Shinny CSP, now what?

[dearppl]

So now I have my CSP, I want to hear your insights on how to maximize the UR points.

As you can see in my signature, I have an array of different cards for different spendings. Citi Forward (5x TYP on dining and entertainment), Sallie Mae (5% on Amazon, grocery, and gas), and Amex BCE for everything else. 

Based on my last year's spending, I spent roughly $3,500 on food, $2,000 on gas, $700 on grocery, $2,000 travel, and $4,000 on something else. Also, I was a student last year, and I will be working full time this year, so the spending most likely will go up this year. I will be traveling quite bit for business, too, so CSP can definitely help with that, too, but will have to consider the corporate card policy as well. I also plan to travel abroad at least once a year.

I believe I received about $200 cash back last year + $145 Amazon credit (100 TYP = $0.8 on Amazon) + the $120 from the BoA Better Balance Reward. So if my goal is to maximize my UR point from now on, how should I go for that? I certainly like the cash back, but I feel like they don't really provide "real" benefit to me as they always go towards my statement credit (unlike going on a trip/vacation). So what do you think I should do? Continue to maximize each category spending, save up the cashback, and put everything else on the CSP and see how far I can go with the UR points. Or should I apply for Freedom card and maximize the 5% category on Freedom, then transfer to CSP and drop the Citi Forward (since the TYP is pretty worthless, I only spend it on Amazon purchases) and put all dining on CSP?

I know there won't be an ideal way to rack up both cash back and UR point, and I will be okay to earn less on certain categories in order to get more UR points, but I would love to hear your input please!!

[mongstradamus]

---

@dearppl wrote:

So now I have my CSP, I want to hear your insights on how to maximize the UR points.

As you can see in my signature, I have an array of different cards for different spendings. Citi Forward (5x TYP on dining and entertainment), Sallie Mae (5% on Amazon, grocery, and gas), and Amex BCE for everything else. 

Based on my last year's spending, I spent roughly $3,500 on food, $2,000 on gas, $700 on grocery, $2,000 travel, and $4,000 on something else. Also, I was a student last year, and I will be working full time this year, so the spending most likely will go up this year. I will be traveling quite bit for business, too, so CSP can definitely help with that, too, but will have to consider the corporate card policy as well. I also plan to travel abroad at least once a year.

I believe I received about $200 cash back last year + $145 Amazon credit (100 TYP = $0.8 on Amazon) + the $120 from the BoA Better Balance Reward. So if my goal is to maximize my UR point from now on, how should I go for that? I certainly like the cash back, but I feel like they don't really provide "real" benefit to me as they always go towards my statement credit (unlike going on a trip/vacation). So what do you think I should do? Continue to maximize each category spending, save up the cashback, and put everything else on the CSP and see how far I can go with the UR points. Or should I apply for Freedom card and maximize the 5% category on Freedom, then transfer to CSP and drop the Citi Forward (since the TYP is pretty worthless, I only spend it on Amazon purchases) and put all dining on CSP?

I know there won't be an ideal way to rack up both cash back and UR point, and I will be okay to earn less on certain categories in order to get more UR points, but I would love to hear your input please!!

---

Freedom for 5% categories that can be transferred to CSP UR points 

[Indo]

Congrats on your CSP!

I agree with the poster above. To maximize UR points you'll want to get a Freedom card. You'll want to use your Freedom for 5x rotating category and then transfer the points to your CSP. You'll use your CSP for everything else that is not the 5x quarterly bonus.

The best bang for your buck for UR points comes from the 1:1 transfers to travel partners. The biggest value per point will be transfering to United or British Airways. The hotel transfers are from moderate to okay.

So with that being said, the best use of the UR points is for airline travel. If you don't fly frequently, I recommend getting the sign up bonus and product changing to freedom down the line (after you transfer your points).

[Anonymous]

First off, don't give up on the Citi Forward, the 5x version is pretty amazing and it will go away doubtless one day.  Don't redeem TY on Amazon, that's throwing away money,  request a student loan/mortgage check reward and get the full 1c per point as a check.  Especially if you ever buy something at Amazon above the $750 Sallie Mae cap.  Also look at your travel redemption options, is 2.14 UR points worth more or less than 5% on the Citi Forward?  If 5% is more, use Citi for dining, otherwise use the CSP or Freedom in the correct quarter.

[Trivolve]

You should use Forward for Amazon it gives 5x for that too. TYP is useless, agreed.

Get a chase checking for the 7% yearly bonus for CSP and 10% bonus for Freedom. As mentioned, get a freedom and transfer UR points.

[dearppl]

---

@Trivolve wrote:

You should use Forward for Amazon it gives 5x for that too. TYP is useless, agreed.

Get a chase checking for the 7% yearly bonus for CSP and 10% bonus for Freedom. As mentioned, get a freedom and transfer UR points.

---

Thanks everyone for the inputs. I will definitely go open a checking account some time this week, and perhaps I can open Freedom at the branch as well. 

---

@Anonymous wrote:

First off, don't give up on the Citi Forward, the 5x version is pretty amazing and it will go away doubtless one day.  Don't redeem TY on Amazon, that's throwing away money,  request a student loan/mortgage check reward and get the full 1c per point as a check.  Especially if you ever buy something at Amazon above the $750 Sallie Mae cap.  Also look at your travel redemption options, is 2.14 UR points worth more or less than 5% on the Citi Forward?  If 5% is more, use Citi for dining, otherwise use the CSP or Freedom in the correct quarter.

