cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Best reward card for paying rent...

tag
cgn11963
Established Member

Best reward card for paying rent...

I have the ability to pay my rent each month over the internet by CC. Only accept MC, Visa, and Discover. My rent is almost 3k a month. So I can put some serious spend on the card pretty quickly. 

 

It costs me 1% for each payment. I know I can use my NFCU Flagship and get 2% back and make a little money. 

 

Is there another card that is better? Cash back or rewards points....doesn't really matter.

 

Thanks for your help!

Message 1 of 19
18 REPLIES 18
pinkandgrey
Senior Contributor

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...

Others will contribute more, but 2% is going to be about the best you can do in this case. However, if you were able to get ahold of the Alliant Visa Signature, that gives you 2.5%. It has an AF of $99, but putting 3k through it every month would waaaay more than make up for that. We’re talking like 900 bucks a year. 

Discover It: 21.5k
Amex Cash Magnet: 18k
Fidelity Visa: 13k
Apple Card: 4.25k
Message 2 of 19
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...

All of these options involve an annual fee and/or an asset requirement, but you might investigate...

 

BofA Travel Rewards w/ Platinum Honors

BofA Premium Rewards w/ Platinum Honors

BofA Virgin Atlantic

Chase United Club

Chase Freedom Unlimited paired with an AF Sapphire or Ink card

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 3 of 19
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...

Disco Miles will pay 3% for the first 12 months and then it drops to 1.5% like CFU... CFU is also the same structure right now for the first year.

Message 4 of 19
coldfusion
Community Leader
Mega Contributor

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...


@pinkandgrey wrote:

Others will contribute more, but 2% is going to be about the best you can do in this case. However, if you were able to get ahold of the Alliant Visa Signature, that gives you 2.5%. It has an AF of $99, but putting 3k through it every month would waaaay more than make up for that. We’re talking like 900 bucks a year. 


Remember that per the OP there is a 1% fee associated with a CC payment, but it's not hard to do the math.

 

Using the NFCU Flagship would give a net gain of $311/yr, as the card has a $49 AF.

Using a no-AF 2% card like a Citi DoubleCash would give a net yearly gain of $360.

Using an Alliant Signature would yield a net gain of $621 year 1, $441/yr afterward.  If you recall, the Signature has 3% CB the 1st year.

 

The Alliant Signature is not all that easy a card to get either, Alliant can be squirrely about new accounts and total existing aggregate CL in the portfolio.

 

(3/2024)
FICO 8 (EX) 846 (TU) 850 (EQ) 850
FICO 9 (EX) 850 (TU) 850 (EQ) 850

$1M+ club

Artist formerly known as the_old_curmudgeon who was formerly known as coldfusion
Message 5 of 19
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...


@Anonymous wrote:

Disco Miles will pay 3% for the first 12 months and then it drops to 1.5% like CFU... CFU is also the same structure right now for the first year.


CFU is only like that for the first $20K. 

Message 6 of 19
pinkandgrey
Senior Contributor

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...


@coldfusion wrote:

@pinkandgrey wrote:

Others will contribute more, but 2% is going to be about the best you can do in this case. However, if you were able to get ahold of the Alliant Visa Signature, that gives you 2.5%. It has an AF of $99, but putting 3k through it every month would waaaay more than make up for that. We’re talking like 900 bucks a year. 


Remember that per the OP there is a 1% fee associated with a CC payment, but it's not hard to do the math.

 

Using the NFCU Flagship would give a net gain of $311/yr, as the card has a $49 AF.

Using a no-AF 2% card like a Citi DoubleCash would give a net yearly gain of $360.

Using an Alliant Signature would yield a net gain of $621 year 1, $441/yr afterward.  If you recall, the Signature has 3% CB the 1st year.

 

The Alliant Signature is not all that easy a card to get either, Alliant can be squirrely about new accounts and total existing aggregate CL in the portfolio.

 


The Alliant VS still adds up if you ask me lol (other than being difficult to acquire)

Discover It: 21.5k
Amex Cash Magnet: 18k
Fidelity Visa: 13k
Apple Card: 4.25k
Message 7 of 19
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...

so, OP wold have to find another option for the last 2 months of the cycle like Disco Miles whcih is unlimited for the first 12 months.

 

As long as you're earning 2% or higher you're not wasting money other than the service fee.  It's hard to come up w/ a higher payout on "residential" charges due to the fees.  Sure the BOA thing is an option if you have 100K sitting around and don't want to make a decent APY on that money sitting in a deposit account..  

Message 8 of 19
NRB525
Super Contributor

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...

CFU for the first year up to $20k spend.
Bank the UR points until you get a CSP or CSR. Transfer to travel partners can pay off nicely.

Even after, when earning “only 1.5 UR” those points can add up nicely. I even used my CFU ( and other points cards ) for rent when there was a fee. The reason is, with points cards, you need a lot of those points to redeem for flights or hotel nights. I consider it buying points when I pay a fee for rent, or Federal taxes. Sure it costs, and may only be break even on the value of the points, but having oodles of points is a good thing, and can pay off nicely later.

I am getting about 2.5cpp on a high value Hyatt stay in November, so those points I bought with rent payments are redeeming nicely.
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 9 of 19
cgn11963
Established Member

Re: Best reward card for paying rent...

Thanks all.

 

The BOA is an option. Did a little research and can move the money to Merril Lynch... so can continue to make money on the 100k. TPG has a nice review of the card.

Message 10 of 19
Advertiser Disclosure: The offers that appear on this site are from third party advertisers from whom FICO receives compensation.