I've had a Citi Dividend card for several years now, and naturally I thought that would be the one to recommend. But things have changed and it looks like the general consensus is that the Chase Freedom is currently the best out there.I pay off my credit card balance every month, so things like APR and late fees don't matter at all. Top concern is a card that is universally accepted (which limits me to Visa or MasterCard), and maximum cash back. The Chase Freedom meets both of these. It's a Visa, and it gives 3% back on your top category purchases, 1% on everything else.
I do not consider cards that give other rewards: airline miles, points, or earmarked funds. It's not worth the hassle of being limited by what I can do with my rewards, even if I do get a slightly better rate. One of my first credit cards was the GM card (along with a Discover card). By the time I figured out I did not want to buy a GM vehicle, I had already build up several hundred dollars worth of useless credit. Never again.
It looks like the American Express Blue Cash card is a good option for those spending large amounts every month. But it doesn't meet my criteria for a universally accepted card. While I do have an AmEx, there are too many places that don't accept it, making it impossible to use as my primary card.
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The Amex Blue isn't just for those spending large amounts every month -- though I suppose large is something we all define for ourselves. The high cash-back rates (up to 5%) kick in if you spend more than $6500 per year. For our family's general living expenses, that's (sadly) not hard to achieve.