Which credit card earns more cash back overall?
Based on identical spending inputs, you’ll earn $201.36 cash back per year with BMO Harris Bank Cash Back Mastercard and $208.80 with Chase Freedom Unlimited. 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 BMO Harris Bank Cash Back Mastercard and Chase Freedom Unlimited incorporate bonus rewards rates, spending caps, default rewards rates and annual fees, where applicable.
Is the BMO Harris Bank Cash Back Mastercard good?
For couch potatoes (raises hand), the BMO Harris Bank Cash Back Mastercard's 5% rewards rate on streaming, cable TV and satellite services feels like enough justification to add even more subscription channels to your viewing lineup.
thumb_up Likes
- 5% unlimited cashback on streaming/cable/satellite services
- 3% cashback on gas and groceries
- Welcome bonus and 0% APR on balance transfers available
- Comes with roadside assistance and cell phone protection coverage
- No annual fee
thumb_down Dislikes
- Combined $2,500 quarterly spending cap on gas and grocery 3% cashback category
- 4% balance-transfer fee is pretty pricey
- 1% base cashback on all other purchases
- Charges a 3% foreign transaction fee
- Residency restrictions for application apply
Category |
Default Rate |
Bonus Rate |
Bonus Spend Cap |
Bonus Spend Period (Months) |
Gas |
1.00% |
3.00% |
$2,500 |
3 |
Travel |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
Dining |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
Entertainment |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
Pharmacy |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
Groceries |
1.00% |
3.00% |
$2,500 |
3 |
Other Purchases |
1.00% |
- |
- |
- |
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited good?
If you've been eyeing Chase’s coveted Sapphire card but can't justify paying an annual fee, Chase Freedom Unlimited is a good gateway card. It comes with travel perks, competitive cash back rates, and the chance to upgrade to one of the bank's rewardier cards.
thumb_up Likes
- Unlimited 1.5% to 3% cash back (we like unlimited)
- 5% unlimited cash back on travel purchased through Chase
- Offers sign-up bonus and 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Transferable points within Chase ecosystem
- Multiple reward redemption options
- No annual fee
thumb_down Dislikes
- Only bonus categories are dining and drugstores (and Chase-booked travel)
- Charges a 3% foreign transaction fee
- 3% balance-transfer fee jumps to 5% after first 60 days
Category |
Default Rate |
Bonus Rate |
Bonus Spend Cap |
Bonus Spend Period (Months) |
Gas |
1.50% |
- |
- |
- |
Travel |
1.50% |
- |
- |
- |
Dining |
3.00% |
- |
- |
- |
Entertainment |
1.50% |
- |
- |
- |
Pharmacy |
3.00% |
- |
- |
- |
Groceries |
1.50% |
- |
- |
- |
Other Purchases |
1.50% |
- |
- |
- |
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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.)