topic Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out? in Credit Cards

Best Rewards card for Eating out?

Ragelog — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:00:53 GMT

Hey All,

Subject says it mostly. I am planning ahead and feel that currently the biggest gap in my Rewards card line up is for dining out. Ideally something that would cover everything from Fastfood to normal Restaurants.

My current rewards cards are BoA 123, Barclays Rewards & Chase Freedom.

Overall these cover Gas, Utilities and Groceries reasonably well on top of the Rotating categories on the Chase that work well for me most of the time.

I was thinking maybe the Citi Double Rewards card? Are their any others that are better?

Thanks,

Sam

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:06:42 GMT

I like tooting my own horn by saying that I have the old Citi Forward which gave 5x points on dining. I suppose the Thankyou Premier is 3x dining which isn't bad (but it has a steep annual fee of $125). If you're not looking for travel rewards and just want cash back, the Citi Double Cash is definitely a nice pick up.

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

yfan — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:20:06 GMT

The Costco Amex has 2% cashback on restaurants (no limits) and no annual fee (but you do need a Costco membership) - I can confirm this works for both regular restaurants and fast food places. Discover IT had the first quarter of this year 5% for restaurants. Sams Club MC has 3% on restaurants, but I have my reasons for not giving Sams any of my business.

If you have a variety of restaurants you visit or like to change things up, there is another card to consider: most any Bank of America credit or debit card. Through BankAmeriDeals (you have to add each deal to your card prior to use), BofA constantly has 10% or more cashback on restaurants. Right now they have the promo on Chilli's and Applebee's (two of my favorite places) among others. I should mention however that each promotion is only usable once per "add to card".. meaning once you use a restaurant's promo, you cannot use the same restaurant to get the same cashback until it again appears on your "available" deals. If you are willing to tailor your eating out patterns to meet BofA's promos, there is a ton of cashback to have.

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

uswala — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:15:11 GMT

Chase AARP gives you 3% Cashback on purchases at resturants.

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

-NewGuy- — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:16:16 GMT

Also depends if you are looking at cash back, or if travel related cards would work for you.

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

Ragelog — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:22:32 GMT

Likely Cash or some sort Cash Alternative Gift Cards or Statement credit.

@-NewGuy- wrote:
Also depends if you are looking at cash back, or if travel related cards would work for you.

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

-NewGuy- — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:25:09 GMT

As mentioned above, the AARP card is 3% uncapped at restaurants. With the Cash + nerfing, you aren't likely to do much better than that.

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:39:14 GMT

@Ragelog wrote:
Hey All,

Subject says it mostly. I am planning ahead and feel that currently the biggest gap in my Rewards card line up is for dining out. Ideally something that would cover everything from Fastfood to normal Restaurants.

My current rewards cards are BoA 123, Barclays Rewards & Chase Freedom.

Overall these cover Gas, Utilities and Groceries reasonably well on top of the Rotating categories on the Chase that work well for me most of the time.

I was thinking maybe the Citi Double Rewards card? Are their any others that are better?

Thanks,
Sam

Lots of discussion about this in this thread, http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/US-Bank-Cash-Restaurants-category-downgraded-to-2-next-quarter/td-p/3541509

(looking for dining replacements for the Cash Plus)

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

Creditaddict — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 18:29:49 GMT

I love my new AARP Visa!!!

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

juggalo9er — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 18:30:52 GMT

the 12% on places that i already go is pretty nice on upromise

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 18:35:05 GMT

US Bank Cash+

The Cash+ gives you 5% back if you select restaurants as one of your two 5% categories. Fast food is its own separate category.

However...rumor has it that US Bank will once again be nerfing the Cash+, removing the 5% restaurant category starting 1 Jan 2015 and reducing it to the 2% short list.

I am unable to find any independent article confirming this change however.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/US-Bank-Cash-Restaurants-category-downgraded-to-2-next-quarter/td-p/3541509

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 18:45:05 GMT

Love my Citi Forward Visa Signature 10.99% Apr no AF with 5X that includes eating. No brainer for eating out.

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

I_need_720 — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:17:23 GMT

@juggalo9er wrote:
the 12% on places that i already go is pretty nice on upromise

Re: Best Rewards card for Eating out?

SunriseEarth — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 22:31:04 GMT

@Ragelog wrote:
Hey All,

Subject says it mostly. I am planning ahead and feel that currently the biggest gap in my Rewards card line up is for dining out. Ideally something that would cover everything from Fastfood to normal Restaurants.

My current rewards cards are BoA 123, Barclays Rewards & Chase Freedom.

Overall these cover Gas, Utilities and Groceries reasonably well on top of the Rotating categories on the Chase that work well for me most of the time.

I was thinking maybe the Citi Double Rewards card? Are their any others that are better?

Thanks,
Sam

Of my current lineup, I'm currently using Costco TE for dining (2%) and Sony Card as the backup (3X Sony Points for dining). I'm interested in Chase AARP or possibly Sam's Club for 3% CB. If you're in their footprint, Huntington Voice has restaurants as a 3% choice. If US Bank Cash + keeps Fast Food as a 5% category, I might be interested, but the nerfing of restaurants to 2% is blah.