Get Your Money! Minimum Redemption Amounts for Cash Back Cards

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Cash back cards allow you to turn the points you earn with your card into a statement credit or a deposit into your bank account.  And some cards will mail you a check.

You can often redeem for cash back at a rate of 1 cent per point.  You’ll get a much better value by earning points towards travel with most cards.

However, cash back is still a fantastic way to pay for things that miles and hotel points don’t usually cover such as meals and entertainment.

Some folks prefer earning cash back because of its flexibility.  But it’s important to know the minimum redemption requirements.  Otherwise you might find yourself with points in your account that you can’t use.

Here are the minimum redemption requirements for some of the more popular cash back cards:

Credit Card	Minimum Redemption Requirement for Cash Back
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	$25
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	$25
AMEX Fidelity	$50
AMEX Membership Rewards	$6 for a statement credit
SimplyCash® Business Card from American Express	1 cent
Bankamericard Cash Rewards	$25
Bankamericard Travel Rewards	$25
Barclaycard Arrival	$100 for travel or $25 for non-travel
Barclaycard Arrival Plus	$100 for travel or $25 for non-travel
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card	1 cent
Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business	1 cent
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card	1 cent
Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card	1 cent
Chase AARP	$20
Chase Ultimate Rewards	$20
Citi Dividend (closed to applications)	$50
	$25
Citi ThankYou	$50 for check $10 for statement credits
Discover it® Cash Back	1 cent
US Bank Cash+	1 cent
US Bank FlexPerks Business Edge Travel Rewards Visa	$50
US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa	$50
US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards AMEX	$50

I’ll explain the details!

American Express Cards

1.   AMEX Blue Cash Everyday ($25)

Link:   American Express Blue Cash Everyday

With the AMEX Blue Cash Everyday card you’ll earn 3% cash back (on up to $6,000 in spending per year then 1%) at US supermarkets, 2% cash back at US gas stations and select US department stores, and 1% cash back on everything else.

Additional Perks:

• $100 in cash back when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening an account
• NO annual fee
• Terms & conditions apply

You can redeem the cash back you earn with the AMEX Blue Cash Everyday card starting at $25.   AMEX cards like this 1 are good to have!  That’s because not only do you get the benefits that come with the card, but you can also register for AMEX Offers to save lots of money of everyday purchases!

2.  AMEX Blue Cash Everyday Preferred ($25)

Link:   American Express Blue Cash Everyday Preferred

The AMEX Blue Cash Everyday Preferred will give you 6% cash back (on up to  $6,000 in spending per year then 1%) at US supermarkets and 3% cash back at US gas stations and select US department stores.  Then 1% cash back on everything else.

I like cards that earn big bonus points at grocery stores.  Because you get points (or cash back) on gift cards to other places like restaurants and movie theaters!

Additional Perks:

• $150 in cash back when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening an account
• Terms & conditions apply

There is an annual fee of $75, which is NOT waived the 1st year.  The minimum redemption requirement for this card is $25.

3.  Fidelity Visa ($50)

Link:   Fidelity Visa

You will earn 2% cash back anywhere you use the American Express Fidelity card, as long as your cash back is deposited into an eligible Fidelity account .

Additional Perks:

• NO limit on how much cash back you can earn
• NO Annual Fee
• Terms & conditions apply

There is a 1% foreign transaction fee with this card.

You must have at least 5,000 Fidelity Rewards points ($50) to redeem for cash back.

4.   AMEX Membership Rewards ($6 for Statement Credit)

You can redeem the AMEX Membership Rewards points you earn with these cards for a statement credit starting at 1,000 points ($6).  That’s because 167 points is only worth $1 when applied this way.

You can get a much better value for your American Express Membership Rewards points when you redeem for travel!

You can lose your AMEX Membership Rewards points when you close your AMEX credit card account, but I have a some tips to help you keep them!

5.   AMEX SimplyCash (1 cent)

Link:   American Express SimplyCash

With the American Express SimplyCash card you’ll earn 5% cash back (up to $25,000 in purchases per rebate year) at US office supply stores & US cell phone service.  You’ll also get 3% cash back (up to $25,000 in purchases per rebate year) in a category of your choice.

See my full review of the AMEX SimplyCash card for more details.

The cash back you earn with this card is automatically posted as a statement credit.  So there is NO minimum redemption requirement.

I signed-up for this card in 2014.  It’s 1 of my favorite cash back cards because you get 5% back at US office supply stores!  Stores like Staples and Office Depot sell gift cards to many other stores and restaurants.

