What is the best rewards card right now?

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I drilled down today and I think I have something like 90% of my purchases covered by a 4-6% cash back deal. My top 4 places/categories I frequent:

1) Restaurants/outside food - 5% w/ Discover this quarter.
2) Target - Covered by Target Red Card 5%
3) Whole Foods - Covered by 6% AMEX Preferred card
4) Amazon.com - Covered by Amazon card I have 5%

My catch all is the 1+1% Citi Double cash back, my new Costco visa card comes next month and that will be 4% on gas (but I don't drive much anymore anyway).

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My current status of milking AMEX MRP benefit

Travel - Platinum 2x MRP
Grocery - Everyday Preferred 3x MRP
Gas - Everyday Preferred 2x MRP
Everything Else - 1.5x MRP because I freaking charge everything!

Current MRP balance after three month 119,324 almost enough to fly New York to Paris Round Trip First Class.

My Platinum Card Annual Fee Balance

Fee ($450)
Global Entry $100
TSA PreCheck $80
American Gift Card Reimbursement $200
Comp Free Night at Four Seasons $450
Comp Breakfast x 4 at Four Seasons $240

Up $620 after three months.
 
I drilled down today and I think I have something like 90% of my purchases covered by a 4-6% cash back deal. My top 4 places/categories I frequent:

1) Restaurants/outside food - 5% w/ Discover this quarter.
2) Target - Covered by Target Red Card 5%
3) Whole Foods - Covered by 6% AMEX Preferred card
4) Amazon.com - Covered by Amazon card I have 5%

My catch all is the 1+1% Citi Double cash back, my new Costco visa card comes next month and that will be 4% on gas (but I don't drive much anymore anyway).

You sir are the Cash Back King!
 
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SPOUSE
Chase United
Barclays Aviator
Citi AA Gold
Citi AA Plat
Chase Freedom
Chase Hyatt
Amex SPG
Amex PRG
Amex Delta
Chase IHG

SELF
Chase United
Barclays Aviator
Citi AA Plat
Citi AA Gold
Chase CSP
Chase BA
AmEx SPG
AmEx PLT
Chase Hyatt
AmEx PRG
AmEx Delta
Citi AA Plat (2)
Chase IHG

Miles Earned 1,3xx,xxx
Miles Burned -8xx,xxx
Mileage Balance 4xx,xxx

$ 27,xxx.xx @2c/mile

The world is our oyster. Have lots of fun trips planned. Nice hotels. Elite benefits.

/thread
 
SPOUSE
Chase United
Barclays Aviator
Citi AA Gold
Citi AA Plat
Chase Freedom
Chase Hyatt
Amex SPG
Amex PRG
Amex Delta
Chase IHG

SELF
Chase United
Barclays Aviator
Citi AA Plat
Citi AA Gold
Chase CSP
Chase BA
AmEx SPG
AmEx PLT
Chase Hyatt
AmEx PRG
AmEx Delta
Citi AA Plat (2)
Chase IHG

Miles Earned 1,3xx,xxx
Miles Burned -8xx,xxx
Mileage Balance 4xx,xxx

$ 27,xxx.xx @2c/mile

The world is our oyster. Have lots of fun trips planned. Nice hotels. Elite benefits.

/thread
How much do you pay in annual fees, or is there some way to avoid paying them?
 
SPOUSE
Chase United
Barclays Aviator
Citi AA Gold
Citi AA Plat
Chase Freedom
Chase Hyatt
Amex SPG
Amex PRG
Amex Delta
Chase IHG

SELF
Chase United
Barclays Aviator
Citi AA Plat
Citi AA Gold
Chase CSP
Chase BA
AmEx SPG
AmEx PLT
Chase Hyatt
AmEx PRG
AmEx Delta
Citi AA Plat (2)
Chase IHG

Miles Earned 1,3xx,xxx
Miles Burned -8xx,xxx
Mileage Balance 4xx,xxx

$ 27,xxx.xx @2c/mile

The world is our oyster. Have lots of fun trips planned. Nice hotels. Elite benefits.

/thread

Oh I kind of miss these days....Citi AA Platinum was my go-to card, made PLT status my first year out of college.

Now I'm just the cash back king and fly steerage on WN exclusively now.

My have the mighty fallen =[


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How much do you pay in annual fees, or is there some way to avoid paying them?

Typically the annual fee is waived for the first year. After that you decide if the on-going card benefits are worth the annual fee. For example some cards give a free night in any hotel in that brand (or certain categories) for $49/$69. Some cards give you free checked bags. Point transfers. Car rental insurance. Elite status at that brand. It just depends on the individual card.

