In today’s credit card landscape, squeezing every penny of cashback from your daily spends has become an art form. Here’s a streamlined strategy that leverages just three primary cards, yet promises to deliver cashback percentages exceeding 5% across various spending categories, aligning with the latest 2025 credit card offers.
The heart of this strategy beats with the Citi Custom Cash® Card, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards, and the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred® Card. These selections are based on current offers and the ease of managing just a few cards to maximize rewards.
Online Shopping and Costco: The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards card leads here, offering up to 5.25% cashback on online purchases, especially if you’re a Costco enthusiast. With $100k in Bank of America assets, this rate is attainable, making it a powerhouse for online transactions.
Dining: Choose between the Citi Custom Cash® Card or another Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards card. The Citi card gives you 5% back on up to $500 monthly spend in your top spending category, which could be dining if that’s where you spend the most.
Travel and Gas: Similar to dining, these can be covered by either card, ensuring you get the highest return on your fuel and travel expenses. The Citi Custom Cash® offers flexibility by adapting to your highest monthly spend.
Groceries and Streaming: Enter the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred® Card, which in 2025, still provides 6% cashback on groceries up to $6,000 annually, alongside streaming services. Remember, there’s a $95 annual fee, waived for the first year, which can often be countered by annual retention offers.
Specialized Categories:
- Amazon: The Prime Visa card is your best bet, offering 5% back with a Prime membership, and sometimes up to 6% for delayed shipping.
- Gym and Utilities: The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card gives 5% back on these specific categories, with a $2,000 quarterly cap per category.
Mobile Wallet Use: For those who prefer digital payments, the Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard® offers 5% back on Apple Pay transactions.
General Purchases: The U.S. Bank Smartly™ Card serves well here, offering 4% cashback on all other purchases if you hold $100k in assets with U.S. Bank.
International Spending: Abroad, the AAA Daily Advantage Visa Signature® and Bank of America® Travel Rewards cards ensure you’re not losing out on cashback due to foreign transaction fees, with the latter requiring a product change from certain Bank of America cards.
Enhancing your strategy, the Citi Rewards+® Card pairs beautifully with the Citi Custom Cash® to give a 10% rebate on redemptions, pushing your effective cashback rate up. However, acquiring multiple Citi Custom Cash® Cards remains challenging, hence the reliance on Bank of America for additional cards.
This approach does require managing limits – for example, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards caps at $2,500 per quarter per category. But with strategic spending and perhaps a partner in card strategy, you can navigate these limits efficiently.
For additional benefits, consider cards like the Penfed Pathfinder Rewards for a $100 annual travel credit or the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card for its free monthly data.
This strategy, while complex, is designed for typical spending patterns, ensuring you’re not left juggling too many cards. It’s about understanding each card’s strengths and aligning your spending accordingly.