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Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

Amex Charles Schwab Platinum

Annual Fee:  $550

MR Points Earning:

     5x per dollar on travel booked with Amex

     1x per dollar on all other purchases

Benefits:

     $200 travel credit (2021)

     $120/year Uber Credit

     $100/year Saks Fifth Avenue credit

     TSA Pre-Check Fee Credit

     Schwab Appreciation Bonus (if applicable)

     Fine Hotels & Resorts Credit (Average of $550 per booking)

     Amex Offers (tons of straight $ for $ offers)

     Hilton Gold status & Mariott Gold Elite Status

     Lounge Access including Centurion

 

Amex Gold Card

Annual Fee:  $250

MR Points Earning:

     4x per dollar on dining

     4x per dollar on groceries

     3x per dollar on flights

     1x per dollar on all other purchases

Benefits:

     $100/year airline fee credit

     $120/year Uber Cash

     $120/year dining credit

     $100/stay credit on the Hotels Collection with Amex

     Amex Offers

 

Then on top of all of this having the Schwab card allows you to transfer points earned on either card to a Schwab brokerage account at a 1.25x/1 rate.  For the mathematically impaired among us that turns 4x earning categories into 5x categories, 5x into 6.25x, 3x into 

3.75x and even 1x into 1.25x for all other purchases.

 

Amex Blue Cash Preferred

Annual Fee:  $95

Cash Back Earning:

     6% on groceries

     6% on streaming

     3% on gas

     3% on transit

     1% on all other purchases

Benefits:

     Amex Offers

 

For me, and considering I don't use points to travel, this seems like the best combination of cards available.  Travel goes through CS Platinum, dining and general purchases go through Gold, streaming, gas and groceries go through BCP.  Genuinely curious, is there a card (or pairing of cards) out there that has better a better mix of points earning potential and benefits?  Admittedly Amex has been good to me so I'm a little biased but geniuenly curious if people have had similar or better experiences in other ecosystems/with other products (taking customer service out of the equation).

Message 1 of 18
17 REPLIES 17
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

Some like EDP for the 1.5x.

 

On the business side, BBP gives 2x.

 

Some like the Business Gold and Platinum more than the personal variants.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 2 of 18
longtimelurker
Epic Contributor

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

One problem is that this has $895 in annual fees.   If you are able to use all the credits, that can be fine, but not everyone can.   The CS Plat certainly makes cash out easier, but many collecting MRs would want to use them for travel and have a higher redemption value that way.   If using MRs in that manner, EDP certainly makes more sense than BCP.

Message 3 of 18
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

I guess since I sort of treat MR like cash back given I take advantage of the 1.25x transfer rate to a Schwab account for almost all points, the earnings on the EDP card would be less than for the BCP (with the caveat of general spending earning 1.5x if I ran the majority of purchases through there).  I think in my case to meet the transaction threshold needed to bump earning on general spend to 1.5x I'd have to run at least some 'dining' or 'grocery' category purchases through it instead of the Gold card, which I don't think is worth it.  

Message 4 of 18
kdm31091
Super Contributor

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

If you just want to use MR as cash back I think in general it is going to be cheaper and simpler to look at one of the many great cash back cards available, as opposed to paying ~$900 in annual fees. The breakeven point is pretty high unless you value all of the various credits at 100%, which for most people, who go out of their way to use them, is not a realistic valuation. 

Message 5 of 18
jcooks
Established Contributor

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

In order to just cover the cost of the annual fees for both the Plat and gold, you would need to spend nearly 15k on the best multiplier (travel on the plat) just to break even before it starts making you money.  

 

I would recommend going with the Chase Freedum unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex to use their rotating categories.  Throw in one of the business ink cards and while redemption wouldn't be as good as the charles schwabb Plat bonus, these are still no annual fee cards which is a huge drawback to your ultimate goal.

 

Overall, getting a no AF 2% cash back may just be easier all together. 

Message 6 of 18
Loquat
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

If you're not using your points to travel you can find a much cheaper setup then Amex for sure. There are a lot of NO AF cards out there but if you want to stay within an ecosystem and still have the option if you ever wanted, to travel or use points to allow friends/family to travel then you could consider the Citi ecosystem.

Premier for 3x on dining, gas, grocery, hotels, and airfare for $95. Pair that with the no AF Double Cash and Rewards+ and you have a decent cash back setup for $95 bucks and can cash out at 1cpp. If the Rewards+ tied to the same TYP number as the Premier and DC and you can get 10% on redeemed points.

Not a bad setup for $95 in my opinion.
Message 7 of 18
jcooks
Established Contributor

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

Chase ecosystem with the Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex and the Sapphire Preferred would probably be the best all at $95 AF.  With the Pay Yourself Back that they have going on, might be a better option for you.  I know you get 25% bonus if you have the Sapphire Preferred, but not sure if that counts towards the Pay Yourself Back.

Message 8 of 18
rostrow416
Established Contributor

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

If you are going all in on points and banking with that 1.25 multiplier, I would leave out the BCP.  Having the cash back card will leave earnings on the table that won't be generating points and helping to offset the annual fees on the CS and Gold.  The Business Blue Plus would be a nice complement to the Platinum and Gold, since it's 2x multiplier would be effectively 2.5% on cashback for anything out of category.  That will definitely help reach the breakeven point much quicker.

AMEX Gold | Purdue FCU $20,000 | FNBO Evergreen $15,000 | TFCU Plat Visa $15,000 | PenFed Platinum Rewards $15,000 | PenFed Pathfinder $15,000 | Citizen's Bank Cash Back+ $15,000 | Synchrony Premier MC $10,000 | SG Visa $10,000 | NFCU MoreRewards $7,000 | NFCU cashRewards $17,000 | Discover IT $6,000 | Capital One BuyPower $950 | AMEX BCP $5,000 | AMEX Amazon Prime Business $3,000

B&H Payboo Card $15,000 | Amazon Prime Card $10,000 | PC Richard Card $15,000 | Target RedCard $2,000 | Walmart Store Card $1,400 | Shell Gas Card $1,200 | Overstock Store Card $7,000 | Kohl's Store Card $3,000


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Message 9 of 18
longtimelurker
Epic Contributor

Re: Is There A Better Trio Than Amex CS Plat, Gold, and BCP?

Two other observations:

1) As usual with these type of things, so much depends on your spending pattern (in addition to your goals, travel vs cash back etc).  So, if 90+% of your spend is on Amazon and WholeFoods, you would certainly want the Chase Amazon card, and if most of your spend is uncategorized spend ("other"!) then a flat 3% card like AOD would be essential.   If you don't buy gas, don't travel , don't eat out much and buy groceries from non-supermarkets like Costco or some Walmarts/Targets, the Amex trio won't be very useful.

 

2) We see here lots of posts of the type "if you could only have X cards what would they be?"   While the leads to discussion, it is, by design, artificial.  The ideal number of cards is determined, among other things, also by spending: if you have highish spend in a number of areas, it makes sense to get them all covered, which could take 1,2 ...5 etc cards.   So nothing magic about a trio, or trifecta for Chase lovers!

Message 10 of 18
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