AMEX TRIFECTA vs CHASE TRIFECTA

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:


Thing is, you can optimally utilize both systems. 

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Guess it depends what you mean by optimally!  Yes, with enough cards you can maximize the value of any transaction (cash back vs MR vs UR vs TYP depending on how you value the different points).   But without "enough" spend, you run the risk of collecting too few points in any one program to have useful amounts when you need them.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi Uh_oh_Wells,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. 

I was not thinking of the AAoA at all which is a great point you brought up. I should probably chill on the apps spree. I was so focusing on the inquiries alone as being a no no for mortgage considerations that I forgot the big picture. Im so glad you mentioned that. I will take your advice and wait it out till I close. 

For future references, I'll keep the Amex BB in mind. 2X on everything will definitely be a winner. Currently I have no good card for non category spend bu the cash magnet which gets me cash back.

I'm just so eager to get my MR points going tho. Trying to plan a vacation in the cayman islands. I guess I'll have to hold my jets. 

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Many people here are, IMO, a little over-cautious about apping before a mortgage.  I suggest you get your mortgage score values now and see.    If they are high enough, one app is unlikely to reduce them enough to push you into a higher interest rate.   If they are more borderline (for a particular bucket) and there isn't an amazing need to get the card, then yes, wait.

[UpperNwGuy]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:


Thing is, you can optimally utilize both systems. 

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Guess it depends what you mean by optimally!  Yes, with enough cards you can maximize the value of any transaction (cash back vs MR vs UR vs TYP depending on how you value the different points).   But without "enough" spend, you run the risk of collecting too few points in any one program to have useful amounts when you need them.

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Yep, that's a big problem for many folk --- spreading their limited spend across too many credit cards and ending up with low balances in multiple point systems rather than a high balance in a single point system.

[iced]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi all,

So I am trying to build a good base to collect MR points with my spend. I currently carry a GOLD AMEX and that's my only MR card with AMEX. Now I was thinking of getting the Platinum but not sure about the AMEX EVERYDAY since the GOLD was revamped with new bonus categories which kinda makes the EVERYDAY obselete. Would you say that the AMEX PLATINUM and GOLD could be enough for a good combo to build up MR points? Is there another card I should consider with AMEX?

One reason I lean more toward AMEX is because their approval won't trigger an inquiry on my credit profile (basically SP) vs CHASE that will trigger inquires for virtually every card I would apply for. The other factor is I'm currently looking into buying a house in the next 6 months to 1 year and I don't think it's a good idea to get in the process of mortgage prequal with CHASE inquries all over the place.

What do you guys think of the strategy? Go with CHASE anyway or stick with AMEX and save me inquiries that would help through the mortgage application later on?

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The decision to go UR or MR should not be based on whether the bank will do a hard or soft inquiry. That should be the least important factor in deciding which to go with. A hard pull affects you less than a year, whereas the program you're getting into bed with could well be something you invest many years into building. To put it into a mortage-related analogy, picking a program based on avoiding a hard pull is like rolling closing costs into a 30 year mortgage so you can have an extra $5,000 to buy furniture. In both cases, you're taking a long-term hit that's much greater than the short-term gain.

I would instead encourage you to approach this another way. Instead, ask yourself these questions:

- Which program has airline (or hotel) partners you're more likely to use? Points are useless if they're only for airlines you can't or don't fly.

- If you are airline or hotel loyal, which program caters to that airline or hotel? Point accrual is much easier when you're combining sources (flights + card spend + point bonuses from things like dining/shopping portals).

- Which program fits your spending patterns better? Getting a Platinum isn't going to do much for point accrual if you never buy airfare direct or pre-pay hotels through the American Express Travel portal.

I don't mention any cashback options above because, frankly, if you're looking at either program as a way to ultimately just convert points into cashback or statement credits, stop now and just use cashback cards. You're pushing boulders uphill trying to shoehorn a travel program into a cashback model.

[MrDisco99]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:


Thing is, you can optimally utilize both systems. 

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Guess it depends what you mean by optimally!  Yes, with enough cards you can maximize the value of any transaction (cash back vs MR vs UR vs TYP depending on how you value the different points).   But without "enough" spend, you run the risk of collecting too few points in any one program to have useful amounts when you need them.

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Exactly... collecting points from multiple programs really only makes sense if you know for sure you will be transferring all of those points to a single shared airline partner.  For example, if you're going for a FlyingBlue redemption, you can pool points from Amex, Chase, and Citi and really maximize your earning that way.  However, you're limiting yourself to a select few transfer partners (FlyingBlue, Singapore, Virgin, ...?)doing it that way.

If you want your points to be more flexible and be useful for a large variety of possible transfer partners to maximize their value, it makes more sense to put all your spending in one ecosystem so you have one large pool of points to work with.

Really it depends on what kind of planning you do up front, which I always recommend when figuring out how best to earn rewards.

