Page 1
Page 1
Started By
Message

Best way to split credit card spending b/w Chase Sapphire Reserve/ Citi Costco/ Apple Card

Posted on 1/16/23 at 1:49 am
Posted by rickgrimes
Member since Jan 2011
4180 posts
Posted on 1/16/23 at 1:49 am
I primarily use the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Costco and Apple Card for all my credit card purchases. It seems like for Costco and gas purchases, Citi Costco makes most sense. For dining and eating out, it seems like an even split between Citi Costco and CSR. Using Apple Card for Apple Pay pays back 3% if you pay using Apple Pay, I think. For travel and air tickets CSR is hands down the best option.

That leaves things like grocery shopping (non-Costco), Home Depot/Lowe's runs, medical and pharmacy bills, car and home insurance payments etc. What card would you use for those? I'm thinking Citi, as it pays back 1% on most purchases. But curious to hear other thoughts as well.
Posted by rocksteady
Member since Sep 2013
1280 posts
Posted on 1/16/23 at 8:12 am to
Which one pays back the most at each of these places? Boom. Case closed. I tried to maximize credit card rewards in the past and quickly got tired of it for the extra $7 dollars you’ll get back vs the alternative. I have one card that gives back something everywhere so I don’t have to think about it and amazon card for amazon.
Posted by Phate
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2006
11724 posts
Posted on 1/16/23 at 9:07 am to
I have the CSR and the Costco card. I use Costco for purchases there and for gas (unless I have a quarterly 5% gas deal on another card). I put dining on the CSR even though the Costco card earns 4% and the CSR is 3% because of the 1.5% boost when using Ultimate Reward points with Chase. This has unfortunately been nerfed a bit with the Pay Yourself Back changes but it still works when booking travel through Chase. I churn cards so much I'm always doing a minimum spend of some kind. When I'm not I also use a 2% card to pick up all the 1% spend.
Posted by NATidefan
Two hours North of Birmingham
Member since Dec 2008
36051 posts
Posted on 1/16/23 at 9:44 am to
I have a citibank double cash, pays 2% everywhere on everything. I use it for things that don't fit in a category of the others.


I have a lowes card that does 5%

I have a citibank custom that gives 5% on whatever category you spend the most on that statement( IE Gas, restaurants, grocery) I use it for gas.

I have a walmart Card that does 5% back on pickup orders.

I don't travel a ton or eat out much. So I don't worry about those.
This post was edited on 1/16/23 at 10:11 am
Posted by armsdealer
Member since Feb 2016
11502 posts
Posted on 1/16/23 at 10:53 am to
Apple Card is 2% back on all apple pay purchases, 1% if you swipe the card and 3% at select retailers. If a store takes apple pay that is my go to and it is just so easy to tap your phone. I get better than 1% cashback on several cards for non specialized categories. I just rotate between 3 that all offer 1.5% or more back on every purchase. I might get the Costco card, we already get 2% back but we honestly don't buy that much at costco, but when we do it is usually a pretty big purchase. I do use my Sam's CC but I think the last iteration made it a Walmart Capital one card... still get cashback at Sams and Walmart.
Posted by TheChiefHasArrived
Member since Dec 2011
686 posts
Posted on 1/16/23 at 3:06 pm to
CSR gives you 1x on any purchase and their miles are 1.5x at a minimum, and more when transferred to hotel (Hyatt) and airline partners. No reason to get 1% cash when you can have 1 Chase UR point.
Posted by SaintsTiger
1,000,000 Posts
Member since Oct 2014
1120 posts
Posted on 1/16/23 at 9:14 pm to
quote:

Which one pays back the most at each of these places? Boom. Case closed. I tried to maximize credit card rewards in the past and quickly got tired of it for the extra $7 dollars you’ll get back vs the alternative. I have one card that gives back something everywhere so I don’t have to think about it and amazon card for amazon.


What’s the advantage of using the Amazon card on Amazon?

I just use one solid rewards card as well. Well, one for business and one for all personal. Keeping up with all the incentives can be like a part time job almost. I’d rather spend the time working and making money in my area.
Posted by rickgrimes
Member since Jan 2011
4180 posts
Posted on 1/17/23 at 2:32 am to
quote:

What’s the advantage of using the Amazon card on Amazon?

5% back on all Amazon purchases. It's a no-brainer really. I only use it to buy things on Amazon tho.
Posted by NATidefan
Two hours North of Birmingham
Member since Dec 2008
36051 posts
Posted on 1/17/23 at 6:27 am to
quote:

5% back on all Amazon purchases. It's a no-brainer really. I only use it to buy things on Amazon tho.


You have to be a Prime member though, right?
Posted by ryanwood99
Bettendorf, IA
Member since Oct 2007
76 posts
Posted on 1/17/23 at 6:33 am to
quote:

Which one pays back the most at each of these places? Boom. Case closed. I tried to maximize credit card rewards in the past and quickly got tired of it for the extra $7 dollars you’ll get back vs the alternative. I have one card that gives back something everywhere so I don’t have to think about it and amazon card for amazon.


This is what I do. Citi 2% cash back on everything and signed up for an Amazon card for 5% back on everything I order from Amazon. I don’t use the Amazon card, it’s linked to the account so the only physical card I use is the citi 2%.
Posted by NATidefan
Two hours North of Birmingham
Member since Dec 2008
36051 posts
Posted on 1/17/23 at 8:47 am to
Nm
This post was edited on 1/17/23 at 11:28 am
Posted by thunderbird1100
GSU Eagles fan
Member since Oct 2007
68322 posts
Posted on 1/17/23 at 9:02 am to
Rotation we have is:

Costco Citi VISA - 4% on Gas, 3% on Restaurants, 2% at costco (Fee free)

AMEX Blue Cash Preferred- 6% on streaming, 6% on groceries ($95 annual fee)

Chase Amazon Prime VISA - 5% back at amazon (fee free)

Cap One Venture VISA - 2x miles on everything else ($59 annual fee)

Wife also has a redcard for Target which is 5% discount at purchase.

We also have Chase Freedom for 5% rotating categories but typically the 5% prime card or 6% AMEX card covers those as good or better so rarely gets used unless it's gas in a quarter which we switch to using that vs. Costco citi.

In 2022 these were our rewards on these cards:

Cap One Venture - Spent $40,424 for 80,848 miles ($808 of cash back equivalent redeeming miles to cover travel purchases)
Costco VISA - Spent $23,176 for a Costco Cash check to be $667.68
Prime card - Spent $3,346 for $167.30 in amazon credit
AMEX blue cash - Spent $3,798 for $227.88 in cash back (all 6%)
Chase Freedom - Spent $159 for $7.95 cash back
Wife redcard - Spent $497 for $24.85 discount at Target

Not too bad for the year and justified all the fee cards at least.

Also redeemed some of the special offers on some of the cards for more discounts, mostly on AMEX. they have the best special offers typically.
This post was edited on 1/17/23 at 9:24 am
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram