Your Best Cards

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Rankings · Debit card rewards

Best Cash Back Debit Cards

15 debit cards that earn rewards on purchases, ranked by what they pay on $1,000 of monthly spending after caps and fees.

Ranked by math · No sponsored placements · How we score

Cards compared
15
Open to anyone in the US
#1 score
100
PayPal Debit Card
$0 monthly fee
12
of the 15 accounts
Sponsored rankings
0
No bank pays for placement

Before you compare

Debit card rewards are smaller than credit card rewards, and most come with strings: a monthly cap, a minimum number of purchases, or a direct deposit. That makes the headline rate a poor guide on its own. Below, every card gets the same test: what it would actually pay in a year on the same monthly spending, with its caps and monthly fee applied. Each card lists its requirements to earn, because they decide whether you will see that money at all.

The ranking

15 debit cards compared · scores at $1,000 of debit spending a month

  1. 1
    Open account →

    PayPal Debit Card

    PayPal · Mastercard
    Rewards score
    100
    Est. yearly value
    $150
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    2.5%
    • 5% cash back on one category you choose each month (groceries, restaurants, fuel and EV charging, apparel, or rideshare and transit) (first $1,000 a month)
    • Up to $50 a month
    • To earn: Choose your category in the PayPal app every month; rewards are paid as PayPal Rewards points worth their cash value
  2. 2
    Open account →

    Ardent Cashback Checking

    Ardent Credit Union · Visa
    Rewards score
    80
    Est. yearly value
    $120
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    1%
    • 1.5% cash back on qualifying purchases
    • Up to $10 a month
    • To earn: 8 debit purchases, one direct deposit or other electronic deposit and eStatements each month. Membership open to anyone through the American Consumer Council (free)
  3. 3
    Open account →

    CIBC iCan Checking

    CIBC Bank USA · Mastercard
    Rewards score
    80
    Est. yearly value
    $120
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    Not listed
    • 1% cash back on qualifying purchases
    • Up to $20 a month
  4. 4
    Open account →

    MTC Federal Cash Back Checking

    MTC Federal Credit Union · Mastercard
    Rewards score
    80
    Est. yearly value
    $120
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    Not listed
    • 5% cash back on qualifying purchases (first $200 a month)
    • Up to $10 a month
    • To earn: eStatements, 15+ debit card purchases and one ACH or direct deposit each month. Membership open to anyone through Friends of the Foundation (Carolinas Credit Union Foundation)
  5. 5
    Open account →

    Sun Federal Kasasa Cash Back

    Sun Federal Credit Union · Visa
    Rewards score
    64
    Est. yearly value
    $96
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    Not listed
    • 4% cash back on qualifying purchases (first $200 a month)
    • Up to $8 a month
    • To earn: 12+ debit purchases, a Digital Banking login and eStatements each month. Membership open to anyone through the American Consumer Council (free)
  6. 6
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    American Express Rewards Checking

    American Express
    Rewards score
    60
    Est. yearly value
    $90
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    2.7%
    • 0.5 Amex Membership Rewards points per $1 on qualifying purchases
    • To earn: Open to Amex card members and existing Amex savings or CD customers
  7. 7
    Open account →

    EFCU Financial Cash Back Rewards Checking

    EFCU Financial · Visa
    Rewards score
    60
    Est. yearly value
    $90
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    1%
    • 3% cash back on qualifying purchases (first $250 a month)
    • Up to $7.50 a month
    • To earn: 12 debit purchases, one ACH auto-debit or direct deposit and eStatements each month. Membership open to anyone with a donation to the EFCU Financial Foundation or the Arc of Baton Rouge
  8. 8
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    WaterStone Bank Checking 2.5

    WaterStone Bank · Visa
    Rewards score
    56
    Est. yearly value
    $84
    Monthly fee
    $10/mo (can be waived)
    Foreign transaction fee
    Not listed
    • 2.5% cash back on qualifying purchases (first $280 a month)
    • Up to $7 a month
  9. 9
    Open account →

    Primis Perks Checking

    Primis Bank
    Rewards score
    50
    Est. yearly value
    $75
    Monthly fee
    $5/mo (can be waived)
    Foreign transaction fee
    2%
    • $0.25 back per qualifying purchase
    • Up to $25 a month
  10. 10
    Open account →

    CommunityAmerica Cashback Free Checking

    CommunityAmerica Credit Union · Visa
    Rewards score
    40
    Est. yearly value
    $60
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    1%
    • 1% cash back on qualifying purchases (first $500 a month)
    • Up to $5 a month
    • To earn: eStatements plus either a $250+ direct deposit and 15 debit purchases, or 25 debit purchases, each month. Membership open to anyone through Friends of Hobbs (free)
  11. 11
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    Farmers Insurance FCU CashBack Checking

    Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union · Visa
    Rewards score
    40
    Est. yearly value
    $60
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    1%
    • $5 cash back each month you qualify
    • To earn: $1,000+ direct deposit, 10 debit purchases and eStatements each month. Membership open to anyone through the American Consumer Council (free)
  12. 12
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    Upgrade Rewards Checking Preferred

    Upgrade · Visa
    Rewards score
    40
    Est. yearly value
    $60
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    3%
    • 2% cash back on convenience stores, drugstores, restaurants and bars, gas stations, utilities and monthly subscriptions
    • To earn: At least $1,000 a month in direct deposits; cash back is capped at $500 a year
  13. 13
    Open account →

    Soarion SkyX Checking

    Soarion Credit Union · Visa
    Rewards score
    24
    Est. yearly value
    $36
    Monthly fee
    $6/mo (can be waived)
    Foreign transaction fee
    1%
    • $0.12 back per qualifying purchase of $5 or more
    • To earn: Opt in to Cash Rewards; only signature debit purchases of $5 or more count. Membership open to anyone who joins the Airman Heritage Foundation
  14. 14
    Open account →

    Happen Bank LevelUp Checking

    Happen Bank (formerly LendingClub) · Mastercard
    Rewards score
    20
    Est. yearly value
    $30
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    Not listed
    • 1% cash back on grocery, gas and pharmacy purchases
    • To earn: At least one direct deposit each month
  15. 15
    Open account →

    Communication FCU PayMe Checking

    Communication Federal Credit Union · Visa
    Rewards score
    10
    Est. yearly value
    $15
    Monthly fee
    $0
    Foreign transaction fee
    Not listed
    • $0.05 back per qualifying purchase of $10 or more
    • To earn: $500+ in electronic deposits and eStatements each month. Membership open nationwide ($10 one-time Cornerstone Foundation fee outside OK and KS)

Debit card or credit card?

A debit card spends money already in your checking account, so there is no interest, no credit check to get one and no bill to forget. The trade-off is protection: if someone uses your debit card fraudulently, the money leaves your account right away and you wait for the bank to put it back, and federal rules limit what you can lose only if you report it promptly (see the CFPB’s explanation). Credit cards usually earn more, too. A rewards debit card makes the most sense if you don’t want a credit card, or you already pay with debit and might as well earn something.

How we score rewards debit cards

Each card’s score is its estimated yearly rewards, minus any monthly fee that can’t be waived, on $1,000 of debit purchases a month. A card scores 100 at $150 a year or more. Spending caps and monthly maximums are applied. For cards with a bonus category, we assume 25% of spending lands in it. For cards that pay per purchase, we assume purchases of $40 each. Points are valued at our blended point values. The score doesn’t count interest on the account or sign-up bonuses, and it assumes you meet the monthly requirements, which are listed on each card.

Only accounts that anyone in the US can open are included. Cards that come with a checking account take their fees from the same database as YourBestSavings’ checking rankings. No bank pays for a place on this page. See our methodology, editorial policy and corrections policy.

Questions, answered from the data

Which debit card earns the most cash back?

PayPal Debit Card from PayPal scores highest, worth about $150 a year on $1,000 of monthly debit spending after caps and fees. It is followed by Ardent Cashback Checking and CIBC iCan Checking.

Do rewards debit cards have requirements?

Most do. 12 of the 15 cards here pay their rewards only when you meet monthly requirements such as a direct deposit or a number of debit purchases; each card lists them under “To earn”. CIBC iCan Checking, WaterStone Bank Checking 2.5 and Primis Perks Checking have no monthly requirement listed.

Do these accounts charge a monthly fee?

12 of the 15 accounts have no monthly fee. Where a fee can be waived, the score counts it as $0 and the waiver condition is on the bank’s page.

How are points valued?

American Express Rewards Checking earns points instead of cash. We value them at our blended point value (Amex Membership Rewards: 1.5¢ per point), the same values as our point values page.

Are debit card rewards taxable?

Generally no: the IRS treats rewards earned on purchases as a rebate on what you spent. A bonus paid for opening an account is different and is usually reported as interest. See are credit card rewards taxable.

How often is this list updated?

The site rebuilds whenever card data changes and at least once a month. The newest check in this data is from October 25, 2026. Confirm current terms on the bank’s site before you open an account.