CSP, Southwest, Marriott Premier

[Jbb2788]

Could someone break down the math for me for how the points work for these cards? I'm trying to figure out which one will be better for me when I decide to leave the garden. I dine out A LOT, fly once or twice a year, and stay in hotels roughly 6 nights a year. Can anyone provide some insight? Thanks!

[H4LO]

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@Jbb2788 wrote:

Could someone break down the math for me for how the points work for these cards? I'm trying to figure out which one will be better for me when I decide to leave the garden. I dine out A LOT, fly once or twice a year, and stay in hotels roughly 6 nights a year. Can anyone provide some insight? Thanks!

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Depends on what hotel you like to stay at.

Details on my Chase Marriott.

85$ annual fee, first year wavied. 

70K points for $1K spend in 3 months. (50K on their website, but there is a 70K offer out there. 

Free Category 1-4 Night Stay. Annual Free Category 1-5 Night Stay. 

15 Credits towards Elite Status per year. Gaurenteed Silver Status.

1 Credit towards Elite Status for every $3K spend. 

For example on the points.

7,500 points for Category 1 hotels to 45,000 points for Category 9 hotels.

I'm assuming you fly SouthWest? If that's the case, check their card and how many points it takes to redeem.

[Jbb2788]

Yes I do like to fly Southwest when I fly. I do have a Freedom card and I seem to remember reading that the buying power of the Freedom is better than the CSP but the spending power of the CSP is better than the Freedom. Can you transfer points from the Freedom card to the Marriott or Southwest cards like you can to the CSP? Are the points spent on travel with the CSP equilevent to the Marriott & Southwest cards? If everything is the same I might as well go with the CSP because then I could spend points on travel catagories and others. 

[longtimelurker]

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@Jbb2788 wrote:

Yes I do like to fly Southwest when I fly. I do have a Freedom card and I seem to remember reading that the buying power of the Freedom is better than the CSP but the spending power of the CSP is better than the Freedom. Can you transfer points from the Freedom card to the Marriott or Southwest cards like you can to the CSP? Are the points spent on travel with the CSP equilevent to the Marriott & Southwest cards? If everything is the same I might as well go with the CSP because then I could spend points on travel catagories and others. 

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The buying power/spending power stuff really just means:

1) Freedom has 5x categories that, if you can use them, can boost points, but maxes out at 30K per year.

2) If you have Chase banking, you get a 10% bonus on your Freedom points (whereas CSP is 7%, with or without Chase banking)

3) CSP allows transfers to partners

4) CSP enhances the value of URs used to book travel through the UR portal.

Freedom points cannot be transferred to the Marriott or Southwest cards, only to CSP or redeemed  (If you have the CSP you can of course transfer Freedom points there and then onto the Southwest program)

Not quite sure what your last question means.

[Jbb2788]

@Longtimelurker- What I was asking with my last question is this; If I enter the portal to spend points with my CSP would the amount be the same if I entered the portal with my Marriott or Southwest card or are one cards points worth more than anothers? OR lets say I wanted to book a room, would it cost me the same amount of points with the CSP that it would with the Marriott card or would I get a "discount" for booking a room with the Marriott card?