Best Credit Card for "Everything Else" — Earning 2% to 4.5%
illustration of a woman shopping with credit cards

Best Credit Card for “Everything Else” — Earning 2% to 4.5%

“Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.”

When it comes to credit card rewards, most of the focus is usually on the special categories that various cards emphasize with heightened earning rates. For example, a card might offer 4x on dining, 5x on rotating quarterly categories, or even 10x on rental car booking via a specific travel portal. However, outside of those handful of categories, all other purchases tend to offer just 1% back. That said, there are a few rewards card options that break the mold and give customers more for their everyday purchases.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best credit cards for “everything else.”

Citi Double Cash

Citi Double Cash Card
  • Annual fee: N/A

Starting with what’s been a gold standard for years, the Citi Double Cash card allows consumers to effectively earn 2% back on all purchases. More specifically, they’ll earn 1% back when making the purchase and get another 1% back when they pay off that purchase. As a result, the Double Cash card is a great option for filling out your credit card portfolio and creating a cash-back base for yourself.

Normally, the one downside of the Double Cash card is that there’s no welcome bonus. However, for a limited time, that’s not the case. Currently, new cardholders can earn $200 back after spending $1,500 in purchases on the card in their first six months. In other words, now is a great time to add this perennial favorite to your wallet.

Wells Fargo Active Cash

  • Annual fee: N/A
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card

Although the Citi Double Cash card has long been cited as a solid 2% flat-rate card, more recently, a slew of other options in the same vein have rushed to join the popular card. Among them is the relatively new Wells Fargo Active Cash card. With this card, customers earn 2% back on all eligible purchases — simple as that.

In terms of a welcome bonus, the Active Cash card currently offers $200 back when new cardholders spend $1,000 on the card within their first 3 months. That’s technically a bit better than the Double Cash card’s current offer — although the timeline for meeting the minimum spend is shorter. Either way, you really can’t go wrong with one of these 2% flat rate options.

Capital One Venture/Venture X

  • Annual fee: $95/$395
Capital One Venture Card

Another pair of options come from Capital One. First, the Venture card earns 2x miles on all purchases, with miles redeemable for travel bookings or transferrable to travel partners. Alternatively, the new Venture X features that same benefit but throws in some other travel perks, such as airport lounge access. The Venture does carry a $95 annual fee, while the Venture X has a $395 annual fee (but includes an up to $300 annual travel credit for bookings on Capital One Travel).

If you’re having trouble deciding between the two Venture options, then both having the same welcome offer probably doesn’t help. Regardless, both cards currently offer 75,000 bonus miles after new cardholders spend $4,000 on the card within their first 3 months. Whichever Venture option you choose, you’ll be rewarded with 2x miles on purchases as well as plenty of travel flexibility.

Apple Card

Apple Cards
  • Annual fee: N/A

Despite the Apple Card‘s unique, numberless, titanium physical card being heavily featured in Apple’s marketing for its credit card, it’s the digital version that actually holds most of the benefit. With Apple Card, customers earn 2% Daily Cash on all purchases they make via Apple Pay. With acceptance of mobile payments continuing to grow, there’s a good chance that this offer will cover at least a majority of the purchases you make. Plus, the card also earns 3% from select brands, including Ace Hardware, Walgreens/Duane Reade, Exxon/Mobil, Nike, Panera, T-Mobile, Uber/Uber Eats, and (of course) Apple.

In terms of downsides, for those without iPhones, the Apple Card is really of no benefit. Additionally, aside from a few random brand-specific offers from time to time, the Apple Card doesn’t offer a welcome bonus. However, those in the Apple ecosystem who want to earn 2% back on (nearly) everything may find value in the card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
  • Annual fee: $550

There are plenty of things to like about the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which is why it remains one of the most celebrated credit cards on the market. Alas, the 1x points that it earns on “everything else” is less than stellar. However, the reason the card lands on this list is because it allows users to redeem at a value of 1.5¢ per point when they book travel via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal or use the Chase Pay Yourself Back program. Thus, that 1% can effectively be 1.5% depending on how you redeem. By the way, Chase also maintains a stable of travel transfer partners, so you may be able to claim even better value per point.

Admittedly, a $550 annual fee for just 1.5% back still doesn’t sound too appealing. Luckily, the Sapphire Reserve offers other benefits, including up to $300 annual travel credit. Plus, other useful reward categories include 3x points on all travel purchases and 3x on dining among others. As luck would have it, the Sapphire Reserve is also currently boasting an enhanced welcome bonus, enabling new cardholders to earn 80,000 points when they spend $4,000 on the card within their first 3 months. For all of those reasons, the Chase Sapphire Reserve may be worth a look, even if its “everything else” rate is far from the highest on this list.

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Card
  • Annual fee: $400

In a way, the “everything else” benefit that the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve offers is a cross between the Apple Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. First, with the Altitude Reserve, cardholders can earn 3x points on all purchases they make using digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Then, when those points are redeemed for travel purchases, they’ll be worth 50% more. Thus, customers who use mobile wallets and use their earned points for travel can effectively earn 4.5% back on their purchases.

