@Aim_High wrote:Now that the Max Cash Preferred has been out for awhile and we have members who have both the MCP and US Bank Cash Plus, I'd like to solicit feedback on your impressions about which one is better for you, and why you like it better. I just left the garden for a new AMEX card after 15 months app-free and am planning to add a few new cards in the next year. Either the MCP or USB C+ would be serious contenders for the 5% on home utilities. Even though I alerted the community to this card, many of you are more the experts on it after studying up on it and using it.
From what I've read, the Max Cash Preferred has an advantage if you plan not to change your 5% category since it apparently does NOT require quarterly enrollment, correct?
As for getting "Cash" back instead of account credit, I believe either card requires you to have a deposit account with either USB (for C+) or the associated FI (for MCP.) Did I read this correctly?
I also believe MCP has an advantage of points not expiring versus expiring within 36 months on Cash Plus?
And I remember there are slight differences in some categories, although I don't think that would affect me.
Any other significant differences or considerations?
Thanks guys!
I can't compare this card to the Cash + because we don't have one of those, but we do have 3 Max Cash Preferred cards. Two of them are through our primary FI, we redeem the rewards into our checking account. On the First National Bank of Texas card, we redeem it as statement credit.
The app is basic, but functional. We have no complaints with them at all. We've collected $450 worth of SUBs and have six 5% categories, so we're happy with them!
@unsungivy wrote:
@longtimelurker wrote:For MaxCash, I go to the Elan site where I have a different login from my other Elan card (Fidelity). Not sure if there is a way I could have combined the logins (anyone!).
Nope, not possible (at least for now, fingers crossed).
Right after I got my two cards I called them and spent quite a bit of time on the phone with their website CSRs regarding this. I did not tell them that they were from two different FIs initially, to see what would happen. They tried to combine the accounts, etc, and were baffled when the site wouldn't let them. Eventually they asked me if the second card was from the same FI, and I said no, but it's from Elan, and you service both of them... they said ah, that's why.
Basically the different FIs live in different buckets, so you have to log in separately for each.
I made the same call trying to combine both my Elan cards to the same log in, but one thing the CSR did tell me is that it *will* be possible in the future to combine accounts to the same login. She couldn't tell me when, but insisted that it will happen. I'm kinda thinking Elan may finally update their webpage from Commodore 64 to at least Windows 95 when this happens.
@ChargedUp wrote:
@unsungivy wrote:
@longtimelurker wrote:For MaxCash, I go to the Elan site where I have a different login from my other Elan card (Fidelity). Not sure if there is a way I could have combined the logins (anyone!).
Nope, not possible (at least for now, fingers crossed).
Right after I got my two cards I called them and spent quite a bit of time on the phone with their website CSRs regarding this. I did not tell them that they were from two different FIs initially, to see what would happen. They tried to combine the accounts, etc, and were baffled when the site wouldn't let them. Eventually they asked me if the second card was from the same FI, and I said no, but it's from Elan, and you service both of them... they said ah, that's why.
Basically the different FIs live in different buckets, so you have to log in separately for each.
I made the same call trying to combine both my Elan cards to the same log in, but one thing the CSR did tell me is that it *will* be possible in the future to combine accounts to the same login. She couldn't tell me when, but insisted that it will happen. I'm kinda thinking Elan may finally update their webpage from Commodore 64 to at least Windows 95 when this happens.
Good to know... I figured I may try again once both of my FIs complete their pending mergers (not with each other). If both cards are "generic" Elan, wondering if it gets more likely.
Authorized User - 
Sock Drawer'd - 
@Curious_George2 wrote:My MCP card arrived in today's mail, so I did the whole activation/profile setup/enrollment thing. Poeple who have complained about the website are understating how craptastic it is. The whole UI is dreadful!
For example, I tried setting a password for online account access with letters, numbers and special characters. Kept getting a vague error message. Called in. Learned that passwords must contain two of those three elements. Can't use all three. Just two. That's... unique.
I don't regret getting the card, but yikes!
Speaking for myself ... for a long time and now, I do have the three elements for a password. As I recall ... they forced me to use three elements. 
Is Elan strict about inquiries? In a couple months I'll be 0/6 new accounts and inquiries but 5/12 for inquiries. 2 of those credit cards and 1 auto loan. 2 denied credit cards.
@Anonymous wrote:
@Curious_George2 wrote:My MCP card arrived in today's mail, so I did the whole activation/profile setup/enrollment thing. Poeple who have complained about the website are understating how craptastic it is. The whole UI is dreadful!
For example, I tried setting a password for online account access with letters, numbers and special characters. Kept getting a vague error message. Called in. Learned that passwords must contain two of those three elements. Can't use all three. Just two. That's... unique.
I don't regret getting the card, but yikes!
Speaking fo rmyself ... for a long time and now, I do have the three elements for a password. As I recall ... they forced me to use three elements.
Er, I also have all 3? Bizarre.
However, new issue today: went to set up auto-payment, and I couldn't do it for my card that didn't have a balance last month >.< Even after selecting a date, it passes through as "NaN" and errors out. Bleh. Will have to let some stuff hit next month just so I can set up auto-pay. Even then, you can "pick" a date, but the dates are limited to one of the days within a weekish of your due date. I would like to set the pay date for the day after the statement cuts so I can have a 0 balance for when it reports to CRAs. Definitely some extra annoyances with managing these cards!
@longtimelurker wrote:
@unsungivy wrote:
I would like to set the pay date for the day after the statement cuts so I can have a 0 balance for when it reports to CRAs. Definitely some extra annoyances with managing these cards!Don't these report at the end of the month, statement cut date doesn't matter?
Yes, but I've aligned my statement end dates across all my CCs between two dates(ish) (the ones with fixed statement dates on the 10th, and the ones with moving targets dependent on # of days in the month as 24/25). So, I can either pay off the charges as they post, pre statement-close, or I can allow them to post and then pay them off in the handful of days before they report... this allows me to "show" higher usage to Elan (so I can more easily get the card to 25k), but still have AZEO.