Maximize Cashback Without Tracking Categories: Simple Strategies

You've seen the complicated credit card strategies. Rotating categories. Quarterly activations. Spreadsheets tracking which card for which purchase.

Some people love that optimization. Most business owners don't have time for it.

Good news: You can earn excellent cashback without tracking anything. Flat-rate cards and simple two-card setups deliver strong returns with zero complexity.

Here's how to maximize rewards the simple way.

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The Case for Simplicity

Why Tracking Fails

Category strategies require:

• Remembering which card for which purchase
• Quarterly activation of rotating categories
• Tracking spending caps
• Switching cards throughout the day

What actually happens:

• Wrong card used at register
• Forgot to activate categories
• Hit spending cap without realizing
• Gave up entirely

The Simple Alternative

Flat-rate cards:

• Same rate on everything
• No tracking required
• No activation needed
• No spending caps (usually)

Trade-off: Slightly lower maximum possible return for guaranteed capture of rewards.

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Best Flat-Rate Cashback Cards

2% Unlimited Cards

Citi Double Cash

• 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay = 2%
• No annual fee
• No caps
• Simple and effective

Wells Fargo Active Cash

• Flat 2% on everything
• No annual fee
• $200 sign-up bonus
• Cell phone protection included

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

• 2% unlimited
• $150 annual fee
• $1,200 sign-up bonus (best for business)
• Unlimited 2% on all purchases

Amex Blue Business Cash

• 2% on first $50,000/year, then 1%
• No annual fee
• 0% intro APR available
• Good for businesses under $50K annual spend

1.5% Unlimited Cards (Lower Tier)

Chase Freedom Unlimited

• 1.5% on everything
• No annual fee
• Better if paired with Sapphire for point transfers

Capital One Spark Cash Select

• 1.5% on everything
• No annual fee
• Lower threshold than Spark Plus

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The Simplest Strategy: One Card

The Single-Card Approach

Get one 2% card. Use it for everything.

Best single card: Citi Double Cash

• 2% flat rate
• No annual fee
• No complexity

Annual return on $50,000 spend: $1,000

When One Card Works

• You don't want to think about rewards
• Your spending is varied across many categories
• You value simplicity over optimization
• You'd rather set it and forget it

Limitations

• No sign-up bonuses after initial
• Missing potential higher category rates
• No point transfer flexibility

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The Two-Card Strategy

Simple Optimization Without Tracking

The concept: One flat-rate card for most purchases, one category card for obvious high-spend areas.

Example Setup 1: Office-Heavy Business

Card 1: Chase Ink Cash ($0)

• 5% on office supplies and internet/phone
• Use for: Staples, Office Depot, phone bill, internet

Card 2: Citi Double Cash ($0)

• 2% on everything else
• Use for: Everything not office supplies or phone/internet

No tracking needed: Just remember "office stuff and phone bill on Chase, everything else on Citi"

Example Setup 2: Travel-Heavy Business

Card 1: Chase Ink Preferred ($95)

• 3% on travel, shipping, advertising
• Use for: Flights, hotels, shipping, ads

Card 2: Capital One Spark Cash Plus ($150)

• 2% on everything else
• Use for: Everything not travel/shipping/ads

Annual fees: $245 total (easily offset by earnings)

Example Setup 3: Restaurant-Heavy Business

Card 1: Chase Ink Cash ($0)

• 2% on restaurants
• 5% on office supplies, phone/internet

Card 2: Citi Double Cash ($0)

• 2% on everything else

Result: 2% on restaurants, 5% on office/phone, 2% everywhere else. Zero annual fees.

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The "Close Enough" Philosophy

Accept 90% of Maximum

The math:

• Optimized multi-card strategy: Maybe 3-4% average
• Simple two-card strategy: Maybe 2.5% average
• Single flat-rate card: 2%

The difference on $50,000 spending:

• Maximum optimization: $2,000
• Simple strategy: $1,250
• Single card: $1,000

Question: Is $750-1,000 worth hours of tracking and card-switching?

For many business owners, no.

