Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card Review: Simple Cash Back With No Annual Fee

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, $0-annual-fee cash back credit card with a competitive cash back rate on purchases, the answer is yes. Picture yourself in the checkout line, tapping your card for the third time this week. Nothing fancy; just the usual mix of groceries, gas and takeout. But with every tap, you’re consistently earning 2% unlimited cash back on purchases. There are no categories to remember, no rotating rewards calendar and a $0 annual fee that won’t eat into your savings. That’s what you’ll get with the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card.

But if you’re after welcome offers, 0% intro APR offers or more premium perks like travel credits or points transfers, this card likely won’t check all your boxes. In that case, competitors like the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card, Citi Double Cash^® Card or Chase Freedom Unlimited^® will likely offer more well-rounded value.

Annual fee: $0

Welcome offer: N/A

Rewards: Earn 2% unlimited cash back on purchases.

Intro purchase APR: N/A

Ongoing APR on purchases and balance transfers: 19.74% to 34.24% variable

Foreign transaction fee: None

Other benefits:

• Amex Offers (enrollment required)
• Special ticket access
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Retail protection
• Emergency assistance

→ See our picks for the best cash back credit cards.

• Simple, flat-rate rewards

  One of the standout features of the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card is its uncomplicated 2% unlimited cash back on purchases. There are no categories to track, no activation required and no spending limits. This flat-rate structure ensures that every dollar you spend earns consistent value, whether it’s on groceries, gas, travel or takeout. Additionally, this is one of the highest flat rates you can earn from a cash back card and rewards don’t expire.

  Tip: If you want to maximize your cash back potential, consider pairing the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card with another card that offers higher rewards in specific categories you spend heavily in.

  For example, if groceries make up a large portion of your monthly expenses, the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express could be a smart companion because it offers one of the highest cash back* rates available at U.S. supermarkets.

  *Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.

   

• Access to some helpful American Express perks

  Because this card is on the Amex network, you’ll get access to some helpful American Express benefits, including:

  • Amex Offers (enrollment required).
  • Special ticket access (while supplies last)
  • Car rental loss and damage insurance
  • Retail protection
  • Emergency assistance

  That said, these benefits aren’t as generous as some other $0-annual-fee cash back cards. For example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® offers extended warranty protection, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, auto rental coverage and more.

  → See our picks for the best American Express credit cards.

• $0 annual fee

  The Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card comes with a $0 annual fee. While this is common for many of the top cash back credit cards, it makes the card even more appealing for those who want simple rewards without added costs.

  → See our picks for the top credit cards with no annual fee.

• No foreign transaction fees

  If you often travel abroad or shop from international retailers, the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card is a good option to use, since it has no foreign transaction fees. By contrast, some cards charge around 3% of the amount of each transaction for purchases made outside of the U.S.

  While a card that has no foreign transaction fees is ideal when traveling abroad, be aware that some Reddit users have expressed concerns that this card may not be accepted as broadly worldwide due to its association with American Express.

  Read more about where American Express is accepted.

   

  → See our picks for the top credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.

• No welcome offer

  While most cash back credit cards come with a welcome offer, the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card does not.

  You’ll miss out on a valuable early boost to your rewards by choosing a card without this upfront incentive. For example, with the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card, you can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

  → See our picks for the top credit card welcome offers.

• No intro APR on purchases or balance transfers

  The Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card doesn’t offer a 0% intro APR on purchases or balance transfers, meaning you’ll be subject to interest charges at an APR of 19.74% to 34.24% variable if you carry a balance on your card from month to month. This is a notable drawback compared to similar cash back cards, since some offer interest-free periods on purchases and/or balance transfers for up to 18 months.

  Here’s how the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card stacks up against other similar cards with intro APR offers:

  	Intro purchase APR	Intro balance transfer APR	Regular purchase and balance transfer APR
  Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card	N/A	N/A	19.74% to 34.24% variable
  Chase Freedom Unlimited®	0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months	0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months	18.99% - 28.49% Variable
  Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card	0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening	0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers	19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR
  Citi Double Cash® Card	N/A	0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers	18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

  → See our picks for the top 0% APR credit cards.

