● Updated Oct 26, 2026Card terms checked against issuer pagesNo sponsored rankings
CARDS · COMPARED BY THE MATH
Which card pays you the most?
For someone spending $2,000 a month, here is what each card is worth in a year after its fee. Change the numbers to match your spending; every row shows its math.
Showing an ongoing year: rewards minus the annual fee. Points are counted at 1¢ unless you change it.
Picks
Robinhood Gold Card
$660/yrYearly rewards minus the annual fee, for the spending below. Changes as you type.
Citi Double Cash
$480/yrThe best card here that costs nothing to keep.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
$278/yrOf the travel cards, the one worth the most on rewards alone. Credits and perks are not counted; lounge access only comes with the pricier cards.
Amex Blue Cash Preferred
$439/yrOur pick: 6% at US supermarkets on the first $6,000 a year. Pair it with a 2% card for everything else.
Capital One Savor
$415/yrOur pick: 3% on dining, groceries and streaming with no annual fee.
Bilt Blue
$240/yrOur pick: earns on rent with no transaction fee and no annual fee. Rent is not in the numbers below.
All 21 cards, ranked
| Card · how it earns | Fee | Value/yr |
|---|---|---|
| Robinhood Gold Card3% on everythingRewards $720 − fee $60 = $660/yrPerks (not counted): Gold also pays 3.6% on brokerage cash and a 3% IRA matchList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $60Card has no fee, but needs Robinhood Gold at $5/mo ($60/yr) | $660 |
| Citi Double Cash2% on everything (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay); 5% on hotels, cars, attractions via Citi TravelRewards $480 − fee $0 = $480/yrPerks (not counted): 3% foreign transaction feeList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $480 |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash2% on everythingRewards $480 − fee $0 = $480/yrBonus: $100 after $500 in 3 monthsPerks (not counted): Phone protection up to $600 ($25 deductible); 0% intro APR 12 monthsList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $480 |
| Apple Card2% with Apple Pay, 3% at Apple, 1% with the physical cardRewards $480 − fee $0 = $480/yrPerks (not counted): No feesWe assume you pay with Apple Pay everywhereList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $480 |
| SoFi Unlimited 2%2% on all eligible purchasesRewards $480 − fee $0 = $480/yrList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $480 |
| Amex Blue Cash Preferred6% US supermarkets (first $6,000/yr) and streaming, 3% gas and transit, 1% elseRewards $534 − fee $95 = $439/yrList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $95$0 the first year, then $95 | $439 |
| U.S. Bank Altitude Go4x dining on the first $2,000 each quarter, 2x groceries, gas/EV, streaming, 1x elseRewards $418 − fee $0 = $418/yrBonus: 20,000 points after $1,000 in 90 daysPerks (not counted): 0% intro APR 15 billing cyclesList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $418 |
| Capital One Savor3% dining, groceries (not Walmart/Target), entertainment, streaming; 1% elseRewards $415 − fee $0 = $415/yrBonus: $200 after $500 in 3 monthsPerks (not counted): No foreign transaction feesList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $415 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited3% dining and drugstores, 5% Chase Travel, 1.5% everything elseRewards $414 − fee $0 = $414/yrBonus: $200 after $500 in 3 monthsPerks (not counted): 0% intro APR 15 monthsList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $414 |
| Amex Blue Cash Everyday3% US supermarkets, US online retail, US gas (each on first $6,000/yr), 1% elseRewards $372 − fee $0 = $372/yrPerks (not counted): $84 Disney streaming creditList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $372 |
| SoFi Everyday Cash3% dining, 2% groceries, 1% elseRewards $360 − fee $0 = $360/yrList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $360 |
| PayPal Cashback Mastercard3% when you check out with PayPal, 1.5% everywhere elseRewards $360 − fee $0 = $360/yrWe count 1.5%; PayPal checkout spend would earn moreList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $360 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred points5x Chase Travel; 3x dining, gas and EV charging, top streaming, online grocery (not Target, Walmart or wholesale clubs); 2x other travel; 1x everything elseRewards $373 − fee $95 = $278/yrBonus: 75,000 points after $5,000 in 3 monthsPerks (not counted): Up to $100/yr hotel credit via Chase Travel; Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit up to $120 every 4 years; DashPass; points transfer to airlines and hotels; no foreign fees; no lounge accessGrocery spending is counted at 1x, since 3x applies only to online grocery.Re-checked Oct 26, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $95 | $278 |
| Bilt Obsidian points3x dining or groceries (your pick), 2x travel, 1x else, up to 1.25x rentRewards $354 − fee $95 = $259/yrBonus: $200 of Bilt Cash (not counted: terms not modelled)Perks (not counted): $100 Bilt Travel hotel creditList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $95 | $259 |
