No Fees, No Fuss: My 3 Favorite Simple Cash Back Cards of September 2025
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I'll let you in on a little secret: even though my team and I spend our days studying complex rewards systems, my favorite cards are the ridiculously simple ones.
These three picks have no annual fees, and can easily earn you $300 to $800 a year without you even trying.
1. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Easy, flat-rate 2% cash rewards
If you want a card you never have to think about, this is the one. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (rates and fees) earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on all purchases.
That flat 2% cash rewards may not sound flashy. But it really adds up fast. For example, if you spend $2,000 a month, you'd earn about $480 a year without lifting a finger.
There's also a great welcome offer for new customers. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months -- a super low spending requirement that's realistic for many.
I like to call this a "set it and forget it" card. There's no annual fee -- so all rewards are pure upside.
2025 Award Winner
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= PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Purchases: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Regular APR
18.99%, 23.99%, or 28.99% Variable APR
Rewards Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
2% cash rewards
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
$200 cash rewards
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This card’s unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases is the highest we’ve seen for a flat-rate rewards card with no annual fee. It also has an incredibly easy-to-earn $200 welcome bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. The intro APR is decent too -- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (18.99%, 23.99%, or 28.99% Variable APR applies after). We simply haven’t come across this combination of top perks in one card before.
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- Unlimited 2% cash rewards
- Long 0% intro APR offer
- Generous cash rewards welcome bonus
- No annual fee
- Cellphone protections
- No bonus categories
- Foreign transaction fees
- Balance transfer fee
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- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.99%, 23.99%, or 28.99% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
2. Discover it® Cash Back: Boosted categories
Want to squeeze out a little more than 2%? The Discover it® Cash Back can be worth it if you don't mind being a bit strategic.
Here's how it works: Discover rotates bonus categories every quarter. You'll earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate (then 1%).
If you plan ahead and match your spending to the bonus categories, you can easily outpace most cash back cards. For example, maxing out just one quarter's category could mean $75 cash back in three months.
In addition, Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. That's a strong first-year boost.
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= PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months
Regular APR
17.99% - 26.99% Variable APR
Rewards Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
1% - 5% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
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We think this card has among the highest cash back potential for cards with no annual fee. The key is the Unlimited Cashback Match — Discover automatically matches all the cash back new cardholders have earned at the end of the first year. That cash back can seriously add up when you earn 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories each quarter (when you activate them, up to the quarterly maximum) and 1% on other purchases.
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- Rotating bonus categories
- Welcome bonus offer
- Great intro APR offer
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- No fixed bonus categories
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- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem cash back for any amount
- Apply now and you could get a decision in as little as 90 seconds. No annual fee.
- Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with your virtual card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.99% to 26.99% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
3. Chase Freedom Unlimited®: For travelers and foodies
If you're a fan of the Chase ecosystem, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) is one of the best cards to have in your wallet.
I've personally held this card for almost a decade and will never get rid of it.
Here are the cash back earning rates:
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 3% cash back on drugstores, restaurants, takeout, and eligible food delivery
- 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
If you're a moderate to heavy traveler, and like eating out a lot, you'll rack up a fair amount of cash back with this card. The 1.5% cash back on everything else is really decent too.
And there's an easy welcome offer right now… Earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
2025 Award Winner
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months
Regular APR
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Rewards Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases
1.5% - 5% cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
Earn $200 cash back
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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the ideal all-in-one card, offering both big upfront value and long-term rewards. New cardholders can earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months. Plus, enjoy unlimited 3% back on dining and drugstores, 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel, and 1.5% on all other purchases. With the added benefit of 0% intro APR for 15 months, this card is perfect for a one-card wallet.
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- Innovative sign-up bonus
- Purchase and travel protections
- Robust rewards program
- Great intro APR
- No annual fee
- Limited bonus opportunities on everyday spending
- Foreign transaction fee
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- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Which one is right for you?
The truth is only you can answer that question.
If you don't want to think about rewards categories at all, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is right up your alley. I personally think everyone should hold an unlimited flat-rate 2% cash rewards card as a bare minimum. They're so easy.
But if you like squeezing extra value from categories, the Discover it® Cash Back or Chase Freedom Unlimited® could unlock more rewards based on your spending.
The good news is there's little downside to any of these picks. With no annual fees (and low-bar welcome offers) you're likely to have great upside, especially in the first year.
Our Research Expert
Joel O’Leary is a full-time Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, covering credit cards, bank accounts, investing, mortgages, and other personal finance topics. Joel has been writing about personal finance since 2018, previously leading editorial content for the How To Money podcast and serving as a resident writer at Budgets Are Sexy. He bought his first rental property at age 18, funding the down payment with savings from his high school job at McDonald’s -- a testament to his lifelong passion for smart money decisions. His work aims to make personal finance accessible and actionable for everyday readers. When he’s not writing, Joel enjoys surfing and spending time with his family.