topic Re: How do you use your cards? in Credit Cards

How do you use your cards?

killer_queen229 — Fri, 01 May 2015 01:29:38 GMT

I know people SD cards, but I rotate mine. I just used Double Cash and Freedom, now I'm using Easy Rewards and IT. BCE and TJX Rewards MC will be next. So what do you guys do?

Re: How do you use your cards?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2015 01:48:17 GMT

I use the ones with the highest rewards all the time and use the Wallaby app to help me figure out which where. I only SD 2 QS1 that only give me 1.5% cash back and have them set up to automatically pay small stuff like gym dues and Netflix.

Re: How do you use your cards?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2015 02:39:49 GMT

I use the card that will get me the best rewards for the purchase, 95% of the time. The rest of the time I will charge something on a card to to show activity.

Re: How do you use your cards?

Imperfectfuture — Fri, 01 May 2015 02:52:12 GMT

I like the rotational aspect, after I get done with min spend. QS1 is sorta sock drawered, while I show US Airways some love (1.5 miles until June 30th). I am now using BCE for groceries, Amazon for gas stations, amazon, SimplyCash for business, 3% dining, Freedom for dining this quarter, and both Freedom + BCE for big purchases at 0%. Haven't gone to the office supply store to pick up store cards for 5% off yet, that is another possibility. General spend I rotate the consumer cards, this upcoming month is amazon + US Airways, next month BCE + US Airways, etc.

Re: How do you use your cards?

longtime_lurker — Fri, 01 May 2015 02:56:45 GMT

@Imperfectfuture wrote:
I like the rotational aspect, after I get done with min spend. QS1 is sorta sock drawered, while I show US Airways some love (1.5 miles until June 30th). I am now using BCE for groceries, Amazon for gas stations, amazon, SimplyCash for business, 3% dining, Freedom for dining this quarter, and both Freedom + BCE for big purchases at 0%. Haven't gone to the office supply store to pick up store cards for 5% off yet, that is another possibility. General spend I rotate the consumer cards, this upcoming month is amazon + US Airways, next month BCE + US Airways, etc.

+1.

My aviator is being abused, lol. Because even at a fairly conservative valuation at 1.6cpp, it's a 2.4% back card until 6/30 on everyday purchases, lol

It's even higher because my parking is usually 3.55 for my classes...4 AA miles x1.5 =6 AA miles = 9.6 cents = 2.7% back

Re: How do you use your cards?

Dw4250 — Fri, 01 May 2015 03:17:51 GMT

Despite having 17 cards, 5-6 of them get almost all my monthly "love"

Sallie Mae= Groceries/Gas/Amazon
Venture/Arrival+= Travel
5% cards (Freedom/Discover/Cash+ depending on categories)
FIdelity AMEX for everything not covered above...

Everything else is window dressing. Once I get my limits a little higher I'm going to trim my lineup from 17 to about 7-8 cards.

Re: How do you use your cards?

joedtx — Fri, 01 May 2015 03:24:48 GMT

Interesting I guess I was doing it the old fashioned way by how it was organized in my wallet, I never thought of using an app to do it for me.

Re: How do you use your cards?

galahad15 — Fri, 01 May 2015 03:25:00 GMT

Currently, I usually revolve balances on my cards with my lowest APRs and best terms -- FNBO Amex at 6.25% V, Ring at 8.00% V, and BoA Cash Rewards World card at 9.99% F. Cards I have with APRs higher than 10% are sockdrawered and/or being paid off, with no new balances being added to them.

Re: How do you use your cards?

Kostya1992 — Fri, 01 May 2015 03:39:03 GMT

Highest possible reward yield. The only exception is when trying to meet a spending requirement.

Re: How do you use your cards?

happypill — Fri, 01 May 2015 06:58:49 GMT

I use my cards to pay for stuff. In an emergency I'd consider using my cards to jimmy a lock or something. I once had a friend who would clean his teeth with cards, kind of like dental floss, but I don't like doing that.

