REI Co-op Mastercard

The REI Co-op Mastercard earns 5% back at REI retail locations and REI.com, a strong rate for anyone who buys gear with any regularity, and it costs nothing to hold. The 1.5% on everything else is respectable for a store-branded card, so it does not have to sit idle between trips, and there are no foreign transaction fees if you take it abroad. The welcome offer is unusually easy to clear: a $100 REI gift card after a single purchase outside REI within 60 days, with no real spending requirement attached. The limiting factor is simple, since the 5% applies only at REI, so the card's headline appeal is only as large as your gear habit. If you are not an REI regular, a flat-rate cashback card will do more for the rest of your wallet.