@Spanky23 wrote:
CSP is my dream card
Why? If you've carefully considered the matter then you should have your needs/wants and an idea of how you're going to redeem rewards with UR. If you've done that work then you'll have what you need to find another suitable travel card. The vagaries around what you need and want in your posts seem to indicate to me that none of this has been considered.
@Spanky23 wrote:
I want to start saving up travel rewards so I can go on trips this next year if not 2017.
That's great but it doesn't mean that a travel card is a best fit for you. You have to have sufficient spend to make a travel card worthwhile. Like any rewards card you need to look at where your major spend is going and compare to the earn rates for the cards you're considering. Again, you need to consider redemptions for any points/miles program as that can impact reward value. Run the numbers for your spend to get an idea of what you'd get with any rewards card. Consider how long it would take your spend to accrue enough to redeem. Wanting to travel doesn't automatically mean travel card. There are many who have spend that would be better suited to cash back cards.
@Spanky23 wrote:
I'd like to get in with a new company. Amex, capital one?
Use your needs/wants to select individual products that suit you. Don't select a creditor and then try to justify a card. You don't need to get "in". Either your credit and income qualify at time of consideration or they do not. Don't rely on "relationship".
@Spanky23 wrote:
Scores are in the mid 700s
It's never just about score but if you want to go on score you can refer to the Credit Pulls Database.
@Spanky23 wrote:
Idk if it matters, but when i fly I fly southwest, but that's because my dad always flew them and I never had to make my own flights
It definitely matters. Again, how you redeem will impact reward value. If you intend to redeem for Southwest flights then you'll want programs that have favorable transfers to Southwest. Southwest is a UR transfer partner.
Since you already have the Freedom you're already accumulating UR points. Unless you have significant enough spend to spread among different rewards programs you may want to focus on one.
That said, domestic coach travel isn't the best value but you may find it sufficient.. Run the numbers for your spend from start to finish and take a look at the Southwest flights you might redeem for to get an idea of what sort of rewards you'd get on your spend. Compare against cash back cards and go with whichever gives you the best return on your spend.
Also consider the cobranded Southwest card if you can make use of the flight benefits. It frequently has a sign on bonus for RR points, IIRC.
@Spanky23 wrote:
Yeah I thought maybe trying the amex everyday and prg in one go.But don't really like the everyday offer
Consider redemptions with MR if you're looking at these cards. Who would you transfer MR points to? What sort of value would you get per MR point for the rewards that you would redeem for?
The reason why I focus on UR instead of MR is that I live in a United fortress hub city and all my travel is on United. I can get more than 2 cents per point with UR but can only manage 0.6 cents to 0.8 cents per MR.
@Spanky23 wrote:
I'm not closed off from a charge card but I'd definitely app for a credit card first to extend my utilization
A charge card will extend your revolving utilization. Spend on the charge card will not impact revolving utilization. However, how much spend do you have in the categories that earn at a higher rate on the PRG? Are you sure you can pay each statement in full on that spend?
tl;dr You're currently all over the place and just need to sort it all out and form a strategy.