Re: How do you use your cards?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2015 07:02:39 GMT

I keep 4 in my iPhone case that I use on a regular basis. The others get rotated. If I'm trying to get a decent cli, I will use that particular card quite a bit & PIF. Seems to do the trick!

Re: How do you use your cards?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2015 07:34:09 GMT

trying to use my cards to analyze my spending. one for each bill to keep active. one grocery, one gas, one personal spend/dining. goal is to stay on budget and maximize savings to blow it all on a mortgage someday

Re: How do you use your cards?

Turbobuick — Fri, 01 May 2015 07:51:49 GMT

I put menial monthly billing on cards I don't carry but don't want to lose. Ooma is $4/mo, Netflix is $7.99, etc.

Re: How do you use your cards?

lg8302ch — Fri, 01 May 2015 09:05:42 GMT

With my present location I carry the no FTF cards in my wallet except for Cap1 QS VS as this is my BT card and to avoid interest it is better not to use it. The others get used for rewards whenever it makes sense and if nothing special like 1% I do also rotate my cards. For purchases that are not subject to FTF I give priority to cards that charge FTF so this is kind of my rotating use as well. Yes I also have used cards that did not give me best rewards just for the sake of giving that lender a little business too

Re: How do you use your cards?

stellar — Fri, 01 May 2015 09:15:02 GMT

I use them each every 3-6 months to keep them active. But I only carry one visa and one gas card on me. I had my purse stolen once and that was enough to teach me to leave them at home. You have to call and cancel every one of them and then you have 2 accounts on your credit report which bothers my OCD-ness!

Re: How do you use your cards?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2015 13:22:47 GMT

I have been using the crap out of my QS1 because it is my only rewards card until my Discover arrives in the mail. I have all of my monthly bills auto charging to the QS1 (except for rent, car insurance, and student loan that come from my checking account). Maybe I will let the QS1 be the "bill card" and use the discover for other spending (rotating categories). I use my WalMart card for gas once a week because the $0.05/gal discount is a better return that the rewards on QS1 with the current gas prices. I have a Cap 1 platinum because I was stupid to apply for it and I have yet to use it.

Re: How do you use your cards?

icyhot — Fri, 01 May 2015 14:24:58 GMT

I try to keep give all cards their own specific purpose based on their rewards. Citi Forward is for dining out and concert/sporting event tickets. BofA cash rewards is for everyday but once I get my Fidelity Amex BofA will be for gas and groceries and anything that would normally get 1% on the BofA rewards will go on the Fidelity and get 2%. My Delta Amex and Citi AAdvantage are used for flights and other airline related purchase. My VentureOne is currently for general travel spend, but once I get my CSP travel spend and monthly expenses will go on there and the Venture may be sock drawered or PCd to QS

Re: How do you use your cards?

chwebb1 — Fri, 01 May 2015 14:41:43 GMT

I generally use the card with the highest rewards. So for me:

Gas/Grocery/Amazon: Sallie Mae

Backup Gas/Grocery: BoA Cash Rewards, AMEX BCE

Department Stores (Don't shop there too much, but): AMEX BCE

Automatic bill payments: Citi DC, NASA FCU CC, BoA BBR (Not in sig)

Target: Sallie Mae or BoA Cash Rewards (AMEX BCE doesn't count Target as a "Grocery Store").

Everyday purchases (Not covered by a category): Discover It, BoA Cash Rewards, and AMEX BCE.

I of course use Discover for 5% categories and Shop Discover as well.

Re: How do you use your cards?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2015 14:49:30 GMT

Groceries/Gas (ED, soon to be BCP)

Utilities (Alaska Airlines Platinum)

Dining/Travel(CSP)

Airfare purchased through Alaska Airlines (Alaska Airlines Signature)

Spotify (QS1)

Netflix (QS)

Category spending (AU Freedom)

Permanent SD (AlaskaUSA, QS and QS1 beyond autopay)

Everyday purchases (CSP)

Re: How do you use your cards?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2015 16:16:38 GMT

I use mine for the highest rewards, if nothing has high rewards then I will use a card that needs to meet spend bonus or a 2% card rotated.