Lkke most voices below, I have cards with additional bonus cash back when used for certain categories (gas, groceries, etc). I physically write each bonus group name on the card with a sharpie, so that I remember which card to use when I’m out and about. It only takes a minute (plus some rubbing alcohol) to update each card when categories change. I enjoy the freedom of cash back, rather than directed points, as I get to choose when/where the bonus money is spent (usually with gift cards that have an additional 5% savings). Pay off each every month.
We used to use cards that awarded points for spending until we found one that simply gave cash back. No more figuring out whether we had enough points to get a flight, or finding a flight that would accept them.
Now we use an Alliant Credit Union cash back card that gives us 2.5% on everything we buy using it, from the first dollar. At the end of each year I cash out our year’s worth of accumulated cash back and take a credit against our last bill.
Also, this card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, making it the perfect traveling companion for us when we go overseas.
We utilize the Wells Fargo 2% cash back Visa card frequently for general expenditures, Marriott Bonvoy Visa for hotel points and extended warranty and travel protection, there is a $95 annual fee however, each year we receive a certificate for an overnight stay not to mention the reward points. We also have a Delta AMEX Blue card we are not fond of the card although there is no annual fee and we use the card occasionally for flights. The best benefit for hotel branded cards is for hotels with resort charges, as the resort fee is usually waived when paying for the room with points.
I fly Delta for business a lot, so the Delta Amex cards are of great benefit to me, since they can bump my Medallion status up to where I frequently receive free upgrades. The annual companion tickets, club access, concierge customer service #’s, and boarding priority make travel SO much more pleasant. A BIG plus in today’s airline pressure-cooker environment.
I recently got into the rewards game due to my long-standing favorite credit card (Citibank 2% Cashback) asked me to participate in a known scam behavior “I’m going to send you a text and you read the code back to me”. The text arrived “customer support will never ask you for this number”. And I had just read an article about how scammers login as you and then they are off to the races before you can figure out what happened.
I’ve been playing around with the credit card of the month, mostly because different cards are less than truthful about how their rewards program works. X1 is the worst – they say they do 3% (as long as you meet the minimum purchase requirements, which is easy for us to hit), but you can’t actually get 3% out unless you buy from certain stores, so it really comes out to 2.1%, and you have to deal with their app (no website access). And they didn’t have monthly statements until recently. Their “boosts” make it a little better, but to make the most use of those, everyone in the household has to have the app (and have a smart phone) to make use of it.
We’re enjoying the 10% can back Discover card, though that is only for the first year, but I think we’ll keep the 5% rotating categories, and I just recently signed up for a Venmo 3% in the top category that it chooses for me based on my spending, 2% in the second category and 1% everywhere. It doesn’t allow authorized users, so that might be a deal breaker, as then everyone needs to get their own account, etc.
Lkke most voices below, I have cards with additional bonus cash back when used for certain categories (gas, groceries, etc). I physically write each bonus group name on the card with a sharpie, so that I remember which card to use when I’m out and about. It only takes a minute (plus some rubbing alcohol) to update each card when categories change. I enjoy the freedom of cash back, rather than directed points, as I get to choose when/where the bonus money is spent (usually with gift cards that have an additional 5% savings). Pay off each every month.
We used to use cards that awarded points for spending until we found one that simply gave cash back. No more figuring out whether we had enough points to get a flight, or finding a flight that would accept them.
Now we use an Alliant Credit Union cash back card that gives us 2.5% on everything we buy using it, from the first dollar. At the end of each year I cash out our year’s worth of accumulated cash back and take a credit against our last bill.
Also, this card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, making it the perfect traveling companion for us when we go overseas.
We utilize the Wells Fargo 2% cash back Visa card frequently for general expenditures, Marriott Bonvoy Visa for hotel points and extended warranty and travel protection, there is a $95 annual fee however, each year we receive a certificate for an overnight stay not to mention the reward points. We also have a Delta AMEX Blue card we are not fond of the card although there is no annual fee and we use the card occasionally for flights. The best benefit for hotel branded cards is for hotels with resort charges, as the resort fee is usually waived when paying for the room with points.
I fly Delta for business a lot, so the Delta Amex cards are of great benefit to me, since they can bump my Medallion status up to where I frequently receive free upgrades. The annual companion tickets, club access, concierge customer service #’s, and boarding priority make travel SO much more pleasant. A BIG plus in today’s airline pressure-cooker environment.
Read the fine print.
I recently got into the rewards game due to my long-standing favorite credit card (Citibank 2% Cashback) asked me to participate in a known scam behavior “I’m going to send you a text and you read the code back to me”. The text arrived “customer support will never ask you for this number”. And I had just read an article about how scammers login as you and then they are off to the races before you can figure out what happened.
I’ve been playing around with the credit card of the month, mostly because different cards are less than truthful about how their rewards program works. X1 is the worst – they say they do 3% (as long as you meet the minimum purchase requirements, which is easy for us to hit), but you can’t actually get 3% out unless you buy from certain stores, so it really comes out to 2.1%, and you have to deal with their app (no website access). And they didn’t have monthly statements until recently. Their “boosts” make it a little better, but to make the most use of those, everyone in the household has to have the app (and have a smart phone) to make use of it.
We’re enjoying the 10% can back Discover card, though that is only for the first year, but I think we’ll keep the 5% rotating categories, and I just recently signed up for a Venmo 3% in the top category that it chooses for me based on my spending, 2% in the second category and 1% everywhere. It doesn’t allow authorized users, so that might be a deal breaker, as then everyone needs to get their own account, etc.
Capital One has