cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Amex Gold Alternative?

tag
CBartowski
Frequent Contributor

Amex Gold Alternative?

Hey folks!

 

So I absolutely love my gold but with all my uber credits (currently 40/mo) I don't always remember to use my Grubhub credit and technically didn't break even in my spreadsheet last year. I don't often use my MR points for travel like I should but wanted to reach out and get folks' thoughts on what a decent alternative might be for the Gold Card in the event I drop it from the rotation.

 

Single no kids so don't spend a ton on groceries but they and food out combined is my biggest category.

 

Thanks all!

CARDS:
AMEX CS Plat | NSL -- Chase Freedom Flex | $19,000
AMEX Gold | NSL -- Citi Double Cash | $10,000
AMEX HH NAF | $1,000 -- Uber Visa | $5,000
CSR | $29,000 -- USAA Plat | $8,000
USAA AMEX | $23,000 -- MB Boundless | $11,900 -- CFU | $3,600 -- PenFed Pathfinder | $10,000 -- MS Plat | NSL

BANKS:
NFCU | USAA | PenFed | Schwab Bank | First Bank | Chase
Message 1 of 20
19 REPLIES 19
Trini88
Established Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?

Maybe Citi Custom Cash for the 5% on restaurants. I know I use my Apple Card like crazy to get my 3% back on Uber eats?



Goal Cards:
Message 2 of 20
DakotaM
Regular Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?

There is the PenFed Platinum Rewards which has 5x on gas and 3x points on restuarants and groceries including most Target and Walmart stores according to their website.  Apparently points aren't quite worth a full cent though, so really it is more like 2.55% back on food, which is kind of disappointing.

 

The Chase Freedom Flex in your signature is 3% on dining and is worth more if you transfer the points to the Chase Sapphire Reserve.  It is hard to beat that combo for dining.  There is the Elan Rewards+/US Bank Altitude Go for 4% on dining, but that's kind of a diminishing returns situation.

 

I would recommend the Citi Custom Cash and use it as a dedicated grocery card for 5% back.  It is limited to $500 in spend per month, but I presume as a single person you probably aren't going over that.



Workers-Credit-UnionWorkers-Credit-Union

Message 3 of 20
TheFIGuy
Established Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?

NFCU More Rewards maybe!?

Message 4 of 20
CBartowski
Frequent Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?


@TheFIGuy wrote:

NFCU More Rewards maybe!?


 

This is a very decent alternative I had not thought of, thank you!

CARDS:
AMEX CS Plat | NSL -- Chase Freedom Flex | $19,000
AMEX Gold | NSL -- Citi Double Cash | $10,000
AMEX HH NAF | $1,000 -- Uber Visa | $5,000
CSR | $29,000 -- USAA Plat | $8,000
USAA AMEX | $23,000 -- MB Boundless | $11,900 -- CFU | $3,600 -- PenFed Pathfinder | $10,000 -- MS Plat | NSL

BANKS:
NFCU | USAA | PenFed | Schwab Bank | First Bank | Chase
Message 5 of 20
NRB525
Super Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?

Well you have the CSR,  which saddles you with a non-reducible significant AF. Close the CSR and you take pressure off the Gold card. 

Your Hilton card gets 5 Hilton points in dining groceries and gas. It's less value points, but no AF. 

The Platinum covers your main travel benefits, the Hilton can boost points for that part of your travels. 

Or continue to keep them all, use the Gold card, and don't lose any sleep over not perfecting the last dollar of AF. 

High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765
Message 6 of 20
KJinNC
Valued Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?

I'd look into the US Bank Altitude Go. That's just dining, so you'd need something else for groceries. I have BCP for groceries. JMO, good luck!



FICO Resilience Index: 64. Cards: 5/24, 2/12, 2/6. Accounts including loans: 8/24, 4/12, 3/6. Card CLs total $213,900, or $240,400 including the AU card. Cards (oldest to newest)

Authorized user / Corporate / Auto loans / Personal loan
Message 7 of 20
SouthJamaica
Mega Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?


@CBartowski wrote:

Hey folks!

 

So I absolutely love my gold but with all my uber credits (currently 40/mo) I don't always remember to use my Grubhub credit and technically didn't break even in my spreadsheet last year. I don't often use my MR points for travel like I should but wanted to reach out and get folks' thoughts on what a decent alternative might be for the Gold Card in the event I drop it from the rotation.

 

Single no kids so don't spend a ton on groceries but they and food out combined is my biggest category.

 

Thanks all!


It depends what you would want from the card.

 

If you want MR points then I guess the Everyday card is basically your alternative.

 

If you want cash back there are tons of cards out there to choose from.

 

If you want travel rewards other than MR points there are tons of cards out there to choose from, too.


Total revolving limits 741200 (620700 reporting) FICO 8: EQ 701 TU 704 EX 685

Message 8 of 20
Aim_High
Super Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?

You've gotten some great advice so far, @CBartowski.  I was thinking the same as @NRB525 when I saw the Chase Sapphire Reserve in your signature.  I have both CSR and Gold and I see them as predatory against one another since they both do well for dining, both have AFs, and collect two different types of travel points, each of which need a larger pool to be meaningful for redemption.   In my case, I'm finding more overall value from CSR and may be closing my Gold card.  I also love my Gold card but it just doesn't seem practical to me. Besides MR point valuation, I've found the monthly "coupon book" credits with UBER-UBER Eats/GrubHub are just things I don't want to have to remember to use.  It's not organic spend for me. 

 

My larger question to you is if ...

