Credit card for Groceries

[Aim_High]

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@Anonymous wrote:

@Aim_High thanks for all that great info! I'll definitely look into it. Do you have any opinion on the amex gold card? I've heard good stuff about it but seeing the no AF BCE and the BCP, I don't know if it makes sense.

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The Gold card is great, but for the right profile.  You seemed more of a cash-back person, so I didn't mention it.  Gold (and MR's - Member Rewards) are best used for travel, not for cash.   The Gold card is a high earner for groceries and dining out at 4x MRs each and I like the higher $25K cap on the Gold card for groceries.  The $250 AF also might be a burden if you can't or won't use the credits against the AF for GrubHub and UBER/UBER Eats.   If you travel or want to in the future, Gold might be a worthwhile contender also.  

[Loquat]

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@Loquat wrote:

@Anonymous If you're looking for a good daily driver that covers a lot of categories and aren't biased towards any ecosystem, you can toss a glance at the Citi Premier.  For $95 AF you can get 3x on dining, hotel, airfare, gas, and grocery stores.  Not a bad for a very small AF card that has ties to all of the airline alliances.  

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@Anonymous Your scores and utilization seemed to be in line for approval criteria with Citi.  As others mentioned there are other players but the beauty of the Citi Premier is that you can always cash out at 1cpp.  With Amex there is no good cash out option and the Gold card has a heft AF that doesn't make sense if you're not spending enough to cover the $250.  The others such as Navy and CapOne, while good options there is no opportunity to get out sized value.  They have no transfer partners.  There may be a play with CapOne but you'd have to also pick up a Venture or VentureOne for that to happen and the Venture has an AF.

The Citi Premier again has the 1cpp cash out if you want to use it, a $100 credit if you ever need to book a hotel stay that cost over $500 and you book through the ThankYou portal.  ThankYou points can also transfer to travel partners which is pretty sweet for $95.  You can also paired the Premier with the no AF Double Cash for 2x on all purchases and the Rewards+ that usually have a SUB and gives you 10% back on the first 100k TYPs redeemed each year (capped at 10k points) and the automatic round up to the nearest 10 points on all spend....so a 75 cent pack of gum at the vending machine will net you 10 points.

I have a setup with Chase, Amex, and Citi...each has their strength and weaknesses but Citi by far (in my situation) is just a overall better earner for a lot less than Chase and Amex. 

[Anonymous]

@Aim_High i was more into cashback but lately I've been trying to get into points (that was my main reason for getting the CSP) because I have a couple of trips which I would like to do in the next couple of months, i do use GrubHub almost every week actually, taking that into account, would you think that the gold would be a better fit for me instead of the BCE or BCP? Also do you think my credit profile.would be enough to get the gold? I already check the amex prequalify site and I do have pre-qualification for both the BCE and BCP.

[Anonymous]

@Loquat you make a really good point and if my profile is in line with what citi likes, you're definitely giving a really solid choice, i'll definitely look more into it, i especially like that the AF isnt that high and also that the point value seems to be pretty good.

[Aim_High]

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@Anonymous wrote:

@Aim_High i was more into cashback but lately I've been trying to get into points (that was my main reason for getting the CSP) because I have a couple of trips which I would like to do in the next couple of months, i do use GrubHub almost every week actually, taking that into account, would you think that the gold would be a better fit for me instead of the BCE or BCP? Also do you think my credit profile.would be enough to get the gold? I already check the amex prequalify site and I do have pre-qualification for both the BCE and BCP.

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From everything I've heard, @Anonymous , the AMEX "charge cards" like the GOLD are actually EASIER to be approved for than their core revolver cards like the BCE/BCP!    I think you'd have a pretty good chance of getting approved with what I see in your profile! 

Other members on My Fico suggested that, for most people, with AMEX it's better to decide if you want to pursue Cash Back (or) Member Rewards points instead of diluting your spending between both.  I decided that MRs were better for me.  I dine out a lot, both when traveling for work and when at home since DW and I are empty-nesters with dual income.  Plus the way I look at it is that "everybody eats" and Gold's 4x MRs on both groceries and dining out covers both bases.   And I had shifted in recent years from pure cash-back to a hybrid system of travel points and cash back.

