@atarvuzdar wrote:I currently have both the CSR and an AMEX Platinum in my wallet. I used to be a big fan of the CSR until I got the AMEX Platinum and can't really justify the annual fees on both of those any longer. So I'm thinking to downgrade it to a no-fee card and applying for an AMEX Gold card since the Gold has 4x points on dining (competing with CSR's 3x points on dining). Lots of overlap between CSR and Platinum and I'm thinking the Gold could fill the dining niche that is not available on the Platinum--that would save me a couple hundred in fees every year and I can combine the Gold points with the Platinum (I think?). Or are there better combinations that anyone is aware of?
I'd welcome any thoughts on this!
I'm kind of in the same boat, @atarvuzdar, but headed in a different direction. I acquired the CSR in 2018 and then added the AMEX Gold to experiment with MRs in 2020. The Platinum just didn't make sense for me. The credits are not at all useful and the airport lounge access is not so important. Meanwhile, the Gold had the potential to pay for itself with more useful 4x MR on grocery and dining and more useful credits. In practice, I have found that the credits on the Gold are inconvenient for me, and I'm losing money on the AF. And MRs for me are probably worth less than URs. So for the long-term, I'm headed back to Chase.
Don't get lured in by the 4x versus 3x comparison of points. It depends on how much YOU value each of them. In my case, for redemption in-portal with either AMEX or Chase, an MR was worth 1 cent but a UR was worth 1.5 cents, so my CSR would earn 4.5% on dining compared to 4% on my Gold. YMMV, though, and we have members getting 1.5 cpp to 2 ccp or even higher on MRs. I also appreciate how I'll never get less than 1 ccp on URs in cash, but MRs can be worth 6/10 ccp for cash (unless you also have a Schwab Platinum which would earn 1.1 cpp.) Also, remember to calculate how much of a drag the AF is on your earnings. Platinum + Gold = $695 + $250 = $945 in fees versus the $550 AF on the CSR. Since CSR covers travel and dining, it potentially replaces both AMEX cards with one fee, although your earnings ratios and benefits change. You're just missing the 4x grocery from Gold. It's possible to offset all the AMEX fees with a variety of credits, but are you using them all? Personally, I find the credits too cumbersome and restrictive, and they don't fit my organic spend if I weren't trying to redeem them. In the end, they just cost me money I wouldn't otherwise spend.
These are *my* thoughts for *my* situation, and may not apply to you. It all depends on how you will use the cards, what perks you value most, and how you will redeem points. There are many people who can get much more value from AMEX than Chase. For others, vise-versa. I'd encourage you to run your own numbers before you add another AMEX card or downgrade your CSR and make sure that's the direction you want to go.
@jcooks wrote:My only gripe with Chase is the lack of multipliers on groceries. I was good with the Freedom Flex for this quarter. Maybe I'll just dine out for the rest of the year?
Lol 
I guess that's one way to do it, @jcooks. Dining out is a big category for me between dining for business travel and also often at home with DW since we are dual-income empty-nesters. But we also buy at Costco or at superstores which often don't code as grocery with some cards. For my grocery spend, I have other card options but our grocery spend isn't that high anyway. Have you considered the Citi Custom Cash ($500 per month as a grocery card), the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred (6% on groceries up to $6K for 4.4% effective after the $95 AF), or the Navy FCU More Rewards (3% on groceries, gas, and restaurants - all uncapped with no AF)?
My favorite feature of my Gold card?
The fact Uber still thinks it's a Platinum. 
@Aim_High wrote:
@jcooks wrote:My only gripe with Chase is the lack of multipliers on groceries. I was good with the Freedom Flex for this quarter. Maybe I'll just dine out for the rest of the year?
Lol
I'm all in for points over cashback. I think that's why my Chase cards were put on the backburner due to too many overlaps and have some gaps in my spending on multipliers. Whereas Amex doesn't. I'm still currently using all Chase right now as I transferred 158k points to Hyatt for an all inclusive resort in DR. I literally have 700 points in my Chase account...I'm Chase broke right now.
The Gold or the AMEX Green could be considered.
Gold yes has dining, also many grocery stores ( not all ) at 4 MR points.
The Green gets general travel spend. So it would depend whether your spend leans more to travel ( hotels and rental cars ) vs groceries, either Gold or Green.
And both Gold and Green combine points into your existing MR account with Platinum and ED.
ED is an unfortunate acronym.
That aside ... CSR made sense for me pre-pandemic. Have since downgraded to the CSP. I found (and still find) the Amex math too confusing -- but their BCE makes sense for me for groceries. BCP doesn't (unless Amex waives the fee, as they're doing now) -- just she & I at home - especially when Disco gives 5% for 3 months for free.
Just acquired the Altitude Go for when I max out the Citi Custom Cash for dining.
All manner of options out there.
You can't really compare the 3x vs 4x on dining since they're completely different cards/ecosystems, as @Aim_High pointed out.
Also, not sure which card you were referring to when you mentioned downgrading to a no-AF card, but the Platinum can't be downgraded to anything without an AF. The lowest it would go down to is $95 if you change it to a Green card. CSR *can* be downgraded to a no-AF card I believe (Freedom family).
