topic Re: What are your top 3 credit cards? in Credit Cards

What are your top 3 credit cards?

SweetSpero — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 11:30:58 GMT

I recently upgraded to the AMEX Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred to learn more on using travel rewards. Both have a few benefits like purchase protection and points for most of my everyday purchases. I also have the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which I learned you can transfer to the Chase Sapphire cards. The rest of my credit cards are for age or ones I'm keeping open until closed.

What are your 3 most used credit cards? What draws you to using them?

Re: Top 3 Credit Cards

ptatohed — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 09:08:00 GMT

If the title had a question mark, it might have been a little more accurate. Something like "What are your top 3 CCs?" When I read it, I thought you were going to tell us what the top 3 cards are!

But I'll play....

If I could only have one card, I'd make it my 4% CB USB Smartly Visa and be done with it. So, she's definitely in the top 3.

Second, as long as she keeps giving lucrative spending offers (just got $100 statement credit offer for $1000 'online' spend today (stackable with several other offers I have going on)), I'll make my newly converted SWY --> ThankYouRewards MC card my 2nd must-have. Also, I 'believe' I am tiered in at the 5% Gas, 3% Grocery and Restaurants TYPs level (too early to know for sure). Until the offers dry up, she's a keeper (and even better than the old gift-card-earning SYW card!!)

Third, it would be a tough call between Chase Prime 5%, Target Circle 5%, or citi Custom Cash 5%, but I think I'd have to go with Chase Prime as we buy a lot of stuff from Amazon. And I often get 6% with no-rush shipping.

Re: Top 3 Credit Cards

MarkintheHV — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 11:29:02 GMT

Mine is simple......my Morgan Stanley AmEx Blue Cash Preferred (they give me credit for my annual fee if I spend more than 15k), and my NFCU Flagship Visa. Those my my main cards, the rest are in the sock drawer. I only have 2 top credit cards that get daily usage.

Re: Top 3 Credit Cards

SweetSpero — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 11:33:51 GMT

@ptatohed wrote:
If the title had a question mark, it might have been a little more accurate. Something like "What are your top 3 CCs?" When I read it, I thought you were going to tell us what the top 3 cards are!

But I'll play....

If I could only have one card, I'd make it my 4% CB USB Smartly Visa and be done with it. So, she's definitely in the top 3.

Second, as long as she keeps giving lucrative spending offers (just got $100 statement credit offer for $1000 'online' spend today (stackable with several other offers I have going on)), I'll make my newly converted SWY --> ThankYouRewards MC card my 2nd must-have. Also, I 'believe' I am tiered in at the 5% Gas, 3% Grocery and Restaurants TYPs level (too early to know for sure). Until the offers dry up, she's a keeper (and even better than the old gift-card-earning SYW card!!)

Third, it would be a tough call between Chase Prime 5%, Target Circle 5%, or citi Custom Cash 5%, but I think I'd have to go with Chase Prime as we buy a lot of stuff from Amazon. And I often get 6% with no-rush shipping.

Updated title for clarity 🙂 It would be hard to say "top 3 cards" and just say what they are as it depends on what the purpose would be for.

I'm not familiar with some of these cards (or maybe it's the acronyms), so I'll have to look into these.

Thank you for sharing!

Re: Top 3 Credit Cards

SweetSpero — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 11:40:27 GMT

@MarkintheHV wrote:
Mine is simple......my Morgan Stanley AmEx Blue Cash Preferred (they give me credit for my annual fee if I spend more than 15k), and my NFCU Flagship Visa. Those my my main cards, the rest are in the sock drawer. I only have 2 top credit cards that get daily usage.

That's interesting.

I didn't know AMEX gave credit for the annual fee with a certain amount of spend. I'm planning on slowly transitioning to 2-3 companies (AMEX, Chase, ?) so I don't have to log into multiple websites in the future. AMEX Blue Cash Preferred was one of the cards I was looking at. I'll have to check my spending for the card categories and see if that credit would apply to me.