I will pay annual fees for some of my cards. Some I will close. Some the banks waive. It just depends.
 
SELF
Chase United
Barclays Aviator
Citi AA Plat
Citi AA Gold
Chase CSP
Chase BA
AmEx SPG
AmEx PLT
Chase Hyatt
AmEx PRG
AmEx Delta
Citi AA Plat (2)
Chase IHG

Ignoring your spouse, you have 12 active credit cards?! You must be a churner.
 
Is "churning" just taking advantage of sign-up perks for new cards, then pretty much ignoring those cards once you've milked them for all they're worth?
 
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Is "churning" just taking advantage of sign-up perks for new cards, then pretty much ignoring those cards once you've milked them for all they're worth?

Correct, but the issuers have caught on.
 
Correct, but the issuers have caught on.
Are you referencing how Chase won't allow multiple rewards cards issued to the same person anymore, even though they're technically different cards (Like Freedom, Slate, etc.)?
 
Are you referencing how Chase won't allow multiple rewards cards issued to the same person anymore, even though they're technically different cards (Like Freedom, Slate, etc.)?

Precisely.... Amex is a lot worse. One sign up bonus per life time. There are mixed results on some getting two sign up bonuses (one for charge card, the other for credit card)
 

MS used to be somewhat more exclusive, especially for those that were willing to take some risk. Now it seems like everyone is doing it. Banks and retailers have pulled most of the deals.

Sure saved me a decent amount in travel expenses, though.
 
Isnt it better to buy gift cards from a third party website at discounted price and use it than to use cash back from credit card?? all if not most gift cards you can get it at discount of at least 3% or more. thoughts???
 
I have the Freedom, too bad I'm broke and can't buy gift cards with the 5%... :(
 
Sam's Club Consumer Credit Card

5% back at all gas stations
3% back for all dining and travel
1% back for everything else
 
all you fellow churners out there...chase sapphire reserve card is supposed to launch on sunday. $450 annual fee but sign-on bonus is worth around $2000 (100k ultimate reward points, (2) $300 travel credits, free TSA Pre-check). Plan to open one for myself and one for my wife, and profit an easy 3 grand.
 
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all you fellow churners out there...chase sapphire reserve card is supposed to launch on sunday. $450 annual fee but sign-on bonus is worth around $2000 (100k ultimate reward points, (2) $300 travel credits, free TSA Pre-check). Plan to open one for myself and one for my wife, and profit an easy 3 grand.

It is literally the greatest credit card that has ever existed.
 
Definitely a card I would churn. Benefits sound cool but with my spending they actually match the benefits of my double cash card. Not really a card I'd keep for the long term.
 
Just got the AMEX BCP card in the mail yesterday. At a 6% rewards rate, it will be my go-to for groceries/gift cards I can buy in-store.
 
The best credit card out there is the Fidelity credit card. 2% unlimited cash back, $0 annual fee, also a signature card so there are generous benefits. You're welcome.

How much will you really spend on personal gas per month? $250? So you get $7.50 more a month with a 5% gas card...
 
The best credit card out there is the Fidelity credit card. 2% unlimited cash back, $0 annual fee, also a signature card so there are generous benefits. You're welcome.

How much will you really spend on personal gas per month? $250? So you get $7.50 more a month with a 5% gas card...

For a true connoisseur of credit cards... no it's not the best credit card.

The best card is literally, all of them. A never ending supply of sweet sweet bonuses where I can take my wife to the finest capitals of the world, throughout Europe, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Asia, all in 4 and 5 star hotels. All at little to no cost.

So sir, you are, so sadly mistaken.
 
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For a true connoisseur of credit cards... no it's not the best credit card.

The best card is literally, all of them. A never ending supply of sweet sweet bonuses where I can take my wife to the finest capitals of the world, throughout Europe, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Asia, all in 4 and 5 star hotels. All at little to no cost.

So sir, you are, so sadly mistaken.
awval i laughed out loud when i read your posts. it seems we have had very similar churning trips. in the past three years my wife and i have been to london, paris, rome, hawaii, puerto rico, mexico, florida, alaska, and banff springs. all flights have been free using sign up bonuses and majority of hotels have been free as well. churning is sort of a hobby and a rather lucrative one at that. i think i have netted somewhere around $30k in signup bonuses over the past 3 years. we will have to keep each other posted on new offers, but yah this CSR card coming out tomorrow is a cant-miss
 
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For a true connoisseur of credit cards... no it's not the best credit card.

The best card is literally, all of them. A never ending supply of sweet sweet bonuses where I can take my wife to the finest capitals of the world, throughout Europe, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Asia, all in 4 and 5 star hotels. All at little to no cost.

