OP, since you already have the CSP, I’d recommend applying for the CFU if you can find a website (such as Credit Karma) with the SUB for double cash back on first $20k during first year AND 0% on purchases during first 15 months. That’s equates to 30k bonus UR points, which you can redeem at 1.25x via Chase Travel.
@randomguy1 wrote:Chase Freedom's Q4's categories might work depending on where you shop.
5% back Chase pay
Department stores
PayPal
Discover 5% plus they match their first year
Amazon
Target
Walmart.com
otherwise there's a plethora of 2% cash back cards and Alliant has a 2.5% signature card.
I just recently app'd for Freedom in branch and got the 0%/15 months and a $200 SUB for $500 spend. If you have an Android phone, you can link Chase Pay through Samsung Pay and use it at most chain retailers from Home Depot to Safeway to Wal-Mart to Macy's. There's a lot of places that you can use PayPal when shopping for home furnishings online as well so maxing out the Freedom's 5% category should be quite easy. Also Check your Chase Offers for discounts that might benefit your spend.
You can transfer the earned UR points to your CSP for 1.25% appreciation in UR point value through the Chase travel portal. (You could always upgrade to CSR before you plan to use your UR points and get 1.5% appreciation.)
You could also sign into your Amex account and see what kind of SUB is being offered on Amex Everyday. This will build MR points along with your Gold Card and being that you already have an Amex card, it would be a soft pull approval, saving you a HP. Check Amex offers on your account as they can list home furnishing stores like Williams Sonoma, Macys, etc. now and then with decent discounts.
Being that you're already in the UR and MR (Amex Gold) eco-systems, I'd keep the spend between these two reward systems as to not dilute your rewards across too many different networks. Those points can be more valuable than straight cash back if used correctly.
@Anonymous wrote: " ... soon to be in the market for a nice 0% intro apr cc. Closing on my first house in december and plan to buy all the furniture on this new cc. separately I have a destination family wedding upcoming soon. I'd like to combine the two somehow. Meaning the points/dollars I get back from the furniture buy I use towards the trip. maybe I haven't thought through this correctly. Let me know if so"
Depending on how I read this and what your intentions are, I think you may be mixing apples with oranges. It's hard to get something that will fill both needs well with a single card. It depends on how much furniture you are buying and how quickly you can afford to pay it off or if you have savings to do so. Most cards will give you 0% or a very good cash/points SUB but not both. For something like furniture, depending on budget, you may need longer terms than the 0% offers allow to pay it off comfortably. An average-sized houseful of even modest furniture can easily get into five figures of debt.
These were the closest things I saw that might fit BOTH your needs, but they are both compromises with on both the length of financing and the SUB/cashback, so not much of either IMO for the purposes you state:
@ChargedUp wrote: "I just recently app'd for Freedom in branch and got the 0%/15 months and a $200 SUB for $500 spend."
@BearsCubsOtters wrote: BofA Cash Rewards: 0% Introductory APR for 15 months; choose the 3% cash back on Home Improvement/Furnishings and earn the $200 sign up bonus. (caveat, the 3% is only up to $2,500 in spend PER QUARTER.)
I saw several mentions of cash back cards already. Cash back is a secondary consideration if you need 0% APR. Unless you can afford to pay off the balances quickly or transfer them to another 0% option, cashback cards are a poor choice for a large major purchase. The APRs are terrible and will wipe out any cash back rewards, even for a large purchase. If you have big money in savings and just want the cash back with PIF immediately, that's one way to do it. But not if you plan to pay-over-time.
Unless you're able to pay it off early, the best financing deals with furniture are usually directly with major furniture stores. Many of them offer 24, 36, even 48 months with 0% interest which is helpful if you're buying a lot of furniture, especially nicer quality stuff. But they won't give you the cash back you want for your trip on top of that. Major holidays are always good times to find special sales at furniture stores.
If 12 months or so fits your purposes, this was a reasonable option for the 0% financing portion without having to add a new card:
@Anonymous wrote: "The easiest option for 0% is hit Disco up on chat and ask them for a 0% period of 12 months and they'll hand you the keys to start the spending engine."
All that said about the furniture, I think I would treat the travel rewards goal separately and apply for second card/SUB that meets your needs. So if the furniture issue is taken care of, you could consider a SUB for a hotel card or another major travel card that fits your needs without trying to mix the two.
If you want a hotel credit card, I suggest you look hard at Chase as long as you're under 5/24. You are already "in" with them with CSP and Amazon. After Marriott did their recent merger with SPG, they are now larger than Hilton and offer many good properties. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless has 100K SUB (worth $800) and the $95 AF gets you a free night annually as well as automatic Silver Elite status. Hyatt is a smaller chain but their points are worth more. The World of Hyatt Bonus at 50K total is worth $850 and also gives you a free night annually with the $95 AF. The IHG Rewards card has an $89 AF with an 80K SUB worth $400. Those are all good options.
