Help with which cards to use when!

[Anonymous]

Hello!

I have been a member here for a couple of years and have taken my scores up about 100 points following a lot of you alls tips!

I have been recently been able to obtain cards with (what I deem) pretty good rewards for where I am at in my credit journey (super excited about gettin in the door with AMEX and Citi). At the start of my journey I was taking what I could get, I have closed a few other subprime lenders and am looking to refine my current line up.

I am going to list the cards I have an what I use them for and would love your opinions on what to use when/where (so I can obtain max rewards) and which cards to close (also interested in how that would effect my score). I have tried to list in the order I received them. 

THANKS!

Credit 1-$600 AF-No balance

Merrick Bank $1400-No Balance

Discover IT $1000-$150 Balance

Cap1 QS1-$850-No Balance

Cap S-$1100-No Balance

Paypal MC-$2000 (currently use for Paypal purchases only)-$900 Balance

Venmo-$1300 (use for random larger purchases)-$300 Balance

Apple Card-$6500-$2500 Balance (current daily driver)

Amex Delta Gold-$1000-(for travel, book flights)

Citi Custom Cash-$1700-(have no received yet, but thinking for all eating out)

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hello!

I have been a member here for a couple of years and have taken my scores up about 100 points following a lot of you alls tips!

I have been recently been able to obtain cards with (what I deem) pretty good rewards for where I am at in my credit journey (super excited about gettin in the door with AMEX and Citi). At the start of my journey I was taking what I could get, I have closed a few other subprime lenders and am looking to refine my current line up.

I am going to list the cards I have an what I use them for and would love your opinions on what to use when/where (so I can obtain max rewards) and which cards to close (also interested in how that would effect my score). I have tried to list in the order I received them. 

THANKS!

Credit 1-$600 AF-No balance

Merrick Bank $1400-No Balance

Discover IT $1000-$150 Balance

Cap1 QS1-$850-No Balance

Cap S-$1100-No Balance

Paypal MC-$2000 (currently use for Paypal purchases only)-$900 Balance

Venmo-$1300 (use for random larger purchases)-$300 Balance

Apple Card-$6500-$2500 Balance (current daily driver)

Amex Delta Gold-$1000-(for travel, book flights)

Citi Custom Cash-$1700-(have no received yet, but thinking for all eating out)

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First you really need to clean house

You should close the Credit One card. It is no longer helping you based on your other cards

The Apple should never have a balance report over $1820 or it will hurt your scores. 28.9% should be the most  you ever owe on it.

The Paypal card should not go over $560 for the same reason as the Apple card Citi, Paypal, AX if you have the Capial One QS card.

The Merrick card has no rewards. At this point to use a card with no rewards should only be in an emergence so you do not over extend yourself on your better cards.

Thanks

Mark

Then once is all said and done out of the cards you do have, which by the way are some excellent cards.

I would use the Apple card

[ptatohed]

It's very easy for me.  I don't care about "points", I care about cash back.  My rule is I aim for 5% and then fall back to my everyday card when I can't get 5%.  On its way to me is my new AOD FCU 3% card which will replace my citi DC 2% card.  I have three rotating 5% cards - freedom, D-it, and nusenda.  I have a cheat sheet in my wallet (and I make one for my wife for hers) with the 5% categories listed for that quarter.  If it doesn't fit a 5% category, the every day 2-3% card it is.  

I do have Red Card, Chase amazon, and Lowe's for 5% as well.  

A little sticky note inide your wallet is all you need.    

[Hoben02]

I use the CardPointers app to guide me in maximizing rewards

[staticvoidmain]

Based on your portfolio:

Custom Cash, I will only use for my top spend category.

I will follow this with Venmo, for my 2nd top spend.

I will use PayPal for everything else.

Apple card will actually be my fallback (e.g. high utilization on other cards), because of the extra steps.

I will also use it for its 3% eligible categories, provided it is not my top two spend.

QS will be my last card, before using any other cards.

The Amex Delta Gold, well, it really depends on how you value SkyMiles.

(For me for example, I value it currently**, so I use my Delta card on higher point/miles categories. I pick it randomly and do not think much about when to use it. I would either use it or use a cashback card*** with the highest cashback in the given category.).

**When I say I value it currently, I mean, I am trying to get more miles so I use it, which in turn reduces my spend on my other cards, specially point-based card. In my case, my Marriott card (since I already have tons of points in it).

***For example, when ordering food, I would either use the Delta Card's 2x miles or my Costco card's 3x cashback. There is no rule. I pick whichever I feel like using.

[FormerCollegeDJ]

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@ptatohed wrote:

It's very easy for me.  I don't care about "points", I care about cash back.  My rule is I aim for 5% and then fall back to my everyday card when I can't get 5%.  On its way to me is my new AOD FCU 3% card which will replace my citi DC 2% card.  I have three rotating 5% cards - freedom, D-it, and nusenda.  I have a cheat sheet in my wallet (and I make one for my wife for hers) with the 5% categories listed for that quarter.  If it doesn't fit a 5% category, the every day 2-3% card it is.  

I do have Red Card, Chase amazon, and Lowe's for 5% as well.  

A little sticky note inide your wallet is all you need.    

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I put together a credit card list in Microsoft OneNote to accomplish the same thing.  I can bring up the list through the OneNote smartphone app if necessary when I'm out buying something.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for this feedback! I recently did a big move and job change so my balances increased a little, but i have plans to decrease them over the next month. Credit one is definitely going and merrick might. E on the chopping block. I just don't want to have my cards get out of control and not manageable anymore.

[4sallypat]

@Anonymous 

I use the MaxRewards app on my mobile to manage all the cards I have.

It will tell me which card to use for what purchase.

Keeps track of all the points, cash back, and MR points as well as current summary of balances, limits, FICO scores, etc...

There are free trial programs on YT where you can try it out.