One percent cash back continues to be the baseline from which comparison should begin, with 44% of the cards studied offering a 1% payout beginning with the first dollar of spending. Introductory bonuses are common, with 41% of cards offering, but the bonuses are also on the rise from last year.
Of the cards surveyed, 28% offer higher payouts in certain categories of spending, including gasoline, groceries and travel. Half of the cards surveyed had no expiration date. Of those that did have a time limit, the most common was five years before rewards expire.
Bankrate surveyed 32 cash-back cards offered by large U.S. issuers as well as several investment cards that offered a competitive reward ratio. The survey was conducted during the week of Feb. 18.--Tanya Irwin
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