BOA or Amex BCEP or SM?

[Skye12329]

So i noticed BOA offers 3% back on gas. However so does Amex BCEP. I am wondering what would you all recommend? I am looking for a card for gas and groceries. I have thought about SM and thats an option too. I understand Amex BCEP only works on supermarkets of which im hoping that when the Hy-Vee thats built next to me soon is considered a supermarket. I do like good customer service so that is a need of mine. 

As for shopping habits, i probably spend about $120 on gas a month at most, and maybe $300 at most on groceries except the walmart and sams club are my primary grocery places. I occasionally goto cub since this is all in my area.

[Anonymous]

One thing to note: Walmart is not counted for BCP's groceries. BoA does though. If you do most shopping at wal mart, go with Boa. I love mine. Both are reasonable with CLs, but you can't beat Amexs backdating.

[uswala]

From what people have reported a few Walmarts do count as grocery stores on SM.

[Skye12329]

Would it be because of the merchant code? Like will BOA still consider walmart a grocery store if i bought groceries there but it wasnt listed as grocery in their merchant code? If that makes sense. 

Edit: What does Amex consider department stores? Like clothing stores such as Macys, Kohls...etc.? If so then i might need to apply for 2 cards...a Amex and either BOA or SM, i mean i could always use some new clothes 

[Anonymous]

I can only speak personally for boa. Every purchase I make at all the walmarts I go to, whether it's a shirt or a tv or actual groceries, is counted.

[uswala]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I can only speak personally for boa. Every purchase I make at all the walmarts I go to, whether it's a shirt or a tv or actual groceries, is counted.

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Have you tried multiple stores or you always shop at same store?

[Anonymous]

I do lots of traveling. I haven't been to one that doesn't offer groceries, but I've gone to 50+ walmarts in 50+ cities and all have worked thus far.

[Skye12329]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I do lots of traveling. I haven't been to one that doesn't offer groceries, but I've gone to 50+ walmarts in 50+ cities and all have worked thus far.

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I wonder if walmart is just considered groceries as a merchant code? i know the target next to me is grocercies accoridng to the visa merchant code website. Is there a way to check? like can i go online and click my purchases and will it tell me the code on there?

[Anonymous]

I have no earthly idea. That is how it appears but I couldn't tell you. I don't know of any way to check

[bada_bing]

For your spend, I think Sallie Mae is easily the best choice. It has the best percentage return (within it;s caps) and also counts more purchases as gas/grocery than Amex does. I have never made a SM purchase at a convenience type gas station that didn't get the 5% even if the purchase was just soda, candy or beer. I've never made a walmart purchase that didn't get the 5% groceries, even housewares and sporting goods. I've used my SM at at least a half dozen Walmarts in Alaska, Washington and Arizona. Sallie Mae is my favorite card by far and it's only drawback is the modest monthly 5% caps. And my perhaps unfounded fear that Sallie Mae will eventually get nerfed.

The only BoA card I have is AlaskaAir, so I can't speak to the rewards flexibility there. I don't care for BoA as a bank though.

I do have an Amex BCP, which is my primary grocery card. I use the Sallie Mae as a backup grocery card and save the SM monthly $250 reward cap for use at places that Amex won't code for the bonus, like Walmart. Check out Themanwhocan's charts that show SM 5% beating the Amex BCP 6% for grocery rewards when you factor in the BCP annual fee. I don't entirely attribute the AF to just paying for the Amex rewards and intend on keeping my Amex BCP for groceries, but the fact remains that Sallie Mae rocks.

I use Sallie Mae as my primary gas and convenience store card (codes as gas). I typically spend about $300 a month on "gas", so I need a second Sallie Mae.