No credit card required
Browse credit cards from a variety of issuers to see if there's a better card for you.
So it has come to my attention that Synchrony and PayPal have chosen to drop their standard 2% base amount down to 1.5% starting with the beginning of August on the PayPal MasterCard. This is sadly not enough to drop the product all together but it does make me have a need to backstop the minimum I am willing to earn. I am now looking for a new product that will issue at least 2% back on any swipe(AF would reduce so no AF). Anyone have some ideas? What I already have is in the signature. I am having issues with Citi due to nationality otherwise I would have the Custom Cash MasterCard already. Wells Fargo is on my list of issuers that have burned me(Not me burn them) due to never approving an app with almost 800 FiCO when they were down and then begging the next week to apply again. Lastly I would prefer the card to be able to travel so no FTF is preferred.
This really is a topic that you should research on your own but if you are willing to keep $1000 at 0.25% APY and do a few ACHs each month, the Alliant Visa Sig is 2.5% CB and no FTF.
https://www.alliantcreditunion.org/bank/visa-signature-card
Well said!
I am researching cards on my time. I was hoping someone will know a card I might have missed. Here are a few I am already aware of, even though some do not work for me because I am not likely to get them when applying(*) or are not preferred(+):
Ally Unlimited Cash Back Mastercard (Invite)
*AOD FCU Signature Visa (3%)
Avant 2% MasterCard (Debit Pay?)
+Bellco Blue Diamond Visa
Bread Cashback AmEx
*Citi Double Cash MasterCard (1+1)
Discover It Miles (12mo 3%)
Dover FCU Cash Back MasterCard
+FNBO Evergreen Visa
Ollo Optimum (2.5% Invite)
PenFed FCU Power Cash Rewards Visa
Santander Ultimate Cash Back Mastercard (12mo 3%)
SDFCU Premium Cash Back+ Visa
+Synchrony Premier World Mastercard
+TD Double Up Visa
*Wells Fargo Active Cash Visa
I consider the Alliant CU Signature Visa to be a 1.5% because of the $1000 requirement. I can certainly handle the other terms and plan on considering it in the future but not likely at this time. I do think it is the best of the Flat Base+1 cards that do not need invites.
The Alliant 2.5% vs 2.0%, after subtracting a 5% APR that might be had from interest on $1,100 dollars
will out perform a 2% at $1000/mo spend.
If you have a few hundred spend a month a flat 2% is better, however a few thousand and Alliant becomes
an excellent card.
A card that is not on you list to look at
State Department FCU
https://sdfcu.org/credit-cards
Sadly my savings is at more than 5% and the spend this card is scheduled for is rather low, maybe something like $80 across a quarter if lucky. It will be the things that I cannot get via my 3-5% cards. If a merchant takes Google Pay I have a card that does 5%. Also between PayPal and Online Purchases I get 3% minimum. Only thing left is really some medical and some taxes. I knew I was forgetting something governmental on my list.
@Kforce wrote:The Alliant 2.5% vs 2.0%, after subtracting a 5% APR that might be had from interest on $1,100 dollars
will out perform a 2% at $1000/mo spend.
If you have a few hundred spend a month a flat 2% is better, however a few thousand and Alliant becomes
an excellent card.
A card that is not on you list to look at
State Department FCU
https://sdfcu.org/credit-cards
I have the wells card. No complaints. 2% cb and $200 sub for $500 spend. I'm not a big spender so I go for the subs. Fidelity also has a 2% visa through elan.
Depending on your spend level, the robin hood 3% might be good. There's a $50 af, so you don't break even until $5000 annual spend.
I read a scheme someone came up with to pay the fee. The fee is for rh gold, which also pays the interest on your first $1000 of margin. So, you deposit $2000, qualifying for $1000 margin. Then you buy one of many funds they offer, which are invested in govt securities. You can choose a very stable fund which pays 5%. You then collect 5% on your $2000, plus 5% on their $1000 match. The interest on their money pays you $50.
Here's another, The Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card: Provides 2% cash back with Amex Offers and no foreign transaction fee.
@zerofire wrote:I am researching cards on my time. I was hoping someone will know a card I might have missed. Here are a few I am already aware of, even though some do not work for me because I am not likely to get them when applying(*) or are not preferred(+):
Ally Unlimited Cash Back Mastercard (Invite)
*AOD FCU Signature Visa (3%) This has been closed to new apps and now nerfed
+Bellco Blue Diamond Visa
Bread Cashback AmEx
*Citi Double Cash MasterCard (1+1) Can be boosted to 2.2% by also holding Rewards+ and linking the TYP accounts.
Dover FCU Cash Back MasterCard
+FNBO Evergreen Visa -Biz version is 3% on first $10K spent per year, then 2%
Ollo Optimum (2.5% Invite)
PenFed FCU Power Cash Rewards Visa
Santander Ultimate Cash Back Mastercard (12mo 3%) This one is a bit more stingy with limits and approvals, at least IME. Had lotsa income, but FICO8 730 range IIRC. Approval was 7.5K. They WILL close for inactivity without warning, IME was maybe 9 months no activity.
SDFCU Premium Cash Back+ Visa
+Synchrony Premier World Mastercard No complaints here, except the new fee for paper statement (cuz I'm old school and lazy LOL). Also, it's hard to get it above 10K CL, I've seen it done on here but personally haven't been able to break that wall yet.
+TD Double Up Visa
*Wells Fargo Active Cash Visa Currently hold 2x of these, one was a PC. Easily grows to 20K+, but they will balance chase occasionally. In my case, had a 20K BT on one, as well as several smaller ones with other issuers. Guess they didn't like what they saw as they cut it to 17K.
I consider the Alliant CU Signature Visa to be a 1.5% because of the $1000 requirement. I can certainly handle the other terms and plan on considering it in the future but not likely at this time. I do think it is the best of the Flat Base+1 cards that do not need invites.
@zerofire wrote:Spend this card is scheduled for is rather low, maybe something like $80 across a quarter if lucky.
(($80/3)* 0.005) = 13.33 c
So we are talking a new card for 13c a month.