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Setting Up Your Simple Strategy

Step 1: Choose Your Base Card

For most people: Citi Double Cash (2% flat, no fee)

For high spenders: Capital One Spark Cash Plus (2% flat, but $150 fee worth it for sign-up bonus and high limits)

Step 2: Identify Your Obvious Category

What do you spend most on?

Step 3: Create Simple Rule

Your rule should be one sentence:

• "Office supplies on Chase, everything else on Citi"
• "Travel on Preferred, everything else on Spark"
• "Just use the Spark for everything"

If your rule is longer than one sentence, it's too complicated.

Step 4: Set Up Autopay

Critical: Never pay interest. Interest destroys rewards value.

• Set autopay on all cards
• Pay statement balance in full
• Never carry balance

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Simple Strategy Results

One-Card Strategy Results

Card: Citi Double Cash Annual spend: $60,000 Return: $1,200 (2%) Time spent: Zero

Two-Card Strategy Results

Cards: Chase Ink Cash + Citi Double Cash Annual spend: $60,000

• Office supplies/phone: $15,000 × 5% = $750
• Everything else: $45,000 × 2% = $900 Total return: $1,650 (2.75% effective) Time spent: Minimal (remember one rule)

Improvement Over No Strategy

No rewards card: $0 Simple strategy: $1,200-1,650

Free money for almost no effort.

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When to Consider More Complexity

Signs You Might Want Category Tracking

• You enjoy optimization
• You have time for financial management
• Single category dominates spending (80%+ in one area)
• You're leaving $2,000+ on the table

How to Know

Calculate your gap:

1. List top 3 spending categories
2. Look up best cards for those categories
3. Calculate potential additional rewards
4. Decide if worth the hassle

If the gap is under $500/year: Stick with simple strategy.

The Hidden Cost of Complexity

Beyond time spent tracking, complex strategies have hidden costs:

Missed rewards from wrong card: Even dedicated optimizers use the wrong card sometimes. At checkout, you might grab the wrong card from your wallet, forget which quarter we're in for rotating categories, or simply not want to explain to a cashier why you're switching cards.

Mental overhead: Keeping category rules in your head consumes cognitive bandwidth. For busy business owners, that mental space has value.

Diminishing returns: Going from 0% to 2% rewards is life-changing. Going from 2% to 3% is nice. Going from 3% to 3.5% is probably not worth the effort for most people.

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Common Simple Strategy Mistakes

Mistake 1: Too Many Cards

Adding more cards doesn't always help. Each additional card requires mental tracking.

Fix: Limit to 2-3 cards maximum for simplicity.

Mistake 2: Forgetting the Base Card

Using category cards for everything, missing rewards on non-category spending.

Fix: Have clear default card for "everything else."

Mistake 3: Paying Interest

One month of interest can wipe out months of rewards.

Fix: Autopay statement balance. Every card. No exceptions.

Mistake 4: Chasing Every Bonus

Sign-up bonuses are great but require meeting spend. Don't complicate your life.

Fix: Get one or two cards, then stop applying.

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Your Simple Cashback Action Plan

This Week

• Decide: one-card or two-card strategy?
• Apply for chosen card(s)
• Set up autopay immediately upon approval

This Month

• Transition all spending to new card(s)
• Create your one-sentence rule
• Confirm autopay is working

Ongoing

• Use cards according to simple rule
• Check statements monthly (for fraud)
• Collect cashback/points
• Don't overthink it

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Next Steps

You don't need a spreadsheet to earn great cashback. A 2% flat-rate card captures most of the value with zero effort.

If you want slightly more, add one category card for your biggest expense area. Stop there.

The best rewards strategy is one you actually use.

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Need help choosing the right simple strategy? Freedom Consulting helps business owners maximize rewards without complexity. Book a free consultation to find your optimal setup.

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Related: Best Business Cashback Cards | Points vs Miles vs Cashback

Disclaimer: Card terms change. Verify current offers before applying. Pay balances in full to avoid interest.

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Continue Learning

This article is part of our Business Cashback Mastery: The Complete Guide to 2-5% Back on Everything guide series.

Related articles in this series:

• Best Business Cashback Cards 2025: Ranked by Category
• Points vs Miles vs Cashback: Which Rewards Are Actually Worth More?
• Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus Strategy: How to Earn $5,000+ in First Year