Thank you!

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

unsungivy — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 22:45:01 GMT

@SweetSpero wrote:
I recently upgraded to the AMEX Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred to learn more on using travel rewards. Both have a few benefits like purchase protection and points for most of my everyday purchases. I also have the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which I learned you can transfer to the Chase Sapphire cards. The rest of my credit cards are for age or ones I'm keeping open until closed.

What are your 3 most used credit cards? What draws you to using them?

Most used instead of favorite, interesting.

That would be:

The old SYW card - as the 100+ page thread attests to, the stackable offers are insane

The BofA CCR I have set to Online Shopping - 5.25% cashback on the majority of our shopping

The USB Smartly Card, version 1 - 4% catchall picks up most random in-person purchases, plus services online that don't count as "retail shopping"

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

SweetSpero — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 12:53:42 GMT

@unsungivy wrote:
Most used instead of favorite, interesting.

That would be:

The old SYW card - as the 100+ page thread attests to, the stackble offers are insane
The BofA CCR I have set to Online Shopping - 5.25% cashback on the majority of our shopping
The USB Smartly Card, version 1 - 4% catchall picks up most random in-person purchases, plus services online that don't count as "retail shopping"

Yes! We might have our favorites cards, but there's a difference if we don't actually use them.

For the BofA CCR, is that any online shopping? I saw the AMEX Blue Cash Everyday also has online shopping, but only for US purchases. I spend a good amout on purchases overseas (Europe, Canada).

Also, how is the customer service with USB? A lot of people seem to like their cards. I have a Wells Fargo one, but moving away from them due to poor customer service on the rare occasion I need them.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

unsungivy — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 13:25:26 GMT

@SweetSpero wrote:
@unsungivy wrote:
Most used instead of favorite, interesting.

That would be:

The old SYW card - as the 100+ page thread attests to, the stackble offers are insane
The BofA CCR I have set to Online Shopping - 5.25% cashback on the majority of our shopping
The USB Smartly Card, version 1 - 4% catchall picks up most random in-person purchases, plus services online that don't count as "retail shopping"
Yes! We might have our favorites cards, but there's a difference if we don't actually use them.

For the BofA CCR, is that any online shopping? I saw the AMEX Blue Cash Everyday also has online shopping, but only for US purchases. I spend a good amout on purchases overseas (Europe, Canada).

Also, how is the customer service with USB? A lot of people seem to like their cards. I have a Wells Fargo one, but moving away from them due to poor customer service on the rare occasion I need them.

Re: Online Shopping on CCR VS BCE

I have both cards, but due to the relationship with BofA my cards are boosted 75% so I get the 5.25% as opposed to the 3% from AmEx. Largely they're the same in how they handle the categories, but my understanding is that there are some that will count for one and not the other. Also bear in mind that "shopping" doesn't include things like streaming services or monthly SUBs for most things technically... but BofA's category DOES include streaming SPECIFICALLY in the category title (and a few other things). Historically BofA has been the most permissive when it comes to categories of any bank (see what they include under Travel sometime).

Now, the BofA CCR does have a FTF. However, I have recently uncovered a strange loophole there (bear in mind YMMV). Normally, I'd say yes, you can use it overseas and the category counts, but it's a wash due to the FTF.

However, after NOT being charged FTFs on online purchases P2 made at sites where he didn't realize he was buying from Japan and Germany (I got sent the text that foreign purchases happened so this is not supposition), I called BofA to investigate. It turns out that unofficially, BofA exercises the MAY part of "may incur a foreign transaction fee" and if the purchase is processed in USD, they were choosing to not charge the fee.

