Share your rewards line-up!

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

I know this has been asked a few times but as you all know they are constantly changing.

Can everyone please share their mix of cash back/reward cards (percentages and categories) and a short explanation as to why you went with that card.

Thanks!

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

Amazon - All my online shopping 5 percent off

Walmart and Target, see amazon for things I can get cheaper or in different sizes/colors that may not be available on amazon

BP Card - All my convenience store purchases generate 3 percent cash back if used there

Quicksilver One - everything else 1.5% cashback

My Best Buy card doesnt really get used much, unless im buying big ticket electronics, and thats pretty rare

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

This is an excellent question!

I tried to spread my rewards out so that I dont have too much redundancy. Obviously not perfect cause Gas is very common. Hahah

The best combo in my wallet is Discover and Chase Freedom. I optimize those cards to their fullest potential. For 5% back.

I am also very excited for Chase's first quarter! They are doing all purchases that are done with mobile payments (samsung pay, etc.)

Next Amex Blue Cash Preferred takes care of groceries (6%), gas and dept stores (3%.)

Then for Wholesale I get 5% back with my BJs Perks Elite WMC.

I can get 2% on dining with both the BJ's card and Amex Gold.

My BofA Cash rewards is a high limit with generic rewards so its good for larger purchases for me. With 3% Gas and 2% grocery and wholesale. (Highly redundent and I have better optimization.) However, I get a 10% redemption bonus when deposited into my Checking.

Everything else hits my Citi Double Cash for 2%.

I have a whole spreadsheet on my categories to help me keep track haha.

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
This is an excellent question!
I tried to spread my rewards out so that I dont have too much redundancy. Obviously not perfect cause Gas is very common. Hahah
The best combo in my wallet is Discover and Chase Freedom. I optimize those cards to their fullest potential. For 5% back.
I am also very excited for Chase's first quarter! They are doing all purchases that are done with mobile payments (samsung pay, etc.)

Next Amex Blue Cash Preferred takes care of groceries (6%), gas and dept stores (3%.)
Then for Wholesale I get 5% back with my BJs Perks Elite WMC.
I can get 2% on dining with both the BJ's card and Amex Gold.
My BofA Cash rewards is a high limit with generic rewards so its good for larger purchases for me. With 3% Gas and 2% grocery and wholesale. (Highly redundent and I have better optimization.) However, I get a 10% redemption bonus when deposited into my Checking.
Everything else hits my Citi Double Cash for 2%.

I have a whole spreadsheet on my categories to help me keep track haha.

I recently got the Blue Cash but did not want the annual fee. I read about the groceries not ringing up properly for the 6%. Have you found it is worth it compared to just 3%?

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
This is an excellent question!
I tried to spread my rewards out so that I dont have too much redundancy. Obviously not perfect cause Gas is very common. Hahah
The best combo in my wallet is Discover and Chase Freedom. I optimize those cards to their fullest potential. For 5% back.
I am also very excited for Chase's first quarter! They are doing all purchases that are done with mobile payments (samsung pay, etc.)

Next Amex Blue Cash Preferred takes care of groceries (6%), gas and dept stores (3%.)
Then for Wholesale I get 5% back with my BJs Perks Elite WMC.
I can get 2% on dining with both the BJ's card and Amex Gold.
My BofA Cash rewards is a high limit with generic rewards so its good for larger purchases for me. With 3% Gas and 2% grocery and wholesale. (Highly redundent and I have better optimization.) However, I get a 10% redemption bonus when deposited into my Checking.
Everything else hits my Citi Double Cash for 2%.

I have a whole spreadsheet on my categories to help me keep track haha.
I recently got the Blue Cash but did not want the annual fee. I read about the groceries not ringing up properly for the 6%. Have you found it is worth it compared to just 3%?

I have heard smaller markets and supermarkets don't get the grocery category. However, I know my grocery store works for it. You can test it out or call a rep.

Honestly, I spend roughly 100 dollars a week on groceries and can easily spend more. Which in a year equates to more than 300 dollars back. You cap at $360 though for cashback on groceries. I had the BCE for a year and couldnt wait to upgrade because of the reward potential. You also get 3% on gas and dept stores instead of 2%. For me WORTH IT!

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
This is an excellent question!
I tried to spread my rewards out so that I dont have too much redundancy. Obviously not perfect cause Gas is very common. Hahah
The best combo in my wallet is Discover and Chase Freedom. I optimize those cards to their fullest potential. For 5% back.
I am also very excited for Chase's first quarter! They are doing all purchases that are done with mobile payments (samsung pay, etc.)

Next Amex Blue Cash Preferred takes care of groceries (6%), gas and dept stores (3%.)
Then for Wholesale I get 5% back with my BJs Perks Elite WMC.
I can get 2% on dining with both the BJ's card and Amex Gold.
My BofA Cash rewards is a high limit with generic rewards so its good for larger purchases for me. With 3% Gas and 2% grocery and wholesale. (Highly redundent and I have better optimization.) However, I get a 10% redemption bonus when deposited into my Checking.
Everything else hits my Citi Double Cash for 2%.

I have a whole spreadsheet on my categories to help me keep track haha.
I recently got the Blue Cash but did not want the annual fee. I read about the groceries not ringing up properly for the 6%. Have you found it is worth it compared to just 3%?
I have heard smaller markets and supermarkets don't get the grocery category. However, I know my grocery store works for it. You can test it out or call a rep.
Honestly, I spend roughly 100 dollars a week on groceries and can easily spend more. Which in a year equates to more than 300 dollars back. You cap at $360 though for cashback on groceries. I had the BCE for a year and couldnt wait to upgrade because of the reward potential. You also get 3% on gas and dept stores instead of 2%. For me WORTH IT!