The key questions are:

• Do you travel or want to save MR points for traveling, since MR point redemption for cash back is normally a poor use of them.
• Can you use the credits to help offset the AF?  With two $10 per month potential credits on BOTH dining (for Grubhub, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Cheesesteak Factory, Shake Shack) and UBER/UBER EATS, it's possible to offset $240 of the $250 AF.   That could make the "effective" AF only $10. 
• There's also an annual $100 credit towards the Hotel Collection for charges like in-resort dining and/or spa. That could turn the AF into net-positive territory if that's something you would spend on anyway. 
  
• The Sign-up Bonus right now (up to 75K MR points) really sweetens the deal.
• The Gold card can be a better deal for less-frequent fliers than the $550 AF Platinum card since it still earns an excellent 3x MRs on flights when you do travel.
• The other big question is how much value would you get from BCP's 6% streaming - 3% gas - 3% transit (VERSUS) the 4x MR on restaurants and a higher $25K cap on grocery purchases?

While the BCE/BCP are fine and might be a better fit for some people, I disliked the $6K spending cap on groceries and the lack of credits against the $95 AF.  I also didn't need the enhanced gas-transit-streaming rewards of BCP but I had more use for the dining rewards on the Gold card.   Gold just fit me better. 

While I could qualify for it, I doubt I'll ever get the Platinum charge card.  I just don't need it and it doesn't fit my spending.  The Gold card is a much more practical charge card, IMO, and it's easier to justify as a "keeper card" even in times when you aren't traveling. 

[Anonymous]

@Aim_High i think you just sold me on the gold card, i think it would fit me better, I think i rather get MR points, especially taking into account that I have a couple of trips I'm doing in the next couple of months also the multipliers would fit into what I like more, since the majority of my expenses are in the dining and groceries department. Also I really don't mind using the credits.

I really appreciate your help, thank you!

[W261w261]

I looked around like you, and eventually settled on the Gold card.  I already had the Everyday Preferrred, which was-is good for the 4.5% on groceries (have to use the card 30 times/mo to get a 50% bump in points).  But the Gold has so many things going for it, including a great presence (get the rose gold color), a nice metallic clink, all those sign-up miles, the Uber/restaurant 10/10 per month.  All of it makes the 250/yr cost well worth it, imo.

[Aim_High]

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@Anonymous wrote:

@Aim_High i think you just sold me on the gold card, i think it would fit me better, I think i rather get MR points, especially taking into account that I have a couple of trips I'm doing in the next couple of months also the multipliers would fit into what I like more, since the majority of my expenses are in the dining and groceries department. Also I really don't mind using the credits.

I really appreciate your help, thank you!

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You're very welcome, @Anonymous, and glad I could be helpful! 

I look forward to seeing your AMEX Gold card approval in the forums soon!

Make sure you get the 75K sign-up bonus (best I believe currently offered.) 

*If it's less, clean out your computer cache and try again later.  The offers do change often and getting the best ones sometimes seems hit-or-miss.  

[Loquat]

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@Anonymous wrote:

@Aim_High i think you just sold me on the gold card, i think it would fit me better, I think i rather get MR points, especially taking into account that I have a couple of trips I'm doing in the next couple of months also the multipliers would fit into what I like more, since the majority of my expenses are in the dining and groceries department. Also I really don't mind using the credits.

I really appreciate your help, thank you!

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I don't want to rain on your excitement but wanted to chime in with a little industry insight if you will.  If your plan is to use any transferable currency within the next couple of months it's going to be a hard process.  

Award availability is drying up quickly, when you can find it expect to pay a premium in points, and car rentals are almost nonexistent.  Arrived at ATL over Mother's Day weekend, flight arrived a little after 6p...5 vehicles, yes, only 5 vehicles available at National/Enterprise.  

Had a reservation for a Premium, drove around a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck all weekend.  Leisure travel is tough right now unless you already had something on the books.  

[Anonymous]

@Loquat thanks for the info! I already have somethings booked, so I think I'm okay in that department but I'll keep that in mind when I do apply, I'm probably applying at the middle of august, so I'll see how thing are at that point and make the final decision.