So sir, you are, so sadly mistaken.

awval i laughed out loud when i read your posts. it seems we have had very similar churning trips. in the past three years my wife and i have been to london, paris, rome, hawaii, puerto rico, mexico, florida, alaska, and banff springs. all flights have been free using sign up bonuses and majority of hotels have been free as well. churning is sort of a hobby and a rather lucrative one at that. i think i have netted somewhere around $30k in signup bonuses over the past 3 years. we will have to keep each other posted on new offers, but yah this CSR card coming out tomorrow is a cant-miss

Could either/both of you please write a thread on the cards you recommend for churning and the process you take to earn all these nearly free trips? I've churned several cards in the past but didn't have the time to travel previously so always just took the cash back rewards and then closed the accounts. Would like to learn how to maximize the offers (I know there are probably several articles online about this, but personal experiences are always enlightening)
 
To save 10-20% on gas:

1) Buy eBay gift cards with AMEX BCP at grocery stores
2) Buy discounted gas gift cards on eBay (these pop up from time to time)
3) Even better if there happens to be a bonus on eBay Bucks
 
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I'm using the Citi double cash card. Is there a better all around card for flat cash back?
 
I'm using the Citi double cash card. Is there a better all around card for flat cash back?

No, Idiot (sorry, couldn't resist!)

From what I understand, that's the best flat cash back rate there is - though other cards can certainly beat it in other categories if you're willing to carry more than one card in your wallet.
 
No, Idiot (sorry, couldn't resist!)

From what I understand, that's the best flat cash back rate there is - though other cards can certainly beat it in other categories if you're willing to carry more than one card in your wallet.

Yeah I was doing that but I found it to be a hassle to keep track of and not really worth it. I paid them all to 0 balance and threw them in a drawer lol. Just have Citi and debit card (for backup) in the wallet.
 
Yeah I was doing that but I found it to be a hassle to keep track of and not really worth it. I paid them all to 0 balance and threw them in a drawer lol. Just have Citi and debit card (for backup) in the wallet.

Totally understandable. For some people it's just not worth the hassle. Personally, I don't mind carrying around 3-4 cards and knowing which is for what.
 
To save 10-20% on gas:

1) Buy eBay gift cards with AMEX BCP at grocery stores
2) Buy discounted gas gift cards on eBay (these pop up from time to time)
3) Even better if there happens to be a bonus on eBay Bucks

Never mind about step #1, it looks like eBay suddenly stopped allowing the purchase of third party gift cards with eBay gift cards.
 
I've started doing the bank account bonuses. These usually require more work like setting up direct deposit but the bonuses are a few hundred dollars. So on top of the credit card bonuses, this year I've done:

$300 Chase Checking
$200 Chase Savings
$150 Chase Freedom Unlimited
$150 Chase Freedom regular
$110 BofA Cash Rewards
$120 BofA Better Balance Rewards
$100 Discover Bank Online Savings
$400 Citibank
$350 HSBC Bank
=$1,880 so far

and I'm getting ready to do TD Bank and PNC Bank for $300 each.
 
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I've started doing the bank account bonuses. These usually require more work like setting up direct deposit but the bonuses are a few hundred dollars. So on top of the credit card bonuses, this year I've done:

$300 Chase Checking
$200 Chase Savings
$150 Chase Freedom Unlimited
$150 Chase Freedom regular
$110 BofA Cash Rewards
$120 BofA Better Balance Rewards
$100 Discover Bank Online Savings
$400 Citibank
$350 HSBC Bank
=$1,880 so far

and I'm getting ready to do TD Bank and PNC Bank for $300 each.
Thanks for sharing, pez. The Citibank $400 requires a 15k deposit but otherwise no other requirements? also for hsbc what qualifies as online bill pay? does it have to be a "bill" or can i simply make a payment towards a credit card?
I've started doing the bank account bonuses. These usually require more work like setting up direct deposit but the bonuses are a few hundred dollars. So on top of the credit card bonuses, this year I've done:

$300 Chase Checking
$200 Chase Savings
$150 Chase Freedom Unlimited
$150 Chase Freedom regular
$110 BofA Cash Rewards
$120 BofA Better Balance Rewards
$100 Discover Bank Online Savings
$400 Citibank
$350 HSBC Bank
=$1,880 so far

and I'm getting ready to do TD Bank and PNC Bank for $300 each.
makes more sense to do credit card bonuses. 1-they are not taxed, 2-they are generally larger 3-they are easier to sign up for and 4-they dont have nearly the hoops to jump through. But both are worth doing
 
makes more sense to do credit card bonuses. 1-they are not taxed, 2-they are generally larger 3-they are easier to sign up for and 4-they dont have nearly the hoops to jump through. But both are worth doing

The disadvantage of credit card bonuses is that you get hit with an inquiry on your report each time you apply. Banks will deny you if you have too many recent inquiries and/or new accounts. Chase, for example, will automatically deny you new credit cards if you have opened 5 accounts within the last 24 months.
 
