I've never found AF cards of any value for my needs, other than to churn, especially if the first year fee is waived. Extra benefits not needed. And on pure value given in rewards there are just as good or better options with no AF.
@ElvisCaprice wrote:I've never found AF cards of any value for my needs, other than to churn, especially if the first year fee is waived. Extra benefits not needed. And on pure value given in rewards there are just as good or better options with no AF.
Wow, I really have to disagree with AF never offering superior value to a no AF card, @ElvisCaprice. Sure, it's always YMMV and the specifics are relative to a specific use-case and consumer profile. But the right high AF card in the hands of the right consumer can be FAR more lucrative than any no AF options when used appropriately. I'll just use one example.
My Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant has an exorbitant $650 AF!!! 
Outrageous, right? But what matters is the value-added. After $300 in annual restaurant credits ($25 per month), the effective AF is down to $350. After the 85K Bonvoy point free night, the remainder is completely wiped out. Bonvoy points are worth, on-average, about 8/10 cpp so 85K x 0.008 = $680. I've used my free nights the past two years on rooms that were worth in excess of that value. The card can reimburse TSA Global Entry, worth $100/4 years or $25 per year on-average. The card earns 6x Bonvoy points on Marriott hotel spending, so a value of approximately 4.8%. But one BIG kicker is the complimentary Platinum Elite status that normally requires at least 50 nights stay. That gives a bonus of 50% more Bonvoy points per dollar spent on Marriott stays.*
*Let's break that down. Members (no AF) earn 10 points per stay. Silver status earn 10% more. Gold earns 25% more. Platinum earns 50% more, so 15 points per dollar. For an example, on a $500 hotel stay, I would earn:
- 500 x 4.8% (6 points per dollar) on the credit card = $24
- 500 x 15 for Platinum Status = 7,500 Bonvoy points (at 0.008 = $60 value) The added value over a member is 5 points per dollar, so 500 x 5 = 2,500 * 0.008 = $20.
- The added value for being Platinum and using this card at Marriott gives me a return on spending of 8.8%. ($24+$20=$44/$500). That even discounts the basic member rewards of 10 points per dollar (500 x 10 = 5000 * .008 = $40/$500 = 8.0%.) In total, on my Marriot spending, I earn 16.8%, and 8.8% more than a member with no elite status or Marriot credit card.
Platinum status also delivers a complimentary hot breakfast for the cardholder and guest. That saves me $20 to $25 per stay, and I stay at Marriott hotels multiple times per month. On a week-long vacation trip, DW and I saved $400 on the premium breakfast buffet charges for that trip alone. The card earns AMEX Offers like other AMEX cards. Platinum status also offers complimentary room upgrades. (Value varies but on a beach vacation, I was upgraded to a higher-priced ocean front room on a stay earlier this year.) There is a lot more value-added, but I will stop there for now. But you can see the actual rewards in-practice can far exceed even the 16.8%.
Do I use it on all my purchases? Of course not. I use it where it shines the best, on Marriott spending primarily. But if I wanted some great shopping protections (Extended Warranty enhancement, Price Protection, Return Protection), it's got some value-added outside the hotel. For base earnings at 2 Bonvoy points per dollar, I usually do better with other cards on general spending, but that's not the case at Marriott.
The Brilliant has generous referral bonuses. Since I enjoy the card and am knowledgable about it, I explain it to colleagues and have gotten two 20K point referral bonuses since January 2024, worth $320 in hotel points. 
Hands down, there is not any no-AF card that could have delivered this out-sized value. For others, perhaps not, but AF cards sometimes are well worth the fees.
@Aim_High wrote:
@ElvisCaprice wrote:I've never found AF cards of any value for my needs, other than to churn, especially if the first year fee is waived. Extra benefits not needed. And on pure value given in rewards there are just as good or better options with no AF.
Wow, I really have to disagree with AF never offering superior value to a no AF card, @ElvisCaprice. Sure, it's always YMMV and the specifics are relative to a specific use-case and consumer profile. But the right high AF card in the hands of the right consumer can be FAR more lucrative than any no AF options when used appropriately. I'll just use one example.
My Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant has an exorbitant $650 AF!!!
Do I use it on all my purchases? Of course not. I use it where it shines the best, on Marriott spending primarily. But if I wanted some great shopping protections (Extended Warranty enhancement, Price Protection, Return Protection), it's got some value-added outside the hotel. For base earnings at 2 Bonvoy points per dollar, I usually do better with other cards on general spending, but that's not the case at Marriott.
Since I enjoy the card and am knowledgable about it, I explain it to colleagues and have gotten two 20K point referral bonuses since January 2024, worth $320 in hotel points.
Hands down, there is not any no-AF card that could have delivered this out-sized value. For others, perhaps not, but AF cards sometimes are well worth the fees.
And there's the point, it's definitely a YMMV. I don't stay at hotels, I don't eat at restaurants, you have to spend in order to get value in those specific areas. Thus no value for me in this card and the AF is not worth it.
@GhostCredit wrote:@ElvisCapriceIf you're the person that just wants to live in the US and not travel anywhere, like you're not willing to go to on a plane then yeah. Honestly, I didn't even expect you to have credit cards either, I would think you're more of a cash/debit person. I know many people that are.
Your making false presumptions. The point of AF cards is you need to spend enough in those areas to make them worth the fee offset by reward. If you don't spend in those specific areas, enough, then the AF is not worth it. Often there is other non AF's that would be better value in those cases.
