topic Re: What is your everyday card? in Credit Cards

What is your everyday card?

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:32:05 GMT

Right now I m using the Arrival AF version for all my spending that does not fall under any better reward categories. I was thinking about switching to us bank club Carlson in the future.

What do other people use?

Re: What is your everyday card?

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:35:45 GMT

Right now I switch between Discover IT & Chase Freedom. Haven't hit "primetime" yet in order to obtain a travel card. Once I do, I'll be shooting for CSP and will use my Freedom card probably exclusively and transfer points.

Re: What is your everyday card?

JSS3 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:46:11 GMT

My Discover It for Offline and Online purchases.

My Amazon Visa for Amazon exclusively(which is were I mostly shop).

Citi Dividend would be next up for their shopping mall but the other two are used everyday.

Re: What is your everyday card?

DaveSignal — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:48:15 GMT

Barclays no-AF for dining + trains, planes, hotels

BoA for everything else

All of my purchases are international so I save a ton of money with no Foreign Transaction + No Exchange fees. This combo gets me the best point value.

Re: What is your everyday card?

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:55:04 GMT

@JSS3 wrote:
My Discover It for Offline and Online purchases.
My Amazon Visa for Amazon exclusively(which is were I mostly shop).

Citi Dividend would be next up for their shopping mall but the other two are used everyday.

Have you tried the Sallie Mae, better for the first $750 per month on Amazon?

Re: What is your everyday card?

lg8302ch — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:59:07 GMT

Same here. Most of my charges are ouside the US and therefore the AF version of the Arrival is my best choice. Not to depend on a single lender I use my other cards where it makes sense. Just recently found out that Discover's 5% categories worked in Europe. Tested the gas station promo and it got me 5%...kind of a nice and unexpected result and of course no FTF for Discover. I will test other categories next year. Oct to Dec is def a no go as Discover cannot be processed on Diners Club network due to the card number not having the same number digits as Diners.

Re: What is your everyday card?

eddie84 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:59:49 GMT

I mostly rotate them. The ones that get used frequently are usually the newer cards.

Re: What is your everyday card?

mab6311 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 16:13:22 GMT

Do you live outside the US and just use US cards because they are a better value?

Re: What is your everyday card?

JSS3 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 16:15:59 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@JSS3 wrote:
My Discover It for Offline and Online purchases.
My Amazon Visa for Amazon exclusively(which is were I mostly shop).

Citi Dividend would be next up for their shopping mall but the other two are used everyday.
Have you tried the Sallie Mae, better for the first $750 per month on Amazon?

I'll definitely be getting that card in the future for the reason you stated. I'm gardening right now since my AAoA is 4months after my recent apps. Sally Mae is provided by Barclays. They dislike new inquries/accounts.

Re: What is your everyday card?

brother7 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 16:27:19 GMT

My everyday card is the Priceline Rewards VISA because I have the old 2x-points-on-all-purchases reward structure.

Re: What is your everyday card?

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 16:42:54 GMT

I guess if your goal is reward-maximization-per-transaction, and you have enough cards, there shouldn't be an everyday card! Using a default is a sign that you have failed to get the "good" card for that transaction....

Re: What is your everyday card?

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 17:01:21 GMT

I usually use my Barclay Rewards for everyday stuff unless it falls under the categories for my Amex BCE (Groceries, Gas) or Discover IT/Chase Freedom (rotating categories). I like how Barclay makes the rewards point available after it posts and I've already recieved one statement credit after one month. Helps that I get 2x points for utilities (Cable, Cell Phone, Water, Electric) as those are easily 1200 points a month for me.

Re: What is your everyday card?

Blackbeauty212 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 17:32:10 GMT

Usually its my Discover, but for Now its my BCE and QS Siggy trying to meet both Minimum Spends. BCE could replace my Discover, or I may use them both down the road....Don't know yet.

Re: What is your everyday card?

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:05:50 GMT

Could you elaborate on "Minimum Spends"? Does the BCE penalize you for not purchasing enough on it?

Re: What is your everyday card?

Revelate — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:06:32 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I guess if your goal is reward-maximization-per-transaction, and you have enough cards, there shouldn't be an everyday card! Using a default is a sign that you have failed to get the "good" card for that transaction....

Or that you're playing a different game than rewards .

Vis a vis my everyday card being the BCP as I'm ruthlessly chasing 3X CLI's while trying to stay ultra clean for my Hail Mary mortgage next year. I'm almost assuredly stuck in the jumbo space come summer/fall next year, and since everything is going to be playing "let's make a deal" with a couple of loan officers / underwriters to get qualified in that area, I'll happily sacrifice marginal rewards where there isn't a substantial difference.

Ideally my plan was:

Mortgage by end of 2013 (ain't going to happen)

5K tradeline by end of 2013 (did happen, 9K currently on BCP)

I'll take batting .500 when it comes to my annual goals.

TLDR: unless you're gold-plated, there's often more important things than reward maximization.

Re: What is your everyday card?

Jutz — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:10:47 GMT

@Revelate wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I guess if your goal is reward-maximization-per-transaction, and you have enough cards, there shouldn't be an everyday card! Using a default is a sign that you have failed to get the "good" card for that transaction....
Or that you're playing a different game than rewards .

Vis a vis my everyday card being the BCP as I'm ruthlessly chasing 3X CLI's while trying to stay ultra clean for my Hail Mary mortgage next year. I'm almost assuredly stuck in the jumbo space come summer/fall next year, and since everything is going to be playing "let's make a deal" with a couple of loan officers / underwriters to get qualified in that area, I'll happily sacrifice marginal rewards where there isn't a substantial difference.

Ideally my plan was:
Mortgage by end of 2013 (ain't going to happen)
5K tradeline by end of 2013 (did happen, 9K currently on BCP)

I'll take batting .500 when it comes to my annual goals.

TLDR: unless you're gold-plated, there's often more important things than reward maximization.

Confused by your mortgage issues...you should qualify with good rates and low PMI as is...or are you not?

Anyway, on topic, I rotate my Freedom and BCE depending on the purchase, however I eat out pretty often, and I recently got an offer for Citi TY Preferred, so I've been considering that, but haven't done much research. Also, I spend too much at Lowe's so obviously have the Lowe's card for the 5% off.

Re: What is your everyday card?

Blackbeauty212 — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:11:45 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Could you elaborate on "Minimum Spends"? Does the BCE penalize you for not purchasing enough on it?

In order to get the Sign Up Bonuses - Im case both the QS and BCE are 100$ statement credits, you have to meet the minimum spend amount within a certain window period.... The QS only has a Minimum spend of 500$ to get the 100$, BCE has 1K to get the 100$ both are 3 month time periods to do it.

Re: What is your everyday card?

HiLine — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:07:08 GMT

Barclays Arrival. The one card that rules them all

Re: What is your everyday card?

Danizzle — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:27:05 GMT

I'll use my Barclaycard Arrival (AF) for all my purchases that won't get better rewards on another card.

Re: What is your everyday card?

DomoNomo — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:52:44 GMT

Barclaycard Arrival.