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Valued Contributor
tcbofade
Posts: 1,112
Registered: ‎09-26-2011

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards

First, GREAT idea to post this thread FIRST!  :smileytongue:

 

Look at all of the information in earlier posts and decide which rewards structure works best for you.

 

I don't qualify for the "prime" benefit cards, but I DO have a simple 2% cash back card that I use the most.



Last app 08/08/2012. App free in 2013!

Current Scores: EX 670 (FCR) TU: 673 (Wally) EQ: Your guess is as good as mine. :smileytongue:

Zero percent financing is where the devil lives...

Contributor
angelnyc
Posts: 111
Registered: ‎08-19-2012

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards

lol thanks! I think it's a fun topic and seeing what people like to have in their wallets :smileyhappy:.

 

Hopefully people will keep on sharing their personal preferences, I think the last post about the black card and that women like that was awesome ! lol

Regular Contributor
ramblin_wreck08
Posts: 172
Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards

Funny you mention this, as I was just thinking about how happy I am with my lineup.  I wanted to have a Visa, Mastercard, and AmEx in my wallet.  I carry all 3 in addition to a debit card (just in case I need to use an ATM) so I'm pretty much covered everywhere.

 

Citi Forward: 5x points on dining, movies, music stores, and book stores.  I purchase a lot of things with my Prime membership through Amazon, which gets the 5x points as a book store.  The 5x back on dining is great for a 22 year old bachelor.

 

Citi Dividend World Mastercard: used for the 5% rotating categories and have a Hulu subscription auto paying on it to keep it active when I don't use the categories. The 0% APR for 15 months helped me pay for my senior year spring break and furnishing my apartment before getting my first paycheck.  Just two months from paying it all back.  Can't wait to be CC debt-free, and all before the 0% APR runs out!

 

AmEx Zync: used for EVERYTHING that isn't covered by the Forward or the rotating categories.  Great peace of mind with the benefits and AmEx customer service, and all while buidling a relationship with them.  Will probably app for the PR Gold at the beginning of the year and reap the benefits for a while before PCing to the Green before the AF renews.  Would then close the Zync, as I ultimately want to convert points to miles for a yearly trip somewhere.

 

All in all I'm very happy with my stable.  Would benefit more from having a BCE or BCP, but I would rather just stick with one of each type, and just prefer the structure of a charge card over that of a credit card.  So the AmEx for me will always be a charge card.




What's in my wallet:



Left to right:
NPSL ($10k approved)
$5k (EMV - Chip & PIN)
$5.5k (Visa Sig + EMV)
$4,950

Transunion FICO: 709 (8/13/12) -> 740 (9/24/12)
Equifax Risk Score: 706 (7/22/12)
Experian Plus: 724 (8/13/12)
Valued Contributor
CreditScholar
Posts: 1,514
Registered: ‎01-22-2012

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards

Currently I only have 2 cards that I use and they work quite well together. I honestly can't be bothered with rotating categories.

 

 

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred: All travel, dining and UR mall spending.

2. Chase United MP Club Card: Everything else

 

 

In the next few months I'll probably be adding the Citi Hilton Reserve card to that list. Then it will be:

 

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred: All travel, dining and UR mall spending.

2. Citi Hilton Reserve: 40k in general/other spending for diamond status, plus all Hilton spend

3. Chase United MP Club Card: All other spending after 40k on the Hilton card

 

FICOs: EX: 800, EQ: 813, TU: 807

Bank of America Privileges with Travel Rewards Visa Signature (EMV) - $23,200 CL
Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature - $12,700 CL
Chase United MileagePlus Club World Elite MasterCard - $25,000 CL
J.P. Morgan Ritz Carlton Visa Signature - $23,500 CL
Moderator
webhopper
Posts: 7,051
Registered: ‎09-16-2011

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards

Amex zync - use as debit card for everything Chase amazon - backup everything card Nfcu - large purchases / emergency Discover - used for shop discover and travel via expedia link at shopsiscover

Starting Score: 08/29/2011 TU 671 EQ 674
Current Score (myFico + Amex): April 2013 TU 754 EQ 694 EX 694
Wallet: NFCU Visa Sig 25k, Amex Lowes 22k, NavCheck 15k, Amex PRG, Amex Zync, Discover It 13.5k, Amazon Visa 5k
Silver Spade Garden Club Member: App Free since 1/1/13. No more apps til 2014
MyFICO Fitness Goal: 800s Club!