Is that the time frame to upgrade it? Just got it yesterday, what's the time frame like if I wanted to upgrade it instead?

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
This is an excellent question!
I tried to spread my rewards out so that I dont have too much redundancy. Obviously not perfect cause Gas is very common. Hahah
The best combo in my wallet is Discover and Chase Freedom. I optimize those cards to their fullest potential. For 5% back.
I am also very excited for Chase's first quarter! They are doing all purchases that are done with mobile payments (samsung pay, etc.)

Next Amex Blue Cash Preferred takes care of groceries (6%), gas and dept stores (3%.)
Then for Wholesale I get 5% back with my BJs Perks Elite WMC.
I can get 2% on dining with both the BJ's card and Amex Gold.
My BofA Cash rewards is a high limit with generic rewards so its good for larger purchases for me. With 3% Gas and 2% grocery and wholesale. (Highly redundent and I have better optimization.) However, I get a 10% redemption bonus when deposited into my Checking.
Everything else hits my Citi Double Cash for 2%.

I have a whole spreadsheet on my categories to help me keep track haha.
I recently got the Blue Cash but did not want the annual fee. I read about the groceries not ringing up properly for the 6%. Have you found it is worth it compared to just 3%?
I have heard smaller markets and supermarkets don't get the grocery category. However, I know my grocery store works for it. You can test it out or call a rep.
Honestly, I spend roughly 100 dollars a week on groceries and can easily spend more. Which in a year equates to more than 300 dollars back. You cap at $360 though for cashback on groceries. I had the BCE for a year and couldnt wait to upgrade because of the reward potential. You also get 3% on gas and dept stores instead of 2%. For me WORTH IT!
Is that the time frame to upgrade it? Just got it yesterday, what's the time frame like if I wanted to upgrade it instead?

I would call ASAP if youre interested. I am not sure how they handle that. For me I had to wait 12 statements. Amex told me that the law prohibits them from changing the annual fee on any account for 12 months.

I would imagine if it is soon enough they should be able to help.

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

I'm not sure if there is any one best card out there for all purchases, so many here have several cards that compliment each other. Having said that, mine are a mish mash of cards that I've hard for years and either PCed or kept after moving on to better cards. Currently:

USAA Limitless Cash Rewards for non catagory spend at 2.5% cash back - why? best flat rate cash back card with no AF I am aware of.

Chase Freedom: Quarterly, rotating 5% cash back bonus - why? one of the few that offers groceries each year and I used the 0% intro APR

Discover More: Quarterly, rotating 5% cash back bonus - why? Discover has great customer service, old account

Past most used cards: BofA Cash Rewards: 3% gas, 2% groceries, 1% everywhere else and when redeemed to my BofA checking I get 10% bonus; Chase Freedom Unlimited for 1.5% non catagory spend; replaced by NFCU also at 1.5% which was recently replaced by USAA.

I think a lot of people like the Chase Trifecta (or Quadfecta with Ink) cards: CSP/CSR + Freedom + Freedom Unlimited to maximize UR points that can be used for cash back or can be transfered to various travel partners for even more value. I just don't travel enough to make this my go-to scheme.

I try to keep most of my spend between two cards because while, say Discover, might offer 5% back on gas, during the quarter I may only spend about $400 in gas which is $20 back and that just sits on the card for a while whereas I would have earned half that on my USAA but since all my other spend is on USAA all that cash back is in one place and it can be used more effectively. It also gets to be too much work to try to juggle 4-5 cards each month for all the different rewards. If you are into that, great, have at it.

Anonymous · ‎12-21-2017

Amex BCP grocery,gas, dw uses as some misc. We run atleast $1K a month on this card up to $10K Our highest limit

Citi DC 2% we pif We run between $1K and $5K on this every month

Amex BC when BCP grocery limit used up

Quick Silver DW uses this when she knows she gets more points than her AMex BCP and I am not around as Citi DC is in my name

Discover quarterly 5% or large ticket item due to good solid limit Our 2nd highest limit personal

FNBO Plat DW first rewards card 1% and 5 cents at Murphy but Amex BCP better on gas

Biz

Chase Ink This card is a good fit for many charges on our biz

Cap 1 Spark Some stuff Chase on goes 1% on so we go to another card.

I tried to get FNBO to do a pc to the new 2% card and they said no; she must apply again.

We don't fly much. Son in law works for airline and he and dd give us a few free tickets each year.

arkane · ‎12-21-2017

BoA Cash Rewards: 3% gas, 2% groceries; enrolled in Preferred Rewards so actual cash back is 4.5% gas, 3% groceries; oldest account (5 years) and highest CL (15K) so pretty much never giving up on this

Chase Amazon Prime: Unlimited 5% Amazon purchases

Discover It: 5% rotating categories but cash back match in first year makes it 10% effective cash back and 2% everything else; Q4 2017 is Amazon+Target, and 2018 categories are super useful as well (gas, groceries, restaurants, Amazon)
Barclays Uber: 4% dining, 3% travel, 2% online payment (which now includes Venmo, Paypal, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay); $50 credit towards Amazon Prime after annual $5000 spending; $600 cellphone insurance. I'm amazed this card is 0 AF to be honest.

None of the cards I have are the absolute best in class, but for no AF cards you'd be hard pressed to find better. With this particular mix, I'm guaranteed at least 2% cash back in my first year, and possibly up to or over 90% of my spending from year 2 onwards provided the 2% Paypal doesn't get nerfed.

I don't travel enough to justify having a pure travel rewards card, but CSP/CSR + Freedom is a very powerful combo (and could complement Discover's 5% categories), and I'll have to think hard about it in 2018.

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