Assembling the 5% Arsenal. Continued with new card

[ztnjpv]

You know, it almost becomes a GAME. hahaha. How much premium cash back can I get? 

Well, I just PC'd today from a Citi Diamond Preferred to a Citi Forward. What did it for me over a regular thank you card is the 5 thank you points (aka 5%) on restaurants...along with music stores, movies and bookstores as a nice touch. And despite conflicting results from google searches, it appears that it pays 5% at Amazon because classifies as a bookstore. And I know it does from my own CC statements.That's an especially nice touch. So, with 5% on restaurants on the Forward, I can switch one of my 5% categories on my US Bank Cash + from restaurants to department stores. Of the 5% choices, it's the most useful for me. 

So when the Citi Forward arrives in the middle of Feb, I will change my US Bank Cash + 5% for the 2nd quarter 2013 to department stores and get 5% on:

Restaurants (Forward)

BookStores (amazon too): (Forward)

Movies (Forward)

Music Stores (iTunes too?) (Forward)

Gas (PenFed)

Department Stores (Cash +)

Cell Phones ( Cash+ or Ink)

Landline Biz Phone (Cash+ or Ink)

Cable/Internet (Cash + or Ink)

Office Supply Stores (Ink)

All insurance...home, car and business (Cash+)

Electric Bill...home and business (Cash+)

Gas Bill...home and business (Cash +)

Municipal Sewer (Cash +)

Water Bill...business (Cash +)

Radio Advertising for Business...merchant code fluke on $500 per month! (Ink)

All this in addition to:

5% discount at Target (Red Card) 

5% back on all Gift Cards at Staples (Ink)

3% at Grocery Stores...Walmart SC too. (PenFed)

2% non-bonus baseline cash back. (Spark)

Bonus cash back through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Mall

Bonus cash back through Cap1 Central Perk

I suppose I could skip the 5% at Department stores with Cash + and just do gifts cards to those stores from Staples and put Airlines or Hotels but it's a pain to always do that. Besides, with the Bonus Cash back sites through Chase and Cap1, I can do about/almost 5% on hotels and airlines with the bonus cash back. Besides, those are less frequent purchases. All I really need now is the Fidelity Cash rewards Amex (flat 2% back) to use as a baseline for personal purchases and keep them off the Spark. If it was run by AMex themselves and not FIA Cards, I think I would have already. A Cash rewards Cap1 would also do the job. I'll spare that .5%. At least I get access to Central Perk. I'm trying lately  to not use my spark for personal use and have been trying my Cash + at 1.25% (.25% bonus for having gold checking) as a personal baseline.

Not bad, huh? 

[flowfaster]

I also am creating a 5% back on everything staple of cards.  It really is a lot of fun chasing them down. 

[FutureBillionaire]

I can get gift cards at Staples for other merchants?

[FutureBillionaire]

You could also get 5% back at home improvement stores and get 5% back on gift cards to other merchants.  That's what I did with my Cash +

[FutureBillionaire]

---

@ztnjpv wrote:

You know, it almost becomes a GAME. hahaha. How much premium cash back can I get? 

Well, I just PC'd today from a Citi Diamond Preferred to a Citi Forward. What did it for me over a regular thank you card is the 5 thank you points (aka 5%) on restaurants...along with music stores, movies and bookstores as a nice touch. And despite conflicting results from google searches, it appears that it pays 5% at Amazon because classifies as a bookstore. And I know it does from my own CC statements.That's an especially nice touch. So, with 5% on restaurants on the Forward, I can switch one of my 5% categories on my US Bank Cash + from restaurants to department stores. Of the 5% choices, it's the most useful for me. 

