Estimate monthly and annual cash back — with a bonus-category rate and your true effective rate.
Bonus-category spending is counted at the bonus rate instead of the base rate, not on top of it. Annual figures simply multiply the monthly result by 12 — they assume your spending pattern stays the same.
Cash back per month
How to use this tool
Total card spending per month.
The card's headline rate, e.g. 2%.
Spending in a higher-rate category, e.g. groceries at 5%.
Annual assumes the same monthly pattern all year.
Formula & worked example
Spending $1,000 a month at 2%, with $200 of it in a 5% bonus category: base cash back = $800 × 2% = $16, bonus cash back = $200 × 5% = $10, total $26 a month ($312 a year) — an effective rate of 2.60%.
Limitations — read this before you rely on it
Assumes every purchase earns cash back at the stated rates. Real cards exclude some purchases, cap bonus categories, rotate categories quarterly, and may require a minimum redemption — check your card's terms. Annual figures assume unchanged spending.
Frequently asked questions
Multiply spending by the rate: $1,000 at 2% earns $20 a month. With a bonus category, that part earns at the higher rate instead.
Total cash back divided by total spending. It blends base and bonus rates into the single rate you actually achieve — 2.60% in the example above.
No — bonus spending earns the bonus rate instead of the base rate, not both stacked. This calculator handles it that way.
In most cases no — card rewards are treated as a purchase discount, not income — but check your local tax rules if rewards are very large.
No. Cash back is a small percentage of spending; buying something you would not otherwise buy to earn 2–5% back always loses money.