Which 2% cash-back card should you get?
Any of them — that's the honest answer. All 5 cards here earn 2% on everything with no annual fee, and the ones with no credits all score 9.0/10. One scores slightly lower because it adds a monthly promo to the flat rate. The real differences are in the fine print below, not the rate.
A flat-rate card is where the ads and the math agree: no categories to remember, and on most of these, nothing to enroll in and no credits to expire. Our score shows that — a card here with nothing to keep track of gets 9.0/10, because the fee is zero, the upkeep is zero, and what it earns on a typical year of spending is exactly the advertised rate. Where a card adds a promo with deadlines, its effort score drops and its overall score shows it.
So this page does what a score can't: it lists the tiebreakers — who can actually get each card, what form the rewards come in, and the one or two perks that don't show up in any rate table.
Data: MoneyRoom card catalog (details pending verification are flagged) · scores update daily · how the 0–10 Card Score works
The scores
How do they score?
| Card | Score | Annual fee | Overall return | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread Cashback Amex | 9.0 / 10 | None | 2% | Run in calculator |
| cashRewards Plus | 9.0 / 10 | None | 2% | Run in calculator |
| Synchrony Premier World Mastercard | 9.0 / 10 | None | 2% | Run in calculator |
| TD Double Up | 9.0 / 10 | None | 2% | Run in calculator |
| SoFi Unlimited 2% | 8.2 / 10 | None | 2% | Run in calculator |
Card by card
What actually separates them?
Bread Cashback Amex
The open-to-anyone option: 2% on everything, no account with the bank required, on the American Express network — and it comes with Amex Offers, Amex's program of store deals.
cashRewards Plus
The credit union option: 2% on everything, but you have to be a member — Navy Federal serves the military community, so eligibility, not the rate, decides whether this card is on your list.
Synchrony Premier World Mastercard
The quiet one: 2% on everything on a World Mastercard, with Mastercard's identity-theft protection included. No account with the bank required, and no gimmicks.
TD Double Up
TD's version: 2% on everything, redeemed through a TD bank account. The best fit if you already bank at TD; the rate is the same as the others.
SoFi Unlimited 2%
Rewards come as SoFi points at full cash value, and the pitch is keeping everything in one place: if your checking, investing and loans are already at SoFi, the 2% card fits right in without another app. One note — a small monthly Lyft credit comes with it, paid only after a number of rides. It's the only upkeep on this page, and it pulls the score down to 8.2/10.
Choosing
How should you choose?
Start with who can get them: the credit union card is closed to most people, and two of these want you to bank with them for easy redemption. Then check the network — one is an American Express, which is accepted at slightly fewer places abroad but comes with Amex Offers. If none of that matters, pick the bank you already have a login for. At the same 2% with no fee, convenience is the only thing left to decide.
And check the two flat-rate cards that aren't on this list because they have their own pages: one with cell phone protection built in, and one whose points can be upgraded — both linked below.
Your own numbers
Which one wins on your spending?
The free Annual Fee Calculator loads any of these cards and checks it against what you'd actually use — no account needed. For flat-rate cards (the same rate on everything) the answer mostly depends on how much you spend, and only you know that.