Best cashback and reward credit cards 2025
In this article
- What are cashback and reward credit cards?
- Best cashback credit card deals
- Best supermarket reward credit card deals
- Cashback and reward credit card provider reviews
- How do cashback and reward credit cards work?
- How to use a cashback and reward credit card effectively
- Cashback and reward credit cards FAQs
- How we analyse credit cards
What are cashback and reward credit cards?
A cashback credit card is a type of reward credit card that pays you a percentage of what you spend. Usually, you'll get this as a credit on your bill, or in some cases it will be paid straight into your bank account – monthly, quarterly or annually.
Other reward credit cards will offer points based on your spending, often linked to particular retailers, which can be converted into vouchers.
This guide reveals the best cashback and supermarket reward credit card deals on the market and provides tips for using these credit cards effectively.
Best cashback credit card deals
Below, we've set out the best cashback credit card deals available right now paying the highest rates of cashback.
Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of a credit card provider before committing to any financial products.
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Santander Edge Credit Card | 76% | 2% (a) | £36 | £104 | £104 | 29.8% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable), representative 29.8% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Amex Cashback Credit Card | 80% | 0.75% (b) | £0 (c) | £39 | £94.25 | 35.6% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 30% (variable), representative 35.6% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Amex Everyday Cashback Credit Card | 80% | 0.5% (d) | £0 | £26 | £123 | 30% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 30% (variable), representative 30% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Santander All In One Credit Card | 76% | 0.5% (e) | £36 | £26 | £26 | 29.8% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable), representative 29.8% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Table notes: table correct as of 5 June 2025. The average provider customer score is 72%. Find out more about how we pick products to be Best Buys and judge brands to be Recommended Providers. (a) Available to Santander current account holders. Cashback is capped at £15 a month. The rate falls to 1% after 12 months (b) For the first three months you will earn 5% on purchases (up to £125). From month four, you earn 0.75% cashback on spending up to £10,000 and 1.25% cashback on spending over £10,000 within a year (c) First year of membership is free; from year two, the annual fee will be £25 (d) You earn 5% cashback for the first five months (up to £125 cashback). From month six you earn 0.5% cashback on spending up to £10,000 and 1% cashback on spending over £10,000 within a year (e) Up to £10 per month
Our analysis of cashback credit cards
The American Express Platinum Cashback Credit Card and the free American Express Platinum Everyday Cashback Credit Card offer some of the highest cashback rates on the market, with an attractive 5% cashback during their promotional periods. After the introductory period, however, this rate drops to either 0.75% or 0.5%, depending on the card.
Customers consistently rate American Express highly. The brand is a Which? Recommended Provider, boasting the highest customer score among 28 providers in our survey.
The Santander Edge credit card offers a solid cashback rate of 2% in the first year, followed by 1% in the second year. However, it comes with a £36 annual fee and is only available to customers who hold a current account with Santander. Like American Express, Santander is also a Which? Recommended Provider.
Best supermarket reward credit card deals
Below, we've set out the best reward credit cards that are linked to supermarkets.
We've analysed the top cards on the market to work out how much you would earn if you spent £100 a week over the course of a year at a participating retailer (if specified). We then converted the rewards into monetary value to see how much you could earn.
Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms &and conditions of a credit card provider before committing to any financial products.
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER American Express Nectar Credit Card | 80% | 3 points per £1 (a) | 2 points per £1 | £0 (b) | £77.50 | £77.50 | 36.8% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 30% (variable), representative 36.8% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
John Lewis Partnership Credit Card | 75% | 5 points per £4 | 1 point per £4 (c) | £0 | £65 | £75 (d) | 28.9% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 28.94% (variable), representative 28.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Tesco Bank Low APR Credit Card | 79% | 5 points per £4 | 1 point per £8 | £0 | £65 | £65 | 10.9% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 10.9% (variable), representative 10.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
M&S Bank Reward Credit Card | 78% | 1 point per £1 (e) | 1 point per £5 | £0 | £52 | £156 | 23.9% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable), representative 23.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Asda Money Credit Card | 72% | 0.75% | 0.20% | £0 | £39 | £59 (f) | 27.9% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 27.9% (variable), representative 27.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Table notes: table correct as of 5 June 2025. The average provider customer score is 69%. Find out more about how we analyse brands to award Recommended Providers. (a) 20,000 Nectar points when you spend £2,000 in your first three months offer is not factored into this analysis as we are only spending £100 a week (b) £30 annual fee after the first year (c) From August 2025 cardholders will earn 1 point per £10 spent at other retailers (d) Earn double points on eligible spend at John Lewis and Waitrose for the first 60 days (e) For the first six months you will earn 5 points per £1 spent at M&S (f) Get £20 worth of Asda Pounds when you open a new credit card. New customers only.
Our analysis of supermarket reward credit cards
You can consistently earn the most with the American Express Nectar credit card, but it's worth noting there is a £30 annual fee after the first year, and you must scan your Nectar card when paying for maximum points.
