2% credit card?

[Fingolfin269]

I've changed my mind on this one recently and use the following since our reward redemptions are always travel related.

Now we use 2 cards primarily:

1) Chase Sapphire Preferred
2) Chase Freedom

#1 is always used unless the #2 categories are in play then we use it. Both combine to the same rewards pool so it works great.

We do use a Target card for any purchases there though because 5%.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I've changed my mind on this one recently and use the following since our reward redemptions are always travel related.

Now we use 2 cards primarily:

1) Chase Sapphire Preferred
2) Chase Freedom

#1 is always used unless the #2 categories are in play then we use it. Both combine to the same rewards pool so it works great.

We do use a Target card for any purchases there though because 5%.

I love how broad "travel" is defined with the Chase Sapphire Preferred but I am probably going to cancel it next year since I still have my 5% restaurant bonus from my Citi Forward.

 

[stlc8tr]

I also use the Blue Cash American Express card. It gives you 5% cash back on groceries and drug stores up to $50K after you spend $6.5K. No annual fee. Not too shabby.

Which Blue Cash card is this? I don't see it offered on their website?

 

[Svnla]

Which Blue Cash card is this? I don't see it offered on their website?

It is called "Old" Blue Cash card (with the <Cash in blue color on the right of the card). You have to use unique link to access, not on the AE website. Before it was unlimited cash back but folks were abused it so now AE puts a limit of $50K max spending on groceries per year.

 

[vshah]

amex blue cash preferred - 6% on groceries up to 6k
penfed visa platinum 5% on gas, no limit
chase sapphire 2% on flights/hotels ($95 fee, but makes sense if you travel a fair amount)
chase freedom for 5% categories
fidelity 2% for everything else

i get around 2k back a year with all that.

 

[stlc8tr]

It is called "Old" Blue Cash card (with the <Cash in blue color on the right of the card). You have to use unique link to access, not on the AE website. Before it was unlimited cash back but folks were abused it so now AE puts a limit of $50K max spending on groceries per year.

Ah, so it's very hard to get or not offered any more.

You got my hopes up!

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Ah, so it's very hard to get or not offered any more.

You got my hopes up!

Yup. I'm holding onto my Citi Forward card until they pry it from my hands. 5% back on restaurants/bars, Amazon, and movies. :biggrin:

 

[Balt]

No mention of QuickSilver from Capitol One? I have this one. I also have the Amex Blue Cash Preferred.

These are the two cards I use. Amex for groceries, gas, and departments stores and QuickSilver for everything else (especially international travel since there's no foreign transaction fee).

 

[foghorn67]

Cap One for 1.5% for pretty much everything.
AMEX for 1% and sweet warranties and buyers protection. Plus, they are always friendly over the phone for any questions.

 

[Hugo Drax]

I have the Amex blue preferred. 6,3,1% (Gas,grocery,everything else)

then the quicksilver, 1.5% on everything.

 

[lothar]

Cashback Cards I currently have...
1.) AMEX Blue Cash: 5% Gas, 5% grocery, 5% drug stores, and 1% on everything else after $6500 in purchases.
2.) PenFed: 5% Gas (No foreign transaction fee, works for Sam's Club gas, will work for Costco gas when they start taking VISA too!)
3.) Sallie Mae: 5% on all Amazon purchases, 5% gas, and 5% groceries.
4.) Discover IT: 5% rotating categories...In fact, right now I'm actually getting 10% on rotating categories.

The next card I'm targeting on my radar...
Chase Ink: 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services. Given how much we spend on T-Mobile and Verizon FiOS monthly, this has potential to be a money maker.

The card I'm dreaming about...
A card that allows me to put my mortgage on it and earn 5%.

 

[freeskier93]

Cap One for 1.5% for pretty much everything.
AMEX for 1% and sweet warranties and buyers protection. Plus, they are always friendly over the phone for any questions.

I have the Amex blue preferred. 6,3,1% (Gas,grocery,everything else)

then the quicksilver, 1.5% on everything.

Hmm, I get 2% on everything with my Quicksilver card, maybe it was a limited sign up offer?

I don't use my Quicksilver card though, I get way more cashback with my Discover card with 1% on everything and 5% revolving.

 

[OverVolt]

Hahahaha same. I swear every quarter I have to make labels and tape them to the cards, and even that isn't enough for my wife to take the 2 seconds it takes to distinguish between a few cards when making a transaction.

Why is it so difficult for women to do simple things sometimes?

Because the cards are under your name and not hers and she has no idea whats going on with the cards? Seems like you guys are using excessively complicated schemes for little return.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Because the cards are under your name and not hers and she has no idea whats going on with the cards? Seems like you guys are using excessively complicated schemes for little return.

You must be misunderstanding... These are HER credit cards (OK, well, a couple I signed her up for myself because she isn't the type to look for these kinds of things.) I specifically put labels on them with their categories and cash back %. So when she goes to a gas station, the most complicated requirement is getting her wallet out and glancing at the labels I have on them. Does it say gas on he label? No? Then see if any others do. All else, use your default.

