AMEX PRG

[PyRo189]

Hey all,

I currently have the AMEX Green card and am looking to move it to the Premier gold, I will be putting around $2,000 on it most being gas and purchases, possibly more if I can figure out how to put rent and other bills on it. I'm wondering if it would be worth it or not? I do book atleast 2 trips a year that I would put on the card aswell which gives 3x on travel.

[jsucool76]

I don't think PCs are eligible for the signup bonuses though, however, it seems to be a solid card, and if it isn't worth your money after the first year you can always downgrade. 

[PyRo189]

I would be uprgarding  if I decide to do it.

[PyRo189]

Any more feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[nachoslibres]

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@PyRo189 wrote:

Hey all,

I currently have the AMEX Green card and am looking to move it to the Premier gold, I will be putting around $2,000 on it most being gas and purchases, possibly more if I can figure out how to put rent and other bills on it. I'm wondering if it would be worth it or not? I do book atleast 2 trips a year that I would put on the card aswell which gives 3x on travel.

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How much of it a year will be in gas and how much in travel?

Let's assume you spend $500 a month in gas, that's $6,000 a year, and since you earn 2x MR on the PRG for this instead of 1x MR on the Green you earn an extra 6,000 MR a year on the PRG compared to the Green.  If you are able to get $0.02/MR by using travel partners, this means you would get an additional $120 worth of travel rewards on the PRG compared to the Green.  Since the PRG has a difference in AF from the Green of $80 you would come out ahead $40 a year on travel rewards - IF you spent $500 a month in gas, not including the travel you said you would put on twice a year (which would earn 2 more MR/$ than the Green).

So, if you are spending $500/mo in gas or close to it I would say the PRG would get you better bang for your buck than the Green.  If you gave me more accurate numbers of your spend on gas and travel a year it would make for a more accurate assessment.

[PyRo189]

On average I spend around $200 in gas a month aswell as around $550 at the supermarket which both have 2x, and then the other $400-$650 dollars would be at 1x on various bills a month, the trips would run around $1000 each.

[nachoslibres]

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@PyRo189 wrote:

On average I spend around $200 in gas a month aswell as around $550 at the supermarket which both have 2x, and then the other $400-$650 dollars would be at 1x on various bills a month, the trips would run around $1000 each.

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Ah yes, I forgot about supermarkets.  Ok, so you spend $750/mo on gas and groceries which is $9,000/yr which means an additional 9,000 MR a year on the PRG vs the Green.  With your two trips at $1k a piece that's an additional 4,000 MR a year on the PRG vs the Green.  That means a combined 13,000 MR a year extra earned on the PRG vs the Green.  Even if you got a crappy $0.01/MR you would earn $130 extra in travel rewards on the PRG vs the Green.  But if you do it right you could earn at least $0.02/MR which means an extra $260 extra in travel rewards on the PRG vs the Green - which is much greater than the $80 AF difference.

[MT936]

a change of the title of your post might be in order

[jd352]

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@PyRo189 wrote:

On average I spend around $200 in gas a month aswell as around $550 at the supermarket which both have 2x, and then the other $400-$650 dollars would be at 1x on various bills a month, the trips would run around $1000 each.

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The Everyday Preferred may be better:
Grocery: $550 x 3 = 1650

Gas: $200 x 2 = 400

Other (avg): $525 = 525

Travel: $1000 * twice * 1.5 = 3000/year

(1650+400+525) x 1.5 = 3,862.5 MRP's/month = 46,350/year + 3000/year travel = 49,350/year using EDP

PRG:

Grocery: $550 x 2 = 1100

Gas: $200 x 2 = 400

Other (avg): $525 = 525

Travel: $1000 * 3 * twice   = 6000/year

(1100+400+525) = 2,025 MRP's/month = 24300/year + 6000/year travel = 30,300/year using PRG

As you can see, since you don't travel as much, the traveling charge card doesn't benefit you nearly as much as a "everyday" spend card. Also, the annual fee on the PRG is $175 vs $95 with the EPD, saving you $80/year in annual fees. My math might be off, but I think it's right. If it is, you gain considerably more using the EDP than the PRG. Also, the EPD has a 15k MR bonus with sining up. So you can add that to the pot of MR points as well. You do need to swipe 30x per month with the EDP to get that bonus, but based on what you seem to spend, that won't be a problem. (Heck, I use the vending machine basically each day at work to get my 30x per month).

[mongstradamus]

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@jd352 wrote:

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@PyRo189 wrote:

On average I spend around $200 in gas a month aswell as around $550 at the supermarket which both have 2x, and then the other $400-$650 dollars would be at 1x on various bills a month, the trips would run around $1000 each.

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The Everyday Preferred may be better:
Grocery: $550 x 3 = 1650

Gas: $200 x 2 = 400

Other (avg): $525 = 525

Travel: $1000 * twice * 1.5 = 3000/year

(1650+400+525) x 1.5 = 3,862.5 MRP's/month = 46,350/year + 3000/year travel = 49,350/year using EDP

PRG:

Grocery: $550 x 2 = 1100

Gas: $200 x 2 = 400

Other (avg): $525 = 525

Travel: $1000 * 3 * twice   = 6000/year

(1100+400+525) = 2,025 MRP's/month = 24300/year + 6000/year travel = 30,300/year using PRG

As you can see, since you don't travel as much, the traveling charge card doesn't benefit you nearly as much as a "everyday" spend card. Also, the annual fee on the PRG is $175 vs $95 with the EPD, saving you $80/year in annual fees. My math might be off, but I think it's right. If it is, you gain considerably more using the EDP than the PRG. Also, the EPD has a 15k MR bonus with sining up. So you can add that to the pot of MR points as well. You do need to swipe 30x per month with the EDP to get that bonus, but based on what you seem to spend, that won't be a problem. (Heck, I use the vending machine basically each day at work to get my 30x per month).

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To throw signup bonus and first year AF into the mix. If you can get 50k signup bonus with PRG and 1st year no AF I would do that and try it out and see if it fits your spending. I think it really comes down to how much you travel. If you travel an lot PRG is probably better if you don't then EDP is probably better for MR points accumulation.