I am confused... What doesn't AMEX have? I mean they have everything
Blue Cash Every Day & Blue Cash Every Day Preferred - (Virdict they kinda suck for big spenders...)
Grocery stores 3% and 6% with the Preferred. 6k Cap Sucks and so does the annual fee... that’s why I don’t ever use my BCE it was my first card with AMEX and my Anchor
Here’s where it gets into it though
When it comes to Cash Back, you really have 1 Big one when it comes to personal cards, and it is AMEX BC
This is not Blue Cash Every Day, I am talking about AMEX Blue Cash, the old school card that has random hidden links.
first 6500$ at grocery stores is 1%, .5% everywhere else, then the amazingness kicks in, 5% thereafter until the 50,000$ Threshold at grocery stores.
This card is literally the king... I mean when it comes to cash back, discover and Chase Can't compete. Name me one category they offer other than warehouse stuff (like Sam’s club {basically a way to get walmart gift cards at 5% off}) that you can't simply buy a gift card at a grocery store... using this card year round. The other thing here is why wouldn't you want to buy it at a grocery store over anywhere else as a lot of grocery stores have fuel rewards programs that include gift card purchases...
AMEX is king here. The only advantage chase has when it comes to rewards is the fact that freedom cash back can be converted over to be worth 1.5x+ when redeemed for travel... However, I would much rather get a card targeted at how I am going to travel
EX Hilton to get points for Hilton stays as that seems to be more effective.
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When it comes to Business Cards, there is really only 4 Cards (Soon to be 5 depending on your needs)
AMEX vs Chase
Chase has the INK Cash and the Ink Plus
INK Cash - 5% up to 25,000$ on telecom, cable/internet, and cellular, 5% up to 25,000$ on Office Supply store purchases, and the well-loved MISC UTILITIES 5% Category like PayPal Digital Gifts codes as that everyone loves. NO ANNUAL FEE
INK PLUS - 5% up to 50,000 on telecom, cable/internet, and cellular, 5% up to 50,000$ on Office Supply store purchases, and the well-loved MISC UTILITIES 5% Category like PayPal Digital Gifts codes as that everyone loves. 95$ ANNUAL FEE
INK Business preferred - 3% at a few different categories, no 5% categories... this card sucks for most and is only worth it for the 80,000K points... AMEX already has all these Categories in their business cards moving onto them Not sure about annual fee... This card seems worthless to me when compared to something that earns 5% as above.
AMEX
Simply Cash Business Card
5% off Telecom/Wireless Cellular up to 25,000$ 5% off Office Supplies up to 25,000$ a Year. Then you get to choose your 3% Category that allows up to 25,000$ in spending. Categories for 3% are as follows Airfare, Hotel Rooms, Car Rentals, U.S. Gas Stations, U.S. Restaurants, U.S. Advertising, US Purchases for Shipping (stacks with 5% from OPEN FedEx that follows this) AMEX Open Savings (FedEx, HP, 1800Flowers, Hertz) AMEX Offers (Random savings like 10% off cable bill, 25 off 100 at Staples/Office Max etc. targeting both personal and business spending. I love these especially the Chewy.com and 1800Flowers offers. NO ANNUAL FEE
Simply Cash Plus Business Card
5% off Telecom/Wireless Cellular up to 50,000$ 5% off Office Supplies up to 50,000$ a Year. Then you get to choose your 3% Category that allows up to 50,000$ in spending. Categories for 3% are as follows Airfare, Hotel Rooms, Car Rentals, U.S. Gas Stations, U.S. Restaurants, U.S. Advertising, US Purchases for Shipping (stacks with 5% from OPEN FedEx that follows this) AND U.S. COMPUTER HARDWARE SOFTWARE (Stacks with HP Open Savings) AMEX Open Savings (FedEx, HP, 1800Flowers, Hertz) AMEX Offers (Random savings like 10% off cable bill, 25 off 100 at Staples/Office Max etc. targeting both personal and business spending. I love these especially the Chewy.com and 1800Flowers offers. NO ANNUAL FEE
Really the only way AMEX does NOT compete is in the straight forward travel rewards department, but they are changing the Platinum Business to be more competitive there.
Hidden Travel Benefits
I am more of a cash back person because I can easily find deals on travel if I just wait it out that I will end up purchasing with my AMEX Like 50 off 300 Airfare offer that stacks with the 3% and the other AMEX Airfare offer they did that overlapped that. Or the Hilton offers for 35 off 175 that stacked with the Hilton 5th night free and the AMEX 4th night free. So basically you book a 5-day stay and nights 4 and 5 are free one courtesy of Hilton, one of AMEX, and you get a 35$ discount as well as 3% off if you have the Hotel Category. They also have special AMEX offers on some other brands like Marriot, Hyatt, Ritz, etc. just got to log in online and watch it.
I don't know why everyone I know IRL loves to hate on AMEX so much, they have kicked butt the past few years, but you can't really see it unless you’re a card member so maybe that has something to do with it? I mean 1,500 x 4 = 6,000$ 6,000$ x .05 = 300$... now take 50,000$ x .05 = 2,500$ of course you lose 4% for 6,500$, so 6,500 x .04 = 180$... That still comes out over 2,000$ ahead...That is the equivalent of having 7 Chase Freedoms’ and using them to 100% every quarter plus 2/3 of a chase freedom...
Please Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to hate... I have 2 Freedoms and a Discover it. I burn up the 5% categories on them every quarter when I can... but seriously its only 1,500$ a quarter...or in my case 4,500$ and I don't get to choose what I get to use it towards as where having grocery stores year round gives me just about free reign....
If someone told me you can either lose both your freedoms and your discover it and keep your AMEX BC or Lose your AMEX BC and keep both freedoms and the Discover it, I would say see you later Chase and Discover! Ninja Kung-Fu grip on AMEX BC. It literally saves me Thousands every year...
Sorry thats such a huge post, but I don't understand how AMEX doesn't appeal especially if you say you don't travel...
P.s.
to reply to the OP, I have
5 AMEX - BCE, BC, Premier Rewards Gold, Simply Cash Business, Simply Cash Business Plus
5 Master - 2 Citi (DC & ATT), 1Huntington, 1 5/3Bank Business,
6 Visa - 1 Blispay, 1 Fidelity, 2 Freedoms, Ink Plus, Hyatt
1 Discover
I think it is good to get your feet wet with numerous cards, the game isn't about finding one card and stcking with it, it is about catching em all [Like Pokemon!!!] (You should rank them all based on your spending and aquire them starting with the one that will save you the most money and work your way down the list to the next, then use them to best fit your spending to save as much as you can). If everyone just stuck to one card, there would be no reason for card issuers to compete with each other. So diversify!!!
