topic Re: What is your set up card ? in Credit Cards

What is your set up card ?

juniornj23 — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 18:49:23 GMT

I seen people using one card for one thing and other for another things like discovery for dining out and amex for supermarkets.

So what is your set up card to optimizer your benefits m

Re: What is your set up card ?

K-in-Boston — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 18:59:39 GMT

For me, it changes a lot. I've been spending Marriott points like a madman for the past year and a half, so I always tried to maximize how many I'd earn. For now, my priority is hitting the $75,000 spend requirement on SPG Luxury to keep my Marriott Platinum Elite status through January 2020. However, I will soon be taking a closer look at what I want to earn in 2019.

Right now I use SPG for everything except Chase Freedom for 5% categories, Amex Platinum for 5x on airfare and Amex Offers, and Chase Sapphire Reserve for places that don't take Amex. Exceptions would be Amazon (5% off), Target (5% off), and Kohl's (up to 30% off), or if I'm taking advantage of a 0% APR offer.

Re: What is your set up card ?

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 19:09:37 GMT

Amex PRG for grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants (if they take it) and offers

Citi TYPremier- Travel and restaurants(if they don't take AMEX)

Amazon Prime by Chase- Amazon/Whole Foods

USB Cash+- Utilities

Other non bonus either Citi DC or PRG

@K-in-Boston

Points strategy shifts depending on what I need during the year. Right now I am trying to accrue as many membership rewards to take international trip next year.

Re: What is your set up card ?

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 20:17:11 GMT

I feel like I just settled in to my "strategy" for cashback; if you could call it that.

- Uber Card

4% dining and takeout

3% travel

I put my cell phone bill and Amazon Prime subscription for the card perks

- Citi DC(newest add)

2% everything else

- Discover IT for category of the quarter(5% CB)

- Amazon Store card because I'm a frequent enough shopper and financing larger purchases is nice(also 5% CB)

Re: What is your set up card ?

shoegal — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 07:04:40 GMT

My spending has change a lot since I got my cards last year so I adjusted my setup to this:

-PayPal - 2% on everything, catch-all card, plus 3% when use with business debit

-Amex BBP - 2x on everything

-Barclay Uber - 4% on restaurants/bars + 3% travel

-Amex BCP AU - 6% on groceries + 3% gas/dept. stores

-Discover It - 5% rotating categories

-Amex Plat - 5x on flights

-Amazon Chase AU - 5% Amazon/WholeFoods

Re: What is your set up card ?

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 09:40:17 GMT

Well currently I’m meeting the SUB for the TY premier for 60k points so that’s the only card I’m currently using now. If I’m not meeting a SUB this is my strategy:

Capital One Savor - 4% on Dining/Entertainment and 2% on groceries with No AF

Citi TY Premiere - 3x ty points on Gas and Travel ( I don’t use there transfer partners so this is valued at 1.25 cents a point so technically 3.75% back)

Chase Amazon - 5% (or 3% when I deactivate prime) on Amazon

Discover - 5% on categories

Venture - 10x miles or 10% back on hotels.com purchases

Fidelity Visa - 2% on all other expenses

Only cards I will carry daily after meeting SUB for TY premiere will be Fidelity, Citi TY premiere and Savor. Discover will be carried if I benefit from its current category. I like simplicity.

Re: What is your set up card ?

TheVig — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 11:50:50 GMT

My daily driver cards are as follows. Besides personal spend, I'm lucky to have reimbursable business expenses with my job because I travel a lot.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select 2x gas and dining

Citi AAdvantage MileUp 2x grocery

Citi DC non catagory spend

I book a lot my hotels for work thru the AA website. Typical stay is 5 nights. Been earning 2000 to 8000 AA miles a clip. Nice addition to the credit card spend.

Amex and Delta get action too.

AMEX PRG

AMEX Delta Blue

I have about 25 cards all toghether, but the above see most of the spend.

Re: What is your set up card ?

