What's your cash back strategy?

[thelethargicage]

• Grocery Stores Blue Cash Preferred (6%)
• Gas Stations Sallie Mae (5% on first $250)
• Target/Walmart Sallie Mae (5% on first $250)
• Restaurants/Fast Food Cash+ (5%)
• Pharmacies Cash+ (2%)
• Non-category Quicksilver (1.5%)

[juggalo9er]

for those on lower end of spectrum

barclay rewards 2% gas, groceries

1% everything else

sadly this excited me lol

[MoreRewards]

Groceries Sallie Mae 5% capped at $250
Gas Sallie Mae 5% capped at $250
I didn't realize this gives 5% at Wal Mart???

Amex past cap Amex groceries 3% & gas at 2%
I'd like to get BOA rewards for the 3% gas though

I also use Freedom for 5% on gas when available & for many other purchases at 1%. Use the UR mall for whatever % being offered & will use for 5% amazon.com

Again use Discover It 5% on gas when available. Shop Discover gets most my online shopping 5-20%. I will alsp be using it for tthe 5% for online shopping, I've actually already started.

[kkapdolee]

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@thelethargicage wrote:

• Grocery Stores Blue Cash Preferred (6%)
• Gas Stations Sallie Mae (5% on first $250)
• Target/Walmart Sallie Mae (5% on first $250)
• Restaurants/Fast Food Cash+ (5%)
• Pharmacies Cash+ (2%)
• Non-category Quicksilver (1.5%)

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Nice cash back combinations!

You should consider Fidelity Amex for 2% cash back on everything.

Also a card to cover Amazon. Perhaps a second Cash + card? Or you can buy Amazon gift cards at grocery stores with your BCP.

[thelethargicage]

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@kkapdolee wrote:

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@thelethargicage wrote:

• Grocery Stores Blue Cash Preferred (6%)
• Gas Stations Sallie Mae (5% on first $250)
• Target/Walmart Sallie Mae (5% on first $250)
• Restaurants/Fast Food Cash+ (5%)
• Pharmacies Cash+ (2%)
• Non-category Quicksilver (1.5%)

---

Nice cash back combinations!

You should consider Fidelity Amex for 2% cash back on everything.

Also a card to cover Amazon. Perhaps a second Cash + card? Or you can buy Amazon gift cards at grocery stores with your BCP.

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Thanks!  Actually, I get 5% on book stores from the Sallie Mae MC, which includes Amazon, but just to be on the safe side, I can get electronic gift cards from Amazon and pay with them.  From what I understand, purchases from the Amazon marketplace are not coded as book store.

I prefer Quicksilver as a catch-all because it's a Visa.  The Fidelity Amex didn't appeal to me because 1) it's issued by FIA/BofA and 2) it's a "fake" Amex (I know it's silly, but I'm not gonna apply for a card if I'm not gonna be 100% pleased with it)

[kkapdolee]

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@thelethargicage wrote:

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@kkapdolee wrote:

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@thelethargicage wrote:

• Grocery Stores Blue Cash Preferred (6%)
• Gas Stations Sallie Mae (5% on first $250)
• Target/Walmart Sallie Mae (5% on first $250)
• Restaurants/Fast Food Cash+ (5%)
• Pharmacies Cash+ (2%)
• Non-category Quicksilver (1.5%)

---

Nice cash back combinations!

You should consider Fidelity Amex for 2% cash back on everything.

Also a card to cover Amazon. Perhaps a second Cash + card? Or you can buy Amazon gift cards at grocery stores with your BCP.

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Thanks!  Actually, I get 5% on book stores from the Sallie Mae MC, which includes Amazon, but just to be on the safe side, I can get electronic gift cards from Amazon and pay with them.  From what I understand, purchases from the Amazon marketplace are not coded as book store.

I prefer Quicksilver as a catch-all because it's a Visa.  The Fidelity Amex didn't appeal to me because 1) it's issued by FIA/BofA and 2) it's a "fake" Amex (I know it's silly, but I'm not gonna apply for a card if I'm not gonna be 100% pleased with it)

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Yeah I forgot about Sallie Mae covering Amazon.

I think you can also purchase Amazon electronic gift cards with Sallie Mae and use that to purchase Amazon market place products. That way, it will count as 5% for Sallie Mae.

Isn't there like a $750 limit on bookstores per month?

[lithium78]

I have a mix of cards I use to maximize my return:

Groceries: Target Redcard = 5% discount (in addition to whatever coupons I use)

Rotating Categories (Currently Online Shopping): Discover = 5%

Gasoline: BoA 123 Cash Rewards = 3% (I only purchase gasoline at BJ's Wholesale, because there's a surcharge everywhere else for using a credit card in my state)

BJ's Wholesale (Some bulk groceries, clothing, cleaning supplies, etc.): Total Rewards Visa = 2% in rewards points (plus another 2% in BJs Rewards due to my rewards membership, plus whatever I save additionally by using coupons)

Miscellaneous Other Stuff: BoA 123 Cash Rewards = 1%

[longtimelurker]

Groceries: Citi TYP 5x, BCP, Sallie Mae

Gas: Sallie Mae

Drug Stores/Manufactured Spend: Citi TYP 5x

Amazon: Sallie Mae, Citi Forward

Dining: Citi Forward

Cell Phones: US Bank Cash Plus

Vet (under charity category) US Bank Cash Plus

Everything else: Fidelity Amex, Citi Premier (using up flight points)

Where no Amex: Cap One Quicksilver

[Themanwhocan]

Well, my cash back strategy is in my signature, of course.

Future pickups will be Huntington Voice for 3% CB on Utilities, which I hope will cover my cable TV and DSL Internet. if not, then its 3% on Drugstores.

I will pickup the other two 5% category rotators: Chase Freedom, Citi Dividend.

I don't have a strategy for my BCE. It doesn't make the cut anymore. And I don't need more grocery than the Sallie Mae can handle, so no PC to BCP.

I will exchange categories on the two Cash+ cards mid-year, to try for $25 gift cards for redeeming $100, on each card (ie, swap categories to balance out card usage/earnings).

[too-much-time]

My cash back strategy is to keep the use of such cards to a minimum! If I didn't, I would be digging my own grave by consuming endlessly to maximize my return. It's like buying a ten cup coffee card and getting one for free, can't wait for that free cup of Joe. It's different with reward cards; you don't pay with say airline tickets or hotel rooms.