Take the myFICO Fitness Challenge
Established Contributor
andre181
Posts: 597
Registered: ‎07-29-2010

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards

[ Edited ]

Discover More is my go-to card. Everything goes on it except:

 

  • BoA Cash Rewards 123 gets used when a merchant doesn't accept Discover. Also is my gas card when its not 5% on Discover.
  • AMEX PRG is my "travel" card when I don't use Travelocity through ShopDiscover. I don't use this card much so when AF comes due, I'm PCing to Zync.
  • AMEX BCE is pretty much for department stores and groceries only.
  • Citi Forward for Amazon.com and purchases I plan on carrying a balance for a few months. Its my lowest interest card.
  • and finally, Target RedCard at Target. Gotta save that 5% :smileyhappy:

And of course, if any of the above happens to be a 5% catagory for Discover and the merchant accepts Discover, that charge goes on Discover.

 

FNBO Visa $19K | Discover IT $15.3K | Citi Forward $10.5K | US Bank Cash+ Visa Sig $10K | Amazon/Chase Visa Sig $8.3k | Priceline/Barclays $6K | BoA Cash Rewards 1-2-3 Sig $5.5K | Sallie Mae World MC/Barclays $5K | Capital One Cash Rewards $5K | WF Cash Back Visa $3.6K | Citi ThankYou Preferred $3.5K | Amazon/GEMB $2.5K | AMEX BCE $2K | Younkers/WFNNB $2K | Commerce Bank $2K | Target $1K | AMEX Green
EX FICO (from AMEX): 754, TU04 FICO: 749, AAoA: 3.2 years
Established Contributor
Koop10010
Posts: 731
Registered: ‎02-15-2012

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards

Currently I'm nearly exclusively using my Sapphire Preferred to hit the signup bonus.  After that it's going to be:

 

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Dining, Travel, UR Bonus Mall

American Express Green: Everything Else

FICOs (2/24/12): EX 752, EQ 740
Chase Sapphire Preferred, Freedom; American Express PR Gold, Blue Cash Everyday
Valued Contributor
RockinRay
Posts: 1,773
Registered: ‎08-13-2007

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards

Currently, I use:

 

US Bank Cash + Visa - bill pay.

PenFed Visa - gas.

Target Visa - Target.

Amex BCE - groceries.

USAA WMC - everything else.

 

I have other cards that rotate in and out, but these are my go to cards for daily use.

Ray

** Every Card has a Job, and Every Card does its Job **

Contributor
severine
Posts: 120
Registered: ‎08-19-2012

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards


Koop10010 wrote:

Currently I'm nearly exclusively using my Sapphire Preferred to hit the signup bonus.  After that it's going to be:

 

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Dining, Travel, UR Bonus Mall

American Express Green: Everything Else


I just received this car and another poster indicated that the new spending amount to hit the signup bonus has been changed to  $2000, all you need to do is email them and request it.

 

Amex PR Gold NPSL | Amex BCP 16.5k| Amex Delta Gold Skymiles 14.9k | Discover 9.75k | Citi Diamond Preferred 11.9k | Chase Freedom 8.9k | Chase Sapphire Preferred 9k | US Bank Cash + Visa 13k | BankAmericard Cash Rewards Signature Visa 9.5k | M and T Bank Visa 10.9k | FICO TU 793 EQ 793 EX 784
Established Contributor
Koop10010
Posts: 731
Registered: ‎02-15-2012

Re: Your Starting Line Up of Charge/Credit Cards


severine wrote:

Koop10010 wrote:

Currently I'm nearly exclusively using my Sapphire Preferred to hit the signup bonus.  After that it's going to be:

 

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Dining, Travel, UR Bonus Mall

American Express Green: Everything Else


I just received this car and another poster indicated that the new spending amount to hit the signup bonus has been changed to  $2000, all you need to do is email them and request it.

 


The Chase website still says $3000 for me, is there somewhere where it says $2000 now?  I'd like to have something to point at.

FICOs (2/24/12): EX 752, EQ 740
Chase Sapphire Preferred, Freedom; American Express PR Gold, Blue Cash Everyday

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