• Limited redemption options

  While the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card offers solid flat-rate cash back, its redemption options are limited. You can redeem rewards as statement credits or request a direct deposit to your bank account. But unlike some cards, there’s no option to use your cash back for travel, gift cards, merchandise or points transfers. Additionally, some users have noted that you have to call to redeem for a direct deposit.

  → By comparison, the Citi Double Cash^® Card offers more versatility. You can redeem rewards for gift cards, travel, on Amazon.com and even transfer Citi ThankYou® Points to select hotel and airline partners, making it a more flexible choice for maximizing the value of your earnings.

• You can only apply if you receive a pre-approved offer from Bread Financial

  Unlike most credit cards that are open to the public, the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card is available by invitation. You can only apply if you’ve received a pre-approved offer, typically sent by mail from Bread Financial. Once approved, the card will be issued by Comenity Capital Bank, a subsidiary of Bread Financial.

• Card not technically issued by American Express

  As mentioned above — although this card carries the American Express name and logo — it’s technically issued by Comenity Capital Bank. Some Reddit users have expressed frustration with Comenity Capital Bank’s customer service, noting that you have to go through that bank (and not American Express) if you have any questions or concerns about your account.

Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card and the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card offer similar flat-rate cash rewards, but the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card provides more value during the first year of card membership, mainly due to its welcome offer.

You can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. On top of that, the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card has greater redemption flexibility, allowing you to use your rewards for cash rewards, travel, gift cards, purchases at select merchants and more.

Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card estimated value of rewards:

• First-year value: $600* (compared to $409 with the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card)
• Ongoing value: $400* (compared to $409 with the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card)

Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card vs. Citi Double Cash^® Card

The Citi Double Cash^® Card offers a similar cash back rate as the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card, but it also comes with a sign-up bonus, a long intro APR on balance transfers and added earning potential.

Another major advantage of the Citi Double Cash^® Card is its superior redemption flexibility. While it’s branded as a cash back card, you’re technically earning Citi ThankYou Points^®, which can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, travel or even transferred to select airline and hotel partners.

Citi Double Cash^® Card estimated value of rewards:

• First-year value: $600* (compared to $409 with the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card)
• Ongoing value: $400* (compared to $409 with the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card)

Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

If you spend heavily on dining, drugstores or travel, you stand to earn more cash back with the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® due to its elevated earning rate in those categories. You’ll also get an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers as well as a sign-up bonus.

In addition to having a $0 annual fee, Chase Freedom Unlimited^® earns Chase Ultimate Rewards®, which can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards and more. When paired with a premium Chase card (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card), those points can even be transferred to travel partners for added value.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card estimated value of rewards:

• First-year value: $622* (compared to $409 with the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card)
• Ongoing value: $422* (compared to $409 with the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card)

If you’re someone who pays off your balance in full each month, spends fairly evenly across everyday categories and doesn’t want the hassle of dealing with bonus rewards categories, the Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card is a good match.

However, if you’re a rewards optimizer, frequent traveler or someone who needs to finance a large purchase or transfer an existing balance, this card may feel too bare-bones. Instead, a card that offers a welcome offer, more redemption options or an intro APR, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card, Citi Double Cash^® Card or Chase Freedom Unlimited^® may be a better fit.

We take a comprehensive, data-driven approach to identify the best credit building cards. We use an objective rating and ranking system that evaluates over 200 credit cards from more than 50 issuers. All recommendations are made by LendingTree’s editorial team, completely independent of affiliate partnerships or compensation. Every card is selected based on its merit and ability to help people achieve their financial goals. We use the following criteria to make our picks:

• Average value over two years (50% of rating): We calculate the cash back earned for the average cardholder using Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an annual spend of $20,000, minus the annual fee. This value includes a sign-up bonus and annual bonuses. We look at the average rewards earned over two years to balance out a card’s ongoing value with its first-year value.
• Flexibility of rewards (30% of rating): We consider how easy the rewards are to use, looking at factors like expiration dates and minimum thresholds to redeem.
• Other features (20% of rating): We also compare a card’s benefits, such as purchase and travel protections, against benefits from other cards.