So, if you make an online purchase in Europe or Canada, and the charge is finalized in USD rather than Canadian dollars or Euros, they will likely not charge a FTF. This is not something that is published anywhere, this is an internal decision made sometime in the last few years so obviously it could change at any time. If you don't have relationship with BofA for the % boost, one of the 3% cards with no FTF would allow you to make the same purchases with a guaranteed lack of fee, but they are hassles in their own ways (and no guarantee that they will last).

For USB, even though it's currently the primary bank we're using, I haven't interacted directly with them a lot. I will tell you they never gave us the SUB we were owed from last year for the checking sign up, and we went back and forth with them for that for 6 months.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

pinkandgrey — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 13:12:38 GMT

Since I've long had only four cards total, I don't know if I could pick a top three lol.

I recently got the Venture X, so now I've been putting all my spend on that.

Before that, though, my main daily drivers were Apple Card and Fidelity.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

Varsity_Lu — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 14:57:50 GMT

If we are talking cards that I physically carry daily I'd have to go with Blue Cash Preferred & Fidelity Visa for starters. Grocery is our largest spend category by far and Fidelity is my best catch all card. Those never leave my wallet. The third could be one of several cards: NFCU More Rewards, Savor, or AAA Travel Advantage. All three of those give me 3% on dining, but I eat out so rarely that it's really irrelevant. AAA seems like it would be a better option since it also gives 5% on gas, but it is a new card to me and I am still evaluating Comenity. So far so good, but time will tell.

Now, if we are talking cards that get used but never leave my drawer, then Max Cash Preferred would be in the conversation. 5% on utilities is a big time earner for me since it is one of our largest spend categories. But I never physically carry that card. It's on auto pilot. Same with BCE and OnePay.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

Saleen099 — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 15:42:57 GMT

@UncleB

@CreditCuriosity

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

CreditCuriosity — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 17:13:18 GMT

I like variety of them like a variety in women so just can't pick 3

Although @Saleen099 you can put me as an AU on your Centiurion card and I could only use one card then

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

Drifter73 — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 17:19:45 GMT

If I only get to mention the top three, most used daily drivers, then its:

- Citi CustomCash 1 = 5% Groceries

- Citi CustomCash 2 = 5% Dining

- Bread Cashback = 2% Everything

Reasoning:

- Groceries and dining = top spend

- Bread = Catch-all for everything else

- CustomCash and Bread allow CB to be direct deposited into a 3rd party HYSA

‐----------

The 4th contender is a combo:

CreditOne x5 Amex + Kroger member card

Reasoning:

- X5 Amex = 5% cb On Gas

- Kroger member card = .30 to .50 off per gal of gas earned from grocery spend

So, 5% cb using citi CustomCash on Groceries at Kroger + Kroger card savings on Groceries + .30 to .50 cents off per gal of gas with Kroger card + 5% Cash back on gas with x5 Amex from creditone.

The above are my most used daily drivers for optimal savings and HYSA stacking.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

Kforce — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 17:46:59 GMT

Like @ptatohed my most used and #1 card is the USB-Smartly 4% cash back.

Average approximately 65 transactions a month and 75% of spend.

Second would be the AOD 3% cash back, only 2 transaction's however,

~20% of monthly spend. ( Exempt category's for Smartly at the 4% level ).

Remaining 5% spend pretty even across three 5% cards.

No travel, so team cash-back.

Like it simple, don't want to juggle dozens of cards.

Can't train my wife or daughters to use the correct card, so they only get one to use.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

1lifeisworthit — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 17:55:34 GMT

I have 8 open cards, but 4 that are used every month...

I don't know how to break down the 4 to 3?

Capital One Savor because my largest expense is food. 3% cashback on groceries and dining. But curiously enough, also 3% at Liquor Barn. Please don't tell on me?

Paypal Cashback (Synchrony Bank), 3% cashback on most of my online purchases because many offer Paypal, and also 3 % cashback when I need an UBER.

USAA Amex, 5% cashback on gasoline. I'm only an AU on that one, because my husband is the veteran involved. Also, I drive a Prius and only buy gasoline once or twice a month... so maybe that's the one I should leave off?

