Which credit card earns more cash back overall?
Based on identical spending inputs, you’ll earn $270.00 cash back per year with Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards (Platinum Tier) and $229.08 with PNC Cash Rewards Visa Credit Card. For context, the average annual rewards payout from the cashback credit cards in the investor.com database is $181.73.
The annual rewards payout assumes you charge $1,000 each month spread across the following spending categories: Dining ($145), Entertainment ($134), Gas ($140), Groceries ($198), Travel ($128), Pharmacy ($15), and Other ($240). The dollar amounts for each category are based on consumer spending data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (i.e., how much the average American spends proportionally across the major credit card rewards categories). But you can — and absolutely should! — customize the inputs based on your actual monthly spending habits, using our rewards calculator.
To ensure the most accurate results possible, the rewards calculations for Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards (Platinum Tier) and PNC Cash Rewards Visa Credit Card incorporate bonus rewards rates, spending caps, default rewards rates and annual fees, where applicable.
Is the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards (Platinum Tier) good?
How do you turn a so-so 1.5% cashback card into a much more attractive 2.25% one? Go platinum! The upgrade requires keeping 50 Gs in a BofA checking or Merrill Edge investment account, which qualifies you for Platinum Tier status in Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program.
thumb_up Likes
- Unlimited cash back on all purchases (no spending caps here!)
- 50% rewards booster (2.25% vs. 1.5%) for Platinum Tier Preferred Rewards customers
- $200 sign-up bonus
- 0% intro APR for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee
- Preferred Rewards tiers qualify for additional banking/investing benefits
thumb_down Dislikes
- Rewards booster requires maintaining a $50,000 combined minimum in BofA and/or Merrill Edge investing account
- The Platinum Tier rewards boost may take 30 days to kick in after enrolling in the Preferred Rewards program
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- 3% balance transfer fee
| Category |
Default Rate |
Bonus Rate |
Bonus Spend Cap |
Bonus Spend Period (Months) |
| Gas |
2.25% |
- |
- |
- |
| Travel |
2.25% |
- |
- |
- |
| Dining |
2.25% |
- |
- |
- |
| Entertainment |
2.25% |
- |
- |
- |
| Pharmacy |
2.25% |
- |
- |
- |
| Groceries |
2.25% |
- |
- |
- |
| Other Purchases |
2.25% |
- |
- |
- |
Is the PNC Cash Rewards Visa Credit Card good?
The PNC Cash Rewards Visa sports some features of a fancypants rewards card (higher-than-average cashback rates) minus the price tag (no annual fee). But big spenders risk bumping up against the annual bonus spending cap.
thumb_up Likes
- Earn 4%, 3%, 2% cash back on gas, restaurants and groceries, respectively (up to a point)
- $200 signup bonus
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for first 12 months
- No annual fee
thumb_down Dislikes
- $8K annual spending cap on purchases eligible for 4%, 3% and 2% cash back
- No 0% intro APR on purchases
- If there’s a fee, they charge it
- 3% foreign transaction fee
| Category |
Default Rate |
Bonus Rate |
Bonus Spend Cap |
Bonus Spend Period (Months) |
| Gas |
1.00% |
4.00% |
$8,000 |
12 |
| Travel |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
| Dining |
1.00% |
3.00% |
$8,000 |
12 |
| Entertainment |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
| Pharmacy |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
| Groceries |
1.00% |
2.00% |
$8,000 |
12 |
| Other Purchases |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
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Methodology
The results of the investor.com Credit Card Rewards Calculator are based on the monthly spending amounts you enter and the annual dollar value of the rewards each credit card program pays per $1 spent. Credit card companies often express this payout amount as a percentage (e.g., 1.5% of every dollar spent) or on a points basis (e.g. ,1.5 points for every dollar spent). We converted all of them to a dollar amount (“Cash Back Per Year”) to make comparing offers easier.
To calculate the amount of cash back you could earn per year, we factored in:
- Spend category inputs: The default dollar values for each “Spend Category” in the Best Cashback Credit Cards tool — gas, groceries, travel, restaurant, entertainment, pharmacy, other — are based on average American spending data from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We also include additional spend categories (such as streaming services, online shopping, utilities, transit, Amazon and more) to help you see which rewards cards are most closely aligned with your actual spending patterns. We encourage you to customize the monthly spend inputs for the most accurate results.
- Tiered rewards rates: If a rewards credit card pays higher cashback rates on certain spending categories (also called “Bonus Rewards”), that difference is reflected in the total “Cash Back Per Year” tally.
- Rewards spending caps: Some cards impose category- or time-based limits (monthly, quarterly, annually) that affect the amount of rewards you can earn. For example, a card may pay 3% cash back on groceries on up to $1,000 of spending each quarter, then revert to the base/default rewards rate until the following quarter. We accounted for bonus spending caps and timeframe in the calculations.
- Default rewards rates: Purchases that exceed a spending cap are usually subject to a lower default rewards rate (e.g., 1% or 1.5%). We mathed that out too.
- Annual fees: If a rewards card charges an annual fee, we deducted that amount from the “Cash Back Per Year” total to provide a true accounting of a card’s annual rewards payout.
What’s not included in the “Cash Back Per Year” total is the cash value of any sign-up/introductory bonus. We highlight any Welcome Bonus separately. While sign-up bonuses can be the most lucrative part of getting a new cashback rewards credit card, not everyone will want or be able to do what it takes to earn the extra cash. (It usually requires spending a certain amount in a specified time period after the card is activated.)
