IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card vs PayPal Cashback Mastercard
Side-by-side comparison
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | PayPal Cashback Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | 125,000 points | No current offer |
| Dining | 3x | 1.5x |
| Groceries | 1x | 1.5x |
| Gas | 3x | 1.5x |
| Travel | 3x | 1.5x |
| Streaming | 1x | 1.5x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1.5x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $431 | $437 |
| Points type | Locked to IHG One Rewards | Cash back only |
| Network | Mastercard | Mastercard |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card earns about $431 a year in rewards and the PayPal Cashback Mastercard about $437, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The PayPal Cashback Mastercard has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The two are close on value, but the PayPal Cashback Mastercard edges ahead by about $7 a year, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and groceries. Neither leans on transferable points, so the deciding factors are the welcome offer, the card network, and which everyday perks you will actually use. On the sign-up bonus, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card if your spending leans toward dining, gas, travel. Pick the PayPal Cashback Mastercard if your spending leans toward groceries, streaming, everything else.