Best Bang For Your Buck Reward Card

[Anonymous]

For me, this is an easy answer. Sallie Mae, hands down. For those with a more complicated lifestyle - you know, people who have hobbies and toys, like to travel, have a family, or actually buy stuff besides necessities, it becomes more complex.

[Anonymous]

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@Repairman wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

It really depends on spending habits more than anything else.  

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I spend ALOT on eating out at restaurants.

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I don't know if this aligns with your spending habits overall or even if it would give you the best bang for a single card solution, but the better cards for restaurant spend are the Sam's Club Mastercard (5% gas, 3% dining and travel, 1% everywhere else) and the Chase AARP card (3% dining and gas, 1% everywhere else).  There are a few more that are regional and a couple credit union cards that may have a couple better categories depending on what aligns with your spending.  I wouldn't really call either of those cards as "single card" solutions because the categories don't necessarily line up with most people's highest spend categories, but my mother's only credit card is the Sam's Club Mastercard and she loves that she gets a check once a year, even if it's not as big of a check as it could be (she's not one to micromanage her card like I do, haha).  These are the cards I would personally recommend for a porportionally larger spend on dining.  The other one that I could recommend shakily is US Bank Cash+ - 5% on fast food and 2% on restaurants are available as selectable categories, but that card's been nerfed a few times rather recently so there's a possibility that it can change again.

Now, if you're talking like a point system solution overall and don't mind having a couple cards, the Chase UR system is hugely popular.  CSP + Freedom + Ink can get craploads of points + signup bonuses and all of that, if you're interested in a multi card solution.

[Repairman]

Thanks for your great response. You've been very helpful.

[Anonymous]

If you could get a high enough limit for your spending, Citi Double Cash for me. I'll take the flat 2% cash back. But then again I have $1500 of spend for daycare per month which doesn't fall under any reward categories. If I had enough foreign spending, the Quicksilver would be better.

[unc0mm0n1]

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@Anonymous wrote:

It really depends on spending habits more than anything else.  Like, for example, if your spending low to moderate and you mostly spend on gas and groceries, Sallie Mae may be the best bet.  If your spend is higher, BCP can overtake Sallie fairly quickly.  If you mostly eat at restaurants, Chase AARP may be a better fit, etc etc etc.

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I agree with bolded but If I had to pick any card to keep It'd be the old Amex Blue. I run a little over 50K through it a year in only bonus catergories and I take home about 2400/yr in cash back. 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

For me, this is an easy answer. Sallie Mae, hands down. For those with a more complicated lifestyle - you know, people who have hobbies and toys, like to travel, have a family, or actually buy stuff besides necessities, it becomes more complex.

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For like a single college student or something Sallie Mae is hard to beat. Gas, Groceries, and Amazon all 5% back. What else does one need right ?

[Anonymous]

There are basically 2 types of cards - a cashback card or one for a points system. There is no best card bc you have to choose which route you are considering. 

best cashback - Citi DC at 2%. if you travel alot use a QS on those occasions

best points structure - PRG but the $195 AF is steep. so CSP at $95 is also a solid choice

[Anonymous]

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@Repairman wrote:

What card out there, from any company, offers the easiest to accumulate/valuable Rewards Points that can be used in a variety of ways, ie., gift cards, cash back, statement credit, travel, etc...If you could only have 1 credit card to use for ALL your purchases, and you wanted a killer rewards structure, what would it be? FYI, I spend a huge amount each month/year on restaurants. And I spend on average about $3000/mo on credit cards.

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Because I am interested in actual cash back and not statement credits or gift cards, I use my Citibank DC, BoA Cash Rewards, and Discover It credit cards. I don't do a lot of traveling so I don't have a use for a miles card yet. I am not as seasoned as a lot of the posters on "rewards" so I do what is best for me. What is your goal? What type of rewards are you interested in: cash back, statement credits, gift cards, or etc? I think answering these questions will help you determine which reward card or cards is best for you. Recently, on another post, I found out about an app called Wallaby which is extremely helpful to me. Here is the link: https://www.walla.by/. I use it to determine which credit card offers me the most rewards. Good luck!!!

SN: If anyone has any more suggestions for cash back credit cards, please share. 

[happypill]

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@beautifulblaquepearl wrote:

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@Repairman wrote:

What card out there, from any company, offers the easiest to accumulate/valuable Rewards Points that can be used in a variety of ways, ie., gift cards, cash back, statement credit, travel, etc...If you could only have 1 credit card to use for ALL your purchases, and you wanted a killer rewards structure, what would it be? FYI, I spend a huge amount each month/year on restaurants. And I spend on average about $3000/mo on credit cards.

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Because I am interested in actual cash back and not statement credits or gift cards, I use my Citibank DC, BoA Cash Rewards, and Discover It credit cards. I don't do a lot of traveling so I don't have a use for a miles card yet. I am not as seasoned as a lot of the posters on "rewards" so I do what is best for me. What is your goal? What type of rewards are you interested in: cash back, statement credits, gift cards, or etc? I think answering these questions will help you determine which reward card or cards is best for you. Recently, on another post, I found out about an app called Wallaby which is extremely helpful to me. Here is the link: https://www.walla.by/. I use it to determine which credit card offers me the most rewards. Good luck!!!

SN: If anyone has any more suggestions for cash back credit cards, please share. 

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What's the difference between cash back and statemnet credits?  You like actually receiving checks?

[Ghoshida]

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@happypill wrote:

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@beautifulblaquepearl wrote:

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@Repairman wrote:

What card out there, from any company, offers the easiest to accumulate/valuable Rewards Points that can be used in a variety of ways, ie., gift cards, cash back, statement credit, travel, etc...If you could only have 1 credit card to use for ALL your purchases, and you wanted a killer rewards structure, what would it be? FYI, I spend a huge amount each month/year on restaurants. And I spend on average about $3000/mo on credit cards.

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Because I am interested in actual cash back and not statement credits or gift cards, I use my Citibank DC, BoA Cash Rewards, and Discover It credit cards. I don't do a lot of traveling so I don't have a use for a miles card yet. I am not as seasoned as a lot of the posters on "rewards" so I do what is best for me. What is your goal? What type of rewards are you interested in: cash back, statement credits, gift cards, or etc? I think answering these questions will help you determine which reward card or cards is best for you. Recently, on another post, I found out about an app called Wallaby which is extremely helpful to me. Here is the link: https://www.walla.by/. I use it to determine which credit card offers me the most rewards. Good luck!!!

SN: If anyone has any more suggestions for cash back credit cards, please share. 

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What's the difference between cash back and statemnet credits?  You like actually receiving checks?

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Or DD into checking account. More flexibility.