Commence Mastercard on Utilities

[Turbobuick]

There may be a small ray of sunshine in the Sallie Mae replacement. It rewards 2% on all utilities. When you add up the dozen or so providers, this could bring several dollars per month and perhaps a couple hundred per year. Not saying this card in any way replaces SM, but I don't see it as completely worthless for those of us that don't have a 2% everything card. 

My wife still pays all the utilities with a check. I will save about 6 bucks a month on stamps alone.

[Anonymous]

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@Turbobuick wrote:

There may be a small ray of sunshine in the Sallie Mae replacement. It rewards 2% on all utilities. When you add up the dozen or so providers, this could bring several dollars per month and perhaps a couple hundred per year. Not saying this card in any way replaces SM, but I don't see it as completely worthless for those of us that don't have a 2% everything card. 

My wife still pays all the utilities with a check. I will save about 6 bucks a month on stamps alone.

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Hope this works for many people. In my case there is a $3.95 to $4.95 dollar charge per month to pay the natural gas, electric and house payment. Nocharge if I use check or bill pay etc. so any points earned are more than offset by the debit/credit charges. Our city also does not take debit or credit cards so the old days still hang around for some.

[SouthJamaica]

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@Turbobuick wrote:

There may be a small ray of sunshine in the Sallie Mae replacement. It rewards 2% on all utilities. When you add up the dozen or so providers, this could bring several dollars per month and perhaps a couple hundred per year. Not saying this card in any way replaces SM, but I don't see it as completely worthless for those of us that don't have a 2% everything card. 

My wife still pays all the utilities with a check. I will save about 6 bucks a month on stamps alone.

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I used to think that, with my Barclay Rewards Card 2% on utilities. Until I learned that every single utility I was paying charged a service charge for credit card payments which exceeded the cash back.

[Anonymous]

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@Turbobuick wrote:

There may be a small ray of sunshine in the Sallie Mae replacement. It rewards 2% on all utilities. When you add up the dozen or so providers, this could bring several dollars per month and perhaps a couple hundred per year. Not saying this card in any way replaces SM, but I don't see it as completely worthless for those of us that don't have a 2% everything card. 

My wife still pays all the utilities with a check. I will save about 6 bucks a month on stamps alone.

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I mean... 2% on restricted categories isn't anything worthwhile anymore since there are 4 easy options for 2% back on everything just off the top of my head. Penfed, Fidelity, Blispay, and Citi Double Cash.

[newhis]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Turbobuick wrote:

There may be a small ray of sunshine in the Sallie Mae replacement. It rewards 2% on all utilities. When you add up the dozen or so providers, this could bring several dollars per month and perhaps a couple hundred per year. Not saying this card in any way replaces SM, but I don't see it as completely worthless for those of us that don't have a 2% everything card. 

My wife still pays all the utilities with a check. I will save about 6 bucks a month on stamps alone.

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I mean... 2% on restricted categories isn't anything worthwhile anymore since there are 4 easy options for 2% back on everything just off the top of my head. Penfed, Fidelity, Blispay, and Citi Double Cash.

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 +1

I guess only people that don't want a new card, and there is no fee for paying the utilities with credit card, will use this card.

[Kforce]

I am closing my "Commence" Card.

However it does have a few positive attributes.

1. They credit a balance of less than a dollar every month (99c /mo) = (11.88 a year extra $)

2. Provide a "Real" Fico-8 TransUnion Credit Score, (Many people pay money for a "Fico Score")

3. Only $10.00 to redeem cash back.

4. Have a nice web page.

I have had no problems with my SallieMae,

Just find it unnecessary with my current cards.

[deltatee]

Does anyone know if cell phone service counts as a utility on the Commence?  That might make the category a teeny tiny itsy bitsy bit more useful for people who don't have a 2% card.

[Anonymous]

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@deltatee wrote:

Does anyone know if cell phone service counts as a utility on the Commence?  That might make the category a teeny tiny itsy bitsy bit more useful for people who don't have a 2% card.

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Just curious - if someone is a cash-back person rather than a points person, why would they NOT have a 2% card by now? I can't think of a situation where someone would not be able to get the new PenFed card, if not any of the other 3.

[newhis]

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@Kforce wrote:

I am closing my "Commence" Card.

However it does have a few positive attributes.

1. They credit a balance of less than a dollar every month (99c /mo) = (11.88 a year extra $)

2. Provide a "Real" Fico-8 TransUnion Credit Score, (Many people pay money for a "Fico Score")

3. Only $10.00 to redeem cash back.

4. Have a nice web page.

I have had no problems with my SallieMae,

Just find it unnecessary with my current cards.

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5. The best BT offer for us was from Sallie Mae, 0% for 13 months and 1% fee. 

Don't know if Commence will follow this.

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@deltatee wrote:

Does anyone know if cell phone service counts as a utility on the Commence?  That might make the category a teeny tiny itsy bitsy bit more useful for people who don't have a 2% card.

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Just curious - if someone is a cash-back person rather than a points person, why would they NOT have a 2% card by now? I can't think of a situation where someone would not be able to get the new PenFed card, if not any of the other 3.

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I guess some people may want to keep the card open (age, no AF, maybe good limit).

This way you will be able to keep it open without fear of them closing it for no activity.

[Anonymous]

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@newhis wrote:

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@Kforce wrote:

I am closing my "Commence" Card.

However it does have a few positive attributes.

1. They credit a balance of less than a dollar every month (99c /mo) = (11.88 a year extra $)

2. Provide a "Real" Fico-8 TransUnion Credit Score, (Many people pay money for a "Fico Score")

3. Only $10.00 to redeem cash back.

4. Have a nice web page.

I have had no problems with my SallieMae,

Just find it unnecessary with my current cards.

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5. The best BT offer for us was from Sallie Mae, 0% for 13 months and 1% fee. 

Don't know if Commence will follow this.

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@deltatee wrote:

Does anyone know if cell phone service counts as a utility on the Commence?  That might make the category a teeny tiny itsy bitsy bit more useful for people who don't have a 2% card.

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Just curious - if someone is a cash-back person rather than a points person, why would they NOT have a 2% card by now? I can't think of a situation where someone would not be able to get the new PenFed card, if not any of the other 3.

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I guess some people may want to keep the card open (age, no AF, maybe good limit).

This way you will be able to keep it open without fear of them closing it for no activity.

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Thank you. I have been wondering about that for my own situation, as I have no use for the Commence card, and don't really need the Arrival+ anymore either but would like to keep accounts open for AAoA moving forward - even if they are useless, given that I don't have to pay anything to keep them open.