acalculator

How much cash back will I earn?

List what you spend on the card each month in each category and the cash back rate for it, then add the annual fee and any sign-up bonus. The cash back calculator shows your cash back a month and a year, the net after the fee, and your effective rate.

Your numbers

Spending by category
Row 1
Row 2
Row 3
Cash back a year
$444.00

Spending $27,600.00 a year earns $444.00 of cash back, $444.00 after the annual fee.

Cash back a month
$37.00
Net a year after the fee
$444.00
First year with the bonus
$644.00
Spent a year
$27,600.00
Effective cash back rate
1.61%

Cash back a year: $444.00. Spending $27,600.00 a year earns $444.00 of cash back, $444.00 after the annual fee.

The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use

How to calculate

Works out the cash back a credit card pays a month and a year on your spending in each category, the net after the annual fee, the first year with a bonus, and your effective cash back rate.

Example with the default inputs (Spending by category [Spent a month $600.00, Cash back rate 3%; Spent a month $200.00, Cash back rate 2%; Spent a month $1,500.00, Cash back rate 1%], Annual fee $0.00, Sign-up bonus $200.00): Spending $27,600.00 a year earns $444.00 of cash back, $444.00 after the annual fee.

Method: monthly = Σ(spend × rate ÷ 100); yearly = 12 × monthly; net = yearly − annual fee; first year = net + bonus; effective = yearly ÷ (12 × Σ spend); break-even spending = fee ÷ effective.

  • You pay the balance in full every month. Interest on a carried balance is not included.
  • Rates apply to all the spending in each category. Spending caps, rotating categories and rewards that are worth less when redeemed are not modelled.

Machine-readable copies: Markdown, JSON.

Worked examples

Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.

  1. Spending by category 600 3; 200 2; 1500 1, Annual fee $0.00, Sign-up bonus $200.00 gives Cash back a month $37.00, Cash back a year $444.00, Net a year after the fee $444.00, First year with the bonus $644.00, Spent a year $27,600.00, Effective cash back rate 1.608696%.Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB Report Highlights Consumer Frustrations with Credit Card Rewards Programs (hidden conditions, devaluation; nearly 1 in 10 reward dollars come from sign-up bonuses), https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/newsroom/cfpb-report-highlights-consumer-frustrations-with-credit-card-rewards-programs/ (retrieved 2026-10-03)
  2. Spending by category 2000 1.5, Annual fee $95.00 gives Cash back a year $360.00, Net a year after the fee $265.00, Effective cash back rate 1.5%, Spending a year to cover the fee $6,333.33.
  3. Spending by category 333.33 5; 0.1 2, Annual fee $550.00, Sign-up bonus $0.00 gives Cash back a month $16.67, Cash back a year $200.02, Net a year after the fee -$349.98.

How it works

Every typed number is used as the exact decimal you typed. For each category k with monthly spending sₖ and rate rₖ (in percent):

  • Cash back a month M = Σ sₖ × rₖ ÷ 100. At least one category must have spending above $0.
  • Cash back a year Y = 12 × M; spent a year S = 12 × Σ sₖ.
  • Net a year after the fee = Y − annual fee (an empty fee counts as $0).
  • First year with the bonus = net + sign-up bonus (an empty bonus counts as $0).
  • Effective cash back rate = Y ÷ S × 100.
  • Spending a year to cover the fee = fee ÷ (Y ÷ S), shown when the fee and the effective rate are above 0.

Rules

  • 1 to 10 categories; spending from $0 to $10⁸ a month and rates from 0% to 100% each; fee and bonus from $0 to $10⁶.

Assumptions

  • The balance is paid in full every month; no interest. Spending caps, rotating categories and redemption values are not modelled.

Worked examples by hand

The default. M = 600 × 0.03 + 200 × 0.02 + 1,500 × 0.01 = 18 + 4 + 15 = $37; Y = $444; net = $444 (no fee); first year = 444 + 200 = $644; S = 12 × 2,300 = $27,600; effective = 444 ÷ 27,600 = 1.61%.

One category: $2,000 at 1.5%, $95 fee. Y = 24,000 × 0.015 = $360; net = $265; break-even = 95 ÷ 0.015 = $6,333.33 a year.

$333.33 at 5% and $0.10 at 2%, $550 fee. M = 16.6665 + 0.002 = $16.6685; Y = $200.022; net = −$349.98.

Other questions people ask

How is cash back calculated?

Multiply each category’s spending by its rate and add them up. $600 of groceries at 3%, $200 of gas at 2% and $1,500 of other spending at 1% earn $18 + $4 + $15 = $37 a month, or $444 a year.

Is a card with an annual fee worth it?

Compare the net after the fee. A flat 1.5% card on $2,000 a month earns $360 a year; with a $95 fee that is $265. You would need to spend $6,333 a year in the same mix just to earn the fee back.

What is the effective cash back rate?

Your yearly cash back divided by your yearly spending. The default mix earns $444 on $27,600, an effective 1.61%, even though one category pays 3%.

Does the sign-up bonus count?

Only in the first year, so the page shows it separately. The CFPB found that nearly 1 in 10 reward dollars come from sign-up bonuses, and that rewards can come with hidden conditions or lose value.

What if I carry a balance?

The calculator assumes you pay in full each month. Interest on a carried balance is not included and can cost more than the cash back you earn; see the credit card interest calculator.

What does the calculator leave out?

Spending caps on bonus categories, rotating categories, and points that are worth less than face value when redeemed. Read the card’s terms for these.