How come Pathfinder is not popular here?

[Green456]

I’m just curious why Penfed Pathfinder is not popular here.

- $100 credit towards TSA precheck
- $100 credit towards baggage or food
- 4 points = 3.4 % for travel
- no Annual Fee
This beats my BoA 3% cashback.

[Anonymous]

Because there are better options w/ less hassle?

[Anonymous]

Because PenFed shoots most of us down. 

[Green456]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Because there are better options w/ less hassle?

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There are credit cards that give more than 3.4% for travel? 

[AverageJoesCredit]

Its Penfed

[galahad15]

Personally IME, I am not really that interested in PenFed cards in general, tbh...

[coldfusion]

The card itself is OK, although its usefulness for international travel is limited because it uses the AMEX payment network. 

As others have inferred Penfed comes across as either really liking you or barely wanting to give you the time of day.   Many people here have experience with the latter so they return the favor by taking their business elsewhere. 

[Aim_High]

@ Green456

Yes, I think there can be some better deals, depending on how you calculate the bonus after fees and based on your spending patterns.

I also don't have PenFed cards but I have heard that their point system doesn't exactly equate to a percentage basis; it's a little less.  Maybe someone that has them can clarify that. 

Here is what I did instead and why I did it.

I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve which pays 3 points (3%) on not only travel but also all my dining out.  But actually, when redeeming your points for travel on the Chase Ultimate Rewards website, those points are worth 50% more if you have the CSR (only 25% more if you have the cheaper sister card, Sapphire Preferred.)  So actually, I get 4.5% on not only travel but also dining out.  Also, if you carry the other Chase cash back cards (Freedom with rotating 5% categories and Freedom Unlimited with unlimited 1.5% on everything), you can roll the points you acculate monthly over to the CSR UR account and they TOO become worth 50% more! So now I'm getting 7.5% back on my rotating categories as well as 2.25% back on everything else.  That even beats the Citi Double Cash card, among others. 

Yes, I do have to pay a $450 annual fee but I get a lot of that back directly as well as indirectly in terms of premium travel benefits.  You immediately are credited the first $300 you spend on any travel, so I got that back on my first statement, effectively lowering the fee to $150.  You also get the Global Entry or TSA precheck reimbursement, so that is another $20 a year on average, so call it a $130 annual fee.  You get the equivalent of a base-level roadside assistance plan (4 calls at $50 per call) which is a value of $50 per year saved on AAA membership.  Now we're down to $80. 

Now look at what you get for your $80:

You get access to 1200 plus airport lounges in the Priority Pass system (value $429 annual membership.)

This is one of the only Visa "INFINITE" (vs signature) level cards and it comes with many exclusive travel benefits courtesy of Visa:

   - Trip Cancellation insurance up to $10K per person; $20K per trip.

   - Trip DELAY insurance kicks in at 6 hours and pays up to $500 per ticket (for food, hotel, incidentals)

   - Baggage DELAY insurance kicks in at 6 hours for $100 per day and up to 5 days.

   - LOST baggage insurance for up to $3,000 per person.

   - Emergency Medical Evacuation coverage if you become ill during a trip for up to $100K

   - Emergency Medical insurance for up to $2,500 if you become ill more than 100 miles from

          home on a paid trip.

   - Accidental death and dismemberment  insurance for up to $1 MILLION. 

   - Special Rental car discounts with SilverCar (Audi), National, and Avis

   - Luxury Hotel and Resort collection complimentary upgrades and benefits.

   - Visa INFINITE Concierge service by phone

Visa also pays PRIMARY* rental car collision coverage so you can always decline coverage. 

(*Keep in mind that many cards cover rentals as "secondary coverage,' so they pay AFTER your insurance deductible and that accident may count against your insurance policy and raise your premiums.  This is one of the ONLY cards that will pay as PRIMARY, so your insurance does not even have to be involved.)

Visa is much more widely-accepted world-wide than AMEX, so you're more likely to be able to use your card wherever you want.

Finally, you get the extra 50% on your Ultimate Rewards points on all your Chase Card spending.  $$$

Overall, I feel the CSR is the best travel card for the money. 

[Loquat]

My opinion is that most who want to really play in the travel rewards arena are probably looking more for airline transfer partners more so than straight cash back as sometimes the value of miles can outweight cash back even at the 3-4 cpp level. 

[Green456]

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@Aim_High wrote:

@ Green456

Yes, I think there can be some better deals, depending on how you calculate the bonus after fees and based on your spending patterns.

I also don't have PenFed cards but I have heard that their point system doesn't exactly equate to a percentage basis; it's a little less.  Maybe someone that has them can clarify that. 

Here is what I did instead and why I did it.

I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve which pays 3 points (3%) on not only travel but also all my dining out.  But actually, when redeeming your points for travel on the Chase Ultimate Rewards website, those points are worth 50% more if you have the CSR (only 25% more if you have the cheaper sister card, Sapphire Preferred.)  So actually, I get 4.5% on not only travel but also dining out.  Also, if you carry the other Chase cash back cards (Freedom with rotating 5% categories and Freedom Unlimited with unlimited 1.5% on everything), you can roll the points you acculate monthly over to the CSR UR account and they TOO become worth 50% more! So now I'm getting 7.5% back on my rotating categories as well as 2.25% back on everything else.  That even beats the Citi Double Cash card, among others. 

Yes, I do have to pay a $450 annual fee but I get a lot of that back directly as well as indirectly in terms of premium travel benefits.  You immediately are credited the first $300 you spend on any travel, so I got that back on my first statement, effectively lowering the fee to $150.  You also get the Global Entry or TSA precheck reimbursement, so that is another $20 a year on average, so call it a $130 annual fee.  You get the equivalent of a base-level roadside assistance plan (4 calls at $50 per call) which is a value of $50 per year saved on AAA membership.  Now we're down to $80. 

Now look at what you get for your $80:

You get access to 1200 plus airport lounges in the Priority Pass system (value $429 annual membership.)

This is one of the only Visa "INFINITE" (vs signature) level cards and it comes with many exclusive travel benefits courtesy of Visa:

   - Trip Cancellation insurance up to $10K per person; $20K per trip.

   - Trip DELAY insurance kicks in at 6 hours and pays up to $500 per ticket (for food, hotel, incidentals)

   - Baggage DELAY insurance kicks in at 6 hours for $100 per day and up to 5 days.

   - LOST baggage insurance for up to $3,000 per person.

   - Emergency Medical Evacuation coverage if you become ill during a trip for up to $100K

   - Emergency Medical insurance for up to $2,500 if you become ill more than 100 miles from

          home on a paid trip.

   - Accidental death and dismemberment  insurance for up to $1 MILLION. 

   - Special Rental car discounts with SilverCar (Audi), National, and Avis

   - Luxury Hotel and Resort collection complimentary upgrades and benefits.

   - Visa INFINITE Concierge service by phone

Visa also pays PRIMARY* rental car collision coverage so you can always decline coverage. 

(*Keep in mind that many cards cover rentals as "secondary coverage,' so they pay AFTER your insurance deductible and that accident may count against your insurance policy and raise your premiums.  This is one of the ONLY cards that will pay as PRIMARY, so your insurance does not even have to be involved.)

Visa is much more widely-accepted world-wide than AMEX, so you're more likely to be able to use your card wherever you want.

Finally, you get the extra 50% on your Ultimate Rewards points on all your Chase Card spending.  $$$

Overall, I feel the CSR is the best travel card for the money. 

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Thank you for this detail info. I obviously wasn’t aware of this.