Comparison Review: Citibank Cash Back Card vs. Bank of America Cash Rewards vs. Capital One Spark vs. Amex Blue Cash
If you are in the market for a cash back rewards credit card, you may quickly realize there are quite a few options out there. To help you with the research process, we have created a comparison guide to look at the four following cash back credit cards:
- Citi® Double Cash Card
- BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card
- Spark Cash Select from Capital One
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
While there is no single perfect credit card, there can be the perfect credit card for what you need personally. For example, our American Express credit card review may show that its cash back system is ideal for someone you know, but perhaps the Capital One Spark will work better for you.
This guide will help you figure this out and answer all the potential questions you may have.
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We will give you a Citibank cash back card, Bank of America cash rewards card, Capital One Spark card, and Amex Blue Cash Everyday review. Then we will do a side-by-side comparison.
By learning more and then comparing these four options, you will know the ideal cash back rewards card for you in 2017.
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Comparison Review List
The list below is sorted alphabetically (click any of the names below to go directly to the detailed review section):
- BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card
- Amex Blue Cash Everyday® Card
- Citi® Double Cash Card
- Capital One® Spark® Cash Select
High Level Comparison Table
Credit Card Names | Annual Percentage Rate | Intro | Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee | Type Of Credit Card |
| BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card | 13.24%–23.24% | 0% for 12 months | $0 | 3% | Personal |
| Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | 13.24%–23.24% | 0% for 12 months | $0 | 2.70% | Personal |
| Citi® Double Cash Card | 13.24%–23.24% | N/A | $0 | 3% | Personal |
| Capital One® Spark® Cash Select | 13.24%–21.24% | 0% for 9 months | $0 | N/A | Business |
Table: Cash Back Cards | Above list is sorted alphabetically
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BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card Review
The first cash back credit card we are looking at is the BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card offered by Bank of America. The 0% introductory APR is good for 12 months, allowing cardholders to earn cash back while paying no interest for an entire year.
Image Source: Bank of America
This credit card from Bank of America offers their cash back system the following way. You will receive:
- 1% back on all purchases
- 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
- 3% back on gas for the first $2,500 in grocery, wholesale, and gas purchases each quarter
One of the unique benefits of the BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card is the additional awards. If you have a Bank of America checking account or savings account and choose to redeem your cash back rewards there, you can get an extra 10%.
There is also a bonus offer from this Bank of America cash rewards card. If you spend $500 within the first 90 days, you will receive an extra $100 on this credit card from Bank of America.
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Amex Blue Cash Everyday® Review
Next up on our cash rewards comparison is an American Express credit card review. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express gives you cash back in the form of statement credits.
This American Express card offers their cash back system the following ways. You will receive:
- 1% back on all purchases
- 2% back on gas stations and select department stores
- 3% back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 each ear in purchases (1% thereafter)
You can also receive a cash bonus with the Blue Cash card. If you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months, you will receive an extra $100.
Citi® Double Cash Card Review
The Citi® Double Cash Card is the best card for those who do not want category-based earning. The two flat fees earn you cash back no matter what you spend your money on each month.
The Citibank cash back credit card has the most unique way of offering cash back, allowing you to actually earn twice. You will receive:
- 1% cash back on all purchases
- 1% cash back as you pay back those purchases
This card actually encourages you to pay back your debt since it holds off on that second round of 1% cash back until you make your monthly payment. Though the Citibank cash back card APR is fairly low, you have an extra reason to get out of debt and avoid any interest payments.
Capital One® Spark® Cash Select Review
Now we finish up with the only business card in our comparison: the Spark Cash Select from Capital One. This Capital One business credit card has a 0% introductory APR is another bonus, encouraging business owners to make bigger purchases since you have 9 months to pay them off interest-free.
Image Source: Capital One
The Capital One Spark card has a simple and straightforward cash back method. You will receive:
- 1.5% back on all purchases
Since these rewards are unlimited, the Capital One Spark card could earn your business significant money on purchases you had to make anyway.
Plus the Spark Cash Select From Capital One offers a possible bonus of $200 if you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months on this Capital One business credit card.
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Rates and Fees Comparison
When it comes to comparing the interest rates and fees among these four cash back credit cards, there are very few differences worth nothing. They all have a similar APR range, and no card has an annual fee.