If that is too complicated for ANYONE then.... Well... You're speeeecial

 

[shortylickens]

Necro aside.....


NFCU has never given me the very best rates, but they treat me well. The interest doesnt shoot up if I make one little mistake. They call me right away if theres unusual activity, they offer good service overall.
Also, if I threaten to leave they lower whatever increases they've had in the previous year. No hassle.

I like them.

 

[RossMAN]

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Says "supermarkets" not "groceries"

I'm wondering if they'd honor, say, Trader Joe's.

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express says 3%, it's the "Preferred®" that says 6%.

Yes Trader Joes is classified as a supermarket/grocery/whatever which means you'll earn 3% or 6%.

Should you opt for the BCE (3% with no annual fee) or BCP (6% with $75 annual fee)?

BCE = if you plan on spending LESS than $2,500/yr at supermarkets.
BCP = if you plan on spending MORE than $2,500/yr at supermarkets.

As you can guess, the "break even point" is at least $2,500/yr at which point the rewards pay for your $75 annual fee and everything else is gravy.

Refer to the first graph here in particular the last column or simply Google "Amex BCE vs BCP".

I may have forgotten a few details as I just woke up @ 4:45 AM but those are the basics.

Muse - So how much do you plan on spending at supermarkets/grocery stores?

You may also want to Google Amex MCC lost of fun reading, hope that helps

 

[Muse]

Yes Trader Joes is classified as a supermarket/grocery/whatever which means you'll earn 3% or 6%.

Should you opt for the BCE (3% with no annual fee) or BCP (6% with $75 annual fee)?

BCE = if you plan on spending LESS than $2,500/yr at supermarkets.
BCP = if you plan on spending MORE than $2,500/yr at supermarkets.

As you can guess, the "break even point" is at least $2,500/yr at which point the rewards pay for your $75 annual fee and everything else is gravy.

Refer to the first graph here in particular the last column or simply Google "Amex BCE vs BCP".

I may have forgotten a few details as I just woke up @ 4:45 AM but those are the basics.

Muse - So how much do you plan on spending at supermarkets/grocery stores?

You may also want to Google Amex MCC lost of fun reading, hope that helps

Ah, let's see, I figure I'm apt to spend less than $2500/year on groceries, closer to $2000, maybe less. I used to keep track and it came to under $1500/year over a period of a couple of years until around 4 years ago. I'm more extravagant now, but not by a whole lot. So, I guess the 3% card is the one I want to apply for. Right now for groceries I'm using my BofA 2% groceries card, hit Trader Joe's today for $5.99. For general purchases I'm using my Quicksilver 1.5% card, Amazon Visa 3% on Amazon purchases, rotating categories on my Chase Freedom and Discover cards when applicable. ATM, Chase Freedom's 5% rebate on Amazon has me using that for Amazon purchases.

 

[Muse]

Get a label maker and put labels on the 5% category cards. It isn't hard. If you can't handle labels than you have bigger problems.

You could use a piece of masking tape and jot on it with a ball point pen. I'm not going to buy a label maker. What I have been doing, actually, is printing out a ~1" x 3" thing that has the rebate info for my various cards and keep a copy of that in my wallet. It's not always up to date, though, sometimes they don't publish details on the rebates until just before they're in effect.

 

[SP33Demon]

Cashback Cards I currently have...
1.) AMEX Blue Cash: 5% Gas, 5% grocery, 5% drug stores, and 1% on everything else after $6500 in purchases.
2.) PenFed: 5% Gas (No foreign transaction fee, works for Sam's Club gas, will work for Costco gas when they start taking VISA too!)
3.) Sallie Mae: 5% on all Amazon purchases, 5% gas, and 5% groceries.
4.) Discover IT: 5% rotating categories...In fact, right now I'm actually getting 10% on rotating categories.

The next card I'm targeting on my radar...
Chase Ink: 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services. Given how much we spend on T-Mobile and Verizon FiOS monthly, this has potential to be a money maker.

The card I'm dreaming about...
A card that allows me to put my mortgage on it and earn 5%.

That Sallie Mae card is beast. Can Amazon's card compete with the 5% off from SM? I do a lot of amazoning.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

That Sallie Mae card is beast. Can Amazon's card compete with the 5% off from SM? I do a lot of amazoning.

Salie Mae has a very small limit for its bonus last I recall.... Something like up to 250$ can apply to the bonus at most.

I want to get it either way, I'm just kinda waiting for a decent sign on.

I feel stupid signing on to a card that gives anything less than $100, preferably $200.

 

[lothar]

Yes Trader Joes is classified as a supermarket/grocery/whatever which means you'll earn 3% or 6%.

Should you opt for the BCE (3% with no annual fee) or BCP (6% with $75 annual fee)?

BCE = if you plan on spending LESS than $2,500/yr at supermarkets.
BCP = if you plan on spending MORE than $2,500/yr at supermarkets.

As you can guess, the "break even point" is at least $2,500/yr at which point the rewards pay for your $75 annual fee and everything else is gravy.

Refer to the first graph here in particular the last column or simply Google "Amex BCE vs BCP".

