@Open123 wrote:
@Dustink wrote:So, for groceries in your example US Bank is also better.
If you were to spend $2k per month on groceries with the flexperks card with checking package you would be earning over 5% with no AF.
How is the 5% calculated?
Each point is worth up to 2% ($0.02) on travel. So, 20,000 points is enough for a $400 flight. They also give you a $25 fee reimbursement with the free flight to cover baggage fee's ect.
Double points on groceries plus 50% bonus from plat package. 2 points at 2% each pus the bonus is 5%. That is a no limit reward unlike the BCE.
Your double point category is highest spend category out of gas, groceries, or travel. Plus double points on cell and triple points on charity. I have gotten 3x points from museum memberships ect which is 7% back.
Plus this card comes with a 17.5k sign up bonus ($350), so after one year of $2k per month grocery spending you would have enough points for 4 flights.
@FutureBillionaire wrote:
@Dustink wrote:
@FutureBillionaire wrote:
@Dustink wrote:US Bank Cash+ & Travel Flexperks (w/$2k/month spend) & checking package
The travel flexperks has no AF if you spend over $24k per year on it. The cash+ has no AF, and the checking package boosts your rewards.
I would say with this combination you can earn on average 4% on all spending.
What is the bonus with US Bank checking?50% for plat and 25% for gold. Gold is free with autopay cc (although you never actually have to let it auto pay, you can just pay it before it is set to autopay). Plat is a little more complicated.
I have a US Bank near my house. So, I get a 25% bonus on cashback if I have a checking account and sign up for auto pay? Does the autopay have to be from a us bank account?
Yes, you set it to auto pay the minimum (or in full) from your checking account. Just pay it prior to the autopay day, and it usually won't process the autopay. Keep some extra $$$ in the account and you won't have to worry about it.
@Imua wrote:
@BlueHusky wrote:So it seems a mix is best...I'm sort of OCD and want a card where I can have everything in one place. Seems impossible. My main expense is gas (long commute) but dealing with rotating categories is so annoying. I do have a Freedom and I bank at Chase
i like simplicity. i don't like having too many cards to keep track of... and i wouldn't open a new bank acct just to boost rewards.
i use my chase freedom for gas during the quarters where gas is 5%
for those times when gas isn't 5% with chase, i use my BofA cash rewards card (3% on gas, 2% on groceries, 1% others, all the time, no rotating categories).
Why not? No HP for opening a checking.
@Dustink wrote:
@BlueHusky wrote:I have BCE and I share a CSP account. Are those the best then?
Did you see my post?
The Cash+ blows the BCE away, and the Flexperks in my opinion is better than the CSP.
BCE is just an OK card, the Cash+ is much better much also MUCH harder to get.
Flexperks CAN be better than CSP but all depends on how you redeem your points, or your travel destination. For domestic travel Flexperks wins hands down, but for international travel in high season CSP is much better if you transfer the pionts to United. Especially if you fly First or Business by leaps and bounds. Where a First class ticket can cost upwards of $12,800 , only 130,000 point saver award would cover it. That's almost 10 cent value per point 
Of course if you use them together it's much better, since it's ideal to have both cards, and use Flexperks for offseason travel when tickets are around $1,200 for economy, get the Frequent flyer miles as well. if you redeem Flexperks for slow season, and CSP UR points 1:1 transfered to United during peak season is the way I found to be the most ideal for my needs.
@Open123 wrote:
@Dustink wrote:
@Open123 wrote:
@Dustink wrote:So, for groceries in your example US Bank is also better.
If you were to spend $2k per month on groceries with the flexperks card with checking package you would be earning over 5% with no AF.
How is the 5% calculated?
Each point is worth up to 2% ($0.02) on travel. So, 20,000 points is enough for a $400 flight. They also give you a $25 fee reimbursement with the free flight to cover baggage fee's ect.
Double points on groceries plus 50% bonus from plat package. 2 points at 2% each pus the bonus is 5%. That is a no limit reward unlike the BCE.
You double point category is highest spend category out of gas, groceries, or travel. Plus double points on cell and triple points on charity. I have gotten 3x points from museum memberships ect which is 7% back.
Plus this card comes with a 17.5k sign up bonus ($350), so after one year of $2k per month grocery spending you would have enough points for 4 flights.
Thanks for the write up!
Excellent overall value. I had gotten the Flexperks during the Olympics promo, but never really understood how to maximize the rewards program.
That was an awesome promo!!! Like $700 sign up bonus, soooo jealous....I got in on a 10k point offer. But i have racked up 90k points in about 6 months
@Dustink wrote:I think we can all agree that is takes a combination of cards to provide the best rewards and benefits.
I hope one day AMEX creates a card with good benefits and rewards.
They have one, The Starwood. Of course it only works VERY well if you travel a lot, but it is still the best card hands down.
Now they just sweetened the honey pot by becoming bestfriends with Delta so you get DeltaSkymiles and Starwood points when you use either companies. 1 Starwood point is valued at a minimum of 3 cents per dollar, and can hit upwards of 9 cents per point internationally like Vietnam Nha Trang Sheraton.
@distantarray wrote:
@Dustink wrote:
@BlueHusky wrote:I have BCE and I share a CSP account. Are those the best then?
Did you see my post?
The Cash+ blows the BCE away, and the Flexperks in my opinion is better than the CSP.
BCE is just an OK card, the Cash+ is much better much also MUCH harder to get.
Flexperks CAN be better than CSP but all depends on how you redeem your points, or your travel destination. For domestic travel Flexperks wins hands down, but for international travel in high season CSP is much better if you transfer the points to United. Especially if you fly First or Business by leaps and bounds. Where a First class ticket can cost upwards of $12,800 , only 130,000 point saver award would cover it. That's almost 10 cent value per point
Of course if you use them together it's much better, since it's ideal to have both cards, and use Flexperks for offseason travel when tickets are around $1,200 for economy, get the Frequent flyer miles as well. if you redeem Flexperks for slow season, and CSP UR points 1:1 transferred to United during peak season is the way I found to be the most ideal for my needs.
+1 very well put
I sent the US Bank CEO an email about setting up some sort of transfer program, because you are correct. This card is only functional for domestic travel. Great thing though is you earn frequent flyer points on reward travel, so you can use those points towards your international travel.