Question/Game: Best Credit Card Combination?

[Anonymous]

Hey there folks,

Just wondering, what is everyone's general view of what credit card combinations are best/ideal?

Obviously, this would vary a great deal from person to person, but to make a game of it, if you had to pick between 5-10 cards and could have any you wanted, which would be in your arsenal to max out rewards and round each other out? 

For myself, I recently just got a number of new cards and have my eye on a few others to sort of complete my profile.

Here's what I currently have that is relevant:

Chase Freedom, US Bank Cash+, Discover It - These are all 5% back with rotating categories

Capitol One Savor - 3% back on dining to cover me when I don't have a category in place for it

Citi Double Cash - 2% back on everything for when I don't have an another appropriate card to cover whatever category

Here's what I think I may want next:

Amazon Prime Visa - For that 5% back on my Amazon purchases

Chase Sapphire Preferred - Seems like the ideal travel card?

Some type of Amex card - Seems a good idea to get in with Amex in general, perhaps the Everyday card?

I know I have a lot of categories and even modes of thought missing from what is reflected in my list, but I'm still relatively new here and am very much still learning, so go gently. I'd really love to hear other's thoughts and goals or just other's wish lists and views of an ideal combination. Which cards would you pick in your ideal situation? Cheers!

--SillyGoose

[OmarR]

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SillyGoose 

wrote:

Just wondering, what is everyone's general view of what credit card combinations are best/ideal?

Obviously, this would vary a great deal from person to person.

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You said it yourself...it will vary from person-to-person, but I get what kind of thread you are trying to start. Here are the better, succinct questions for the tl;dr crowd:

1. Tell me your top 5-10 categories & the associated card you use with each category, and the CB% or reward stucture.

2. Is it rotating or not?

3. Is it restricted? i.e. Military, Credit Union, etc.

4. any caps?

[Anonymous]

For me easy. I don’t fly or travel a lot. So cash back is my thing. Not rewards. Citi DC 2% for anything not in a category. Amazon for 5% purchases, Uber for 4% restaurants 3% travel and hotels.  Us bank cash + for cell phone 5% and utilities 5%. Simmons bank for low APR % for emergencies. And NRA for 5% gas. 6 cards, everything I do covered. Brilliant!!! Lol. I dont buy many groceries but if one does American Express for 3% that... cash back heaven with no AF 😎

[OmarR]

I also do absolutely almost ZERO traveling, like once every 3-4 years.

Groceries -  6% CB Blue Cash Preferred Amex ($6,000 yearly cap)

Fast Food - 5% CB US Bank+ VISA ($2,000 quarterly cap)

Gas -            5% CB USAA Amex ($3,000 yearly cap)

Utilities -      5% CB Vantage West Connect Rewards VISA ($1,500 quarterly cap)

Other -          2.5% CB USAA Limitless VISA

Backup -      2% Citibank DoubleCash

I also do not dine out much (maybe twice per year), but if I did, I would use UBER's 4% CB. If someone did a non-rotating 5% in dining, I would probably apply for that next and be done.

I also do not do well with rotating categories. But I used to think that my 2.5% Limitless would be the only card I would ever carry and use.

Boy, was I ever wrong!

[Anonymous]

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wrote:

I also do absolutely almost ZERO traveling, like once every 3-4 years.

Groceries -  6% CB Blue Cash Preferred Amex ($6,000 yearly cap)

Fast Food - 5% CB US Bank+ VISA ($2,000 quarterly cap)

Gas -            5% CB USAA Amex ($3,000 yearly cap)

Utilities -      5% CB Vantage West Connect Rewards VISA ($1,500 quarterly cap)

Other -          2.5% CB USAA Limitless VISA

Backup -      2% Citibank DoubleCash

I also do not dine out much (maybe twice per year), but if I did, I would use UBER's 4% CB. If someone did a non-rotating 5% in dining, I would probably apply for that next and be done.

I also do not do well with rotating categories. But I used to think that my 2.5% Limitless would be the only card I would ever carry and use.

Boy, was I ever wrong!

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I also don’t like rotating categories along with my paltry travel. I can’t join USAA or else that limitless 2.5% would be a sweet catch all for non 3% or higher. I go for no fee also otherwise for those with groceries 6% is tops. I’m sure I missed a few categories in mine. But too many cards would make my head spin. What you have would be a sweet line up. Dont forget in a cash + you get two 5% categories now. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone! These responses have been really insightful and have got me thinking and reconsidering my choices. 

[OmarR]

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Benmarkley3 

wrote:I also don’t like rotating categories along with my paltry travel. I can’t join USAA or else that limitless 2.5% would be a sweet catch all for non 3% or higher. I go for no fee also otherwise for those with groceries 6% is tops. I’m sure I missed a few categories in mine. But too many cards would make my head spin. What you have would be a sweet line up. Dont forget in a cash + you get two 5% categories now. 

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You and I think very much alike, my friend!

I actually just got my SUB's for the BCP ($250) & USBank+ ($150), so I am "applying" the $400 towards 4 years of AF's on the BCP. After that, I will re-evaluate what is on the market.

And yes, my USBank+ second 5% category is just $30 towards my cell phone bill. It picks up where my Vantage West caps off. This is embarassing to admit, but I actually reach the entire 5% cap on USBank+ with fast food. I am trying to change that.

My gas card stays hidden in my truck, and my utilities card stays in my safe at home, so I only really carry 4 cards. I would absolutely love for a 5% CB dining/ 2% everything else MASTERCARD. It would be my backup network card and I would ditch my DoubleCash card. Unless DC added 5% dining. Citi, are you listening?!?

But your lineup is also very impressive and very much my style!

[OmarR]

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SillyGoose 

wrote:

Thanks everyone! These responses have been really insightful and have got me thinking and reconsidering my choices. 

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Do you have a vehicle that you gas up? If so, what card are you using for that?

[Anonymous]

I do have a car, but I don't need to drive far very often. Most of my driving is local. So far, I've just been using the rotating catagories for 5% on gas, but that may be an area to consider as that only works for so many months out of the year. However, I just bought my car on Dec 1st and have barely put 1100 miles on it since then. I also don't have a grocery card yet, and I do a fair amount of shopping. I opted to get a Savor card instead of Uber because I primarily use Lyft over Uber, but perhaps that was a mistake. 

Whatever I get next, I'll probably be waiting for my new accounts to age a while. Last year this time, I only had one card with 1% cash back for everything; it was the only card I used, and now I barely use it at all. It's my worst card. It's only been in the past few months that I've started to learn more about everything and these forums have been so much help. Thanks so much for sharing the thinking behind your line up of cards.

Any advice is well appreciated.  (:

[Anonymous]

Uber card still gets the same cashback whether you use Lyft or Uber. Plus it's the best cashback dining card around.