topic Re: Three cards to rule them all in Credit Cards

Three cards to rule them all

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2017 09:46:28 GMT

So here's the challenge: you can only carry three credit cards in your wallet. Which?

For me it's a very practical question. I use a little business card holder for my wallet. I can fit five cards in it only. The five cards are my driver's license, health insurance, debit card, and two credit cards. Been debating scanning the insurance card into my phone as an image and carrying three credit credit cards.

But that's the limit.

So...... what three cards would give you maximum coverage on all your purchases, if you could only carry three? In terms of rewards.

For me the answer is:

CITI Double Cash MC: 2% everywhere

Costco Visa: 4% gas, 3% restaurants/travel, 2% Costco

Amex Blue Cash: 3% groceries other than Costco

Cheat 1: Amazon store card doesn't need to be in wallet

Cheat 2: If I travel I swap DC for BoA Travel, no foreign fee

Honestly I could cancel the rest of my cards and would if it would hurt my score

BONUS QUESTION: If only two,? For me I'd sock drawer the Amex but it'd cost be 1% at grocery stores to do that.

Re: Three cards to rule them all

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2017 10:27:07 GMT

amex blue cash, nfcu nrewards, and my spark classic cap one, not really sure on this but I just like them at the moment

Re: Three cards to rule them all

jdxprs1 — Wed, 17 May 2017 11:39:22 GMT

Pnc cash builder, Amex bce, and domcu card

Re: Three cards to rule them all

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2017 11:40:11 GMT

For me, NFCU Cash Rewards Signature Visa, Amex BCE and Discover as I'm still in the cash back match first year! However, I carry daily in my wallet the three mentioned already plus my Chase Amazon Signature Visa, PenFed and my NFCU debit card in case I need cash. I leave the Fairwinds Credit Union Cash Rewards Visa and CapOne Quicksilver in the SD.

Re: Three cards to rule them all

AverageJoesCredit — Wed, 17 May 2017 12:25:59 GMT

These kinds of threads are fun but you need to set the rules and stand by them lol. You ask for 3, slide in 2 cheaters then only two and by the time everyone finishes, they are listing their 3 plus if this day had that and if i was buying this i would... you get my drift lol. KISS to this question:

1)Citi DC,, a mc accepted everywhere + 2% CB
2) BestBuy Visa Siggy, 10k limit in case of emergencies, accepted everywhere
3) Amex ED , to continue building relationship

Phew, tough question though lol

Re: Three cards to rule them all

AverageJoesCredit — Wed, 17 May 2017 12:32:15 GMT

Oh, just wanted to say AWESOME TITLE. I wish LOTR was around these days

Re: Three cards to rule them all

MASTERNC — Wed, 17 May 2017 12:34:05 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
So here's the challenge: you can only carry three credit cards in your wallet. Which?

For me it's a very practical question. I use a little business card holder for my wallet. I can fit five cards in it only. The five cards are my driver's license, health insurance, debit card, and two credit cards. Been debating scanning the insurance card into my phone as an image and carrying three credit credit cards.

But that's the limit.

So...... what three cards would give you maximum coverage on all your purchases, if you could only carry three? In terms of rewards.

For me the answer is:

CITI Double Cash MC: 2% everywhere
Costco Visa: 4% gas, 3% restaurants/travel, 2% Costco
Amex Blue Cash: 3% groceries other than Costco

Cheat 1: Amazon store card doesn't need to be in wallet
Cheat 2: If I travel I swap DC for BoA Travel, no foreign fee

Honestly I could cancel the rest of my cards and would if it would hurt my score

BONUS QUESTION: If only two,? For me I'd sock drawer the Amex but it'd cost be 1% at grocery stores to do that.

My three:

USAA Limitless: 2.5% CB, no FTF

Costco Visa: For reasons mentioned

Hilton Honors Reserve: No FTF, Hilton Gold status (my preferred brand), free night after $10k spend every 12 months

I'd also put in Amazon Visa as my "cheat"

Re: Three cards to rule them all

SecretAzure — Wed, 17 May 2017 12:37:42 GMT

Don't even have CSR yet but I'm just going to say it before someone else does...

Chase Freedom

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Chase Sapphire Reserve

There...now I want to keep reading all these other unique combos people have (like has been posted above).

Re: Three cards to rule them all

iced — Wed, 17 May 2017 13:25:12 GMT

I only have 3 cards so this was pretty easy.

- Chase Sapphire Reserve - dinng and travel

- Citi TY Premier - gas + MC in case Visa isn't accepted

- Chase MileagePlus Club - everything else

Re: Three cards to rule them all

JR_TX — Wed, 17 May 2017 14:35:08 GMT

Three cards to rule them all you say?!

Well here's two that are definitely "Sauron approved" :

Credit One and First Premier!!

Two cards forged from the fires of Mount Doom! Two cards that shall rule them all!!

