CSP best way to optimize points for travel (Without Freedom)

[gen-specific]

Hello, 

The great majority of my CSP points are earned at 1%.  I want to - if possible - transfer them to airlines at greater than 1% 

How would I do this

and if not possible what are better travel cards?

[Walt_K]

To take an example, they transfer to United at 1:1.  25K miles will get you a domestic ticket.  So long as you redeem for flights costing more than $250, you are "transferring" at greater than 1%.

If what you mean is how do you earn more than 1 mile per dollar, you need to spend in the bonus categories.

[gen-specific]

hmmm, thats a good example

do you have a better card?

I guess one that earns greater cash back percent and simultaneously lets me use them at a greater rate for travel

[Walt_K]

What are your travel goals.  If you're looking for domestic tickets in coach, you probably want a 2% cash back card.  If you want international first/business class tickets, you want something that earns miles or points that can be transferred to miles.  It would take way too much spend on a cash back card to earn a $6K plus ticket.  

Check out boardingarea blogs, viewfromthewing, onemileatatime, frequentmiler, etc.

[Cdnewmanpac]

To OP: All of the cards that earn a flat 1.5 or 2% have a fixed value of 1 cent per point, except the United Club Card, which has a $395 fee. The only way to get more than 1 cent per point is to convert your credit card points into favorable hotel or airline points. That pretty much limits you to the amex cards that earn MR points or chase cards that earn UR points. So the question is, as walt points out, what are you trying to do with your points? Redeeming points for an international first class ticket at almost 3 cents per point is only valuable if you are planning to fly internationally anyway and place value on first class seating. And remember, those points are only worth more than 1 cent once you earn enough of them to meet a reward level. 

To Walt: I'd dispute that domestic redemptions favor a straight cash back card uniformly. Southwest may have lowered their redemption ratio, but it still exceeds 1.5%. I've also redeemed BA avios for AA flights at >2 cents per point. I suppose if you NEVER had any bonus spend on the CSP then a straight 2% card would be superior. But just using the UR Mall for baby supplies from drugstore.com netted me about 8000 bonus points last year alone. If the OP (or anyone with the CSP) makes a little extra effort to utilize the UR Mall, it isn't hard to do better than 2% even without a bunch of travel spend.

[takeshi74]

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@gen-specific wrote:

do you have a better card?

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Define "better".  What are your major spend categories?  Which travel companies are you looking to redeem with?

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@gen-specific wrote: 

I guess one that earns greater cash back percent and simultaneously lets me use them at a greater rate for travel

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It's generally either/or.  Most cash back cards offer you x% cash back and you're not going to get a "greater rate for travel".  The cash back amount you get is the amount you get regardless of what you use the cash for.

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@Cdnewmanpac wrote:

But just using the UR Mall for baby supplies from drugstore.com netted me about 8000 bonus points last year alone. If the OP (or anyone with the CSP) makes a little extra effort to utilize the UR Mall, it isn't hard to do better than 2% even without a bunch of travel spend.

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^ This.  Don't overlook the "Earn Points Faster" section in the UR Mall.  Even if your spend isn't in travel or dining you can get more than 1 point with certain vendors/offers.

[longtimelurker]

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@Cdnewmanpac wrote:

To Walt: I'd dispute that domestic redemptions favor a straight cash back card uniformly. Southwest may have lowered their redemption ratio, but it still exceeds 1.5%. I've also redeemed BA avios for AA flights at >2 cents per point. I suppose if you NEVER had any bonus spend on the CSP then a straight 2% card would be superior. But just using the UR Mall for baby supplies from drugstore.com netted me about 8000 bonus points last year alone. If the OP (or anyone with the CSP) makes a little extra effort to utilize the UR Mall, it isn't hard to do better than 2% even without a bunch of travel spend.

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For straight comparison though, remember that Fidelity Amex also has the Worldpoints mall that gives more than the 2%

[Walt_K]

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@Cdnewmanpac wrote:

To Walt: I'd dispute that domestic redemptions favor a straight cash back card uniformly. Southwest may have lowered their redemption ratio, but it still exceeds 1.5%. I've also redeemed BA avios for AA flights at >2 cents per point. I suppose if you NEVER had any bonus spend on the CSP then a straight 2% card would be superior. But just using the UR Mall for baby supplies from drugstore.com netted me about 8000 bonus points last year alone. If the OP (or anyone with the CSP) makes a little extra effort to utilize the UR Mall, it isn't hard to do better than 2% even without a bunch of travel spend.

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I don't really disagree.  But if a person isn't going to take the time to learn about all the various programs, isn't going to want to apply for multiple cards, use portals, keep track of bonus categories, etc., and is really only interested in domestic coach anyway, they will do pretty well by just getting a 2% card with no annual fee.  

[gen-specific]

All valid points, my CSP is my 'main' card right now

but I charged $12,000 for some services that aren't possible to get from UR Mall, and sure I got a lot of points, and sure I'll also be deducting those services from my taxes

compared to how much I actually consume, such as clothes, and food, the other services vastly outpace my material needs.

but if there was a way for me to have gotten greater than 1% on that transaction it would be even more ideal. The Visa Black Card (which has a $495 fee) will function as a 2% cash, even though points are earned at 1%, your points are multiplied by two for flights, which is more in line with what I want to use points for in the first place, but I assume there are better cards for that

[enharu]

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@gen-specific wrote:

All valid points, my CSP is my 'main' card right now

but I charged $12,000 for some services that aren't possible to get from UR Mall, and sure I got a lot of points, and sure I'll also be deducting those services from my taxes

compared to how much I actually consume, such as clothes, and food, the other services vastly outpace my material needs.

but if there was a way for me to have gotten greater than 1% on that transaction it would be even more ideal. The Visa Black Card (which has a $495 fee) will function as a 2% cash, even though points are earned at 1%, your points are multiplied by two for flights, which is more in line with what I want to use points for in the first place, but I assume there are better cards for that

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Ignore the black card....get the Arrival. it is 2.2% on everything and you are going to redeem it for travel expenses anyways.......The venture is a good option too and there was a nice sign-up bonus that just expired recently. 

if you are shopping at department stores a lot, the BCP is a nice option as well, since it gives 3% at those establishments. There's also the Cash+ that gives you 5% at department stores for up to 2k in purchases each quarter.

Then again, if you are very confident that you can milk >3ccp out of UR, then go ahead and use the CSP. For random misc. purchases, you may just want to put it on Fidelity Amex or some 2% card unless you can get a good ccp value out of UR.