Expanding. Which Cards, and Why?

[Anonymous]

I currently have the Chase Amazon Prime Rewards ($1,000 CL), Barclay's Uber ($500 CL), and Citi Double Cash ($3,600 CL). Ironically, the card with the highest CL is the card I use the least, Amazon being my most used card. I'd like to get a CL increase on both the Amazon and Uber cards, but neither (to my knowledge) offer soft pull CLIs. For that reason, I've decided to hold off on requesting them for a bit longer.

I am looking at adding another 1 or 2 cards to my collection, but I'm not sure what to get. As it is, I can get 5% back on Amazon purchases with Prime Rewards, 4% back at restraunts/bars and 3% back on hotels/flights with Uber, and 2% back on everything else with my Double Cash. I try to always leave a balance on my cards, but I pay off the amount due in full, so I'm never charged interest. So APRs are pretty irrelevant to me... According to my Barclays account, my TUF8 was 800 on 9/13, I was going to sign up for FreeCreditReport before posting but I can't access the login or registration page.

I've been looking at other cards and haven't found any obvious choices that offer better rewards than the ones I get with my existing cards, and I don't spend enough annually to jusitfy cards with an annual fee. The most enticing ones I've found are the Discover It Cash Back and Apple Credit Card. One would give me 5% back in rotating categories which may occassionally provide better benefits than my existing cards, while the other could increase my cash back from 2% to 3% if I used Apple Pay. 

I'm not against cards that offer travel or point benefits, but I've never taken the time to determine their value - whereas cash back is pretty straight forward. I don't travel often and don't care to be forced to use points before some silly expiration date though.

Any suggestions/input?

[Remedios]

Could you elaborate why your scores dropped so much compared last year? 

Negatives and high utilization will affect approvals, so before everyone starts making suggestions, it's kinda important to know what happened there 

[Anonymous]

Dropped? They haven't...

[Girlzilla88]

I think Remedios misread your Siggy lol 

[Anonymous]

Yeah I misread too. It's because the older scores are on the bottom instead of the newer ones I think. 

You can get all your F8s from Experian. It's $1 for the trial of CreditWorks Premium, just make sure you cancel it or it's $24.95 a month. 

[Remedios]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Dropped? They haven't...

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I saw it wrong, looked like second set was from 2019. I've been meaning to check my eyes for the past year or longer 

Second Disco is a gamble with SL. Might be good, or it may not. If you would not be heartbroken over it, it's a decent option for cash back.  

Chase, Freedom or Freedom Unlimited if under 5/24. 

Depending on number of new accounts Cash+ can be  a good option for utilities, cell phone and cable/internet providers 

[Anonymous]

If you want to get 3% on all purchases for a year, you could get a Disco IT Miles. That's what I did. 1.5% monthly, 1.5% match after the year is up. 

Cash back is all I am really interested too. The Apple Card only makes sense if you use Apple Pay for everything because that's 2% (only some merchants like Apple, Walgreens, and Uber are 3% with Apple Pay). 

My regular set up is 

Amazon Store Card - 5% back on Amazon

Target REDcard - 5% discount at Target

Discover IT - 5% rotating categories and for BT offers

SavorOne - 3% back for dining, 2% for groceries
BBVA ClearPoints - 3% back on cable and cell bills

NFCU cashRewards - 1.5% on all purchases

I have tried for the US Bank Cash+ card twice this year but got shot down for new accounts and I have the Freedom as a goal card when my BK drops. BCP is on my radar too. 

[SouthJamaica]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I currently have the Chase Amazon Prime Rewards ($1,000 CL), Barclay's Uber ($500 CL), and Citi Double Cash ($3,600 CL). Ironically, the card with the highest CL is the card I use the least, Amazon being my most used card. I'd like to get a CL increase on both the Amazon and Uber cards, but neither (to my knowledge) offer soft pull CLIs. For that reason, I've decided to hold off on requesting them for a bit longer.

I am looking at adding another 1 or 2 cards to my collection, but I'm not sure what to get. As it is, I can get 5% back on Amazon purchases with Prime Rewards, 4% back at restraunts/bars and 3% back on hotels/flights with Uber, and 2% back on everything else with my Double Cash. I try to always leave a balance on my cards, but I pay off the amount due in full, so I'm never charged interest. So APRs are pretty irrelevant to me... According to my Barclays account, my TUF8 was 800 on 9/13, I was going to sign up for FreeCreditReport before posting but I can't access the login or registration page.

I've been looking at other cards and haven't found any obvious choices that offer better rewards than the ones I get with my existing cards, and I don't spend enough annually to jusitfy cards with an annual fee. The most enticing ones I've found are the Discover It Cash Back and Apple Credit Card. One would give me 5% back in rotating categories which may occassionally provide better benefits than my existing cards, while the other could increase my cash back from 2% to 3% if I used Apple Pay. 

I'm not against cards that offer travel or point benefits, but I've never taken the time to determine their value - whereas cash back is pretty straight forward. I don't travel often and don't care to be forced to use points before some silly expiration date though.

Any suggestions/input?

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I don't know why you would need another rewards card. Seems to me you've got things pretty well maximized.

If you want to play the travel game, I would suggest the Citi Premier card and, if you're approved, merging the Thankyou points account for your Double Cash card into the Premier's TYP account.

[Anonymous]

Remedios,

Sorry, I'm still pretty new to this stuff, so I have a few follow-up questions...

1. "Second Disco"? Is that the name of a card or are you under the impression I already have a Discover card?
2. What does the Freedom or Freedom Unlimited have that I'd benefit most from?
3. What do you mean by "if under 5/24"?
4. I'm renting with utils included, phone is on a family plan, so not sure about the Cash+.
5. Does the Cash+ have decent categories? I couldn't find a list or any examples of their categories...

Saeren, I don't spend much yearly, so cards that offer first year or sign-up bonuses wouldn't benefit me very much. Especially when most of my expenditures would fall under amazon, gas, or dining. Speaking of dining, any reason you went with the Savor instead of the Uber card?

I've never used Apple Pay, but I do have an iPhone and Apple Watch; just never took the time to figure it out while checking out. 🤔

[Anonymous]

I went with Savor because I like Capital One and Barclays denied me for the Uber (too many new accounts - I have been on quite the credit spree). 

I wanted the SavorOne anyway because it covers entertainment too. About the only thing I'll be able to do when I can get out of the house is go to Alamo Drafthouse for dinner and a movie and the SavorOne codes as entertainment (movie theaters) there. If I got declined for SavorOne, Marvel was my next app. 

As for your questions. 

1) was referring to a second Discover. We often call Discover Disco. 
2) Freedom is another 5% rotating categories card like Discover IT - they're often complementary.

3) 5/24 means less than 5 new accounts in 24 months. 
4) Cash+ lets you choose from a list of categories, it's just commonly used for utilities and cell. 
5) https://cashplus.usbank.com/merchants