on everything you buy from Apple, whether you buy it at an Apple Store, apple.com, the App Store, or iTunes. That includes games, in‑app purchases, and services like your Apple Music subscription and iCloud storage plan.
- Get 2% back every time you buy something using Apple Pay. That's in every category, with no limits. Imagine all the things you use a credit card for every day — at Target, Walgreens, Lyft. You'll get 2% back on just about everything.
- If you happen to come across a store, website, or app that doesn't take Apple Pay yet, Apple Card still gives you 1% of your purchases back in the form of Daily Cash.
How Does this compare to other cash back credit cards?
Let's find out! First, let's break down Apple's cash back offerings. If we exclude the 3% cash back on Apple purchases, Apple Card is a non-limiting 2% cash back credit card. However, we have to keep in mind that the 2% cash back we are looking forward to is completely reliant on the merchant we are purchasing from supporting Apple Pay; otherwise, we are working with a 1% cash back credit card, which is low compared to most other card offerings from other providers. At least we'll all feel really cool swiping that Jony Ive designed titanium physical card.
There are a number of other cash back credit cards that already match or exceed the cash back rewards that Apple Card is going to feature, as well as also having no annual fee and offering bonus offers for when you sign up. Let's take a look at three cash back credit cards that go pound-for-pound against Apple Card.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a worthy challenger to Apple Card and sets it's customers up with a very similar cash back system as its competitor.
Tiered cash back
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
This card gets you 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year then 1%), 2% cash back at U.S gas stations and select U.S. department stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. There's no annual fee and unlike Apple Card, you'll earn a valuable sign-up bonus to the tune of a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months
While Apple Card does keep the advantage when it comes to general spending (as long as you are using Apple Pay) the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express can easily pass it when it comes to one thing you are sure to always spend your money on: gas and groceries. Most gas stations are still lacking Apple Pay support, and even though more grocery chains are adopting the technology, the American Express will beat Apple Card by 1% at both. That, paired with no annual fee, makes the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express a better option for those who find their largest areas of spending to be on groceries and gas.
Citi® Double Cash Card
The Citi® Double Cash Card is a great card for those who want straightforward cash back with no points or bonus categories to keep track of. It also promotes good financial wellness as half of the cash back is given once you pay the card off.
Twice the cash
Citi® Double Cash Card
Easily one of our favorite cash-back cards, Citi® Double Cash Card earns 1% cash back on all purchases and then another 1% cash back as you pay the balance down. That's 2% cash back on every purchase. Contrary to the Apple Card, it doesn't differentiate if you shop online or in-store. What's more, this card also doesn't have an annual fee.
The idea behind the Citi® Double Cash Card is simple: earn 1% cash back on all purchases with no limits, and earn another 1% cash back as you pay the balance down on your card. Cash back can be redeemed to a gift card, a statement credit, or a check in the mail. While the rewards redemption process is without a doubt easier for Apple Card (it's going to beat everyone in that category), the Citi® Double Cash Card can essentially double your cash back at merchants that do not yet accept Apple Pay.
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the best cards around for those who are looking to skip any kind of categorized rewards and instead opt for a drop-dead simple rewards system.
Simple cash back
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Earning cash back doesn't get easier than it is with the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card. You'll earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make and no annual fee is required. We also love that it includes a $150 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months. Put off paying for that iPhone purchase with 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months.
That's it. No remembering which purchase fits into which cash back rate or playing the game of seasonal bonus offers. It doesn't get much simpler than this. If you're looking to keep things minimal for your credit cards rewards and Apple's system is just another complicated rewards program in your eyes, it doesn't get much more simple than the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Which One Is For Me?
That all depends on you! How do you spend your money? If you find yourself keeping your cards in your wallet because you're in Apple Pay utopia, the Apple Card is a natural fit. If you spend a lot on gas and groceries, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express would be a great fit. If you aren't lucky enough to be surrounded by merchants who accept Apple Pay, you can still consistently earn 2% cash back with the Citi® Double Cash Card. If you're looking to keep things super simple and just want one unwavering/unchanging rewards program, the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card might be for you. Whatever you choose, you can be sure that you're getting some of the best cash back rewards available.
*This content is not provided by card issuers. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the card issuer.
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