[staticvoidmain]

Personally, Id go for Amex combo, for multitude of reasons, including the SP (assuming you already have an account with them). Been contemplating about this as well. Chase has lost its shine, especially the CSR. I really hate that I cannot get the 100K anymore, or the fact that they are devaluing their own perks (like the lounge guests). Although their $300 travel credit is far better compared to Amex's frustrating credits. Anyway, that and the 5/24 rule they have, makes me want to avoid them.

[iced]

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@staticvoidmain wrote:

Personally, Id go for Amex combo, for multitude of reasons, including the SP (assuming you already have an account with them). Been contemplating about this as well. Chase has lost its shine, especially the CSR. I really hate that I cannot get the 100K anymore, or the fact that they are devaluing their own perks (like the lounge guests). Although their $300 travel credit is far better compared to Amex's frustrating credits. Anyway, that and the 5/24 rule they have, makes me want to avoid them.

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CSR's Priority Pass allows the first 2 guests free per visit, which works for the overwhelming majority of uses. Many lounges allow small children in free with their parents, so this limitation really only applies to people who haul an entourage around with them. American Express Platinum's Priority Pass allows one guest free per visit, so it's actually more restrictive than the CSR.

[Anonymous]

If you actually look at the earning categories for Chase Sapphire/Ink Cash/Freedom/Amex Platinum/Blue Business Plus, you'll see that there's actually very little overlap, youd just use Amex Platinum for air travel and hotels on Amex travel vs Sapphire. Even with the upcoming Prestige, I'm looking at the 5x categories, and even with my CSP and Amex Plat it's not all that detrimental that Prestige and Plat share 5x on some travel expenses, I'll still use the Prestige for dining and the Plat will get me value regardless: I get value from MR even if I don't earn MR from spend since I fly out of an airport with a Centurion lounge and my only other MR card has no fee. As for the 11x on the Sears card, sure it potentially pulls away from Amex Gold (which I don't have) and Chase Freedom, but with the limited point earning potential of Citi otherwise, I still think that with the 10x offers, and fingers crossed I can lock down the $350 annual fee for the Prestige, investment in Citi TY will still be worthwhile even with the Chase and Amex setups *and* I can still get the lion's share of practical points for each and every one of MR/UR/TY system, including all the inherent extra SUBs.

Besides I'm pretty sure MR and UR can both go to the 3 major alliances, I haven't personally tried to pool them yet but CreditShifu did a video on just this. Besides you guys talk about not having enough points in a single system, but have you considered how many points in SUBs you're foregoing? I'm sitting on 190k Chase points. I've only gotten 1 SUB for MR and it was 25k so I don't have much now, but I'm at least gonna nab 60k when I get my next Platinum card (my mom currently has the 100k offer on cardmatch available to her), hopefully 75k, I'm currently looking at a 10k on the Blue Business Plus, and I am loosely planning on opening another Platinum card the next year for another 60k or more Sub. Then there's the gold cards, 50k for business gold, 50k for personal gold...not sure how much of these I'll go for or how I'll structure it in terms of timing etc cuz I don't want to push Amex too hard.

TY's biggest weakness is and as far as I can tell has always been a limiting list of airline transfer partners to begin with so even if I went just Citi I'd have that problem still. But like I said if I get those 11x offers for my Sears MC then I still think investment in this point system will be viable even with involvement in the other two. That said, I'm also still sitting on like 55k TY points, 65k AA miles, 55k Delta miles, 25k Penfed miles, and like $350 in airline gift cards. And all of those came to me from cards for which I did not pay annual fees. For me personally I don't think a lack of points will be an issue for awhile.

But if one is set on committing to one flexible points program then these points may fall on deaf ears.

[wasCB14]

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@iced wrote:

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@staticvoidmain wrote:

Personally, Id go for Amex combo, for multitude of reasons, including the SP (assuming you already have an account with them). Been contemplating about this as well. Chase has lost its shine, especially the CSR. I really hate that I cannot get the 100K anymore, or the fact that they are devaluing their own perks (like the lounge guests). Although their $300 travel credit is far better compared to Amex's frustrating credits. Anyway, that and the 5/24 rule they have, makes me want to avoid them.

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CSR's Priority Pass allows the first 2 guests free per visit, which works for the overwhelming majority of uses. Many lounges allow small children in free with their parents, so this limitation really only applies to people who haul an entourage around with them. American Express Platinum's Priority Pass allows one guest free per visit, so it's actually more restrictive than the CSR.

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Platinum allows two free PP guests. It was a little-publicized part of the $550 AF update.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I'm pretty sure MR and UR can both go to the 3 major alliances, I haven't personally tried to pool them yet but CreditShifu did a video on just this. 

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Yes, but as MrDisco99 says, you can only pool  to specific airlines, so then you are restricted to that airlines partner award chart.  Which may or may not be OK.