Wanted to respond to each person individually, but there's been quite a bit of activity on this thread. Thanks all!
- I spoke with a Barclay rep about getting a second Sallie Mae, he said that I shouldn't have issues getting a second Sallie Mae as long as my accounts remain in good standing. This is moreso planning for the future, when I will exceed the $250 cap. In the meantime, things which cannot be discussed in the forum
- I realize the Freedom and It are redundant. The truth is, I pull in maybe $300 in rewards each year. With my limited spending, the easiest target for rewards is signup bonuses and deals/offers. The Freedom $200 bonus is the best bonus available to a no AF card that I know of, while the Discover Deals portal is often hailed as the best shopping portal available.
- I realize the risk of spreeing. Thanks all for making me stop and think of the potential risk. It seems that I have 6 months to consider whether or not it's worth it to accept the risk
@Anonymous wrote:
Barclay noticing? They haven't seemed bothered by it. I called about my US Airways card last week and then had to speak to a different person about changing my due dates. Both reps clearly noticed my twin SM'sNot an issue.
Hmm, now this is interesting. I've seen multiple reports of people trying to get second SMs, getting the 7-10 day message, calling and finding out they're denied due to already having the card. I wonder if Barclays has changed their policy?
Quicksilver $10,000 | Better Balance Rewards $2000 | Sallie Mae $3500 | Freedom $3500
@Anonymous wrote:Wanted to respond to each person individually, but there's been quite a bit of activity on this thread. Thanks all!
- I spoke with a Barclay rep about getting a second Sallie Mae, he said that I shouldn't have issues getting a second Sallie Mae as long as my accounts remain in good standing. This is moreso planning for the future, when I will exceed the $250 cap. In the meantime, things which cannot be discussed in the forum
- I realize the Freedom and It are redundant. The truth is, I pull in maybe $300 in rewards each year. With my limited spending, the easiest target for rewards is signup bonuses and deals/offers. The Freedom $200 bonus is the best bonus available to a no AF card that I know of, while the Discover Deals portal is often hailed as the best shopping portal available.
- I realize the risk of spreeing. Thanks all for making me stop and think of the potential risk. It seems that I have 6 months to consider whether or not it's worth it to accept the risk
I'm of the mindset that Discover and Freedom are really redundant and having both isn't necessary if your spend is generally low. I agree that the Discover Deals portal is great, but the Ultimate Rewards mall (Chase) isn't too shabby either and you can find a lot of similar savings. One advantage of Discover It over Freedom is that you can start redeeming your cash rewards at any value, whereas you can only redeem your UR points for cash when you reach the equivalent of $20 or more (2000 points +). Discover also has broader quarterly categories that cover more stores. Do you have any desire to obtain a Chase Sapphire Preferred in the future? If so, I would go for Freedom because the points you earn could become much more versatile in the long run. If you're only in it for cashback, then it's really a crap shoot between the two. Starting next Spring, you'll be able to use Freedom at Costco since it's a Visa, but that issue may be moot if the Costco Citibank offers better perks. Sign-up bonuses are nice, but after the fact it's just another card you have to manage and maintain so I belive you should go for something that you know for sure will be used.