When it comes to managing your money or earning rewards, I'm a big fan of eliminating unnecessary complications. So I love the simple structure of a competitive flat-rate rewards credit card, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card*. But the gold standard in credit cards is facing new competition.
The Robinhood Gold Card* was recently announced and offers 3% back on every purchase -- and a competitive 5% back on travel booked in the new Robinhood travel portal. That's a higher rewards rate than the Active Cash, which recently won a CNET Editors' Choice award for its competitive rewards and ease of use.
The catch? You'll need to be a Robinhood Gold member to apply, which costs $5 a month. That brings the annual cost up to $60 a year, but if you pay annually, it will only cost you $50, saving you an extra $10. That's not a steep fee, but is it worth the cost when most 2% flat-rate cards don't charge an annual fee?
Let's find out.
Will you earn more with the Robinhood Gold Card vs 2% flat-rate rewards credit cards?
If we focus just on flat-rate rewards, the Robinhood Gold card can earn more in rewards after you hit a certain spending threshold.
Let's say you spend $1,000 a month regularly with a 2% flat-rate card like the Active Cash. Assuming you pay your bill in full and don't accrue interest or penalties, you could earn $240 in a given year.
If you spend the same amount with the Robinhood card and earn a flat 3% rewards rate, you'd earn $360. When you subtract the Robinhood Gold membership's annual cost ($50), that brings your earnings to $310 -- $70 higher than you would earn with a 2% flat-rate card.
But if you spend less than $400 a month, you'll earn more with the Active Cash (assuming you pay $50 for the annual Robinhood Gold membership).
How much you can earn in rewards each year, after annual fees:
| Credit Cards | $200 monthly spend | $400 monthly spend | $1,000 monthly spend | $2,000 monthly spend |
| Robinhood Gold | $22 | $94 | $310 | $670 |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash | $48 | $96 | $240 | $480 |
*Assumes you earn the Robinhood Gold's 3% flat rate and Active Cash's 2% flat rate
Other rewards rates and perks to consider
Aside from the flat rewards rates, you'll also want to weigh other benefits each card offers. While the Robinhood Gold could net you a bigger return, the Active Cash offers an easy-to-earn welcome bonus that can earn you an extra $200 in cash rewards after spending $500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. When you take this bonus into consideration, the tables turn slightly.
How much you can earn in rewards the first year, after annual fees, including welcome bonuses:
| Credit Cards | $200 monthly spend | $400 monthly spend | $1,000 monthly spend | $2,000 monthly spend |
| Robinhood Gold | $22 | $94 | $310 | $670 |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash | $248 | $296 | $440 | $680 |
*Assumes you earn the Robinhood Gold's 3% flat rate and Active Cash's 2% flat rate
With the additional $200 welcome bonus, the Active Cash becomes the clear winner -- but only for the first year. After that, the Robinhood Gold would eventually start to pull ahead.
What about the Robinhood Gold Card's travel rewards?
If you plan on booking travel with your card, then the Robinhood Gold can earn 5% rewards through its travel portal. While that sounds great -- and it may be -- the card isn't live yet. You'll need to add your name to the card's waitlist. So we don't know enough about how the travel portal works to determine if it's worthwhile.
It's worth keeping a eye on, but if you already earn rewards with a travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card* or the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card*, I wouldn't jump ship just yet.
Redeeming rewards is also more challenging
How you like to redeem your rewards will help you decide which flat-rate card is best for you. You might earn more with Robinhood's card and you can technically redeem your rewards as cash-back, but it's not always that simple. You'll need to transfer your rewards to your Robinhood brokerage account and then transfer them to a linked bank account.
The Active Cash makes it easier to redeem rewards for cash back, cutting out this two-transfer step. But if you're looking to invest your rewards or earn the same 1% redemption rate when using them at checkout, Robinhood's card has the edge.
How Robinhood Gold stacks up to the competition
Here's a more comprehensive look at how the Robinhood Gold card compares to similar flat-rate cards, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash and the Citi Double Cash® Card.
Should you sign up for the Robinhood Gold card?
If you're already a Robinhood Gold member, signing up for this card is a no-brainer -- unless there's another rewards card you like more. If you're not a member, you'll want to look at how much you spend each month and consider how you like to redeem your rewards.
*All information about the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card, Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card, Capital One Venture Card and Robinhood Gold Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
