Best General Spend Visa cards?

[Imperfectfuture]

---

@Open123 wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Aren't Visa GCs debit cards?  I thought Costco has always accepted debit.

---

Right, use the Chase Inks to receive 5X UR points, then use the Visa Debit cards at Costco.  If you used the Chase Ink directly at Costco, there would be no bonus on the spend.

---

There would be 1% cash back on Ink.  Watch the line here folks (not that store specific GC's aren't bad, don't want debate here).  Most visa reward cards will be 1% to 1.5% cash back, Costco typically offered only 1% for Amex with reason.  Swipe fees.

Gonna request we cease visa GC talk, there are other forums for that.

[Anonymous]

Could one buy Costco GC on Costco.com with a DC MC, get 2% back and use?

[Imperfectfuture]

---

@Anonymous wrote:
Could one buy Costco GC on Costco.com with a DC MC, get 2% back and use?

---

Why?  Just as valuable to use Quicksiover.  Don't need DC for that.  And I don't see why not.

[yfan]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

With the news of Costco and Visa making a deal, I thought this thread would be educational.  So far, the best general spend cards appear to be:

Citi DC Mastercard

Fidelity American Express card

Barclay Arrival Mastercard

Visa seems to be falling behind:

Capital One Quicksilver - 1.5% on general spending

Bank of America Travel Rewards - 1.5+ points on general spending (more on this later)

Capital One Venture - 2 miles on general spending (with $59 AF)

Fidelity Visa - 1.5 points on the first $15,000 spend, 2 points per dollar after.

---

Since we are including non-cash currencies, there IS a straight 2% Visa. It's the Orbitz Rewards Visa, issued by Comenity. You earn 2% on all non-Orbitz purchases (5% on Orbitz purchases) in the form of Orbucks. Though each Orbuck is equal to a US dollar, it can only be used to book prepaid hotels on Orbitz.

[kdm31091]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

With the news of Costco and Visa making a deal, I thought this thread would be educational.  So far, the best general spend cards appear to be:

Citi DC Mastercard

Fidelity American Express card

Barclay Arrival Mastercard

Visa seems to be falling behind:

Capital One Quicksilver - 1.5% on general spending

Bank of America Travel Rewards - 1.5+ points on general spending (more on this later)

Capital One Venture - 2 miles on general spending (with $59 AF)

Fidelity Visa - 1.5 points on the first $15,000 spend, 2 points per dollar after.

Does anyone know of any cards that I missed?  If not, I'll make a case that the BoA travel rewards card can be a strong contender of the 4.

The true value in BoA rewards card lies in having accounts with them.  They offer a 10% bonus for having a checking/savings account (1.65 points per dollar with the Travel Rewards).

If you have a combined $20,000 in banking or investment accounts, this grows to 1.875 points per dollar spend.  $50,000 and this grows to 2.25 points per dollar.  Finally, for you well-to-do folks, $100,000 combined assets held by BoA nets you 2.625 points per dollar spent on the Travel rewards card.  The Cash Rewards card yields a similar boost.

If you have >$20,000 in assets held with BoA, it'll take a spend of $47,200 annually to best what BoA has to offer. 

With all of that said, the Venture card has a signup bonus which brings any BoA signup bonuses to shame.

---

Technically the Venture and Quicksilver are not really the same thing/same purpose. Although Venture rewards 2% on general spending, that is only applicable to travel redemptions, so I don't view it as a true "general spend" card the same way as a Quicksilver or Double Cash because you cannot redeem for anything other than travel without being nerfed on value.

I think for people who don't have large amounts of assets with BOA, or who don't want to limit themselves to travel redemptions, Quicksilver is one of the best no annual fee general spend Visa cards. No caps, no limits, no redemption hassles, no FTF, there is really nothing bad about Quicksilver. People complain about Cap One themselves, but I think Quicksilver is one of the best no AF general spend cards.

I don't think comparing Arrival or Venture to Quicksilver or Double Cash is entirely fair because the first two are really meant for travel redemptions. You get the percentage on general spend, but it is nerfed if you don't want to travel. So they are not true all purpose spending cards unless you only concern is travel redemptions.

[Anonymous]

---

@kdm31091 wrote:

Technically the Venture and Quicksilver are not really the same thing/same purpose. Although Venture rewards 2% on general spending, that is only applicable to travel redemptions, so I don't view it as a true "general spend" card the same way as a Quicksilver or Double Cash because you cannot redeem for anything other than travel without being nerfed on value.

I think for people who don't have large amounts of assets with BOA, or who don't want to limit themselves to travel redemptions, Quicksilver is one of the best no annual fee general spend Visa cards. No caps, no limits, no redemption hassles, no FTF, there is really nothing bad about Quicksilver. People complain about Cap One themselves, but I think Quicksilver is one of the best no AF general spend cards.

I don't think comparing Arrival or Venture to Quicksilver or Double Cash is entirely fair because the first two are really meant for travel redemptions. You get the percentage on general spend, but it is nerfed if you don't want to travel. So they are not true all purpose spending cards unless you only concern is travel redemptions.

---

Very fair point KDM.  While the Venture/Travel Rewards card aren't cash back cards, I made this thread to list options for people, not to specifically list cash back cards.  

