Cheddar: I just got an email that says you don't have to wait for $50 on the Freedom card to get a check anymore. You can apply your cashback to the next months statement every month.
Also, if you're spending little enough to make the freedom a better card, that would mean you'll be waiting like a year and a half before you can get $200 in the bank, or more! So I didn't include it, because I didn't think a lot of people have that kind of patience to see returns. I keep telling myself I'll save up $200, I'm at $65 right now.
Anyway, I agree, the Freedom is the best cashback card on the market for modest spenders. I just hate that everyone talks so much smack about Blue Cash, just because their spending patterns can't take advantage of the program that has tons of potential. If you hit the 5%, 1.5% early enough and with uncapped bonus rewards, the sky is the limit.
Starting Score: EQ: 665 - TU: 687Ok, for the first year that's all good. But at the rate we're talking about, that $30 AF is going to counteract the $250 for $200 deal. Because at the spending rate we're comparing, it will take a year and a half to get $200 on the Freedom.
Everything aside, the main moral of this thread is that all the top rewards programs are about the same, depending on the circumstances. For <$13K annually, go Freedom. For >$13K annually, go Blue Cash. For anywhere around $13K, pick whichever card is the shiniest (AMEX). 
eta: IMO, 36 months should be plenty of time to get $200 racked up on the Freedom. If it isn't, then you may as well not even be using a rewards card, you're not spending enough. Even if you get NO bonus category purchases for the whole 3 years, which is theoretically impossible. Lets put it this way, you'd have to TRY to not purchase anything in the bonus categories, because there are so many like groceries, gas and fast food that are unavoidable. Anyway, at 0% bonus, you still would only need to spend $20K over 3 years to hit $200 before your rewards expired. That's about $6300 yearly or $555 monthly.
Message Edited by thrasher865 on 07-19-2008 12:52 PM
Gotcha, that makes sense. I just figured you meant that was your routine all the time.
@Anonymous wrote:
@thrasher865 wrote:That's not doing you any good. I'd say it'll be hard to hit $6500 on gas, drugs and groceries alone. In which case, 1% is the standard rate on most other cashback cards and then you can earn bonus rates on top.
@Anonymous wrote:
Amex Blue Cash
- gas
- supermarkets
- drugstores
Amex Starwood
- everywhere else that accepts Amex
The first couple months I had the card, I ran everything through it and broke $6500. After that I've only been putting the 5% cashback purchases through it.