I may have forgotten a few details as I just woke up @ 4:45 AM but those are the basics.

Muse - So how much do you plan on spending at supermarkets/grocery stores?

You may also want to Google Amex MCC lost of fun reading, hope that helps

Or you can just get both cards and double up on AMEX offers for both cards.

Offers I've taking advantage of so far this year:
1.) Get a $25 statement credit by using your enrolled Card to make a single purchase of $50 or more in-store at Smart & Final (Up to 3 statement credit per card)---> Bought Amazon gift cards. $25 x 3 times = $75

2.) Get a $30 statement credit by using your enrolled Card to make a single purchase of $100 or more in-store at Wal-Mart/Target (Up to 5 statement credit per card)---> Bought gift cards. $30 x 5 times = $150

3.) BJ's Wholesale Club; Spend $50+, get $25 back. Up to 3x Bought Gift cards --->$25 x 3 times = $75

4.) Pay your phone bill $75+, get $10 back, up to 3x. $10 x 3 times = $30

5.) Samsclub.com, Spend $20 or more, get $20 back---> =$20

$350 total earned through AMEX offers on one card...This doesn't include the 5% cashback on gas, groceries, and drug stores that I currently get on the card.
If one have multiple cards, you can double/triple/quadruple/***(however many AMEX card you have) dip on all AMEX offers.
Conclusion: There's no reason to waste time debating whether BCE or BCP is the better card for your uses...Just signup and get both cards!

There are people on Slickdeals with 5+ AMEX cards that enroll all their cards on these offers(there's an easy trick to do so).
They buy those VISA/AMEX \ gift cards or Amazon gift cards, load $500(or whatever amount) and swipe $100 on each of their 5 cards...$30 x 5 times x 5 cards = $750 on AMEX offer #2 that I took advantage off with my only single card.

 

[lothar]

That Sallie Mae card is beast. Can Amazon's card compete with the 5% off from SM? I do a lot of amazoning.

For me, Amazon's card can't compete with it.
The question to answer is...do you spend more than $750/month in purchases on Amazon? Every single month? You'd have to spend $9,000 yearly on Amazon to reach the 5% cashback limit.

 

[lothar]

Salie Mae has a very small limit for its bonus last I recall.... Something like up to 250$ can apply to the bonus at most.

I want to get it either way, I'm just kinda waiting for a decent sign on.

I feel stupid signing on to a card that gives anything less than $100, preferably $200.

Incorrect.

5% on gas purchases for the first $250 in purchases each month.
5% on grocery store purchases for the first $250 in purchases each month.
5% on bookstore purchases for the first $750 in purchases each month. Amazon codes as a bookstore and as such you can get 5x points on Amazon purchases (as long as the item is sold by Amazon)
1% on everything else (including when you pass the $250/$750 thresholds in the various categories)

Each category is completely separate. So really your real limit is $1,250/month assuming you choose to spend $250 on gas, $250 on groceries, and $750 on Amazon in a single month and get 5% cashback on the entire $1,250/month purchase which would equal $62.5/month cashback.

I think the terms of this card are very generous.
If someone spends more than $750/month every month on Amazon, I would question their intelligence unless they're a business owner or make a ton of profit reselling items.

 

[uhohs]

Salie Mae has a very small limit for its bonus last I recall.... Something like up to 250$ can apply to the bonus at most.

I want to get it either way, I'm just kinda waiting for a decent sign on.

I feel stupid signing on to a card that gives anything less than $100, preferably $200.

5% gas on up to $250 in purchases a month
5% grocery/supermarket on up to $250 in purchases a month
5% bookstores/amazon on up to $750 in purchases a month

the grocery limit is low for a family, I'm gonna apply for a double in a few months.

 

[RossMAN]

$350 total earned through AMEX offers on one card...This doesn't include the 5% cashback on gas, groceries, and drug stores that I currently get on the card.
If one have multiple cards, you can double/triple/quadruple/***(however many AMEX card you have) dip on all AMEX offers.
Conclusion: There's no reason to waste time debating whether BCE or BCP is the better card for your uses...Just signup and get both cards!

There are people on Slickdeals with 5+ AMEX cards that enroll all their cards on these offers(there's an easy trick to do so).
They buy those VISA/AMEX \ gift cards or Amazon gift cards, load $500(or whatever amount) and swipe $100 on each of their 5 cards...$30 x 5 times x 5 cards = $750 on AMEX offer #2 that I took advantage off with my only single card.

Nailed it. Amex offers are can be freaking amazing which reminds me of a new thread I want to post soon, maybe I'll post it tonight. There have been so many times a sweet Amex Offer like $20 off $100 Staples/Amazon/Home Depot offer is available and I wish I had multiple Amex cc's. Do you know if 4 Amex credit cards is still the limit? I'm not interested in a charge card and yep I know there's a difference.

After watching this story I'm seriously considering investing time into learning the fine art of flight hacking by starting with applying for a few new credit cards.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credit-debit-prepaid-card-programs-390/

Although our supermarket spending is < $2,500/yr I might upgrade to the Amex BCP anyway if the points/reward make it worth it.