Here are two notes worth making that could have an influence on your decision:
- The Capital One Spark card offers a slightly lower APR range. This means business owners with fair credit can receive a little lower credit card interest rate.
- The Citi® Double Cash Card does not offer an introductory 0% APR for any time. This means if you know you are going to make a big purchase and want a few interest-free months to pay it off, this Citibank cash back credit card may not be ideal.
- The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has a slightly lower foreign transaction fee than the other three cards. If you are a frequent traveler who goes out of the country, this American Express credit card review points to this being a better option for you.
- If you take out cash advances, the cash rewards credit card from Bank of America may be a better option for you. Their cash advance APR range is between 16.24% and 25.24%. The other two personal cards are both at 25.49%.
Purpose Comparison
There is one main division in these cards when it comes to their purpose: personal vs. business use.
- The BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card, Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, and Citi® Double Cash Card are all meant for personal use.
- The Spark Cash Select from Capital One is intended for business use. This means your Capital One Spark card will earn you cash back on business purchases. Plus, you can add employee cards at no additional cost to you. This allows you to earn even more cash back for your business by choosing the Spark Cash Select from Capital One.
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Cash Rewards Comparison
Since this is a cash rewards comparison, we will spend the most time discussing the differences between the cash back perks. All four of these credit cards have different ways to earn you cash back.
Because the Spark Cash Select from Capital One is for business, it has a very different function than our other cards. We won’t focus on its streamlined cash back process, 1.5% on all purchases, in this comparison. Instead, we will focus on the pros and cons of the three personal cards.
- If you like a tiered cash back approach, choose the BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card or the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. If you spend more at grocery stores or department stores, choose the American Express. If you spend more at gas stations or wholesale clubs, choose the Bank of America cash rewards card.
- If you want a more simple cash back approach, choose the Citi® Double Cash Card. By giving you 1% cash back on all purchases and 1% as you pay off the Citibank cash back card, you get the same amount no matter what you are purchasing. Plus, Citibank cash back credit card encourages you to more quickly pay off your debt.
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Online Reviews Comparison
Now it is time to compare the online review websites to see what others are saying about these four credit card options. Do know that there are fewer business card reviews, limiting the Capital One Spark card.
Citi® Double Cash Card:
- 4.1 out of 5 from Credit Karma
- 3.5 out of 5 from WalletHub
- 3 out of 5 from NerdWallet
BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card:
- 3.8 out of 5 from Credit Karma
- 4 out of 5 from WalletHub
- 4 out of 5 from NerdWallet
Spark Cash Select from Capital One:
- 1.5 out of 5 from NerdWallet (Note: there are only 3 reviews, the NerdWallet website assigned it a 4.5)
- 90 out of 100 from Credio
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express:
- 4.4 out of 5 on Credit Karma
- 3.5 out of 5 from WalletHub
- 3.5 out of 5 from NerdWallet
As you can see, all three personal cash back cards are extremely similar. The Bank of America cash rewards card has a slightly higher average, followed closely by Blue Cash and the Citibank cash back card.
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Conclusion: Citi® Double Cash Card, Bank of America Cash Rewards Card, Capital One Spark, or American Express Blue Cash?
Now that you have a more detailed look into these four credit cards with cash back, it is time to see which would work best for you. Again, there are great pros and a few cons to each of these options. One is not necessarily better than the other, but it may be better for you depending on your individual preferences.
Here are a few people who may benefit from each card:
- Citi® Double Cash Card: Our review suggests that those who do not want category restrictions and those who pay off their credit card balances frequently may like this Citibank cash back credit card.
- BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card: Our review suggests Bank of America customers, those who fill up their tank frequently each year, and those who may want to buy a large purchase interest-free for the first year may like this credit card from Bank of America.
- Spark Cash Select from Capital One: Our review suggests business owners, especially those who want a flat cash rewards rate and free employee cards, may like this Capital One business credit card.
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Our Amex Blue Cash Everyday review suggests people who buy a lot of groceries, those who travel internationally, and those who may want to buy a large purchase interest-free for the first year may like this card.
Now you have the information you need to make a confident decision about the cash back credit card that is just right for you in 2017.
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