Alliant sent out an email today announcing that the 2.5% cash back is going away “to serv[e] the needs of our members”:
Effective November 1, 2025, the 2.5% Cashback Rewards tier will be discontinued, and the following updates will apply to your Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Card terms and conditions:
Flat-Rate Cash Back: Earn unlimited 1.50% cash back on all eligible purchases.
Simplified Rewards: Tiered rewards structures are being removed.
No Requirements: Criteria to earn rewards have been eliminated.
No Caps: The monthly cap on bonus rewards has been removed.
Lower Redemption Minimum: Cash back can now be redeemed starting at just $25.
I’ll be switching back to my Wells Fargo card, since I canceled the Citi Double Cash a while back. Or I may get the Fidelity card. Either way, Alliant is headed for the sock drawer.
It’s totally reasonable to be disheartened by Alliant’s removal of the 2.5% cash back tier. The new flat 1.5% rate is simple and has no caps, but you no longer can earn the level of cash back potential on preferred spending categories.
If you’re trying to maximize cash back based on actual spending behavior, there are other cards, and companies (like Wells Fargo, Fidelity, Citi Double Cash, etc.) that will merit your attention. The goal is to choose a card that you align with your regular spending each month, instead of just continuing to have or use a card whose rewards no longer aligned with your priorities.
Alliant simplified the reward payments, and it may be worth it to investigate other credit card options in order to increase your actual real returns.
What made you cancel the Citi Double Cash? I definitely use other cards for promotions or tiered categories, but it’s always a good fallback @ 2% for everything.