So when the Citi Forward arrives in the middle of Feb, I will change my US Bank Cash + 5% for the 2nd quarter 2013 to department stores and get 5% on:

Restaurants (Forward)

BookStores (amazon too): (Forward)

Movies (Forward)

Music Stores (iTunes too?) (Forward)

Gas (PenFed)

Department Stores (Cash +)

Cell Phones ( Cash+ or Ink)

Landline Biz Phone (Cash+ or Ink)

Cable/Internet (Cash + or Ink)

Office Supply Stores (Ink)

All insurance...home, car and business (Cash+)

Electric Bill...home and business (Cash+)

Gas Bill...home and business (Cash +)

Municipal Sewer (Cash +)

Water Bill...business (Cash +)

Radio Advertising for Business...merchant code fluke on $500 per month! (Ink)

All this in addition to:

5% discount at Target (Red Card) 

5% back on all Gift Cards at Staples (Ink)

3% at Grocery Stores...Walmart SC too. (PenFed)

2% non-bonus baseline cash back. (Spark)

Bonus cash back through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Mall

Bonus cash back through Cap1 Central Perk

I suppose I could skip the 5% at Department stores with Cash + and just do gifts cards to those stores from Staples and put Airlines or Hotels but it's a pain to always do that. Besides, with the Bonus Cash back sites through Chase and Cap1, I can do about/almost 5% on hotels and airlines with the bonus cash back. Besides, those are less frequent purchases. All I really need now is the Fidelity Cash rewards Amex (flat 2% back) to use as a baseline for personal purchases and keep them off the Spark. If it was run by AMex themselves and not FIA Cards, I think I would have already. A Cash rewards Cap1 would also do the job. I'll spare that .5%. At least I get access to Central Perk. I'm trying lately  to not use my spark for personal use and have been trying my Cash + at 1.25% (.25% bonus for having gold checking) as a personal baseline.

Not bad, huh? 

---

I would recommend the BCP as well for 6% on groceries and gift cards to other merchants.

[bs6054]

---

@ztnjpv wrote:

You know, it almost becomes a GAME. hahaha. How much premium cash back can I get? 

Well, I just PC'd today from a Citi Diamond Preferred to a Citi Forward. What did it for me over a regular thank you card is the 5 thank you points (aka 5%) on restaurants..

---

There is a question if Forward really is 5%, most redemption options are nearer 4%.  Add Thank Your Preferred as well, and it becomes really 5%

[ztnjpv]

FutureBillionaire:

I would recommend the BCP as well for 6% on groceries and gift cards to other merchants.

................................................................................................................................................................

The BCP would be a no-brainer card in my wallet except that we grocery shop at walmart about 90% of the time. and Amex's merchant codes do not count Walmart SC's as groceries. And then I already get 5% on gas with PenFed. So, to pay the AF for a card that ends up being for a smattering of groceries and gift cards...even at 6% is just no worth it for me.

If Amex merchant codes suddently accepted Walmart SCs as a grocer, I'd have it in a heartbeat. In the meantime (aka forever), the 5% at Staples works when the need arises. I am not a huge spender on personal things outside the basics. If I know in advance that I need to get something at, say Home Dept or Macys or wherever, I'll go get the cards first. I have done this with Best Buy and Lowes as a matter of fact. But even then, the gift card denominations in the stores aren't that huge but it works when the need arises.

[ztnjpv]

BS,

Yeah, I have seen quibbling over the true redemption rate of thank you points. I have read that it depends on the card you have if you get a true 1:1 or something less. I'll see. There's has to be something worthwhile I would need at 1:1 even if gift cards are not it. Maybe hotels or an occasional flight. 

[flowfaster]

OK but someone needs to come up with a plan on what we should switch the Cash+ to.  Besides the Bill Pay and with the Discover restaurant quarter(I have Forward too) I am stumped.  I heard Lowes sells all types of gift cards.  I could switch it to home improvement but meh.

Edit: You could also switch it to electronics and buy Amazon Kindle gift cards from Best Buy.  That would earn the 5%(actually 6.25%).

Double edit: Just remembered I have the Forward for Amazon lol.

[bs6054]

---

@ztnjpv wrote:

BS,

Yeah, I have seen quibbling over the true redemption rate of thank you points. I have read that it depends on the card you have if you get a true 1:1 or something less. I'll see. There's has to be something worthwhile I would need at 1:1 even if gift cards are not it. Maybe hotels or an occasional flight. 

---

I think that student loan/mortgage are 1:1.  But the additional card (with no AF) brings it to 1:1 for gift cards, so as long as your app history isn't too heavy.