---

@ I guess at this point, 2.14 UR points worth more than ~5% TYP on Citi Forward.. I don't really have any mortgage loan or student loan, so I can't quite take that advantage on my Forward card. I used to redeem $100 Chili's giftcards with my TYP @ 1 TYP = 1c.. Oh gosh... Too much Chili's... Too much...

I guess my other question is, what about gas and grocery shopping? I know Freedom tyically has gas for 2 quarters, but I've not seen grocery. 

[Anonymous]

---

@dearppl wrote:

---

@Trivolve wrote:

You should use Forward for Amazon it gives 5x for that too. TYP is useless, agreed.

Get a chase checking for the 7% yearly bonus for CSP and 10% bonus for Freedom. As mentioned, get a freedom and transfer UR points.

---

Thanks everyone for the inputs. I will definitely go open a checking account some time this week, and perhaps I can open Freedom at the branch as well. 

---

@Anonymous wrote:

First off, don't give up on the Citi Forward, the 5x version is pretty amazing and it will go away doubtless one day.  Don't redeem TY on Amazon, that's throwing away money,  request a student loan/mortgage check reward and get the full 1c per point as a check.  Especially if you ever buy something at Amazon above the $750 Sallie Mae cap.  Also look at your travel redemption options, is 2.14 UR points worth more or less than 5% on the Citi Forward?  If 5% is more, use Citi for dining, otherwise use the CSP or Freedom in the correct quarter.

---

 I guess at this point, 2.14 UR points worth more than ~5% TYP on Citi Forward.. I don't really have any mortgage loan or student loan, so I can't quite take that advantage on my Forward card.@ I used to redeem $100 Chili's giftcards with my TYP @ 1 TYP = 1c.. Oh gosh... Too much Chili's... Too much...

I guess my other question is, what about gas and grocery shopping? I know Freedom tyically has gas for 2 quarters, but I've not seen grocery. 

---

You do not need a student loan or mortgage to take advantage of this!

Re gas and groceries, there is a very recent thread:

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Best-Food-gt-Gas-gt-Other-rewards/td-p/3115780

[takeshi74]

---

@dearppl wrote:

I guess my other question is, what about gas and grocery shopping? I know Freedom tyically has gas for 2 quarters, but I've not seen grocery. 

---

Is your Sallie Mae insufficent?

[dearppl]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@dearppl wrote:

---

@Trivolve wrote:

You should use Forward for Amazon it gives 5x for that too. TYP is useless, agreed.

Get a chase checking for the 7% yearly bonus for CSP and 10% bonus for Freedom. As mentioned, get a freedom and transfer UR points.

---

Thanks everyone for the inputs. I will definitely go open a checking account some time this week, and perhaps I can open Freedom at the branch as well. 

---

@Anonymous wrote:

First off, don't give up on the Citi Forward, the 5x version is pretty amazing and it will go away doubtless one day.  Don't redeem TY on Amazon, that's throwing away money,  request a student loan/mortgage check reward and get the full 1c per point as a check.  Especially if you ever buy something at Amazon above the $750 Sallie Mae cap.  Also look at your travel redemption options, is 2.14 UR points worth more or less than 5% on the Citi Forward?  If 5% is more, use Citi for dining, otherwise use the CSP or Freedom in the correct quarter.

---

 I guess at this point, 2.14 UR points worth more than ~5% TYP on Citi Forward.. I don't really have any mortgage loan or student loan, so I can't quite take that advantage on my Forward card.@ I used to redeem $100 Chili's giftcards with my TYP @ 1 TYP = 1c.. Oh gosh... Too much Chili's... Too much...

I guess my other question is, what about gas and grocery shopping? I know Freedom tyically has gas for 2 quarters, but I've not seen grocery. 

---

You do not need a student loan or mortgage to take advantage of this!

Re gas and groceries, there is a very recent thread:

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Best-Food-gt-Gas-gt-Other-rewards/td-p/3115780

---

Interesting. I looked up earlier, the website says I need to call them to redem for mortgage or student loan. Is this standard?

---

@takeshi74 wrote:

---

@dearppl wrote:

I guess my other question is, what about gas and grocery shopping? I know Freedom tyically has gas for 2 quarters, but I've not seen grocery. 

---

Is your Sallie Mae insufficent?

---

It is (for now). I think I will put grocery and gas on my Sallie Mae up to the cap every month, then put everything include dining on my CSP. Will go get a Freedom card later. Though doubling my cards within two months is kind of stressful.

[Anonymous]

---

@dearppl wrote:

---

You do not need a student loan or mortgage to take advantage of this!

---

Interesting. I looked up earlier, the website says I need to call them to redem for mortgage or student loan. Is this standard?

---

You call them up and say you want to redeem for mortgage (or student loan, though I haven't done that).  They ask who the holder is.   You say, for example, Bank of X.   They then send you a check made up to Bank of X, because it is your responsibility to forward it to the mortgage holder.  You then deposit it into your checking account at Bank of X.

Just always use the same bank.