The disadvantage of credit card bonuses is that you get hit with an inquiry on your report each time you apply. Banks will deny you if you have too many recent inquiries and/or new accounts. Chase, for example, will automatically deny you new credit cards if you have opened 5 accounts within the last 24 months.
true Chase is starting to crack down on certain brands of their credit cards..i actually missed out on the new CSR card for that very reason. There are still lots of other good cards out there. One common misconception is that opening and closing new credit cards will significantly impact credit score. Look closely at how credit score is calculated and you will see average age of credit is only a small piece of the pie. i have opened and closed over 30 cards in the past 3 years and my credit score is currently 805
 
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true Chase is starting to crack down on certain brands of their credit cards..i actually missed out on the new CSR card for that very reason. There are still lots of other good cards out there. One common misconception is that opening and closing new credit cards will significantly impact credit score. Look closely at how credit score is calculated and you will see average age of credit is only a small piece of the pie. i have opened and closed over 30 cards in the past 3 years and my credit score is currently 805
awval (my fellow churner) if you are out there check out the Barclay Arrival Plus, sign on normally is 40k but is currently at 50k with annual fee waived. Just signed up for 2 of them
 
There is also the American Express Platinum Delta with 70k signup bonus. $195 annual fee minus $100 statement credit = $95 first year
 
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Thanks for sharing, pez. The Citibank $400 requires a 15k deposit but otherwise no other requirements? also for hsbc what qualifies as online bill pay? does it have to be a "bill" or can i simply make a payment towards a credit card?
Yep Citi is $15k for 30 days, then you can reduce it to $10k to avoid the $25 monthly fee while you wait for your bonus.

For HSBC, I intend to do the 2 Bill Pays per month x 3 mo and keep a $1500 minimum to avoid the $15 monthly fee, instead of the direct deposit. My understanding was that you could just make bill payments to a credit card and it doesn't even have to be the full statement balance, so I'll probably do like $20 from HSBC and let the autopayment pay off the rest from my regular checking account.
 
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The disadvantage of credit card bonuses is that you get hit with an inquiry on your report each time you apply. Banks will deny you if you have too many recent inquiries and/or new accounts. Chase, for example, will automatically deny you new credit cards if you have opened 5 accounts within the last 24 months.
Not necesarrily true. I got chase southwest, sapphire preferred, sapphire reserve, freedom, and barclays arrival+ over last 4 years or so and only got 1 hard pull on my credit report from all of those (barclays).
 
Yeah I was doing that but I found it to be a hassle to keep track of and not really worth it. I paid them all to 0 balance and threw them in a drawer lol. Just have Citi and debit card (for backup) in the wallet.
People are either maximizers or satisficers. You are a satisficer.
 
People are either maximizers or satisficers. You are a satisficer.

Is that a good thing? Based on my 10 second Google search I'd probably say I'm a maximizer in general. I just decided it's much easier to save/gain 100 dollars by spending less or working an extra shift a year than carrying and managing 5 credit cards.
 
Is that a good thing? Based on my 10 second Google search I'd probably say I'm a maximizer in general. I just decided it's much easier to save/gain 100 dollars by spending less or working an extra shift a year than carrying and managing 5 credit cards.

I mean, $100, or $30,000. It just depends how deep you want to play this game.

If you love to travel like I do, there is a lot of free travel to be gamed. But don't be fooled. You don't "save" money. You travel better. And farther.
 
awval (my fellow churner) if you are out there check out the Barclay Arrival Plus, sign on normally is 40k but is currently at 50k with annual fee waived. Just signed up for 2 of them

I'm definitely considering it. I'm waiting to see if Amex tries to match the CSR. There's rumors going around in churningland.
 
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Is that a good thing? Based on my 10 second Google search I'd probably say I'm a maximizer in general. I just decided it's much easier to save/gain 100 dollars by spending less or working an extra shift a year than carrying and managing 5 credit cards.

I disagree- spending $500 on a card for $100 is way easier than picking up another shift... And doesn't cost you anything as long as you don't buy something you wouldn't have normally bought.

Credit card bonuses with a signup bonus value under $500 are hardly worth the inquiry + new account report. 5 credit cards can net you around $2,500 in rewards and usually take less than an hour to maintain each year.
 
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