topic Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?) in Credit Cards

Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

Anonymous — Sat, 23 May 2015 22:31:15 GMT

I've been doing research and figured out the following:

For gas and groceries, the Sallie Mae card gets 5% cash back.

For restaurants, my card (Citi Forward) gets 5x reward points for each dollar spent. I can use this to get student loan rebates at $25 for 2500 points.

For everything else, the Citi Double cash gets 2% cash back.

Those seem like the three best cards to have in terms of rewards. Did I miss anything, or does anyone disagree?

I'm trying to look at the cards I have/use and figure out which ones are the best to use for different categories, and which cards I should get, and which cards I should get rid of.

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

Anonymous — Sat, 23 May 2015 22:33:21 GMT

Good list. Fidelity Amex is also 2% back on everything. And I would add the eBates Visa, Use the shopping portal, and the cash back is very nice because you can stack it. I'm at over 9%.

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

JSS3 — Sat, 23 May 2015 22:51:54 GMT

Amex BCE 3% on groceries after Sallie. No annual fee.
Amex BCP 6% on groceries. Annual fee.

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

Themanwhocan — Sat, 23 May 2015 22:58:41 GMT

@JSS3 wrote:
Amex BCE 3% on groceries after Sallie. No annual fee.
Amex BCP 6% on groceries. Annual fee.

Or just get 2 Sallie Mae cards, waiting 4-5 months between applications and making sure you will likely get an instant approval on the second card.

Did you see my Credit Card charts? You can find a link to them in the Helpful Threads post at the top of the Credit Cards section.

Here is a list of various categories, and some good cards for each: http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/2012/11/09/best-category-bonuses/

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

JSS3 — Sat, 23 May 2015 23:01:32 GMT

@TMWC
Thank you for the charts and taking your time to share them with us.

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

Anonymous — Sat, 23 May 2015 23:13:20 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Good list. Fidelity Amex is also 2% back on everything. And I would add the eBates Visa, Use the shopping portal, and the cash back is very nice because you can stack it. I'm at over 9%.

I got the ebates card today (for Amex Gift Cards) but I agree with the review in:

http://www.doctorofcredit.com/ebates-credit-card-review-3-cashback-on-purchases-through-ebates/

ebates is very rarely the top cashback portal, and is often less by more than 1%, so a 2% card at topcashback/befrugal etc will win

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

JSS3 — Sat, 23 May 2015 23:17:07 GMT

I will never use the Ebates portal again! They have the nerve to send out your EARNED cashback every three months! I get my rebate in August. What nonsense!

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

Anonymous — Sat, 23 May 2015 23:38:16 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Good list. Fidelity Amex is also 2% back on everything. And I would add the eBates Visa, Use the shopping portal, and the cash back is very nice because you can stack it. I'm at over 9%.
I got the ebates card today (for Amex Gift Cards) but I agree with the review in:

http://www.doctorofcredit.com/ebates-credit-card-review-3-cashback-on-purchases-through-ebates/

ebates is very rarely the top cashback portal, and is often less by more than 1%, so a 2% card at topcashback/befrugal etc will win

Other than the piddly 1% on Amex gift cards, that review completely ignores the cash back offers from the eBates merchants. For example, I was looking for a leather checkbook cover. Found one through the eBates portal where the merchant was offering 6% cash back. Add that to the 3% on the card, and I got 9%. That's some fat cash back by any definition.

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

Anonymous — Sat, 23 May 2015 23:42:05 GMT

@JSS3 wrote:
I will never use the Ebates portal again! They have the nerve to send out your EARNED cashback every three months! I get my rebate in August. What nonsense!

I suppose that could be a problem if you have to have the money right away.

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

Anonymous — Sat, 23 May 2015 23:50:23 GMT

Discover It and Chase Freedom are very nice to have for the quarterly 5% categories in my opinion, just have to check in every 3 months to activate them and see what to use them for.

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

JSS3 — Sat, 23 May 2015 23:51:44 GMT

CAPTOOL
No. It's just unnecessary to wait that long. I can see a month to make sure nothing is returned but not 3. It didn't take that long for me to go through their portal.

Re: Best card for rewards, my list (how does it look?)

Anonymous — Sun, 24 May 2015 00:41:05 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Good list. Fidelity Amex is also 2% back on everything. And I would add the eBates Visa, Use the shopping portal, and the cash back is very nice because you can stack it. I'm at over 9%.
I got the ebates card today (for Amex Gift Cards) but I agree with the review in:

http://www.doctorofcredit.com/ebates-credit-card-review-3-cashback-on-purchases-through-ebates/

ebates is very rarely the top cashback portal, and is often less by more than 1%, so a 2% card at topcashback/befrugal etc will win

Other than the piddly 1% on Amex gift cards, that review completely ignores the cash back offers from the eBates merchants. For example, I was looking for a leather checkbook cover. Found one through the eBates portal where the merchant was offering 6% cash back. Add that to the 3% on the card, and I got 9%. That's some fat cash back by any definition.

Not really. Generally other portals offer more than ebates, and all have some special offers (which is why you use something like cashbackmonitor.com) The card only makes sense over a 2% card when ebates is less than 1% from the top rate (or of course is the top rate). For Amex Gift cards, it usually is (1% vs others 1.5%) which is why I was willing to get it (for when Discover Miles 3% stops) But for many of the places I shop, ebates is 2% or more less than the others.