Best everyday use card...

[NRB525]

I would also suggest the Citi Double Cash.  Simple, no AF, 2% on everything, done.

And heartily NO! to any card with an annual fee, or that is geared toward travel rewards. Totally inappropriate suggestion for the OP's question and needs.

[bigbang91]

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@NRB525 wrote:

I would also suggest the Citi Double Cash.  Simple, no AF, 2% on everything, done.

And heartily NO! to any card with an annual fee, or that is geared toward travel rewards. Totally inappropriate suggestion for the OP's question and needs.

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Lol he already knew the DC,he asks for anything else,so we just throw it out there other options

[longtimelurker]

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@bigbang91 wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@bigbang91 wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@travisr0 wrote:

Amex BCP and Chase marriot for everyday use, great rewards

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Why the BCP?  Good on first $6K of supermarket per year, and not much else.  Rewards post a month behind, $75 AF.   I don't see it as an everyday card at all!

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6% cash back of 6000 equal 360$,easily cover AF.thus,unlimited 3% cashback at gas station and department store.it is a great card for everyday spending.

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Covering the fee isn't the point.   Much of the "everyday" spending is going to get 1% (a month in arrears at that) when there are a number of 1.5 and 2% cards.  BCP is good at grocery spending up to the cap, (and at a pinch, the select department stores).   For everything else, including gas, there are better alternatives

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All amex card except cobranded award points a month late,so np with that.And for the gas ,which alternative  has more than 3% unlimited all year round?

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Penfed cards are 5% unlimited all year, same with Fort Knox.   OBC used to be, but now limited to $50K a year. 

   And if we are talking about uncapped, we should also look at groceries, where many cards will outperform BCP as it switches to 1% after $6K

(And the month in arrears is a drawback.  The fact that other Amex cards share it doesn't make it less so!)

Except for a failrly narrow niche, it really isn't a particularly great card

[bigbang91]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@bigbang91 wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@bigbang91 wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@travisr0 wrote:

Amex BCP and Chase marriot for everyday use, great rewards

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Why the BCP?  Good on first $6K of supermarket per year, and not much else.  Rewards post a month behind, $75 AF.   I don't see it as an everyday card at all!

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6% cash back of 6000 equal 360$,easily cover AF.thus,unlimited 3% cashback at gas station and department store.it is a great card for everyday spending.

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Covering the fee isn't the point.   Much of the "everyday" spending is going to get 1% (a month in arrears at that) when there are a number of 1.5 and 2% cards.  BCP is good at grocery spending up to the cap, (and at a pinch, the select department stores).   For everything else, including gas, there are better alternatives

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All amex card except cobranded award points a month late,so np with that.And for the gas ,which alternative  has more than 3% unlimited all year round?

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Penfed cards are 5% unlimited all year, same with Fort Knox.   OBC used to be, but now limited to $50K a year. 

   And if we are talking about uncapped, we should also look at groceries, where many cards will outperform BCP as it switches to 1% after $6K

(And the month in arrears is a drawback.  The fact that other Amex cards share it doesn't make it less so!)

Except for a failrly narrow niche, it really isn't a particularly great card

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Uhm you left out the condition to have that 5% unlimited on gas only? Whats! 6k is plenty for typical small family spend per month. And with 3% at department store, you can buy giftcards, to spend at many other places! So it is one of the best everyday spend card, for simple cashback purpose.also,get the points a month later is nothing for most of us, the DC also award points a month or 2 later. 

[celluloid17]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@celluloid17 wrote:

I would first find out what credit cards are accepted (if at all) to pay medical bills.  For instance, my health insurance company (Anthem Blue Cross) will only accept Visa or MasterCard for credit card payments, which eliminates Amex and Discover as contenders for me.  If Visa or MC is your only option, then Citi Double Cash wins by default. 

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ummm... don't you pay medical bills directly to the hospital or doctor's office?

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The OP used the broad phrase "medical expenses" and I would consider health insurance premiums (bills) to fall in that category along with prescription costs and copays.  

[longtimelurker]

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@bigbang91 wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@bigbang91 wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@bigbang91 wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@travisr0 wrote:

Amex BCP and Chase marriot for everyday use, great rewards

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Why the BCP?  Good on first $6K of supermarket per year, and not much else.  Rewards post a month behind, $75 AF.   I don't see it as an everyday card at all!

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6% cash back of 6000 equal 360$,easily cover AF.thus,unlimited 3% cashback at gas station and department store.it is a great card for everyday spending.

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Covering the fee isn't the point.   Much of the "everyday" spending is going to get 1% (a month in arrears at that) when there are a number of 1.5 and 2% cards.  BCP is good at grocery spending up to the cap, (and at a pinch, the select department stores).   For everything else, including gas, there are better alternatives

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All amex card except cobranded award points a month late,so np with that.And for the gas ,which alternative  has more than 3% unlimited all year round?

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Penfed cards are 5% unlimited all year, same with Fort Knox.   OBC used to be, but now limited to $50K a year. 

