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Best All Around Free Card

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BlueHusky
Contributor

Best All Around Free Card

What do you guys think is the best card to use as your main card that has no annual fee? Something with bonus categories, good benefits (like warranty extension, insurance, etc), and a good points program (travel preferred).

 

Looking for one with no annual fee.




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Current Score: 783 (Walmart Free FICO, March 20, 2012), 774 (Equifax, BoA Pull, 2/20/13)
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Message 1 of 39
38 REPLIES 38
bs6054
Valued Contributor

Re: Best All Around Free Card

We really need to know: "What do you buy, and what sort of travel do you want"

Message 2 of 39
Dustink
Valued Contributor

Re: Best All Around Free Card

US Bank Cash+ & Travel Flexperks (w/$2k/month spend) & checking package

 

The travel flexperks has no AF if you spend over $24k per year on it. The cash+ has no AF, and the checking package boosts your rewards.

 

I would say with this combination you can earn on average 4% on all spending. 

Too many INQs & low AAoA so I'm off to tend the Garden.     Age:23    


     $17k       $8.5K          Closed          $19k      $6.5k        $24.2k        Closed         $5k       Closed     $8.5k        Closed      @2.49%
Message 3 of 39
SpeedingWheels
Contributor

Re: Best All Around Free Card

It depends on what your needs are really. 

Do you want ultimate travel rewards? 

Do you want big cash back in rotating catagories?

Do you want consistant rewards across the board? 

 

Personally my "Dream cards" right now are BCE and CSP... I'm probably 6 months from looking to app for BCE and a year away from CSP. 

 


Walmart Discover ($5000) - Amazon ($5500) - Cap1 Cash Rewards ($2000) - Meijer ($5000) - Discover More ($1800) - Car Care One ($2100) - Amex Delta Skymiles ($2000) - Citi Thank You Preferred ($2000) - Chase Freedom ($500) - Sam's Club, GE ($1237?)
Message 4 of 39
BlueHusky
Contributor

Re: Best All Around Free Card

I have BCE and I share a CSP account. Are those the best then?




Starting Score: 583 (CreditKarma, 2009)
Current Score: 783 (Walmart Free FICO, March 20, 2012), 774 (Equifax, BoA Pull, 2/20/13)
Goal Score: 800+


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Message 5 of 39
Dustink
Valued Contributor

Re: Best All Around Free Card


@BlueHusky wrote:

I have BCE and I share a CSP account. Are those the best then?


Did you see my post?

 

The Cash+ blows the BCE away, and the Flexperks in my opinion is better than the CSP.

Too many INQs & low AAoA so I'm off to tend the Garden.     Age:23    


     $17k       $8.5K          Closed          $19k      $6.5k        $24.2k        Closed         $5k       Closed     $8.5k        Closed      @2.49%
Message 6 of 39
InaudiblePC
New Member

Re: Best All Around Free Card

For daily spending, the Chase Fredom paired with a checking account. For bigger purchases, plan ahead and use the Visa Cash+ from US Bank. I say plan ahead because you have to declare your cash back categories. For small purchases with the freedom card the 1% + the $0.10 is great, $1 purchase, 11 cents back= 11% cash back. $2 purchase, 12 cents back= 6% cash back. 5$ purchase, 15 cents back 3% cash back. From there it's a bit of a wash. I'm a bit OCD and like to have everything in one place, so I continue to use the Freedom card. You would probably get more out of the US bank card at this point, but I don't use it until around the $150 mark. For me the best place to bank is chase for their simplicity. Their mobile banking is the best I've used, and that far outweighs the few dollar differences of banking with US bank. ( the bonus rewards and so on do add up, but it's really only a few dollars a month.) So for me it's Chase banking, and Chase freedom on everyday purchases, and The Visa Cash+ for bigger purchases. 


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Message 7 of 39
bs6054
Valued Contributor

Re: Best All Around Free Card


@Dustink wrote:

@BlueHusky wrote:

I have BCE and I share a CSP account. Are those the best then?


Did you see my post?

 

The Cash+ blows the BCE away, and the Flexperks in my opinion is better than the CSP.


Well, CSP isn't free.  But re Dustink, surely it depends on what you spend stuff on.  With BCE you can get 3% off the first 6K you buy at supermarkets, whereas Cash Plus is 2%, so if all you bought was groceries, BCE is better.   Cash Plus 5% categories hardly cover everything, so again depending on your spend, there may be better cards.

 

There is an overwhelming (but natural) tendency in these forums to promote *your* favorite card, without regard as to whether that meets the OP's need.

So in that spirit, Penfed Plat Rewards is great: free, 5% off gas, 3% off groceries (including your favorite gift cards), 1% off everything else.  Fails on travel rewards though.

Message 8 of 39
bs6054
Valued Contributor

Re: Best All Around Free Card


@InaudiblePC wrote:

For daily spending, the Chase Fredom paired with a checking account. For bigger purchases, plan ahead and use the Visa Cash+ from US Bank. I say plan ahead because you have to declare your cash back categories. For small purchases with the freedom card the 1% + the $0.10 is great, $1 purchase, 11 cents back= 11% cash back. $2 purchase, 12 cents back= 6% cash back. 5$ purchase, 15 cents back 3% cash back. From there it's a bit of a wash. I'm a bit OCD and like to have everything in one place, so I continue to use the Freedom card. You would probably get more out of the US bank card at this point, but I don't use it until around the $150 mark. For me the best place to bank is chase for their simplicity. Their mobile banking is the best I've used, and that far outweighs the few dollar differences of banking with US bank. ( the bonus rewards and so on do add up, but it's really only a few dollars a month.) So for me it's Chase banking, and Chase freedom on everyday purchases, and The Visa Cash+ for bigger purchases. 


New customers can't get this banking benefit I thought?   And the rates for checking are really bad compared to various internet banks, much more than a few dollars on larger balances.

Message 9 of 39
InaudiblePC
New Member

Re: Best All Around Free Card

You are right, The official offer is stated Here. So new customers will only earn the 1.1% and 1 cent., or 5.5% plus the 1 cent on the bonus categories. I guess I'm glad I have the rewards I have. My real point is that it all depends on what you are looking for. We left chase for US bank, and had better rewards, but it was terribly inconvienent and at the time the online and mobile banking systems were atrocious. We went back to chase for the ease of their  quick pay, and check image deposits. 


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Message 10 of 39
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