| Bilt Blue pointsUp to 1.25x on rent or mortgage with no fee, 1x everydayRewards $240 − fee $0 = $240/yrBonus: $100 of Bilt Cash (not counted: terms not modelled)Perks (not counted): Pay rent by card with no transaction feeList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $240 |
| Discover it Cash Back5% in rotating quarterly categories (activate, quarterly cap), 1% elseRewards $240 − fee $0 = $240/yrBonus: Cashback Match in year one (not counted: terms not modelled)Perks (not counted): Cashback Match: all cash back doubled at the end of year one (not counted)We count only the 1% base, since categories change each quarterList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $0 | $240 |
| Amex Gold points4x restaurants (first $50k/yr), 4x US supermarkets (first $25k/yr), 3x flights, 1x elseRewards $528 − fee $325 = $203/yrPerks (not counted): $100 Resy, $84 Dunkin', dining and Uber Cash credits (monthly, enrollment)List checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $325 | $203 |
| Capital One Venture X points2x on everything, 10x hotels and cars, 5x flights via Capital One TravelRewards $480 − fee $395 = $85/yrPerks (not counted): Capital One lounges; no foreign fees; miles transfer to airlinesList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $395 | $85 |
| Bilt Palladium points2x everyday, up to 1.25x rentRewards $480 − fee $495 = $-15/yrBonus: 50,000 points + Gold status after $4,000 in 90 daysPerks (not counted): $400 hotel credit, $200 Bilt Cash, Priority PassList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $495 | $-15 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve points8x Chase Travel, 4x flights and hotels booked direct, 3x dining, 1x elseRewards $366 − fee $795 = $-429/yrBonus: 100,000 points after $6,000 in 3 monthsPerks (not counted): $300 travel credit, $500 The Edit hotel credit, $300 dining, $300 StubHub, lounges (Priority Pass + Sapphire)List checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $795 | $-429 |
| Amex Platinum points5x flights and prepaid Amex Travel hotels, 1x elseRewards $312 − fee $895 = $-583/yrPerks (not counted): Biggest lounge network; $400 Resy, $300 lululemon, $219 CLEAR+, hotel credits up to $300 twice a year, and moreList checked Oct 25, 2026 · Issuer page ↗ | $895 | $-583 |
How we count the value
Points and miles counted at 1¢ each (what Chase, Amex, Capital One and Bilt points are worth as cash or in the issuer's travel portal without a boost). Travel transfers can be worth more; we don't assume it. Credits and perks are not counted, because their value depends on whether you'd spend that money anyway.
Default spending: dining $300, groceries $400, gas $150, travel $150, streaming $30, everything else $970. An ongoing year leaves signup bonuses out, since they pay once. Turn on the first-year switch to add a bonus, counted only if your spending over its window meets the requirement. Caps are applied (Amex Gold, Blue Cash Preferred and Everyday, Altitude Go). Rotating 5% categories (Discover) and portal-only rates (5x Chase Travel and similar) are not counted. Rent cards are compared on everyday spend.
Card terms were checked against issuer pages on Oct 25, 2026; cards marked "Re-checked" were checked again later. Terms change often, so confirm on the issuer page before you apply.
How we source this
Every rate and card term comes from the institution’s own website, not from comparison sites. Each row shows when we last checked. We cover the biggest US banks by assets, the major fintech apps, and newer startups. Nobody pays to be listed or ranked higher.
| Institution | Product | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robinhood | Robinhood Gold Card | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Citi | Citi Double Cash | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Wells Fargo | Wells Fargo Active Cash | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Chase | Chase Freedom Unlimited | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Capital One | Capital One Savor | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| American Express | Amex Blue Cash Preferred | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Apple (Goldman Sachs) | Apple Card | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Chase | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Chase | Chase Sapphire Reserve | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| American Express | Amex Gold | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| American Express | Amex Platinum | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Capital One | Capital One Venture X | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Bilt | Bilt Blue | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Bilt | Bilt Obsidian | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Bilt | Bilt Palladium | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| Discover (Capital One) | Discover it Cash Back | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| U.S. Bank | U.S. Bank Altitude Go | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| SoFi | SoFi Unlimited 2% | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| SoFi | SoFi Everyday Cash | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| PayPal | PayPal Cashback Mastercard | Checked | 2026-10-25 |
| American Express | Amex Blue Cash Everyday | Checked | 2026-10-25 |