The Amex blue is good, the one with yearly fees is better.
You guys with the Amazon card find yourself stuck only using Amazon for purchases? I often shop around at different places like eBay and Sierra Trading Post. I'd feel like I'd be stuck with Amazon if I had the card though.
You get 2% on gas stations and restaurants and 1% on everything else. You point is well taken, however. It's not the best card unless you are a heavy Amazon user.
It almost feels like they've "roped you in" from shopping anywhere else. I can see the market tactics behind it.
penn fed right now for me.
They have. I pay for Amazon Prime and do price comparisons taking into account total cost (including shipping). I find they are very price competitive on most stuff that I buy. Also, I get same day or next day delivery on most items I purchase--although not as much anymore with the COVID mess. I'm not hawking Amazon or the CC, just saying it's not a bad deal if you're a heavy user.
Really depends on what you want. We use Southwest because we like to travel. I've got their system figured out, I debated starting a thread on it for people. The wife and I have earned companion pass (1 guest flies free) for the last several years. Gets us 4-5 trips a year. Again .. it's whatever is important to you.
Better than FED PEN...
Ohh almost forgot to answer.
Card with best reward is not having a credit card.
What's the down side?
I’m still on the Citi DoubleCash. 2% on everything, no special categories per quarter or whatever. I just took other people’s word for it, though. Always meant to actually evaluate my spend and make sure I’m getting 2% and that it’s not screwing me somehow. Never have done that.
Explain? I pay nearly all my bills and buy everything with the card to get a little money off the bills. I get insurance on things like my cell phone for paying that bill with the card. When a company fucks me, like Whirlpool currently is by not delivering or refunding my money, I call the card company and they take back all the money incentivising the vendor to play ball. I make weekly payments, so interest rarely if ever cycles. I never expose my bank accounts to anyone like using my debit card. I don't have to be at ATMs all the time to get cash.
What's the down side?
same card here for the most part. It's the best all-around I could find a year or so ago
I also carry the BOA Rewards card to get 3% on a selected category (gas) year-round. The shared house card is a Barclay 1.5% back on everything card. We should change it to the Double Cash, but haven't put in the effort yet.
**sign on bonues are a key part**
every card I have gotten in the last 3-5 years was signed up due to a big sign-on bonus. 3-5 cards, I "made" $1500-2000 just for opening cards. Most recent was a Chase that gave me $500 back on $3000. I stopped using it right after getting the bonus, set alerts to let me know if it ever gets used somewhere, and cut up the physical card.
Do the math on how much you need to spend to make up the sign on bonus. IE a 2% card with no bonus vs a 1% card with a $200 or $500 bonus. You may find it's 3+ years to make the difference between a 1% and 2% card and the bonus is the better option. The credit score hit ain't that big, at least for me who's in the upper 700's I only see a 10-20pt swing for 2-3 months when I open a new card.
edit, lots of comparisons out there. looks like DoubleCash is still up top for the no-annual-fee cards https://www.cardratings.com/bestcard...BoCBisQAvD_Bw
I'd love to see that thread. We've moved to using our credit card for 100% of our purchases that will allow it. I'm on a 1.5% cash back Capital One card now, but I think something with travel might be better for us. Seems like people get more out of it.
I know we get way more out of it. We run 100% on 2 Southwest cards, (technically have 3 for 1 month of every year), aside from the mortgage and one of the cars. Use it with the mentality that it's a Debit Card. Set up auto pay from the bank and don't worry about it. As people have said you'll be surprised how much it adds up. Other cards give you a percentage of what you spend and SW is 1mi/$1 spent, sometimes up to 4mi/$1. What other cards don't do, well most, are the big spiffs they offer. Like 50k miles per year for referring people .. which we, as in ibb, could easily set up the rotation among us. 50k miles will get me and the wife from STL to Mexico, non-stop, twice. Add in our companion pass and it's 4 trips because you only get dinged in miles for the first person.... I could go on and on but if you like to travel, or have a big anniversary coming up you want a trip for ... I'd seriously consider SW if they go where you want.
Explain? I pay nearly all my bills and buy everything with the card to get a little money off the bills. I get insurance on things like my cell phone for paying that bill with the card. When a company fucks me, like Whirlpool currently is by not delivering or refunding my money, I call the card company and they take back all the money incentivising the vendor to play ball. I make weekly payments, so interest rarely if ever cycles. I never expose my bank accounts to anyone like using my debit card. I don't have to be at ATMs all the time to get cash.
What's the down side?