The best credit cards for cashback

Cashback credit cards give you rewards on your everyday purchases, paying you a percentage of what you spend. If you pay off your statement in full every month, these cards can help you earn hundreds of pounds worth of rewards each year.

The rewards you earn can build up over time, but it’s worth making sure that you pay off your balance in full, otherwise interest charges may outweigh the perks.

These cards usually come with a cap on the amount of cashback you can earn, and note that some have a monthly fee.

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We look at the top credit cards for cashback to help you make the most of your spending.

What are the best cashback credit cards?

Lloyds Ultra Credit Card

• 1% cashback on all purchases in the first year
• 0.25% cashback after the first year
• Fee-free spending abroad
• Fee-free ATM withdrawal
• Cashback paid annually in January

This card doesn’t give you the highest cashback amount, but it comes free of cost and with fee-free spending abroad. Plus, you can earn 1% cashback on spending in and outside the country. If you fail to pay off the statement in full, there’s a representative APR of 12.9%.

American Express Cashback Everyday Credit Card

• 5% cashback (up to £125) on purchases in the first five months
• 0.5% cashback on up to £10,000 after the first three months
• 1% cashback on anything over £10,000
• Cashback paid annually

This American Express credit card boasts the highest cashback rate compared to other UK credit cards, although it will drop after five months. It is available to new cardholders and has no annual fee. If you fail to pay in full, there’s a representative APR of 29.4%.

See all American Express credit cards to see which one suits your needs best.

Santander Edge credit card

• 1% cashback on all purchases (up to £10 a month)
• No foreign exchange fees when spending overseas

This credit card comes with a £4 monthly fee.

If you already have a Santander current account and get the credit card before 13 January 2026, you could get £48, which covers the card’s monthly fee for this year.

To qualify for this bonus, you will need to set up a direct debit and use your credit card more than ten times in the first three months.

If you can't pay in full, the representative APR is 37.8%.

Virgin Money Everyday cashback card

• 1% cashback on spending (up to £15) for the first 90 days
• 0.25% cashback after
• The cashback you earn is deducted from your credit card balance each month
• Cashback on spending abroad with no fees

This card doesn’t have any monthly fee, but if you don’t pay back each month in full, the representative APR is 27.9%.

Barclaycard Rewards card

• 0.25% cashback on all eligible purchases
• No fees abroad on spending or ATM withdrawals
• Cashback is earned annually

This card doesn’t have any monthly fee, but if you don’t pay back each month in full, the representative APR is 28.9%.

How do cashback credit cards work?

If you have a credit card that gives you cashback at say a rate of 0.5%, for every £100 you spend, you get 50p back. As attractive as the promise of free money sounds, there are downsides too.

Credit card companies may offer attractive cashback rates for only a fixed period of time, such as the first five months. In order to get the most out of using cashback credit cards you need to be mindful of two things: it may be beneficial to use them for all your spending (but watch out for credit card fees with any purchases) and you must pay off the full amount every month.

The introductory cashback offers could be useful if you know you're going to be buying something expensive. But if you carry a balance over just once, the resulting interest charge could wipe out any cashback you get.

Cashback credit card providers can charge a fee and typically offer uncompetitive interest rates. Some also require a minimum spend before you can generate cashback savings.

As with any credit card, be careful to pay it off in full to avoid being charged interest, and always check the terms and conditions to make sure the card is the right one for you.