Switching CCs for better rewards?

[kdm31091]

I think you should keep Discover. It may not be more than 1% on everyday spend, but the 5% categories are usually useful at least some of the year, and their online shopping portal is pretty much unbeatable.

For the Chase Visa Disney - unless you are spending a ton of money at Disney - consider PC'ing to maybe a Freedom or something. At least then you get versatile points that you can convert to cash (statement credit or direct deposit) and still use at Disney if you wanted, but you can also use them wherever else! To me, the Disney Visa is too limiting, but if you're a diehard Disney fan and live near the parks, it can make sense.

[Anonymous]

---

@coldnmn wrote:

Barclay Sallie Mae and Citi double cash seem to be popular for their rewards.

---

^This

LL Bean card is issued by Barclay's. call them up and see if you can pc to sallie mae. 5% cashback on gas and groceries (limit $250 a month each) and bookstores including amazon (limit $750 a month each). Most people would have some use of those rewards. and no AF. 

AT&T card is issued by citi. call and ask if you can pc to double cash. 2% cashback on everything, no limit, no annual fee. 

[disdreamin]

Wow, you guys are good!

First, thank you for the replies.  

I tried to quote previous posts but ran into issues and didn't want to do three responses, so I'll do my best to address the questions asked..first, Discover.  I have no idea what the 5% categories would even be as that information wasn't part of the mailings that were sent to me and I hadn't tried to access the account online.  I suppose that is something I should do!  Sadly, it had never occurred to me - and boy, do I feel stupid for that.

As far as the Disney card, we've used every last point/dollar earned on that, and we've availed ourselves of the perks at the parks as well.  Long-term, though, that card won't serve us well as I anticipate one last trip to Disney and then that's it.  We enjoy the parks, but definitely aren't die-hard Disney fanatics.

Thank you for the suggestions of cards to switch to - I will definitely look into them!  

And lastly, amounts.  I'm going with round numbers here, but we're talking perhaps $300 a month at gas stations, probably about $1400 or so at grocery stores, and running an average of about $4K per month through the cards, in total.  I pay everything with them that I can - cable bill, cell phones, you name it.

[chwebb1]

---

@disdreamin wrote:

Wow, you guys are good!

First, thank you for the replies.  

I tried to quote previous posts but ran into issues and didn't want to do three responses, so I'll do my best to address the questions asked..first, Discover.  I have no idea what the 5% categories would even be as that information wasn't part of the mailings that were sent to me and I hadn't tried to access the account online.  I suppose that is something I should do!  Sadly, it had never occurred to me - and boy, do I feel stupid for that.

As far as the Disney card, we've used every last point/dollar earned on that, and we've availed ourselves of the perks at the parks as well.  Long-term, though, that card won't serve us well as I anticipate one last trip to Disney and then that's it.  We enjoy the parks, but definitely aren't die-hard Disney fanatics.

Thank you for the suggestions of cards to switch to - I will definitely look into them!  

And lastly, amounts.  I'm going with round numbers here, but we're talking perhaps $300 a month at gas stations, probably about $1400 or so at grocery stores, and running an average of about $4K per month through the cards, in total.  I pay everything with them that I can - cable bill, cell phones, you name it.

---

Maybe you don't have the Discover It card. If you don't (and have maybe the Discover More or an earlier card), you should call and PC to the Discover It. It's a really great card with excellent customer service. I know some will cringe when I say this, but I also use it for non-category (5%) spend and non-Shop Discover/Discover Deals spend because of the excellent customer service. I don't actually dread calling them (although to be fair, I normally don't dread calling Barclaycard Ring, AMEX, or BoA).

[Anonymous]

PCing to a Freedom is silly as silly gets. Wait until a $200 bonus comes up and apply for it then move your CL from the Disney to it.

