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Credit card recs

Posted on 4/26/23 at 8:58 pm
Posted by SidewalkTiger
Midwest, USA
Member since Dec 2019
52714 posts
Posted on 4/26/23 at 8:58 pm
I'm sure this question has been asked here a lot but just wanting to get some feedback.

I'm 29 and have always used a debit card in the past but obviously it's smarter to get something back so I've been looking into various credit cards. Would be using it for pretty much everything (fuel, groceries, bills, etc.). I travel for work quite a bit and pay for fuel and lodging myself and am then reimbursed so I would use the card for that as well.

I'm somewhat ignorant to the various choices out there (outside of Internet research) as I paid cash for everything in my early 20's and then got a secured credit card through my bank to build credit so I could buy a house. I did so and my credit score is currently around 800. Debt to income ratio is roughly 9%.

I don't really fly so wouldn't be interested in earning flight miles.

Posted by NATidefan
Two hours North of Birmingham
Member since Dec 2008
36074 posts
Posted on 4/26/23 at 10:29 pm to
Do you want to use for travel rewards or for cash back?

If you go on vacation and want to cash it in for hotels, etc. I would look at chase cards.

If you want cash back based on what you said I would look at getting a couple of cards. 5% back is the best you will find really for cash back.

Wells Fargo Autograph is pretty good for cash back on travel, gas and restaurants. Citibank Custom is good for any of those categories, but only up to 500 a month.

Wells fargo autograph:


quote:

Sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.

Rewards: Unlimited 3 points per dollar spent on:

Restaurants.

Travel and transit.

Gas stations (and electric vehicle charging stations).

Popular streaming services.

Select phone plans.

Plus, 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Redemptions: Points are worth 1 cent each. Cardholders can redeem points for travel, gift cards or statement credits — or when checking out online with PayPal.

APR offer: 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable APR.

Foreign transaction fees: None.

Other benefits:

Cell phone protection of up to $600, minus a $25 deductible, for damage to or theft of your phone (when you use the card to pay your monthly cell phone bill).




Citi custom cash

quote:

rewarding you for being 100% you

5%
cash back on your top eligible spend category up to $500 spent each billing cycle




I have both, I use my Wells Fargo for cell phone bill, lodging (mostly vrbos), and restaurants.

I use my custom cash card for gas.
There are some others for gas like sams and Costco, etc, but I like the freedom of getting 5% on any gas station. And $500 a month may not be enough for you depending on how much you spend on gas.

Just look at what categories you spend the most on and try to find cards that fit that.

No one card is perfect for anybody.

I have several.

Citi double cash: 2% back anywhere on anything.

Lowes: 5% back at lowes

Citi custom cash: 5% back on category you spend most in that month up to $500

Wells fargo: for what I explained already.

Then I have a chase amazon one I only use for Amazon.

Cap one walmart: 5% back on online pickup orders (groceries).



Main thing is be responsible, pay it off monthly, and keep your utilization ratio around 20% or lower. (I can explain more about that if you want).




This post was edited on 4/27/23 at 6:00 am
Posted by Bard
Definitely NOT an admin
Member since Oct 2008
51628 posts
Posted on 4/27/23 at 6:59 am to
quote:

I travel for work quite a bit and pay for fuel and lodging myself and am then reimbursed so I would use the card for that as well.


If there's a hotel chain you routinely stay at, be sure to get a membership through them to accumulate points. My wife used to be a flight attendant and her company routinely put them up at Hiltons so she got an IHG membership. Over the decade and a half she did this, she loaded up on IHG points. We ended up using those for free/reduced-rate stays at Hiltons during our travels (they carried over indefinitely).
Posted by armsdealer
Member since Feb 2016
11506 posts
Posted on 4/27/23 at 7:37 am to
quote:

Main thing is be responsible, pay it off monthly, and keep your utilization ratio around 20% or lower.


I say below 9%. My score drops 60-80 points if I let my credit cards report over 9% utilization.

I pay everything monthly but I didn't pay one soon enough for it not to report a balance and I got an 80 point ding going from 6-7% reported utilization to 16%. It went right back up the next month, but that is just a shitty way to score anything, especially something as important as credit.
Posted by NATidefan
Two hours North of Birmingham
Member since Dec 2008
36074 posts
Posted on 4/27/23 at 8:01 am to
quote:

I say below 9%. My score drops 60-80 points if I let my credit cards report over 9% utilization.