UpperNwGuy — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 11:51:11 GMT

75% of my annual spending goes on the PenFed Power Cash Rewards card for 2% back on everything. The other 25% is travel and dining, and I put those charges on my Chase Sapphire Reserve for 4.5% back.

I'm still hoping that some lender will issue a decent 3% grocery card. I tried Amex Blue Cash and hated it. I tried NFCU More Rewards and hated it, too. Both cards have set up their redemption process to delay the payout of the rewards and to encourage "breakage."

Re: What is your set up card ?

redpat — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 12:37:53 GMT

Sure spend and choosing a credit card for dining, travel, gas and grocery is only one aspect of getting points. We have been using the other aspects of getting additional points for dollars spent through dining programs, shopping portals, Amex Offers and now Rocketmiles hotel portal.

We have waited to make some purchase at Macy’s because the AA shopping portal changes from 3x to 7x or 10x. So why go to the mall and get 1 - 1.50 points w/ a swipe.

Re: What is your set up card ?

FireMedic1 — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 13:13:53 GMT

Discover-(new card double cash back) 2% everything/dining 10%

Savor-4% entertainment/movies, will go back to dining once Discover ends the quarter

BB&T-3% gas 2% groceries/utilities (BB&T/SunTrust cash back to savings they add 10%)

SunTrust-alternate 2% groceries

Venture-2% rent for miles

QS-1.5% for MyFico Premiere for now. Back after Discover yr is up and 1% kicks in

Discover Chrome-just a charge a month to keep active

Re: What is your set up card ?

TheVig — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 13:14:33 GMT

@redpat wrote:
Sure spend and choosing a credit card for dining, travel, gas and grocery is only one aspect of getting points. We have been using the other aspects of getting additional points for dollars spent through dining programs, shopping portals, Amex Offers and now Rocketmiles hotel portal.

We have waited to make some purchase at Macy’s because the AA shopping portal changes from 3x to 7x or 10x. So why go to the mall and get 1 - 1.50 points w/ a swipe.

Yep. Shopping portals are the way to go. Many times if the DW and I are not sure about something, we will go to the store and look at the item, then go home to purchase thru a portal. For those that work in retail, I guess it sucks to be them. lol.

Re: What is your set up card ?

kerplunk — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 14:57:20 GMT

I'm primarily using my Chase Sapphire Reserve to hit the signup bonus right now, then after that I will proceed as follows:

Wallet

Chase Sapphire Reserve - Restaurants and travel purchases. (4.5% with UR bonus)
Chase Freedom - Only for 5% rotating categories. (7.5% with UR bonus)
Chase Freedom Unlimited - Everything else. (2.25% with UR bonus)

Drawer

Citi DoubleCash - Unfortunately, this has been made redundant by the CFU+UR bonus. (2.00% vs 2.25%). I will keep it incase I ever get rid of my CSR.
Discover it - This too, has more or less been made redudant by the Chase Trifecta.
U.S. Bank Cash+ - Even without the Chase cards, I don't have many good uses for this card. I keep it because it's my oldest account and U.S. Bank gave me my start into the credit world.

Re: What is your set up card ?

K-in-Boston — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 16:53:02 GMT

@kerplunk I love the simplicity of the Chase trifecta + Chase portal redemptions. It may even play a bigger role in my own strategy next year.

Have you considered doing a PC from Double Cash to Dividend? That would give you four 5% category cards, and you could always take the cash back from those to just wipe out 5% of the charges. Certainly there would be some overlap with CSR 3% and Freedom 5% categories, but it's a way to keep them active and save a little in the short-term if you're not going to get better than 5% on travel redemptions.

Re: What is your set up card ?

kerplunk — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 17:02:38 GMT

@K-in-Boston wrote:
@kerplunk I love the simplicity of the Chase trifecta + Chase portal redemptions. It may even play a bigger role in my own strategy next year.

Have you considered doing a PC from Double Cash to Dividend? That would give you four 5% category cards, and you could always take the cash back from those to just wipe out 5% of the charges. Certainly there would be some overlap with CSR 3% and Freedom 5% categories, but it's a way to keep them active and save a little in the short-term if you're not going to get better than 5% on travel redemptions.

