AARP by Chase: 3% restaurants and gas: opinions?

[Imperfectfuture]

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@SunriseEarth wrote:

Perhaps someone with AARP can answer this, but is Chase AARP as specific with the MCC for "Restaurants" as Cash+ is?   In other words, do related MCCs (Fast Food, Bars & Cafes, Caterers) also get 3% with AARP?   With Cash+, it's very specific.   Marvel gives the 3% on the 4 dining MCCs.

Anyway, the people with AARP seem to like the card, despite looks of curiousity for cardholders below "AARP" age.  

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Fast food and restaurants count, also purchases without a pump (no car, convenience store shopping).  But, it will be closed after reaching next reward threshold, because redundant with other cards, diluting spend.  PS, AARP gets a cut of the interest, but for us non interest holders, they do not get much (maybe swipe fee cut?)

[Imperfectfuture]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Themanwhocan wrote:

The 10th option is to join Navy Federal Credit Union, and then get the Go Rewards card. 3X restaurants, 2X gas, 1X everything else.

Unless you primarily eat at Fast Food restaurants, then the Cash+ is king. And the 5% rotating category cards in certain quarters...

The Marvel card is what I would prefer to use, of the 3% cards. Automatic monthly redemptions, and large credit limits.

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The only thing against NFCU GoRewards, for me, is $50 minimum to redeem, whereas AARP has no min.

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It is 20 minimum to redeem. . Like any chase card.

[BirchBarlow]

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@Imperfectfuture wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Themanwhocan wrote:

The 10th option is to join Navy Federal Credit Union, and then get the Go Rewards card. 3X restaurants, 2X gas, 1X everything else.

Unless you primarily eat at Fast Food restaurants, then the Cash+ is king. And the 5% rotating category cards in certain quarters...

The Marvel card is what I would prefer to use, of the 3% cards. Automatic monthly redemptions, and large credit limits.

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The only thing against NFCU GoRewards, for me, is $50 minimum to redeem, whereas AARP has no min.

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It is 20 minimum to redeem. . Like any chase card.

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Freedom Unlimited has no minimum to redeem.

[barthooper]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Love my Aarp card. Got this card just last month and just by spending on regular gas and food i have got 25$ inrewards plus 100$ bonus. it counts fast food resturants as well. like mc donalds , tacobell etc. and it also counts murphys for gas 3%. its a great card to have for those who drive a lot and eat out a lot. i love the card design. age issue does not bother us at all. feels silly to care about it. lol

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That's how I feel. I want it even more now that I'm learning even fast food counts for 3%. I'll hold out for a bit just in case the $200 bonus comes back in the late fall, but if not I'll be picking it up early next year. When I get this I won't have much spend to put on my Quicksilver. I was also heavily considering getting the Citi DC as well after my year of Discover double cashback is over. Decisions, decisions.

[Anonymous]

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@barthooper wrote:

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@trant3 wrote:

I picked up the card during the $200. Never used it once after the bonus was received. Since then, the card has been closed. I hated the logo and the "old" people stigma while using it.

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I definitely see the reasoning here. However I'd probably just take it as an opportunity to say it gets 3% off restaurants and gas. I had a cashier give an odd look at my Sallie Mae one time and say something about having loans through them, to which I briefly responded about the rewards. I'd use the ugliest card in the world if it meant getting good rewards.

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I'm with you! 

[Anonymous]

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@barthooper wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Love my Aarp card. Got this card just last month and just by spending on regular gas and food i have got 25$ inrewards plus 100$ bonus. it counts fast food resturants as well. like mc donalds , tacobell etc. and it also counts murphys for gas 3%. its a great card to have for those who drive a lot and eat out a lot. i love the card design. age issue does not bother us at all. feels silly to care about it. lol

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That's how I feel. I want it even more now that I'm learning even fast food counts for 3%. I'll hold out for a bit just in case the $200 bonus comes back in the late fall, but if not I'll be picking it up early next year. When I get this I won't have much spend to put on my Quicksilver. I was also heavily considering getting the Citi DC as well after my year of Discover double cashback is over. Decisions, decisions.

