2 questions about type of card to apply for

[physicist82]

Scenario 1: We are about to buy a house (which is a short sale so could take a couple of months for approval). What would be the best rewards card that would be beneficial for sprucing up the house? We'll have to get the carpets cleaned and hire a cleaning service to come in and get the back yard sodded and the locks changed. 

Scenario 2: DH works for an airline (Delta) and we travel quite frequently. Just in the past year or so have we travelled international (we were waiting for our youngest to turn 6 so he could ride in first class). We are hoping to increase the rate of our international travel and I was wondering what the best card for that would be that isn't necessarily tied to airline mileage. Obviously we don't need airline miles in most cases unless we were going to use them for family or something. Is there a travel card that has no FTF but has rewards that aren't mileage related? And maybe other travel particular benefits. 

For most countries the FTF isn't that big of a deal. We can always use our Delta Credit union debit card to pull cash from the ATM without any fees and they convert the exchange rate when they apply it to our account directly so we get the best transfer rate that way. However some countries don't have the ATM partnerships. For example our debit card was perfect in Rome but in Bangkok they did not have the ATM partnership so we had to carry cash with us before leaving the US and then go to an exchange place. 

[coldnmn]

More information is needed average age of accounts, current cards, inquires baddies, etc. We would need this so you wouldn't waste inquiries on cards you wouldn't qualify for.

[ztnjpv]

OP,

assuming there is nothing irregular in your credit file that would make my suggestions moot or pointless, I would say:

Home improvement: 

PenFed Plat Rewards is the best catch-all. Why? Walmart SuperCenters count as groceries so you get 3 pts per dollar (VALUED AT ABOUT .847 CENTS EACH).

Sure, there's Chase Freedom @ 5% when it's the right quarter but it's only up to $1500 and it's right now...not helpful in a few months. There's the Lowes Biz card from Amex but it's a biz card. Costco Amex is another idea. Honestly, it's not even worth the trouble of giving it too much thought. Barclaycard arrival is another option since it's 2 miles per dollar and it's a MC so you can use it at Sam's Club and Costco.

Best travel not tied to airline: Barclay Arrival, Venture and CSP.  The New everyday card from Amex is good for redeeming for travel but not spending. 

[xsvspd]

Check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred, aka CSP. The travel perks are excellent, double points for airline, hotel, car rental, cruises, and  the points can be redeemed for cash back, merchandise, hotel stays, among many others! There are no FTF and has a chip for international transactions. There is a $95 annual fee, waived for the first year, but if you use it as much as most do, it's worth the annual fee. The sign-up bonus right now is probable the best out there.

Link to CSP

Check for Chase Pre-Qualified Offers

[physicist82]

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@coldnmn wrote:

More information is needed average age of accounts, current cards, inquires baddies, etc. We would need this so you wouldn't waste inquiries on cards you wouldn't qualify for.

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Cap1 platinum 

cap1 platinum (was HSBC till cap1 bought them)

cap1 platinum rewards

Chase

2 Best buy

GE care credit

GE discount tire company

Oldest card is 14yrs (the HSBC convert)

Average age is 5yrs

Report says 6 inquiries in 2 yrs (2 of these is our mortgage broker)

2 medical collections (paid and letters sent to remove with the help of our broker)

1 cable provider collection that was really old and not valid (we had satellite) letter sent for this one too but not paid

EDIT: I should add that we also have a car loan through Hyundai that is about 10 mon old.

We don't intend on applying for anything right away. We bid on a short sale which could take 3-5 months and we don't want to do anything new until after that is done and over with. Which means we don't know how the mortgage will effect our credit score. Our first step after mortgage is safe though will be to contact Cap1 and Chase and see if we can get switched to better cards through them and to combine the credit lines on the Best Buy cards so we only have the older one instead of both (when we thought they were requesting a CLI after Best buy changed from cap1 to whoever they are now they gave us a separate new card instead of a CLI)

[physicist82]

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@xsvspd wrote:

Check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred, aka CSP. The travel perks are excellent, double points for airline, hotel, car rental, cruises, and  the points can be redeemed for cash back, merchandise, hotel stays, among many others! There are no FTF and has a chip for international transactions. There is a $95 annual fee, waived for the first year, but if you use it as much as most do, it's worth the annual fee. The sign-up bonus right now is probable the best out there.

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Is CSP a card that our current Chase with $3500 limit could get product changed into? (It is an old WAMU card that transferred when they got bought out)

[ztnjpv]

You'd be better off applying for the CSP. 40,000 point sign bonus if you meet the spending requirement. Plus another 5,000 if you assign an authorized user. That's a lot of points. Will take longer...maybe a couple of years...to match that thru regular use. Depends on spending amounts.

[coldnmn]

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@physicist82 wrote:

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@coldnmn wrote:

More information is needed average age of accounts, current cards, inquires baddies, etc. We would need this so you wouldn't waste inquiries on cards you wouldn't qualify for.

---

Cap1 platinum 

cap1 platinum (was HSBC till cap1 bought them)

cap1 platinum rewards

Chase

2 Best buy

GE care credit

GE discount tire company

Oldest card is 14yrs (the HSBC convert)

Average age is 5yrs

Report says 6 inquiries in 2 yrs (2 of these is our mortgage broker)

2 medical collections (paid and letters sent to remove with the help of our broker)

1 cable provider collection that was really old and not valid (we had satellite) letter sent for this one too but not paid

EDIT: I should add that we also have a car loan through Hyundai that is about 10 mon old.

We don't intend on applying for anything right away. We bid on a short sale which could take 3-5 months and we don't want to do anything new until after that is done and over with. Which means we don't know how the mortgage will effect our credit score. Our first step after mortgage is safe though will be to contact Cap1 and Chase and see if we can get switched to better cards through them and to combine the credit lines on the Best Buy cards so we only have the older one instead of both (when we thought they were requesting a CLI after Best buy changed from cap1 to whoever they are now they gave us a separate new card instead of a CLI)

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Cap1 is a SP for CLI and product change. Chances are Chase will be a HP. Seeing as you have time before applying use the search at the top of page when someone suggests a card. A card may be perfect for one person and not for another. Some cards require that you have the ability get at least a $5000 cl. If you don't have current with that CL chances are slim to none that you will be approved, wasting a inquiry that stays for 2 years on your credit report. If you google Cap1 CEO email you can contact them for PC and CLI. Or you can message them on their Facebook page. I wont recommend any cards as it's better to research here for what fits you best. Good Luck!