So you can earn 5% cash back on more than just office supplies!

6.   AMEX True Earnings Costco Personal & Business Cards (1 cent but not until the end of the year)

By using the AMEX True Earnings Costco personal card, you can earn 3% cash back (on up to $4,000 in purchases per year) at US gas stations and on gas at Costco.

However, you’ll earn a higher 4% cash back (up to $7,000 in purchases per year) in the same category with the AMEX True Earnings Costco Business card.

Additional Perks of Both Cards:

• NO annual fee with a paid Costco membership
• 2% cash back at US restaurants
• 2% cash back on eligible travel purchases
• Terms & conditions apply

Plus there is NO minimum redemption with these cards.  You will receive your cash back in the form of a reward coupon each year.  Your check can be used for merchandise or redeemed for cash at Costco.

Note:   Costco will no longer accept AMEX credit cards starting March 31, 2016.

Bank of America Cards

1.   BankAmericard Cash Rewards ($25)

Link:   BankAmericard Cash Rewards

The BankAmericard Cash Rewards card will give you 1% cash back on every purchase, 2% at grocery stores, and 3% on gas for the first $1,500 in combined grocery/gas purchases each quarter.

Additional Card Perks:

• $100 cash back when you spend $500 on purchases within the 1st 90 days of opening an account
• NO annual fee

You will pay a 3% foreign transaction fee with this card.  You can redeem for cash back starting at 2,500 points ($25).

If you redeem for an deposit into your Bank of America checking account or Merrill Lynch Cash Management account, you’ll get a 10% bonus.  So 2,500 points will give you $27.50.

2.   BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit Card ($25)

Link:   BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit Card

Get 1.5 points per dollar spent on the BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit Card.

Additional Card Perks:

• $200 statement credit when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the 1st 90 days of opening an account
• NO annual fees
• NO foreign transaction fees

Redeem your points for statement credits on travel purchases starting at $25.

Barclaycard cards

Note:  Current cardholders can redeem Barclacards Arrival miles for $25+ in travel ($12.50 minimum for non-travel) until their next annual fee posts.

1.   Barclaycard Arrival ($100 for travel or $25 for non-travel)

Link:   Barclaycard Arrival

The Barclaycard Arrival card will give you 2X Arrival miles on travel and dining. Check out my full review of this card.

You can redeem Arrival miles starting at 10,000 miles for $100 back for travel expenses (plus 5% of your miles back).  Or 5,000 miles gets you $25 for non-travel purchases.

2.   Barclaycard Arrival Plus ($100 for travel or $25 for non-travel)

Link:   Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard

With the Barclaycard Arrival Plus card you’ll get 2X Arrival miles with every purchase.  See my review of this card for more details.

The Arrival miles you earn with the Barclaycard Arrival Plus card can be redeemed starting at 10,000 miles for $100 as a statement credit towards a $100+ travel purchase (Plus 5% miles back).  But the minimum redemption for non-travel expenses is 5,000 miles, which will get you a $25 statement credit.

You effectively get 2.1% cash back on travel purchases with this card.  So if you have a lot of travel expenses, this is probably the best cash back card!

Capital One Cards

1.   Capital One Quicksilver (1 cent)

Link:   Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

You’ll earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases with the Capital One Quicksilver card.

Additional Perks:

• $100 cash back when you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account
• NO annual fee
• NO foreign transaction fees

There is NO minimum redemption requirement for this card.

2.   Capital One Spark Cash Business (1 cent)

Link:   Capital One Spark Cash for Business

You’ll earn 2% cash back on every purchase with the Capital One Spark Cash Business card.  Making this a great card for folks who don’t like being tied down to specific spending categories!

Additional Perks:

• $500 in cash back when you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account
• $59 annual fee waived the 1st year
• NO foreign transaction fees

You redeem for cash back or a statement credit upon request.  So there is NO minimum redemption.

3.   Capital One Venture (1 cent)

Link:   Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Every purchase you make with the Capital One Venture card earns 2X miles.

Additional Perks:

• 40,000 miles when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening an account
• $59 annual fee waived the 1st year
• NO foreign transaction fees

There is NO minimum redemption requirement for statement credits on travel purchases.  The rates for non-travel redemption options (cash, gift cards, and more) vary.

4.   Capital One Venture One (1 cent)

Link:   Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card

You can earn 1.25X miles on all purchases with the Capital One Venture One card.