Agreed, I usually keep mine even lower.
Posted by Suntiger
BR or somewhere else
Member since Feb 2007
32963 posts
Posted on 4/27/23 at 11:48 am to
Here are some recent threads. You really just need to decide what’s best for you.

LINK

LINK

LINK

Usual suggestions always end up being Chase Sapphire, Capital One Venture/Venture X, AMEX blue and Delta.

I like to travel so I have a Venture card. It works with my CO accounts and I get pretty good discounts from certain stores. No complaints and had it for years.
Posted by Mariner
Mandeville, LA
Member since Jul 2009
1940 posts
Posted on 4/29/23 at 11:02 am to
Capital One Venture or Venture X

AMEX gold

Chase and Citi have good rewards cards as well.
Posted by molsusports
Member since Jul 2004
36115 posts
Posted on 4/29/23 at 12:32 pm to
A simple single option for general use is the Fidelity Visa. 2% back on everything into an investment account of your choice.
Posted by Kjnstkmn
Vermilion Parish
Member since Aug 2020
10707 posts
Posted on 4/29/23 at 1:30 pm to
Whatever happened with this one?

Redstone Visa Signature

Still has the good rewards?
Posted by grsharky
Member since Dec 2019
181 posts
Posted on 4/29/23 at 5:29 pm to
We use the Citi Double Cash card for pretty much everything. I also have a Southwest card that we use for certain things to rack up points for flights. I like the Citi card because there is no fees and I don't need to activate the rewards each qtr. I know it's a bit lazy, but it works for us.
Posted by molsusports
Member since Jul 2004
36115 posts
Posted on 4/29/23 at 5:49 pm to
quote:

Whatever happened with this one?

Redstone Visa Signature


Great if you are eligible
Posted by NATidefan
Two hours North of Birmingham
Member since Dec 2008
36074 posts
Posted on 4/29/23 at 10:48 pm to
REDSTONE Visa Signature:

I almost mentioned it. I haven't signed up for it yet. Alot of people think it won't last and that's why I've been waiting.

If it's still around mid summer I'll be getting it. Right now my Discover is giving me 5% at wholesale clubs and 5% at restaurants and I get 5% on gas on my custom card. So it's doing better, but the discover is a rotating card.
This post was edited on 4/29/23 at 10:50 pm
Posted by molsusports
Member since Jul 2004
36115 posts
Posted on 4/30/23 at 8:22 am to
quote:

REDSTONE Visa Signature


I don't think your average person with excellent credit is eligible unless there's a back door trick of some sort
Posted by NATidefan
Two hours North of Birmingham
Member since Dec 2008
36074 posts
Posted on 4/30/23 at 9:37 am to
quote:

I don't think your average person with excellent credit is eligible unless there's a back door trick of some sort


You have to start a savings account with them and keep 5 dollars in it. There are lots of ways to become a member.

But if you don't meet any of the free ways you can join the Financial Fitness Association for $8 to become elligible. Once you have the redstone membership you can keep it for life and let other household members join.

Finicial Fitness Association


Redstone Membership Elligibility
Posted by DiamondDog
Louisiana
Member since Nov 2019
10570 posts
Posted on 4/30/23 at 11:16 am to
Really depends how much spend you'll funnel through to make the right decision. If you're pushing $10K a year through it there really isn't much upside to any of it besides the perks included.
Posted by NATidefan
Two hours North of Birmingham
Member since Dec 2008
36074 posts
Posted on 5/8/23 at 10:13 pm to
quote:

REDSTONE Visa Signature


Applied and was approved for this today.
Posted by IcantBelieveItsNotBu
Member since Mar 2023
130 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 5:39 am to
Venture X

I love mine but a few things
- 400 fee due at the same time each year
- 10k bonus miles each anniversary
- 300 hotel credit each year
- complimentary Hertz Gold
- Priority Pass for travel
- Access to any capital one lounge
- 10x points on hotels
- 5x points on flights
- 2x points on any other purchase
- if flight price or hotel prices change you can call and get the difference credited to your card, also price lock if they go up
Posted by Redfish2010
Member since Jul 2007
15169 posts
Posted on 5/9/23 at 9:47 pm to
quote:

Then I have a chase amazon one I only use for Amazon.



Anyone shopping at Amazon should have this card. 5% cash back is a solid deal
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