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Good decision. I the DC for all noncategory spend. 

[kdm31091]

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@barthooper wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Love my Aarp card. Got this card just last month and just by spending on regular gas and food i have got 25$ inrewards plus 100$ bonus. it counts fast food resturants as well. like mc donalds , tacobell etc. and it also counts murphys for gas 3%. its a great card to have for those who drive a lot and eat out a lot. i love the card design. age issue does not bother us at all. feels silly to care about it. lol

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That's how I feel. I want it even more now that I'm learning even fast food counts for 3%. I'll hold out for a bit just in case the $200 bonus comes back in the late fall, but if not I'll be picking it up early next year. When I get this I won't have much spend to put on my Quicksilver. I was also heavily considering getting the Citi DC as well after my year of Discover double cashback is over. Decisions, decisions.

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It's nice that fast food counts, but then, fast food is cheaper than restaurant dining anyway, so how many dollars you really spending on fast food to where 3% will add up to a lot of money?

Like others have mentioned, I find that opening a bunch of cards for 3% on this or that leads to spend dilution and only a small increase in overall rewards, but it really depends on what you're spending.

[longtimelurker]

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@kdm31091 wrote:

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@barthooper wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Love my Aarp card. Got this card just last month and just by spending on regular gas and food i have got 25$ inrewards plus 100$ bonus. it counts fast food resturants as well. like mc donalds , tacobell etc. and it also counts murphys for gas 3%. its a great card to have for those who drive a lot and eat out a lot. i love the card design. age issue does not bother us at all. feels silly to care about it. lol

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That's how I feel. I want it even more now that I'm learning even fast food counts for 3%. I'll hold out for a bit just in case the $200 bonus comes back in the late fall, but if not I'll be picking it up early next year. When I get this I won't have much spend to put on my Quicksilver. I was also heavily considering getting the Citi DC as well after my year of Discover double cashback is over. Decisions, decisions.

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It's nice that fast food counts, but then, fast food is cheaper than restaurant dining anyway, so how many dollars you really spending on fast food to where 3% will add up to a lot of money?

Like others have mentioned, I find that opening a bunch of cards for 3% on this or that leads to spend dilution and only a small increase in overall rewards, but it really depends on what you're spending.

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Right, and if fast food is a lot, consider the Cash + for 5% for up to $2K a quarter.   Similarly, if gas is a big expense to make 3% attractive over a general 2% card, one of the 5% cards, such as Penfed Cash Rewards would be a lot more useful

[barthooper]

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@kdm31091 wrote:

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@barthooper wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Love my Aarp card. Got this card just last month and just by spending on regular gas and food i have got 25$ inrewards plus 100$ bonus. it counts fast food resturants as well. like mc donalds , tacobell etc. and it also counts murphys for gas 3%. its a great card to have for those who drive a lot and eat out a lot. i love the card design. age issue does not bother us at all. feels silly to care about it. lol

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That's how I feel. I want it even more now that I'm learning even fast food counts for 3%. I'll hold out for a bit just in case the $200 bonus comes back in the late fall, but if not I'll be picking it up early next year. When I get this I won't have much spend to put on my Quicksilver. I was also heavily considering getting the Citi DC as well after my year of Discover double cashback is over. Decisions, decisions.

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It's nice that fast food counts, but then, fast food is cheaper than restaurant dining anyway, so how many dollars you really spending on fast food to where 3% will add up to a lot of money?

Like others have mentioned, I find that opening a bunch of cards for 3% on this or that leads to spend dilution and only a small increase in overall rewards, but it really depends on what you're spending.

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Yes, I wouldn't say the fast food is a major selling point for me with this card. Rather it's the icing on the cake. I agree that most of the cashback would come from restaurants. I'm mainly interested for the restaurants and the (hopefully) $200 bonus.

I think this would be my last category specific card. I've got Sallie Mae for gas and groceries (my two largest, regular categories) as well as Amazon. Easily my next highest category is restaurants, so I think it's a decent enough increase over a 1.5-2% gen spend card. Most other spending falls under other miscellaneous merchants that can't be lumped into a category card.