Currently, American Express Nectar is offering 20,000 Nectar points if you spend £2,000 on the card in the first three months. But as this didn't match our spending scenario, we haven't included the analysis of the yearly earnings including offers.
M&S are currently running a generous introductory offer. New cardholders can earn 5 points per pound for the first 6 months, which significantly boosts the amount you can earn over a year in our spending scenario.
- Find out more: loyalty schemes compared.
Cashback and reward credit card provider reviews
As well as finding a cashback or reward credit card which offers the best benefits, you should also consider the quality of a provider's customer service. But that's hard to do unless you've been a customer before.
Which? has rated 28 of the most popular credit card providers based on real-life experiences to help you find out what they're like for customer service, mobile banking and more before you sign up.
You can take a look at our full analysis in our guide to the best credit card providers.
How do cashback and reward credit cards work?
Cashback credit cards pay a rate of cashback that determines how much you can earn each time you spend. So, for example, a cashback rate of 5% means you would earn £5 on a £100 spend.
Every time you pay with your cashback credit card, you earn a percentage of what you spent on the purchase. This is usually either paid as a credit on your bill or paid into a nominated account.
Reward credit cards are similar, but pay you in points that can normally be converted into vouchers to spend with a particular retailer.
Some deals come with introductory rates that may be capped and followed by an ongoing rate, while others pay a flat unlimited rate for as long as you have the card.
The trick with a cashback or reward credit card is to use it as a debit card and load all of your everyday spending onto it to rack up the benefits. However, you should make sure you can pay off the balance in full every month, otherwise, the interest you're charged will quickly outweigh any rewards you earn.
Many reward and cashback cards also come with an annual fee; you'll need to factor in whether or not paying this is worth it compared with what you might make back.
How to use a cashback and reward credit card effectively
With a cashback or reward credit card, there are a few things to bear in mind to make sure you use them effectively. We've set out the golden rules below.
1. Avoid borrowing
Cashback and reward credit cards are a rewarding tool if you only use them to spend money you actually have as you would with a debit card.
They're generally not very good for borrowing, with few cards offering competitive 0% deals.
If you're already paying interest on credit card debt, it's worth considering a 0% balance transfer card, or if you want to spread the cost of a new purchase try an interest-free purchase card.
2. Pay off the balance in full every month
It's important to make sure you pay off the balance of your cashback credit card in full every month otherwise the interest could outweigh the rewards.
With this in mind, we recommend you set up a direct debit to clear your balance each month so you don't forget.
3. Maximise your rewards with everyday spending
To get the most out of your cashback or reward credit card you should try to use it as much as possible.
The best cards reward you every time you make a purchase, so it makes sense to use them instead of cash or debit cards whenever you can.
Cashback and reward credit cards FAQs
Have a cashback or reward credit card query? See if you can find the answer in our Q&A below.
How we analyse credit cards
Lanna Rosgen, Which? credit card market analyst, says: 'At Which?, we put credit card products and providers under the microscope to help you save time when shopping around for a new deal.
'We run a survey each year to gather the experiences of customers to help us find the best providers and we keep a close eye on the credit card market to determine which deals are the best in their category.'
Here's some more information about our research and the terms we use in this guide.
Customer score
Our provider customer scores are based on an online survey of 4,014 members of the public, conducted in October 2024.
Provider scores are worked out using a combination of overall satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the provider to a friend.
Sample sizes for customer score: American Express (Amex) (217), Tesco Bank (207), Marks and Spencer Bank (134), Zopa (40), Santander (165), John Lewis (82), Nationwide (168), Lloyds Bank (219), NatWest (193), Virgin Atlantic (69), Asda Money (77), Barclaycard (440), First Direct (112), Halifax (198), British Airways (99), Capital One (244), HSBC (197), TSB (99), Virgin Money (including Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank) (96), MBNA (125), Bank of Scotland (76), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) (149), Ocean (42), Amazon (109), Aqua (123), The Co-operative Bank (76), Post Offi ce (42), Vanquis Bank (71).
Which? Recommended Providers
Lenders that are Which? Recommended Providers meet our benchmarks on customer service and product offering.
To become a Which? Recommended Providers, a lender must have:
- A provider score of at least 74%
- At least one top-10 card in one of the seven main categories available on the market
- A product analysis score that's average or above
- Not have a representative APR of more than 35% on any of its mainstream cards at the time of the analysis.
Which? Best Buys
To become a Which? Best Buy, a credit card must have been one of the top-five cards in its category and must also satisfy specific criteria for the type of card such as the size of balance transfer fee or length of 0% period. A provider must have also achieved a provider score of over 70% in our latest credit card provider customer satisfaction survey.
We also review our analysis regularly, which means we will withdraw Best Buys if providers make adverse changes to APRs, 0% periods or fees.
Find out more: Which? symbols, logos and ratings explained
Why should you trust Which? research?
We’re not influenced by third parties. We work entirely on behalf of you, the consumer – nobody else. See our statement of editorial independence for more.