Best Portfolio Rewards Return

[Anonymous]

Hey all - After reading the "Bragging Rights" post, it got me thinking, what blend and usage of card from our forum member's portfolios yeild the best returns on a percentage basis in terms of total credit card spend? I'm a HUGE nerd when it comes to this so would love to hear how other members maximize their portfolios Annnnd go!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hey all - After reading the "Bragging Rights" post, it got me thinking, what blend and usage of card from our forum member's portfolios yeild the best returns on a percentage basis in terms of total credit card spend? I'm a HUGE nerd when it comes to this so would love to hear how other members maximize their portfolios Annnnd go!

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Great question!  That would interest me as well.

I think it's also quite awesome that the "Bragging Rights" thread was not only wildly successful(I loved the variety of opinions, vs some monotlithic response like in some threads), but has spawned it's own sequel!(Kind of like Breaking Bad)  

Is this post short enough, people?  

[NRB525]

It depends. 

If if you want to win in the Percentage Return for Spend, then you would only get an AMEX with no AF such as ED or BCE, and one BofA card with no AF. 

Then you would never use the cards except if a specific merchant offer came up, since these merchant offers are routinely 5% to 10% sometimes effectively 25% or even nearly full cash back. 

Your annual spend on the cards would be counted in the low hundreds of dollars, but you would rock in the "percent of CC spend" measure. 

[Anonymous]

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@NRB525 wrote:

It depends. 

If if you want to win in the Percentage Return for Spend, then you would only get an AMEX with no AF such as ED or BCE, and one BofA card with no AF. 

Then you would never use the cards except if a specific merchant offer came up, since these merchant offers are routinely 5% to 10% sometimes effectively 25% or even nearly full cash back. 

Your annual spend on the cards would be counted in the low hundreds of dollars, but you would rock in the "percent of CC spend" measure. 

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Yes, I get that it "all depends", I'm more curious to see how members have maxed out their rewards with their spending profile for every day spend. I'm not necessarily interested in signup bonuses, but AM interested in how the utilize other incentives (such as merchant offers) to maximize their return. I guess I should phrase it as a percentage of total spend (excluding mortgage and installment payments) over all cards. Does this make any sense? LOL 

[wasCB14]

I find rewards from regular spend an afterthought to travel benefits and price/purchase protection.

[longtimelurker]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@NRB525 wrote:

It depends. 

If if you want to win in the Percentage Return for Spend, then you would only get an AMEX with no AF such as ED or BCE, and one BofA card with no AF. 

Then you would never use the cards except if a specific merchant offer came up, since these merchant offers are routinely 5% to 10% sometimes effectively 25% or even nearly full cash back. 

Your annual spend on the cards would be counted in the low hundreds of dollars, but you would rock in the "percent of CC spend" measure. 

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Yes, I get that it "all depends", I'm more curious to see how members have maxed out their rewards with their spending profile for every day spend. I'm not necessarily interested in signup bonuses, but AM interested in how the utilize other incentives (such as merchant offers) to maximize their return. I guess I should phrase it as a percentage of total spend (excluding mortgage and installment payments) over all cards. Does this make any sense? LOL 

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Well. it's more than just "it depends", it can be complex.      Let's take grocery everyday spend.    Common cashback choices here would be BCE/BCP (and less common OBC).   These give a return on the spend of 3, 6 and 5%.    But while I spend a lot on groceries, these days I use discounted gift cards, and use 2% cards to buy those.   This will often get me 10% or more discount, but it won't show that way in the % back figures.

[AverageJoesCredit]

Reward calculations can get too complicated for this average joe and my average spend so i like to
keep it simple for me, if im able to get back something that i otherwise wouldnt have gotten for my spend im happy.

[NRB525]

Well, we shop at Fred Meyer, and the FM Rewards points are straight up 1% back quarterly, for spend at FM.

However, those points also have a Fuel Rewards twin. For every $100 spend, those 100 Fuel Rewards points are worth $0.10 per gallon off up to a 35 gallon fill at FM fuel pumps, up to 1,000 points (or a full $1 off each gallon). Fill two thirsty (nearly empty) vehicles at the same fill, you can get 30 gallons or $30 back on $1k spend. In the summer, FM has double fuel points on grocery Spend, so the ~$30 back is on $500 of Fri-Sun summer shopping at FM. Use a VISA or MC that has some form of grocery category for the groceries (AMEX is a no-go as FM groceries and gas) for a Groceries stack. Select your Gas Rewards CC of choice, for fuel stacking. The FM gas prices are starting at the best prices in my area, to begin with, so there is no catch up on that angle. 

With Starbucks, joining their rewards program gets some return for routing spend through the Starbucks cards. Various credit cards have specific Starbucks cash back offers, and Starbucks codes as Dining on all cards, but rather than use a CC directly at the Starbucks check out, reload your Starbucks card from that CC, get the rewards on the CC, then that spend flow through the SBUX accounts, using a Starbucks card at checkout gets added rewards. 

It it does depend on where you shop, and watching for not only good comparable prices, but easy access to those options, and patience. 

[UpperNwGuy]

The easiest way to ensure high returns is to get three or four no annual fee cash back cards that, in combination, give you 3% on gas, groceries, and restaurants and 2% on all other.  Under this no-fee strategy, travel falls into all other.  You could supplement this baseline portfolio with rotating category cards to get the 5% for gas, groceries, and restaurants in their respective quarters.  If you travel a lot, get a $95 annual fee card that gives you transferable points, and use this for travel and restaurants -- but only get this card if you can earn more than a 2% card with the $95 fee factored into the calculation.

[Anonymous]

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@UpperNwGuy wrote:

The easiest way to ensure high returns is to get three no annual fee cash back cards that give you 3% on gas, groceries, and restaurants and 2% on all other.  Under this no-fee strategy, travel falls into all other.  You could supplement this baseline portfolio with rotating category cards to get the 5% for gas, groceries, and restaurants in their respective quarters.  If you travel a lot, get a $95 annual fee card that gives you transferable points, and use this for travel and restaurants.

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This just made my day, my favorite post of this thread! I like simple things, and you laid out a great plan IMO.  Within 2 days I will have a 4% Citi Costco card for gas, 3% for travel and dining, and the AMEX BCE, for 3% on groceries.  I don't have a 2% everything card yet, but the 1.5% Cap one is gloriously easy to use and not that far off.  Of course I'd like to consider a 2% in my next round, and think I will go for Blispay over DC, being it is hidden and will allow me 0% financing in a pinch(or weak moment), that wont show up on my credit report and lower my score.  As for the 5% rotators, I included both in bk7, so I'm not certain how easy it would be to get back in the door, let alone one of those cards, even though it will be 6 years when I do round 2.   

Folks, this is new to me....I feel like I'm FINALLY allowed back to the big kids table...I'm guessing some of you have had that feeling and remember what it's like.  I feel SO blessed.  Honestly, I'm not sure how much difference it will make, but it feels great to finally have the opportunity!  If anyone wants to comment on my lineup, please do...even if it's critical.  I want to know what to aim for and/or if my lineup will be fairly optimal in 2 days.  I appreciate all of you who have contributed!!  I even want to give thanks to the owners of this board, regardless of their motivations(I have no idea), as theyve provided me a learning center.  I never heard of Blispay in real life, only here!