Additional Perks:

• 20,000 miles when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening an account
• NO annual fee
• NO foreign transaction fees

This card also has NO minimum redemption requirement.  The rates for non-travel redemption options (cash, gift cards, and more) vary.

Chase Cards

1.   Chase AARP ($20)

Link:   Chase AARP

With the Chase AARP card you’ll get 3% cash back at restaurants and gas stations.

Additional Perks:

• $100 cash back when you spend $500 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening an account
• NO annual fee

You can redeem for cash back starting at $20.

Did you know you don’t have to be over 50 or retired to get this card?!

2.   Chase Ultimate Rewards ($20)

You can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for cash back.  Cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points include:

Personal Cards	Business Cards
Chase Sapphire Reserve	Chase Ink Business Preferred
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card	Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
Chase Sapphire (No Longer Available to New Applicants)
Note: Points earned from the Chase Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, Sapphire, and Ink Business Cash cards can only be transferred to travel partners if you also have a Chase Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Ink Business Preferred, Ink Plus, or Ink Bold card.

You need at least 2,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($20) to redeem for cash back.

But remember, those points can be worth a LOT more when you transfer them to airline and hotel partners such as United Airlines and Hyatt.

Also, 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards point is worth 1.25 cents when you book any flight at any time (no blackout dates) through the Chase travel portal.

Citibank Cards

1.   Citi Dividend ($50)

The Citi Dividend card is closed to new applications.  But folks who already have this card can redeem for cash back starting at $50.

2.   Citi DoubleCash ($25)

Link:   Citi Double Cash

With the Citi Double Cash card you’ll get 1% cash back on all purchases.  Then another 1% cash back on payments, as long as you meet the minimum payment.  Get all the details on this card and see how it stacks up to other cash back cards in my review.

You can redeem for as little as $25 in cash back.

3.   Citi ThankYou Cards ($10 for Statement Credits)

Citi cards that earn ThankYou points include:

Cards With Points That Directly Transfer to Travel Partners	Cards With Points That Transfer ONLY If You Have a Card From First Column
Citi Prestige® Card	CitiBusiness ThankYou (No Longer Available)
Citi Chairman	Citi AT&T Access More (No Longer Available)

You can redeem Citi ThankYou points for cash in increments of $50 and $100.  Statement credits are available starting at $10.

But I prefer transferring Citi ThankYou points to Singapore Airlines. That’s because you can get good deals using Singapore Airlines miles to fly on United Airlines to Hawaii and flying Singapore Airlines to Europe.

1.   Discover It (1 cent)

Link:   Discover It

With the Discover It card you can earn 5% cash back (up to the quarterly maximum) on categories that rotate each quarter.

Additional Perks:

• NO annual fee
• NO foreign transaction fees

You can redeem for a statement credit or direct deposit into your bank account for any amount.

US Bank

1.   US Bank Cash+  (1 cent)

Link:   US Bank Cash+

You’ll earn 5% cash back (up to $2,000 in spending) on 2 categories of your choice each quarter with the US Bank Cash + card.

Additional Perks:

• 2% cash back on 1 category of your choice
• NO annual fee

There is a 2% or 3% foreign transaction fee (depending on how your purchase is processed) with this card.  There is NO minimum redemption requirement.

2.   US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa

Link:   US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa

This card earns 3X points when you give to a charity and 2X points on the category where you spend the most (airline, gas, or grocery) and most cell phone expenses.

You must have at least 5,000 points ($50) to redeem for cash back.

3.   US Bank FlexPerks Business Travel Rewards Visa ($50)

Link:   US Bank FlexPerks Business Edge Travel Rewards Visa

With the US Bank FlexPerks Business Edge card you get 3X points on charitable donations.  You’ll also earn 2X points on most cell phone expenses and the category you spend the most in (airline, gas, or office supplies).

You can redeem for cash back starting at 5,000 points or $50.

4.   US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards AMEX ($50)

Link:   US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards American Express

The US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards AMEX card gives you:

• 3X points on charitable donations
• 2X points on whichever category you spend more on each month – airlines, gas, or groceries
• 2X points on most cell phone expenses
• 2X points on restaurants

Bottom Line

I prefer earning airline miles and hotel points for Big Travel.  But earning cash back is an excellent way to pay for travel expenses such as meals, tips, local transportation, and entertainment.

However, you should be aware that with some cards you must earn a minimum number of points before you can get your cash!  Depending on the card it can be as little as 1 penny or as much as $50.