Amex Blue or Everything Else?

[Anonymous]

Hi All, I'm new. This is my first posting. I've got a question. I've got several of the best cash rewards cards and I use them for pretty much everything I can. At then end of the year, I have Christmas paid for. Also, I pay off the balances on all each month. For instance PenFed's best for gas - 5%, other cards with 5% rotating categories, 3% for other things, etc. Generally, do you think it's best to keep this up or go for the Amex Blue (which I don't currently have). In case any don't know, after $6500.00, you get 5% on gas, groceries, and drugstores and 1.25% on everything else. I know about the Amex Blue calculator, but I want some live feedback. Thanks PS How do you change the avatar? I click on a different category, other than "aliens" and nothing happens.

[trumpet-205]

From what I've heard, AMEX Blue and Clear is really just a plain 1% return card. Nothing special about them.

Blue Cash requires you to spend 6.5K annually before you have 5% cashback, annual average cashback you get is about 2~3%.

Blue Sky gives 1.33% return, but only if you travel a lot. I say keep doing what you are doing right now.

[shiftomnimega]

i believe that you are a reward maximizer, then you will need to have multiple cards.  Keep in mind that once you reach the $6500 threshold with blue cash you should still put gas on your penfed card anyway since you realize the cashback each month as opposed to at the end of your anniversary like with blue cash.

I use Blue Cash as my everything card and quickly reached the $6500 tier using creative means. 

I believe one of my credit reports dinged me since I have so many accounts that recorded balances.  I always PIF so I could probably eliminate this by putting in the payment before the day before the statement posts.

[JagerBombs89]

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@shiftomnimega wrote:

i believe that you are a reward maximizer, then you will need to have multiple cards.  Keep in mind that once you reach the $6500 threshold with blue cash you should still put gas on your penfed card anyway since you realize the cashback each month as opposed to at the end of your anniversary like with blue cash.

I use Blue Cash as my everything card and quickly reached the $6500 tier using creative means. 

I believe one of my credit reports dinged me since I have so many accounts that recorded balances.  I always PIF so I could probably eliminate this by putting in the payment before the day before the statement posts.

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They will be getting rid of the yearly credit.  It was suppose to take effect last month but got delayed... Here is the message I get on my Blue Cash when I am logged in:

We recently notified you that beginning December 17, 2010, certain changes will be made to your rewards program. Those changes will be delayed until March 15, 2011. As a reminder the changes include:

- You can redeem rewards upon request whenever you've earned 25 reward dollars or more
- You will no longer receive an automatic statement credit once per year
- If your account is inactive for 18 consecutive months, your rewards will be forfeited

[Anonymous]

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@shiftomnimega wrote:

I use Blue Cash as my everything card and quickly reached the $6500 tier using creative means. 

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Great link! Haha! What did you do with the $1 coins? Introduce them to circulation or return them to the bank? I don't think I want to carry hundreds of $1 coins around just to get more rewards. Returning them to the bank, as the link reads, does not comply with the U.S. mint's program.

[trumpet-205]

It'll be weird to deposit those coins into the bank. Although that is the fastest way to reach threshold.

If you have 20K deposits, consider open a US Bank Flexperk CC first. Once approved, open a Platinum bank package to link your CC together. You'll get 1.5% cashback on everything.

Or you can open a Gold package and enjoy 1.25% cashback.

[shiftomnimega]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@shiftomnimega wrote:

I use Blue Cash as my everything card and quickly reached the $6500 tier using creative means. 

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Great link! Haha! What did you do with the $1 coins? Introduce them to circulation or return them to the bank? I don't think I want to carry hundreds of $1 coins around just to get more rewards. Returning them to the bank, as the link reads, does not comply with the U.S. mint's program.

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As funny as it looks sometimes I just take it to the casino and give it to a cashier so I can play the tables.  It is like a fee free cash advance (as long as you PIF).  I usually save a box of them to give as tips, use at toll booths, or some places that just don't accept credit.

The mint's plan is somewhat flawed because no matter where you spend these coins it will be up to the cashier to make change with it in order to actually get these circulated.  Every business I actually talked to says that they just deposit them in the bank themselves or cashiers will go in there and buy them.  

I am hoping that one of these days I will have brought so many of these coins to the casino that they start using them instead of white cheques.

[Anonymous]

Good to see that you have actual use for these coins. I just don't have any use. And I don't think I want to take them back to the bank as this is not in agreement with what the mint wants. Aside from that, I really like $1 coins.

[Anonymous]

I made a decision.  I'm doing a combination.  The Blue Cash AMEX is on it's way.  I will use it on everything I can for the first 6500.00.  After that, I will use it for all general purchases that I can't get a higher percentage on with other cards, (for example, I'll still use my Amazon Card at Amazon, which will give me three percent on purchases there.)  Also, I will continue to use my cards with rotating categories (after the Blue Cash 6500.00) in order to maximize my percentages (five percent in those areas).  But, in all areas that I can't get higher percentages, I'll be getting the 1.25 percent rather than the standard 1 percent.  We'll see what happens. 

[smc733]

Why not max out the benefits on all the other cards from the get go and forego the Amex?