P.S.
Mods please don't punish me it's my first

Re: Three cards to rule them all

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2017 14:44:06 GMT

As of the last couple weeks, I've really enjoyed the idea of simplicity over micromanaging 4-7 cards regularly due to maximizing rewards.

Citi DC for everything (would use Blispay, but prefer the possible additional savings with price rewind)

Discover for rotating 5% to trump the DC

Chase Freedom same reason mentioned for Discover (haven't updated my siggy *sigh*)

I do carry Blispay as a backup 2% card in case I am nearing 25% util on my DC for any reason, or to float a small balance if absolutely necessary (haven't had to do that yet, but it gives me peace of mind)

Re: Three cards to rule them all

happypill — Wed, 17 May 2017 14:50:35 GMT

If forced to choose, I would prefer cash back equivalent over points/miles because it's just so much easier for me to spend. I always have a tough time getting good value for miles. My five biggest spend categories are travel, dining, Amazon, gas, groceries.

1. SSFCU Power Travel Rewards - 3.3% on travel, dining & gas

2. Penfed Platinum Rewards - 5x on gas and 3x on groceries - these are actually worth a little less than 1c per point, but if limited to 3 cards its a better option than the Penfed gas rewards

3. BofA Travel Rewards - 2.625% on everything else with preferred rewards

I also have the Amazon Prime card for 5% on Amazon, but that's not really a card I would carry anywhere because it's only usable on Amazon and we don't have any of the local stores around here.

The Sallie Mae card was the perfect card for my wallet, offering 5% on gas, groceries & Amazon and it is gone but not forgotten.

Re: Three cards to rule them all

Peteyglad — Wed, 17 May 2017 15:36:34 GMT

As I only have space for 3 in my wallet this was easy.

Amex Platinum - I travel quite a bit so this stays with me all the time for Delta sky club access, buying plane tickets and the occasional Amex offers.

Amex EDP - this is my main card. Easily hit the 30 transactions per month. I typically transfer my MR's to delta and because i value skymiles at 2 cpp this card offers great opportunity for earning potential.

Chase Sapphire Preferred - for those times when Amex isn't accepted.

Re: Three cards to rule them all

Gardenhand — Wed, 17 May 2017 15:49:43 GMT

I have five cards in my portfolio.

TD
Discover IT
Amex BCE
Chase Freedom
Citi D.C.

I buy gift cards for gas on eBay. I get 100 dollar gift cards for 92-93 dollars and I use my D.C. for an extra 2 percent unless I have a prepaid Visa Vinallia which I yield four percent. The BCE gets 3 percent at grocery stores but beyond that the D.C. meets or beats the rewards on all other purchases. Now Disco and the Freedom have rotating categories that can include wholesale clubs and groceries. Other times Chase has five percent at drug stores where I will purchase 500 dollar gift cards for a five dollar fee but still yield four percent.

So depending on the rotating categories I mostly find these three cards on the frontline.

Citi D.C.
Discover IT
Chase Freedom

But I usually sneak in gas gift cards and a prepaid Visa Vinallia.

Re: Three cards to rule them all

jamesdwi — Wed, 17 May 2017 15:56:22 GMT

BCP -- 6% groceries, 3% gas

CSR - 3% resturants and travel

Fidelity = everything else at 2%

Cheat #1 sam's club MC, its a membership card ;-) and provides access up to $200 cash ( $100 at checkout, and $100 while picking up a drink a pizza or hot dog at snackbar)

Cheat #2 amazon card.... 2 day prime shipping and 0% apr on moderate to large purchases.

Re: Three cards to rule them all

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2017 15:57:48 GMT

We see lots of these "restricted to small number of cards" type threads. Maybe I should start one on the other extreme: "If you HAVE to have 110 credit cards, what will they be?" I would guess no AF cards would play a big part!

Re: Three cards to rule them all

jamesdwi — Wed, 17 May 2017 16:07:48 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
We see lots of these "restricted to small number of cards" type threads. Maybe I should start one on the other extreme: "If you HAVE to have 110 credit cards, what will they be?" I would guess no AF cards would play a big part!a

Now that would be a much harder question, i can think of maybe 10 cards to add to my current 34 open accounts, which I consider to be too many, especially when I do my semi-monthly budgeting.

Re: Three cards to rule them all

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2017 16:11:36 GMT

Why would closing useless cards hurt your score? Close away, you'll still get up to 10 years of those accounts reporting for aging purposes.

Re: Three cards to rule them all

JSS3 — Wed, 17 May 2017 16:16:56 GMT

1. Citi Double cash -non category 2%
2. Amex Blue Cash Everyday-groceries
3. Chase Aarp-restaurants

Re: Three cards to rule them all

Anonymous — Wed, 17 May 2017 16:17:24 GMT

My call is: USAA Limitless 2.5%, Chase Business Ink and Citi Double Cash 2% (cheat extra: US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards VS).