EXCELLENT suggestion -- thank you. I had not even thought of that. I didn't know you could PC to that card since it's not open to new applicants. I recently acquired the Double Cash card, so I'll keep your suggestion in mind when I am elligible to PC.

Re: What is your set up card ?

K-in-Boston — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 17:12:01 GMT

No problem. That was originally my plan with Discover it/Cash+/Diamond Preferred to Dividend PC, but those nice days of earning Starpoints and spending Marriott points threw a monkey wrench into the whole thing. Now I feel that a PC to Citi Prestige for 4th night free will actually be an even better deal for me as my travel priorities have changed a bit. Citi is certainly one of (if not THE) best lender for product changes, and historically there have been no issues with doing a PC to a discontinued (but still serviced) product. (Citi Simplicity seems to be the one exception for easy PCs.)

Re: What is your set up card ?

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 23:18:18 GMT

@UpperNwGuy wrote:

I'm still hoping that some lender will issue a decent 3% grocery card. I tried Amex Blue Cash and hated it. I tried NFCU More Rewards and hated it, too. Both cards have set up their redemption process to delay the payout of the rewards and to encourage "breakage."

There are some CUs, such as the Illinois Consumers Credit Union. Their card gives 3% on groceries up to $6K, and gives an automatic statement credit at statement close. I'm sure that there are others.

Re: What is your set up card ?

juniornj23 — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 23:27:21 GMT

Amex has 6% groceries but i need something to eat out and gas

Re: What is your set up card ?

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 03:05:14 GMT

Altitude Reserve 3% (4-1/2% travel redemption) with Samsung Pay on groceries, walmart, Costco, travel and just about all my spend.

Discover cash back Match (10%) restraunts,

Cash+ Visa 5% fast-food and cell phones

Pen fed Power Cash 2% for all others

Re: What is your set up card ?

MrDFinance — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 05:25:50 GMT

<b> Uber Card for 4% Dining & 2% for all Online Purchases & for Phone insurance perk (Brought phone outright and before this card I had no insurance)

Freedom and Discover (Was Discover Secured) for 5% categories

Navy Fed (1.5% for all purchases) and Penfed to build relationships with the credit unions to get large limits to fuels the rest of my setup ( Larger limits on these card will give other lenders confidence to give me higher limits) Plus they are just awesome credit unions for general use...

AMEX PRG (3x back on flights, 2x back on Gas,Dining & Supermarkets) Originally to get foot in the door with amex, Now it has a Pay over time limit of $25,000 which if need be allows me to hold a balance and it doesn't reflect my utilization and hurt my score Plus a decent MR Point earner

QuickSilver (1.5% on all purchases) was a Platinum secured card that was product changed ... Oldest account since rebuild not going anywhere .. Low spend on it

QuickSilver One (1.5% For all Purchases) was the first unsecured credit card I was approved for post my rebuild and it helping my history...Signed up for 50% off Spotify membership for first year ...... Actively trying to product change to a no annual fee card</b>

Re: What is your set up card ?

UpperNwGuy — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 11:25:08 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@UpperNwGuy wrote:

I'm still hoping that some lender will issue a decent 3% grocery card. I tried Amex Blue Cash and hated it. I tried NFCU More Rewards and hated it, too. Both cards have set up their redemption process to delay the payout of the rewards and to encourage "breakage."
There are some CUs, such as the Illinois Consumers Credit Union. Their card gives 3% on groceries up to $6K, and gives an automatic statement credit at statement close. I'm sure that there are others.

Yep, I've seen all those cards. Most of them are not available to me because of their geographic footprint (Bank of the West, Golden 1, Huntington Voice). I can't tell whether or not I am eligible for the Consumers Credit Union, but apart from that issue, I'm also worried that CCU recently changed its 3% grocery card from "cash rebate" to "points." Points can be easily devalued or be restricted in how they can be redeemed.