What is the best 1.5% cash back credit card

[SarahJo]

I adore my PenFed PCR for the 2% cashback...it does have increments for redeeming, but you can add multiple $5/$10/$25/etc. to your "cart" to get as close as possible to redeem the benefit cash.  Found that out in a happy accident!  As for strictly 1.5%, Cap1 Qucksilver for ease and promptness of redemption, hands down. 

[Anonymous]

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@SarahJo wrote:

I adore my PenFed PCR for the 2% cashback...it does have increments for redeeming, but you can add multiple $5/$10/$25/etc. to your "cart" to get as close as possible to redeem the benefit cash.  Found that out in a happy accident!  As for strictly 1.5%, Cap1 Qucksilver for ease and promptness of redemption, hands down. 

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The downfall is you're stuck with their checking account (either by converting your DD or storing $500 in there), or you have to be military, otherwise, it's 1.5% back. I'd rather have the C.O Quicksilver over the Penfed Cash Rewards... And then you have to ride with training wheels while Penfed takes 10 days to apply your $500 payment to your credit card. No thanks.  

[SarahJo]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@SarahJo wrote:

I adore my PenFed PCR for the 2% cashback...it does have increments for redeeming, but you can add multiple $5/$10/$25/etc. to your "cart" to get as close as possible to redeem the benefit cash.  Found that out in a happy accident!  As for strictly 1.5%, Cap1 Qucksilver for ease and promptness of redemption, hands down. 

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The downfall is you're stuck with their checking account (either by converting your DD or storing $500 in there), or you have to be military, otherwise, it's 1.5% back. I'd rather have the C.O Quicksilver over the Penfed Cash Rewards... And then you have to ride with training wheels while Penfed takes 10 days to apply your $500 payment to your credit card. No thanks.  

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I utilize their checking account.  10 days to apply a CC payment?  The available balance on the CC updates instantly after a payment, pior to it even clearing whether it's $10 or $3000...

[Anonymous]

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@SarahJo wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@SarahJo wrote:

I adore my PenFed PCR for the 2% cashback...it does have increments for redeeming, but you can add multiple $5/$10/$25/etc. to your "cart" to get as close as possible to redeem the benefit cash.  Found that out in a happy accident!  As for strictly 1.5%, Cap1 Qucksilver for ease and promptness of redemption, hands down. 

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The downfall is you're stuck with their checking account (either by converting your DD or storing $500 in there), or you have to be military, otherwise, it's 1.5% back. I'd rather have the C.O Quicksilver over the Penfed Cash Rewards... And then you have to ride with training wheels while Penfed takes 10 days to apply your $500 payment to your credit card. No thanks.  

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I utilize their checking account.  10 days to apply a CC payment?  The available balance on the CC updates instantly after a payment, pior to it even clearing whether it's $10 or $3000...

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Hence, training wheels - your instant credit doesn't happen for newbies. 

[SarahJo]

It's happened since day one for me, but as always YMMV...anywhoooooo, have a great day!

[digitek]

I have 2% Citi DC, but haven't used it in a few months.  It pays my YMCA membership to keep it alive.

I actually use my CSR for all my daily spend.  It is 1.5% cash back on everything when redeemed for travel.  If I spend $10,000 on that one credit card with Citi DC I get back $200, if I do the same with CSR it I get $150.  CSR has great customer service and better benefits than any other card out there.  Now that I have a few cash back cards for specific categories the amount I spend on my "everything else" card shrinks.  Also, churning a card a year where you put 'everything' spend on it to meet minimum spend for sign-up bonus reduces the amount that goes on 'everything' card.

I'm actually OK with using my 1.5% card over my 2% card for daily spending.  In the end the difference in cash back is hardly noticable, $10k is a lot in the midwest!  I know it is a strange use case, but I guess it happens.

(I like that State Department Credit Union 2% card btw, no FTF and cell phone insurance and no AF and solid credit union)

[SBR249]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Paypal Cashback MC yet. No FTF, no redemption minimum to your paypal account, 2% CB across the board, and if you pair it with a Paypal Biz Debit then you may even earn 3% on many purchases. I'd say it's competitive with most general 1.5% to 2% CB cards out there unless you have a specific tie-in that you value like FU and the UR tie-in with the Chase trifecta. 

[UpperNwGuy]

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@SarahJo wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@SarahJo wrote:

I adore my PenFed PCR for the 2% cashback...it does have increments for redeeming, but you can add multiple $5/$10/$25/etc. to your "cart" to get as close as possible to redeem the benefit cash.  Found that out in a happy accident!  As for strictly 1.5%, Cap1 Qucksilver for ease and promptness of redemption, hands down. 

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The downfall is you're stuck with their checking account (either by converting your DD or storing $500 in there), or you have to be military, otherwise, it's 1.5% back. I'd rather have the C.O Quicksilver over the Penfed Cash Rewards... And then you have to ride with training wheels while Penfed takes 10 days to apply your $500 payment to your credit card. No thanks.  

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I utilize their checking account.  10 days to apply a CC payment?  The available balance on the CC updates instantly after a payment, pior to it even clearing whether it's $10 or $3000...

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My experience has been the same as yours, Sarah Jo.  I've had a PenFed checking account and PenFed credit cards for 25 years with no problems.  Let me add, however, that my experience is limited to paying the PenFed card from PenFed checking, so I don't know what it would be like to pay the card from an outside checking account.

[SunriseEarth]

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@UpperNwGuy wrote:

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@SunriseEarth wrote:

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@UpperNwGuy wrote:

I don’t know why anyone would want a 1.5% card now that 2% has become the industry standard.  Two cards that are marketed as 1.5% cards but can earn over 2% when combined with other financial products are the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Bank of America Travel Rewards.  If I had to chose among true 1.5% cards, I’d have to say the best are Capital One Quicksilver and NFCU cashRewards, because they don’t charge foreign transaction fees, but both of these cards really need updating.

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Sounds like you gave a reason someone might prefer a 1.5% CC.

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Not so!  My PenFed Power Cash Rewards earns 2% and has no foreign transaction fees.  My NFCU cashRewards no longer sees much action, even on international trips, since I got the Power Cash a year ago.

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Of course, being eligible for PenFed is a potential road block for many.   But it's a great option if you can get it.

[SBR249]

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@SunriseEarth wrote:

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@UpperNwGuy wrote:

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@SunriseEarth wrote:

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@UpperNwGuy wrote:

I don’t know why anyone would want a 1.5% card now that 2% has become the industry standard.  Two cards that are marketed as 1.5% cards but can earn over 2% when combined with other financial products are the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Bank of America Travel Rewards.  If I had to chose among true 1.5% cards, I’d have to say the best are Capital One Quicksilver and NFCU cashRewards, because they don’t charge foreign transaction fees, but both of these cards really need updating.

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Sounds like you gave a reason someone might prefer a 1.5% CC.

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Not so!  My PenFed Power Cash Rewards earns 2% and has no foreign transaction fees.  My NFCU cashRewards no longer sees much action, even on international trips, since I got the Power Cash a year ago.

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Of course, being eligible for PenFed is a potential road block for many.   But it's a great option if you can get it.

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You may be thinking of NFCU, I don't think PenFed is very difficult to be eligible for because they have a lot of affinity partners.