Can someone explain, or point me to other posts that would explain the uses of cash back other than reducing the outstanding balance on the earning card. For example, do some cards allow the cash back to be deposited in some account or otherwise turned into actual cash? If one has several cash back cards, can the cash back be consolidated in some way?
I've always been an MR guy -- AXP, AXG, EDP, MR checking -- and use my Chase Sapphire VISA card (it's a sapphire, not sapphire preferred) only when a merchant doesn't take AX. I'm looking for a way to gain some advantage when I've gone thru $6K in groceries on EDP and the 2x (3x) reverts to 1x (1.5x) and perhaps cover any other percent multiples not already covered by the AX cards. I suppose I could just use the VISA card and plow the points into reducing the statement balance, but wondering if there's a more efficient way. I'm not a points finatic; just prefer having "rewards" (points or cash) accrue faster by having them all go into one place, and prefer the ability to pay for purchases or move points to partners rather than having lots of cards with bits of cash back floating around and no ability to consolidate. I don't see the advantage of cash back if all one can do is pay down the monthly statement. You can do with with points, and in the case of MR, a lot more, and it would seem to me to require a major investment in a cash back card for the cash back amount amount to be of significant use.
What am I missing here?
"still"? havent had gold for decades. Gave it up when I went platinum. However, if it were free and allowed me to accrue points it might be well worth it. I'll look into that.
Thanks.
MR reward cards are not any good if you can't get value from the points.
Pooling points for long periods has danger and possible value loss.
Most MR cards have AF and don't reward for categorizes that cash back cards cover.
Pooling cash is called a savings account.
I could ask why would anyone want to pay AF's and collect points,
when they could get cash back every month. 
It all depends on where you spend, and the value of the points for how
you redeem them vs cash in hand.
For me the Cash is > MR .and. Cash > UR
If MR > Cash, you have your path.
I am on a different path.
Well the basic value of the points is to pay down the balance on the card, which is the same thing I assume one would do with cash back. My concern in having cash back cards is there's no way to consolidate the bits and pieces of cash that you accrue to make that worthwhile, unless you spend a lot of money on every card. I had cash back cards in the long past and found the reward was... disappointing. Everything I purchase goes into rewards points (I don't use cash) those points can be used to pay down any of the cards, no?
Also I've never heard of any danger in holding points for a long time. I've done that over the years and Amex has never complained.
@alocksley wrote:Can someone explain, or point me to other posts that would explain the uses of cash back other than reducing the outstanding balance on the earning card. For example, do some cards allow the cash back to be deposited in some account or otherwise turned into actual cash? If one has several cash back cards, can the cash back be consolidated in some way?
I've always been an MR guy -- AXP, AXG, EDP, MR checking -- and use my Chase Sapphire VISA card (it's a sapphire, not sapphire preferred) only when a merchant doesn't take AX. I'm looking for a way to gain some advantage when I've gone thru $6K in groceries on EDP and the 2x (3x) reverts to 1x (1.5x) and perhaps cover any other percent multiples not already covered by the AX cards. I suppose I could just use the VISA card and plow the points into reducing the statement balance, but wondering if there's a more efficient way. I'm not a points finatic; just prefer having "rewards" (points or cash) accrue faster by having them all go into one place, and prefer the ability to pay for purchases or move points to partners rather than having lots of cards with bits of cash back floating around and no ability to consolidate. I don't see the advantage of cash back if all one can do is pay down the monthly statement. You can do with with points, and in the case of MR, a lot more, and it would seem to me to require a major investment in a cash back card for the cash back amount amount to be of significant use.
What am I missing here?
It depends on the lender. Some just give you statement credits. Some give you a choice of different ways to use your cashback, including just depositing it into one of your bank accounts.
Lol for starters I have 2 checking accounts: chase, which pays nothing, and AX MR, which pays 1%. So I'll use the Visa card and cash in the points to that checking account and then transfer it to amex. LMFAO.