   And if we are talking about uncapped, we should also look at groceries, where many cards will outperform BCP as it switches to 1% after $6K

(And the month in arrears is a drawback.  The fact that other Amex cards share it doesn't make it less so!)

Except for a failrly narrow niche, it really isn't a particularly great card

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Uhm you left out the condition to have that 5% unlimited on gas only? Whats! 6k is plenty for typical small family spend per month. And with 3% at department store, you can buy giftcards, to spend at many other places! So it is one of the best everyday spend card, for simple cashback purpose.also,get the points a month later is nothing for most of us, the DC also award points a month or 2 later. 

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OK, I guess we just disagree on the definition of "best everyday spend"..

  If iyour spending falls into a fairly narrow band where annual grocery spend is not much more than $6K, and gas isn't a major expense, then it may be a pretty good single card.(if we don't count two Sallie Maes) or if you spend at the select department stores is signficant.   If gas spend is much more, you want a "5%" such as Penfed Plat Rewards which gives 5 points on gas and 3 on groceries.   If grocery spend is much more, or if drug store spend is significant,  you want the Old Blue Cash.   If grocery spend is much less, the Sallie Mae is a better choice.  

As TMWCs charts show, if we are just talking about rewards (rather than say Amex consumer protection) it's not the best choice for many.  And this is because

a) its best feature is capped low, earning a maximum of $360 per year

b) Its gas is easily beaten at reasonable levels ($250 per month for Sallie Mae) and at higher levels (Penfed etc)

c) The annual fee is a high proportion of a)

This is simply calculation, not opinion.  For individuals, yes, it might be the best choice, but not for many spending patterns.

[nyancat]

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@NRB525 wrote:

I would also suggest the Citi Double Cash.  Simple, no AF, 2% on everything, done.

And heartily NO! to any card with an annual fee, or that is geared toward travel rewards. Totally inappropriate suggestion for the OP's question and needs.

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Not necessarily, the OP never said they want to put the spend BACK into the medical bills or that they are in any particular struggle. If they were, they shouldn't be looking at reward cards at all.

For a general everyday use card with no annual fee, there's none better than the Amex Everyday. 1.2 MR/USD and when converted to Delta SkyMiles this easily yields a redemption value greater than .0199 (the actual value of the Double Cash is 1.99% due to how the rewards work, not 2% but very close).

[NRB525]

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@nyancat wrote:

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@NRB525 wrote:

I would also suggest the Citi Double Cash.  Simple, no AF, 2% on everything, done.

And heartily NO! to any card with an annual fee, or that is geared toward travel rewards. Totally inappropriate suggestion for the OP's question and needs.

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Not necessarily, the OP never said they want to put the spend BACK into the medical bills or that they are in any particular struggle. If they were, they shouldn't be looking at reward cards at all.

For a general everyday use card with no annual fee, there's none better than the Amex Everyday. 1.2 MR/USD and when converted to Delta SkyMiles this easily yields a redemption value greater than .0199 (the actual value of the Double Cash is 1.99% due to how the rewards work, not 2% but very close).

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Converted = spending time = opportunity cost = learning about how to actually convert MR points to travel when OP may not want to travel = complications.

#TooMuchWork

I'd take the sure thing, sit on your couch and watch TV while the 2% posts to your account, delayed by payment timing for sure, but certain and scaling based 1:1 on actual spend activity, over the hoops that are necessary, the spend threshholds that are required to earn enough MR points to make any difference in a travel plan, developing a travel plan, and the risk that those MR points end up at much less than 1.9 cents.

[nyancat]

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@NRB525 wrote:

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@nyancat wrote:

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@NRB525 wrote:

I would also suggest the Citi Double Cash.  Simple, no AF, 2% on everything, done.

And heartily NO! to any card with an annual fee, or that is geared toward travel rewards. Totally inappropriate suggestion for the OP's question and needs.

---

Not necessarily, the OP never said they want to put the spend BACK into the medical bills or that they are in any particular struggle. If they were, they shouldn't be looking at reward cards at all.

For a general everyday use card with no annual fee, there's none better than the Amex Everyday. 1.2 MR/USD and when converted to Delta SkyMiles this easily yields a redemption value greater than .0199 (the actual value of the Double Cash is 1.99% due to how the rewards work, not 2% but very close).

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Converted = spending time = opportunity cost = learning about how to actually convert MR points to travel when OP may not want to travel = complications.

#TooMuchWork

I'd take the sure thing, sit on your couch and watch TV while the 2% posts to your account, delayed by payment timing for sure, but certain and scaling based 1:1 on actual spend activity, over the hoops that are necessary, the spend threshholds that are required to earn enough MR points to make any difference in a travel plan, developing a travel plan, and the risk that those MR points end up at much less than 1.9 cents.

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I suppose that really depends on what type of redemptions you want. I've never struggled to get WELL over 2 cents/mile on any of the major programmes. Got 6.4 cents/mile on a United ticket this last summer... but I don't consider that TRUE value because I'd never have bought that ticket with cash. Still, I got at least 3 cents/mile real value out of the points. Multi-destination, open jaw, and one way bookings tend to be the best redemption values.