What are the best restaurant Cards?

[enharu]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@TheConductor wrote:

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@takeshi74 wrote:

It's not just earn rate that matters but redemption as well.

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Precisely.  UR points can be redeemed at a higher value than TY points.

The 5% cards are the clear winners in this category, but CSP holds up pretty well if you redeem the points wisely. 

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Though I really dislike what they did to the Premier, there is still some truth to the argument.   Both the UR and the TYP can be used at 1.25 cents per point when booking travel  through the respoective sites, so the Premier wins there.   And of course the big win is the transferability of UR,  To beat the 3.75c per $ on the Premier, you will need to redeem UR points at 1.9cents.   While this is easily possible in general, for particular trips it may not be, and award travel may not be available if you are constrained by dates.   So for such things, the Premier would beat the CSP.    Depends on the individual how often that situation would arise!

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+1.

it really depends on what you are using those points for.

For Citi TY points, they can be used towards AA flight redemptions at 1.6ccp (if you have the Prestige). Dining expenses would therefore give you 4.8% cashback essentially. If you happen to have Citigold or Private banking relationship with Citi, then there's additional bonuses on top, which makes it even better.

For Chase, some people were able to milk UR points for up to 10 ccp, especially before the most recent UA devaluation. If you happen to be one of those lucky few, then UR is probably the best way to go. However, it does require a lot of flexibility with regards to planning your trips.

[-NewGuy-]

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@TheConductor wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

To beat the 3.75c per $ on the Premier, you will need to redeem UR points at 1.9cents.   While this is easily possible in general, for particular trips it may not be, and award travel may not be available if you are constrained by dates.   So for such things, the Premier would beat the CSP.    Depends on the individual how often that situation would arise!

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This is a good and valid point.  I always make sure to maximize the value of my UR points. e.g. I have transferred points to United and redeemed them for a flight to Europe at ~2.2c per point. However, this requires being someone who actually wants to travel to the places where redemption gives that kind of return. If you prefer travelling domestically to Colorado or Florida or even off the mainland to Hawaii, those redemption rates are essentially impossible.

So, as in many "What are the best X cards?" it always comes down to what is best for you. Your personal habits and preferences are what will define the true value of any card to you. 

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Not necessarily. If you value short haul domestic flights or flights from the West Coast to Hawaii, you can easily get 2cpp or more by transferring to Avios.