The “All other purchases” card

[Anonymous]

Most of the rewards earning cards offer 1% cas back on “all other purchases.”

Does everyone here just get the 1% or is there another card you use for everything that doesn’t fall within your main cash back rewards?

[simplynoir]

For the cashback people for all other non-category spending typically a 2% card is used such as Blispay, Citi DC, and Paypal.

[Anonymous]

I personally use a Quicksilver for my catch-all card that isn't a category spend.  Many if not most people get 2% for non-category spending, which is a little better than a Quicksilver's 1.5%, but I'm not quite ready profile-wise to replace my QS with anything else.  

[Anonymous]

How about a 2% cash back card like the Citi Double Cash or the PayPal MC?

Hell, even the Quicksilver(1.5%) is way better than a card that only offers 1%. 

I have the Double Cash and got no complaints about it. I actually like the card a lot. 

[Anonymous]

I have a Freedom Unlimited for that, but will soon(ish) be getting the Spirit Airlines MasterCard, which gives 2 miles per dollar on all purchases. Since I can work around Spirit's fees, I fly out of their second largest hub, and I have no problem working around the off peak redemption dates, this card can be very lucrative for me in terms of saving other, more valuable rewards currencies.

I'm also, later, going to apply for the PayPal CC and link it to the PayPal business debit to get 2% back on debit transactions - I think I'll likely do charitable donations this way, as with a 5% category, charities have to pay for the CC fee so they don't really get the same amount out of it, and that way I don't have to tie up a card with Charity as a category.

[UpperNwGuy]

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@Anonymouswrote:

Most of the rewards earning cards offer 1% cas back on “all other purchases.”

Does everyone here just get the 1% or is there another card you use for everything that doesn’t fall within your main cash back rewards?

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When you say "most of the rewards earning cards," I think you're refering to one type of rewards card, the 3-2-1 type where you get 3% back on one category (gas, dining, or groceries), 2% back on a second category, and 1% back on all other purchases.  I have had a couple of these cards, and I use them only for the 3% categories.  I avoid using them for anything else.  My 2% on everything card gets all the rest of my transactions.  If I could only have one card in my wallet, it would be a 2% or 1.5% on everything card, not a 3-2-1 card.  I've done the math, and the rewards would be higher.  I have also noticed that the 3-2-1 cards tend to have higher minimum redemptions than flat rate cards, and I consider that a drawback.

[Anonymous]

I've had some sort of 2%-on-everything card since 2009.  Most recently it was the Fidelity Visa, which I recommend.  I also have the FNBO BuxBack card which is also 2%, though I'm not sure that's available for signup.

But better than both of those, last April I converted my old sockdrawered Alliant Visa to their Cashback Visa Signature card, which gives 3% on everything for the first year, 2.5% on everything after that.  Annual fee is waived the first year, then $59.  So it was a no-brainer for the first year; 3% on everything?  Sign me up.  Now I'm coming up on the anniversary and I'm actually thinking about paying the annual fee.  Yeah, the extra .5% seems trivial, but my typical monthly uncategorized spend is about $1k, so $12k per year times .5% is $60, which just barely exceeds the A/F.  Then there's my property tax which runs about $10k (the latest federal income tax bill is killing me, BTW).  The county charges a 2.35% fee for paying with credit card, which means if the best I had was a 2% card, I would pay with a check instead.  But with a 2.5% card it's slightly better to pay with that.  So even though I'm only netting .15% on that payment, it still profits me another $15 over paying with cash.  Oh, and no foreign transaction fee, which neither of my current 2% cards gives me.  Probably a keeper.

Chris.

[Anonymous]

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@UpperNwGuy

When you say "most of the rewards earning cards," I think you're refering to one type of rewards card, the 3-2-1 type where you get 3% back on one category (gas, dining, or groceries), 2% back on a second category, and 1% back on all other purchases.  I have had a couple of these cards, and I use them only for the 3% categories.  I avoid using them for anything else.  My 2% on everything card gets all the rest of my transactions.  If I could only have one card in my wallet, it would be a 2% or 1.5% on everything card, not a 3-2-1 card.  I've done the math, and the rewards would be higher.  I have also noticed that the 3-2-1 cards tend to have higher minimum redemptions than flat rate cards, and I consider that a drawback.

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I agree and I started a thread on this a few weeks back.  IMO, all 3-2-1 cards are essentially just 3% cards for that single category, since anyone with a 2% general spend card can use that to take care of the 2-1 that's left on 3-2-1 cards.

[Anonymous]

Referring to my cards in my signature: Citi DoubleCash being 2% on everything axes the Amazon card for anything but Amazon Purchases, The only categories worth anything on the Cash+ now are my 5% categories.

[Anonymous]

Hands down. Cap1 Quicksilver. Find me any other card that makes instant redemption of cashback absolutely any time you want for any amount, almost instant cashback availability on purchases, and no expiry dates, and Ill change to that 2% card. Cap 1 has mastered a usable clean and super slick cashback card.