@Anonymouswrote:
What if this theoretical "modest" spender of $10k in travel/dining got the Ameriprise Platinum and put airline ticket purchases on that card for 5x MR points? Maybe not to you, but $10k in dining sounds like a lot to me! Not to mention: the Ink Preferred gets 3x on travel just like the CSR so if he gets the IP and the CSP...
I know this won't apply to most but personally I get 6% back on dining in q2 and q4 every year with the Nusenda Platinum Cash Rewards card.
Then you clearly fall into the second category where the CSP makes more sense in the first year.
The Ink is a business card, and if one is eligible for it, that's an option. Also note 3x on travel is not the same as 3x on dining/travel as dining spend can be significant for many, possibly even when travel isn't.
I'm not saying the Ameriprise/Ink/CSP/etc isn't perfectly viable for some people; I'm pointing out the data points that must be considered by someone deciding between cards as to which is going to be a better value. Likewise, some people prefer/derive more value from cash back or statement credits whereas others prefer/derive more from miles/points, and that may drive one person toward one card and another towards a different card.
My guess based on the OP's asks is that if he/she wants 2 Chase cards this year and Sapphire is a limit of 1 card per person, the OP is getting the Ink plus either the CSP or CSR. Which one should depend on the OP's spending habits in the dining/travel category.