[disdreamin]

---

@chwebb1 wrote:

Maybe you don't have the Discover It card. If you don't (and have maybe the Discover More or an earlier card), you should call and PC to the Discover It. It's a really great card with excellent customer service. I know some will cringe when I say this, but I also use it for non-category (5%) spend and non-Shop Discover/Discover Deals spend because of the excellent customer service. I don't actually dread calling them (although to be fair, I normally don't dread calling Barclaycard Ring, AMEX, or BoA).

---

The Discover card just says Discover Card, so I don't honestly know what it is.  I'll have to do some hunting and calling to see if it has the 5% categories, and how to find out what they are.  It's also nice to hear about customer service being good.  Since I've never used that card, I've never dealt with them.  To be honest, though, my interactions with CSR's for any of the banks I do business with is pretty minimal - and thankfully I'm pretty happy with them.  Time Warner on the other hand....  

And regarding "PCing to a Freedom is silly as silly gets. Wait until a $200 bonus comes up and apply for it then move your CL from the Disney to it."  - I think that's how I originally got into the Disney card.    But I hear you.  I'd rather open a CL for a nice incentive if I need to.  How much can it really hurt my score to do that once?  I did apply for and open an auto loan recently, but prior to that it's been well over a year since I had an inquiry.  

[Anonymous]

It might be a Discover More.

[jsucool76]

---

@disdreamin wrote:

Wow, you guys are good!

First, thank you for the replies.  

I tried to quote previous posts but ran into issues and didn't want to do three responses, so I'll do my best to address the questions asked..first, Discover.  I have no idea what the 5% categories would even be as that information wasn't part of the mailings that were sent to me and I hadn't tried to access the account online.  I suppose that is something I should do!  Sadly, it had never occurred to me - and boy, do I feel stupid for that.

As far as the Disney card, we've used every last point/dollar earned on that, and we've availed ourselves of the perks at the parks as well.  Long-term, though, that card won't serve us well as I anticipate one last trip to Disney and then that's it.  We enjoy the parks, but definitely aren't die-hard Disney fanatics.

Thank you for the suggestions of cards to switch to - I will definitely look into them!  

And lastly, amounts.  I'm going with round numbers here, but we're talking perhaps $300 a month at gas stations, probably about $1400 or so at grocery stores, and running an average of about $4K per month through the cards, in total.  I pay everything with them that I can - cable bill, cell phones, you name it.

---

If you happen to bank with chase, dump the disney credit card and get the disney debit card. Essentially changes your chase debit card out for a disney one, and you get ALL of the perks (10% off at restaurants and stores, "exclusive meet and greet" photo, and all that jazz. 

Just no rewards and no special financing. 

[Anonymous]

---

@disdreamin wrote:

Wow, you guys are good!

First, thank you for the replies.  

I tried to quote previous posts but ran into issues and didn't want to do three responses, so I'll do my best to address the questions asked..first, Discover.  I have no idea what the 5% categories would even be as that information wasn't part of the mailings that were sent to me and I hadn't tried to access the account online.  I suppose that is something I should do!  Sadly, it had never occurred to me - and boy, do I feel stupid for that.

As far as the Disney card, we've used every last point/dollar earned on that, and we've availed ourselves of the perks at the parks as well.  Long-term, though, that card won't serve us well as I anticipate one last trip to Disney and then that's it.  We enjoy the parks, but definitely aren't die-hard Disney fanatics.

Thank you for the suggestions of cards to switch to - I will definitely look into them!  

And lastly, amounts.  I'm going with round numbers here, but we're talking perhaps $300 a month at gas stations, probably about $1400 or so at grocery stores, and running an average of about $4K per month through the cards, in total.  I pay everything with them that I can - cable bill, cell phones, you name it.

---

For groceries at that level you are into Amex Old Blue Cash territory (which also would handle gas) unless a lot of the grocery spend is at Target or Walmart (or similar stores)

[Anonymous]

What the heck are you buying for $1400 a month at grocery stores? Do you MS or just buy a ton of fancy food?