Capital One QuickSilver, 1.5% catch-all. But I don't need a catch-all often, once or twice a month... so maybe I should leave that one off?

I use all 4 every month. Others I have to make an effort to use. Meineke (Synchrony Bank) that gives me 6 months 0% if I need it for my car, but no rewards. Bread Cash-Back. 2% but feels like Monopoly money. Discover that I hate the revolving categories for... and by golly I can't remember the last one. But I know I have one.

Discover, Bread, and probably the last one can be closed without me missing them. I'd rather not lose the Meineke one, but because my car is so wonderful, I have to make a real effort to keep it alive. So who knows?

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

1lifeisworthit — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 18:00:46 GMT

@Kforce wrote:
Can't train my wife or daughters to use the correct card, so they only get one to use.

My husband can't be bothered either. He is quite content with only one card. My Cap One QuickSilver that he's an AU on.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

FicoMike0 — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 19:12:24 GMT

Interesting question. The three I use most are

Amex bcp,

Usb shoppers,

Savior

My catchall, 3% aven, gets a little use.

Chase prime is a wildcard, it gets Amazon purchases, some months it's probably in the top three.

I plan to downgrade the first two when the fee comes due.

Re: Top 3 Credit Cards

MarkintheHV — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 19:30:21 GMT

@SweetSpero wrote:
@MarkintheHV wrote:
Mine is simple......my Morgan Stanley AmEx Blue Cash Preferred (they give me credit for my annual fee if I spend more than 15k), and my NFCU Flagship Visa. Those my my main cards, the rest are in the sock drawer. I only have 2 top credit cards that get daily usage.
That's interesting.

I didn't know AMEX gave credit for the annual fee with a certain amount of spend. I'm planning on slowly transitioning to 2-3 companies (AMEX, Chase, ?) so I don't have to log into multiple websites in the future. AMEX Blue Cash Preferred was one of the cards I was looking at. I'll have to check my spending for the card categories and see if that credit would apply to me.

Thank you!

It's only for the Morgan Stanley blue cash preferred that will give the $100 statement credit for annual fee. Even if you have a dormant etrade account, that is good enough to get the MS card. That is the only difference between the MS BCP and the vanilla BCP.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

AndySoCal — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 22:38:43 GMT

My top 3 cards are Redstone FCU 5% for gas and restraunts 3% for discount stores (Walmart and Target) grocery and club stores etc

Custom cash 5% grocery stores

SDFCU 2% for all other purchases

Yes I know Walmart has their own card but I refuse to deal with Synchrony Bank.

Re: What are your top 3 credit cards?

unsungivy — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 22:50:41 GMT

@Varsity_Lu wrote:
If we are talking cards that I physically carry daily I'd have to go with Blue Cash Preferred & Fidelity Visa for starters. Grocery is our largest spend category by far and Fidelity is my best catch all card. Those never leave my wallet. The third could be one of several cards: NFCU More Rewards, Savor, or AAA Travel Advantage. All three of those give me 3% on dining, but I eat out so rarely that it's really irrelevant. AAA seems like it would be a better option since it also gives 5% on gas, but it is a new card to me and I am still evaluating Comenity. So far so good, but time will tell.

Now, if we are talking cards that get used but never leave my drawer, then Max Cash Preferred would be in the conversation. 5% on utilities is a big time earner for me since it is one of our largest spend categories. But I never physically carry that card. It's on auto pilot. Same with BCE and OnePay.

I am discounting my cards that are on autopay simply because most of them are only 1 or 2 transactions a month, even if the value of the transactions are high. I'm basically counting frequency of "swipes", rather than transaction total value.

But I don't think it has to be a "physically carried" card. I can use my BofA CCR just fine online without ever looking at the physical card, and carrying it around would defeat the purpose of it being for online. 🤪