The 3 Credit Cards Providing Outsized Value Right Now
Image source: Getty Images
When I think of amazing value, I think of very small downside paired with massive upside. That's the kind of trade I'll take any day. Small effort, huge rewards.
And when it comes to credit cards, I'm always on the lookout for ones that offer this kind of outsized value.
Below are three credit cards I genuinely love and recommend for people in 2026. If you're looking to get more back this year, these are worth checking out.
1. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: 2% cash rewards on everything
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (rates and fees) just won our Motley Fool Money 2026 Best Overall Credit Card award. It has no annual fee, a high and flat cash rewards rate, and fits nearly every lifestyle.
Most credit cards offer around 1% rewards on general spending. So right out of the gate, this card doubles that value with an unlimited 2% cash rewards on all purchases. There are no rotating categories or special tracking required.
And it's really easy to calculate your potential rewards in a year. If you spend $2,000 a month on average, that's $480 back in a year. If you spend $5,000 a month, you're looking at $1,200 cash back.
There's also an easy welcome offer for new users: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
If your current daily credit card isn't doing much for you, this Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a great deal to jump on.
2026 Award Winner
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= 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 for 12 months from account opening on purchases
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Regular APR
18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% 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
-
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 (18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR applies after). We simply haven’t come across this combination of top perks in one card before.
Read Full Review -
- 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
-
- 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. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% 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. Prime Visa: For shoppers in the Amazon ecosystem
If you're an Amazon Prime member, the Prime Visa (see rates and fees) is basically free money.
First, there's no annual fee.
Second, there's a current welcome offer where you'll get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
And third (the real reason I personally have this card) you earn unlimited 5% cash rewards at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership.
It's like having a secret discount coupon for all your Amazon orders that gives you cash back.
Again, this is really best for folks with a current Prime Membership. If you rarely shop on Amazon the value makes less sense.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= PoorGood/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
18.74% – 27.49% Variable
Rewards Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership, unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and unlimited 1% on all other purchases
1% - 5% back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card
-
If you have an Amazon Prime account, do we have the card for you! This one is part of Chase's lineup, and earns a whopping 5% cash back on Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases. Best of all, that cash back is available to you as soon as the next day -- so if you make frequent Amazon purchases and have a Prime membership, you'll easily save.
Read Full Review -
- Big Amazon.com and Whole Foods rewards
- Instant Amazon gift card
- No annual fee
- Consumer and travel protections
- No 0% intro APR offer
- Requires Prime membership
-
- Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
- Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Prime Card Bonus: Earn 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
- Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
- No annual credit card fee
- No more waiting. Redeem daily rewards at Amazon.com as soon as the next day
- Member FDIC
3. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: Flexibility with a first-year edge
This one's a sleeper pick that most people overlook. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card lets you earn 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice -- with options like gas, online shopping, dining, travel, and more.
That first-year boost is a boon. But it keeps earning well beyond that. You'll still earn 3% cash back after the first year from account opening in your choice category.
Note that the card's "you pick" 6% category and its 2% category (grocery stores and wholesale clubs) cap out at your first $2,500 in combined quarterly purchases. But if you use this card only for your choice category and max out the spending there, you can earn up to $150 per quarter or $600 cash back in year one -- all in a shopping category that you choose!
It's a super flexible card with underrated upside, especially if you're already a Bank of America customer.
On Bank of America's Secure Website.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= PoorOn Bank of America's Secure Website.
Earn 6% cash back in the category of your choice -- like dining, travel, or online shopping -- for the first year. Plus, score a $200 cash rewards bonus after qualifying purchases.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 17.49% - 27.49% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
Regular APR
17.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards Earn 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. You’ll automatically earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. After the first year from account opening, you’ll earn 3% cash back on purchases in your choice category. Earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
1% - 6% cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
$200 cash back
-
This card's wide range of extra cash back options speaks for itself, with a choice of six bonus categories you can change monthly for 6% earnings for the first year in the category of your choice. And you can earn 2% back automatically at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. No annual fee and a nice welcome bonus also make this one a winner. Plus, if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, this card will be even more valuable for you.
Read Full Review -
- Competitive welcome bonus
- Bonus cash back in a category of your choice
- No annual fee
- Great intro & transfer APR offer
- Relationship rewards bonus
- Foreign transaction fee
- Limit on bonus cash back
-
- Earn 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. You’ll automatically earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. After the first year from account opening, you’ll earn 3% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
- Earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
- $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- With the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program, members can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means the 3% choice category could go up to 3.75%-5.25%. The Preferred Rewards bonus is not applied to the 3% first-year bonus.
- No annual fee and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 17.49% - 27.49% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
You deserve higher rewards in 2026
Open your wallet real quick and look at the regular credit card you use every day… Does it earn you amazing rewards you can easily calculate? Does it have no annual fee and offer outsized value?
There's real money on the table here. A good card can easily put $300, $500, or even $800+ more back in your pocket this year -- and it all starts with picking the right one.
Let your 2026 spending work harder for you. Check out all our top rewards cards across every category.
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.