 

  • "I don't always remember to use my Grubhub credit and technically didn't break even in my spreadsheet last year"
  • "I don't often use MR points for travel"
  • "groceries ... and food out combined is my biggest category"  (No mention of travel??)

... then are you getting your money's worth and does it make sense to carry not only the AMEX Gold but the Charles Schwab Platinum, plus a Morgan Stanley Platinum, plus a Chase Sapphire Reserve?  Assuming you are paying most if not all the full price of those fees, are you able to effectively use credits to offset those other fees?  (I calculate $2,190 in AFs on those four.)  It doesn't sound like travel is even a large category for you.  I've always advised that the MR AMEX cards including the charge cards are great  ... if you can naturally use the credits (which you aren't on the Gold, at least) and if you travel (which you aren't), and if your redemption on travel can be leveraged to exceed what you'd earn with a no-AF cash back card.  

 

My impression is that you've got too many high-AF cards for your spending and redemption patterns and rethinking the overall strategy might be appropriate to save you some serious money.  One reason I am planning to keep my CSR in lieu of my Gold is that it pays strong rewards on both travel and dining, whereas with AMEX you would need to have the Gold+Platinum or Gold+Green to cover both dining/travel.  Whether you go with MRs or URs, I'm thinking you might be better focusing on one or the other.  

 

If you aren't traveling, though, as @SouthJamaica asked, it might also be time to evaluate a cash-back strategy instead of one focused on MRs or URs. 

 


Business Cards


Length of Credit > 40 years; Total Credit Limits >$850K
Top Lender TCL - Chase 156.4 - BofA 99.7 - AMEX 95.0 - CITI 94.5 - NFCU 80.0
AoOA > 30 years (Jun 1993); AoYA (Aug 2023)
* Hover cursor over cards to see name & CL, or press & hold on mobile app.
Message 9 of 20
CBartowski
Frequent Contributor

Re: Amex Gold Alternative?


@Aim_High wrote:

You've gotten some great advice so far, @CBartowski.  I was thinking the same as @NRB525 when I saw the Chase Sapphire Reserve in your signature.  I have both CSR and Gold and I see them as predatory against one another since they both do well for dining, both have AFs, and collect two different types of travel points, each of which need a larger pool to be meaningful for redemption.   In my case, I'm finding more overall value from CSR and may be closing my Gold card.  I also love my Gold card but it just doesn't seem practical to me. Besides MR point valuation, I've found the monthly "coupon book" credits with UBER-UBER Eats/GrubHub are just things I don't want to have to remember to use.  It's not organic spend for me. 

 

My larger question to you is if ...

 

  • "I don't always remember to use my Grubhub credit and technically didn't break even in my spreadsheet last year"
  • "I don't often use MR points for travel"
  • "groceries ... and food out combined is my biggest category"  (No mention of travel??)

... then are you getting your money's worth and does it make sense to carry not only the AMEX Gold but the Charles Schwab Platinum, plus a Morgan Stanley Platinum, plus a Chase Sapphire Reserve?  Assuming you are paying most if not all the full price of those fees, are you able to effectively use credits to offset those other fees?  (I calculate $2,190 in AFs on those four.)  It doesn't sound like travel is even a large category for you.  I've always advised that the MR AMEX cards including the charge cards are great  ... if you can naturally use the credits (which you aren't on the Gold, at least) and if you travel (which you aren't), and if your redemption on travel can be leveraged to exceed what you'd earn with a no-AF cash back card.  

 

My impression is that you've got too many high-AF cards for your spending and redemption patterns and rethinking the overall strategy might be appropriate to save you some serious money.  One reason I am planning to keep my CSR in lieu of my Gold is that it pays strong rewards on both travel and dining, whereas with AMEX you would need to have the Gold+Platinum or Gold+Green to cover both dining/travel.  Whether you go with MRs or URs, I'm thinking you might be better focusing on one or the other.  

 

If you aren't traveling, though, as @SouthJamaica asked, it might also be time to evaluate a cash-back strategy instead of one focused on MRs or URs. 

 


  @Aim_High you made some great points thank you! Glad to know I'm not alone in this. 

 

I should clarify a few things: you are absolutely right on all the AFs, the CS plat is going away which was replaced by the MS Plat to avoid the AF with their whole deal. 

 

You're also right, I didn't mention travel but I travel constantly, already broke 40+ MB nights this year (minus the 15 from the CC). I really should have clarified that food in general was second to that. 

 

Since I opened the Gold I have been conflicted with the overlap b/w the CSR and Gold and the logical decision just being to focus on one as you mentioned. Once I actually learn to use MR points effectively (always a journey right?) I may be able to get value out of it but I right now I've been sending it to brokerage accounts (great call with recent activity) and I plan to use them on some International trips. 

 

My spreadsheet at EOY last year showed me up around $3k after deducting the AFs with the Gold the only "loser" so maybe dropping it and maybe getting the NAF custom cash or start a relationship with USB as one other FICOer mentioned might not be a bad idea. 

 

Thanks for the thoughtful response!

CARDS:
AMEX CS Plat | NSL -- Chase Freedom Flex | $19,000
AMEX Gold | NSL -- Citi Double Cash | $10,000
AMEX HH NAF | $1,000 -- Uber Visa | $5,000
CSR | $29,000 -- USAA Plat | $8,000
USAA AMEX | $23,000 -- MB Boundless | $11,900 -- CFU | $3,600 -- PenFed Pathfinder | $10,000 -- MS Plat | NSL

BANKS:
NFCU | USAA | PenFed | Schwab Bank | First Bank | Chase
Message 10 of 20
Advertiser Disclosure: The offers that appear on this site are from third party advertisers from whom FICO receives compensation.