With that said, Travel Rewards points never expire (i'm not sure if Venture points do).  Plus, you earn 1.5 bonus points per dollar if you book flights/hotel through their travel center as opposed to Kayak/Orbitz etc. and I generally travel once a year or every other year so redemption isn't an issue for me.  Still, it's very fair to separate the true cash back cards out for those who prefer the value of cash back over travel redemption.

[SunriseEarth]

Mod Note:   Earlier discussions of MS have been removed, due to being off-topic.  Please remain on the topic of Visa Cards good for general spend.  --SE

[Imperfectfuture]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@kdm31091 wrote:

Technically the Venture and Quicksilver are not really the same thing/same purpose. Although Venture rewards 2% on general spending, that is only applicable to travel redemptions, so I don't view it as a true "general spend" card the same way as a Quicksilver or Double Cash because you cannot redeem for anything other than travel without being nerfed on value.

I think for people who don't have large amounts of assets with BOA, or who don't want to limit themselves to travel redemptions, Quicksilver is one of the best no annual fee general spend Visa cards. No caps, no limits, no redemption hassles, no FTF, there is really nothing bad about Quicksilver. People complain about Cap One themselves, but I think Quicksilver is one of the best no AF general spend cards.

I don't think comparing Arrival or Venture to Quicksilver or Double Cash is entirely fair because the first two are really meant for travel redemptions. You get the percentage on general spend, but it is nerfed if you don't want to travel. So they are not true all purpose spending cards unless you only concern is travel redemptions.

---

Very fair point KDM.  While the Venture/Travel Rewards card aren't cash back cards, I made this thread to list options for people, not to specifically list cash back cards.  

With that said, Travel Rewards points never expire (i'm not sure if Venture points do).  Plus, you earn 1.5 bonus points per dollar if you book flights/hotel through their travel center as opposed to Kayak/Orbitz etc. and I generally travel once a year or every other year so redemption isn't an issue for me.  Still, it's very fair to separate the true cash back cards out for those who prefer the value of cash back over travel redemption.

---

However, I consider general spend, especially with folks having shopped for years at Costco with Amex, to be cash back cards.

iin most cases, general spend is cash back, vs travel being targeted spend.

Of course, I am a little biased, having signed up for the Alaska Airlines Mileage program, was pleased at how much cheaper it was booking through Amex travel.  Can apply to mileage program, while getting cash back.  My sister couldn't believe the deal, and neither could the receptionist at the hotel, nor the CSR's at Amex.  May use the slow boat to china method of accumulating miles, and cash back at same time.  Did read some blogs on when made sense to pay cash vs. Mileage programs, and the way I travel, makes more sense (may upgrade for the trip home).  

Just my my opinion, general spend means everything, not mileage accumulation.

[yfan]

It occurs to me that this general spend Visa does not necessarily have to be a no AF card. Of course it wouldn't make any sense to pay an AF just so you get a high-return general spend card, but if you already have one for other reasons and can use it at Costco for general spend, why not?

[Anonymous]

---

@Imperfectfuture wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@kdm31091 wrote:

Technically the Venture and Quicksilver are not really the same thing/same purpose. Although Venture rewards 2% on general spending, that is only applicable to travel redemptions, so I don't view it as a true "general spend" card the same way as a Quicksilver or Double Cash because you cannot redeem for anything other than travel without being nerfed on value.

I think for people who don't have large amounts of assets with BOA, or who don't want to limit themselves to travel redemptions, Quicksilver is one of the best no annual fee general spend Visa cards. No caps, no limits, no redemption hassles, no FTF, there is really nothing bad about Quicksilver. People complain about Cap One themselves, but I think Quicksilver is one of the best no AF general spend cards.

I don't think comparing Arrival or Venture to Quicksilver or Double Cash is entirely fair because the first two are really meant for travel redemptions. You get the percentage on general spend, but it is nerfed if you don't want to travel. So they are not true all purpose spending cards unless you only concern is travel redemptions.

---

Very fair point KDM.  While the Venture/Travel Rewards card aren't cash back cards, I made this thread to list options for people, not to specifically list cash back cards.  

With that said, Travel Rewards points never expire (i'm not sure if Venture points do).  Plus, you earn 1.5 bonus points per dollar if you book flights/hotel through their travel center as opposed to Kayak/Orbitz etc. and I generally travel once a year or every other year so redemption isn't an issue for me.  Still, it's very fair to separate the true cash back cards out for those who prefer the value of cash back over travel redemption.

---

However, I consider general spend, especially with folks having shopped for years at Costco with Amex, to be cash back cards.

iin most cases, general spend is cash back, vs travel being targeted spend.

Of course, I am a little biased, having signed up for the Alaska Airlines Mileage program, was pleased at how much cheaper it was booking through Amex travel.  Can apply to mileage program, while getting cash back.  My sister couldn't believe the deal, and neither could the receptionist at the hotel, nor the CSR's at Amex.  May use the slow boat to china method of accumulating miles, and cash back at same time.  Did read some blogs on when made sense to pay cash vs. Mileage programs, and the way I travel, makes more sense (may upgrade for the trip home).  

Just my my opinion, general spend means everything, not mileage accumulation.

---

To each his own, I suppose.  As I mentioned, I typically travel 1-2 times per year outside of work, which I don't see justifying the AF of a travel card.