While that’s a pretty promising prospect, the downside here is the card’s $400 annual fee. However, that’s heavily offset by the annual $325 credit that can be used for eligible travel and dining purchases. Also, currently, new cardholders can earn 50,000 points when they spend $4,500 in purchases on the card within their first 90 days. So, while it may be a sizeable buy-in, those who regularly travel and use mobile wallets could certainly benefit from the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve.


Whether you’re looking for a solid flat-rate card, the ability to increase the value of your points via travel redemptions, or earn enhanced reward rates on mobile wallet payments, there are several ways to increase how much you earn on “everything else.” Of course, there’s more to consider beyond this base benefit. Therefore, be sure to consider the annual fee, other perks offered, welcome bonuses, and more to determine which rewards credit cards are right for you.

Author

Kyle Burbank

Head Writer ~ Fioney
Kyle is the head writer for Fioney. He is a personal finance nerd, constantly looking for new apps and services to test and incorporate into his own financial game plan. In addition to his role at Fioney, he's written for other publications including Born2Invest, Lifehack, and Laughing Place, as well as his own site Money@30. He also creates personal finance and travel-related videos for Money@30's YouTube channel, which has garnered more than 2 million views. Currently, Kyle resides in Springfield, Missouri with his wife of 10 years. Together, they enjoy traveling (including visiting Disney Parks around the world), dining, and playing with their dog Rigby.

Other Articles by Kyle Burbank

Robinhood Gold Credit Card

Robinhood Reveals New Credit Card, Reimagined Flagship App

During its "New Gold Standard" keynote event, Robinhood made some major announcements, including the launch of a new credit card. About the Robinhood Gold Card: The headlining announcement was the reveal of the new Robinhood Gold Card. In a bit that paid homage to Steve Jobs' iconic iPhone announcement, Robinhood co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev teased plans to release three different cards (a starter card, an everyday card, and a...
holding an American Express Gold card in front of a table of food

How to Maximize All of the American Express Gold Card Credits

One of the most often-used cards in my wallet is the American Express Gold Card. Like its "big brother" the Platinum Card, the Amex Gold card commands a sizeable annual fee but attempts to offset that expense by including monthly credits. Of course, the card also includes some lucrative rewards categories and redemption options that further give it value. Having recently explored the best ways to maximize the Platinum card's...
US Bank Altitude Connect Credit Card

U.S. Bank Plans Major Changes to Altitude Connect Credit Card

U.S. Bank has revealed several major changes to its Altitude Connect credit card, which will arrive this September. About the changes: The first update is that the card will no longer carry an annual fee. Previously, the Altitude Connect card came at a cost of $95 per year — although this was often waived for the first year. Those who apply for the card now will enjoy a $0 introductory...
The "Email" field is empty, you must enter some text to proceed.The text you entered in the "Email" field appears to be invalid, please edit it and try again
Get the Latest News Delivered to Your Inbox

A Guide to Building Credit and Increasing Your Credit Scores

When it comes to credit, there’s some good news. The average credit score in the United States has been steadily rising in recent years, coming in at 715 in 2023. That may be because, today, consumers not only have more ways to access their credit reports and scores than ever before but also because there are an increasing number of options that Americans have for building credit in the first...

2024 SoFi Checking and Savings Review

Ever since I started taking an interest in the FinTech sector, one company whose name I’ve seen pop up over and over again is SoFi. Lately it seems as though that theme has been sent into overdrive as the company has not only become a household name thanks to its stadium naming rights deal but also because of the company’s continued product expansions. The most interesting development in my mind...
Chase Freedom Flex card

Chase Reveals Q2 2024 Freedom 5%(+) Bonus Categories

Chase has announced its bonus category picks for the second quarter of 2024 — including some interesting twists. About the categories: As April approaches, Chase has revealed what categories Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders can earn bonuses on. From April 1st through June 30th, customers can earn 5% (or more) in three categories: Amazon.com, Hotels, and Restaurants. Similar to how Chase embraced a "New Year, New Me" theme last quarter,...

FedEx Announces Winners of 11th Annual 2023 Small Business Grant Contest

Nearly three months after the entry period ended, FedEx has announced the winners of its 11th annual Small Business Grant Content. This year's event saw more than $300,000 in funds going to a variety of small businesses across the nation. Last month, the company revealed 100 finalists, with that list now being narrowed down to just 10 winners. This year's grand prize winners included KindVR, The Cupcake Collection, Up In...
H-E-B and Central Market  credit cards

Imprint Launches Credit Cards from H-E-B and Central Market 

The FinTech Imprint is partnering with the popular Texas-based grocery chain H-E-B for a pair of new rewards credit cards. This week saw the launch of the H-E-B Visa Signature Credit Card as well as the Central Market Visa Signature Credit Card. With these two (nearly identical) options, customers will be able to earn rewards on groceries and beyond. First, both versions of the card earn up to 5% back on select...