What is your set up card ?

[Anonymous]

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@UpperNwGuy wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@UpperNwGuy wrote:

I'm still hoping that some lender will issue a decent 3% grocery card.  I tried Amex Blue Cash and hated it.  I tried NFCU More Rewards and hated it, too.  Both cards have set up their redemption process to delay the payout of the rewards and to encourage "breakage."

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There are some CUs, such as the Illinois Consumers Credit Union.  Their card gives 3% on groceries up to $6K, and gives an automatic statement credit at statement close.   I'm sure that  there are others.

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Yep, I've seen all those cards.  Most of them are not available to me because of their geographic footprint (Bank of the West, Golden 1, Huntington Voice).  I can't tell whether or not I am eligible for the Consumers Credit Union, but apart from that issue, I'm also worried that CCU recently changed its 3% grocery card from "cash rebate" to "points."  Points can be easily devalued or be restricted in how they can be redeemed.

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CCU doesn't have geo restrictions AFAIK (at least as of May 17!)  But good catch on points, I didn't realize.  Still currently 1:1 but as you say, a bad sign, and why make the change unless they want that option.

[Anonymous]

Discover 10% cats; I maximize my rewards as a single person by loading up on category gift cards to get me through the non grocery, warehouse club, etc months. I do all my grocery shopping at Publix and Aldi's so I loaded up on giftcards from those places during grocery quarter. This card is my favorite!

Sam's Club MC (Sync) 5% gas, 3% restaurants

USB Cash+ 5% utilities & 5% Dept Stores 2% grocery

PenFed Power Cash Rewards 2% on everything; BBVA Compass 2% on everything 

[juniornj23]

How you do that so you justs buy gift card with your credit card.

[Anonymous]

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@juniornj23 wrote:
How you do that so you justs buy gift card with your credit card.

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Yes, this works if you have money "left over" in the supermarket category (e.g. people do it with the Amex Blue Cash Preferred if they aren't going to spend $6K a year on real groceries, and with discover if you don't spend $1,500 in that quarter.

[MontegoMack]

Citi Costco:

Restaurants 3%

Costco 2%

Costco gas 4%

Amazon:

Pharmacy 3%

Amazon    5%

AmEx BCP:

Groceries 6%

Gas 3%

Chase Freedom:

5% Categories

[Anonymous]

Hi juniornj23 

I don't just buy gift cards. During warehouse club quarter I did my regular Sam's shopping and at the check out purchased a $100 to $200 worth of Sam's giftcard to use at Sam's in the non warehouse quarters. Since I regularly shop at Sam's this allows me to shop all year and enables me as a family of 1 to max my cashback for the quarter.

It is currently restaurant quarter. As a single person its next to impossible for me to eat $1500 worth of dining out. So, I eat at Outback for example, pay for meal and add 100$ worth of giftcards. I can use these as gifts and to eatout in the non restaurant quarters.

[Anonymous]

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@kerplunk wrote:

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

@kerplunk

Have you considered doing a PC from Double Cash to Dividend?  That would give you four 5% category cards, and you could always take the cash back from those to just wipe out 5% of the charges.

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EXCELLENT suggestion -- thank you. I had not even thought of that. I didn't know you could PC to that card since it's not open to new applicants. I recently acquired the Double Cash card, so I'll keep your suggestion in mind when I am elligible to PC.

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I too recenly acquired the Double Cash card.  What are the eligibility requirements to Product Change to the Dividend card?

EDIT: this article suggests the original card needs to be active 12 months.  

[Anonymous]

Not sure what set up card is, but here is my current strategy.

Alliant -- General Spend - 3% back, might cancel after first year due to annual fee kicking in, still debating.

BCP for Groceries - 6%

AMZ for Amazon Spend - 5%  (note: get the STORE CARD, not the CC if you are a churner).

Uber for Restaurants - 4%  (use Discover IT or Chase Freedom when the 5% category is going).

Costco Citi for Gas - 4%

Freedom/Discover IT for Rotating - 5%

Consumers Credit Union CC  to hit tier for 4.6% on my emergency fund checking acc of 20 K

I also churn travel rewards cards very frequently (8 cards this year so far), and these cards temporarily replace all of the above (except the consumers card).  I pay my rent with a CC so it's easy to hit the bonuses.  We never pay for flights and travel quite a bit.  I'd say total money made from credit card bonuses is in the 5-7 K/year range.  Nice thing is I can 2-player mode the churning, so my credit profile can get a much needed 2 year break after this year.  My general philosophy is to use credit cards as a tool to improve finances, so this means never paying a dime in interest/fees and never buying more than I would normally.

[Anonymous]

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@UpperNwGuy wrote:

75% of my annual spending goes on the PenFed Power Cash Rewards card for 2% back on everything.  The other 25% is travel and dining, and I put those charges on my Chase Sapphire Reserve for 4.5% back.  

I'm still hoping that some lender will issue a decent 3% grocery card.  I tried Amex Blue Cash and hated it.  I tried NFCU More Rewards and hated it, too.  Both cards have set up their redemption process to delay the payout of the rewards and to encourage "breakage."

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What exactly is breakage? 

[K-in-Boston]

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@Anonymous wrote:

What exactly is breakage? 

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Points/cash earned but never redeemed.  It's a term borrowed from gift cards.