In my years of experience researching and writing about credit cards, I have found there is no absolute best rewards credit card. I have found, however, that cards offer consistent, generous, and easy-to-understand rewards.

How did I pick the best rewards credit cards?

My criteria were simple: a fair reward rate (at least 1% on all purchases with the chance to earn more rewards on particular purchases), the ability to redeem points for cash, and a wide variety of fairly-valued cash-alternative reward choices.

1. Blue Cash from American Express

Blue Cash from American Express offers a whopping 5% cash back on all purchases. That’s hard to beat. Unlike some other cards, there’s no limit on how much you can earn.

2. Chase Freedom Cash

As far as cash-back rewards programs go, the Chase Freedom Cash Card offers a great value, giving you 1% cash back on all purchases, 3% back on gas, groceries, and fast food, and the ability to save up $200 in rewards and get $250!

By comparison, other rewards programs I evaluated do not provide the option to earn bigger rewards on specific purchases and actually make you trade more rewards points for the cash equivalent (for example 250 points to get $200).

3. Discover More Card

Discover was the first credit card to offer cash back to its cardholders, and it continues to offer a superior cash rewards program on the Discover More Clear Card. Cardholders earn 1% cash back on all purchases and 5% back in eligible categories. The cash rewards never expire, can be redeemed in $20 increments, and their value can be upgraded by exchanging them for certain gift cards.