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Started By
Message
Need help finding a credit card for travel rewards
Posted on 2/13/18 at 7:46 pm
Posted on 2/13/18 at 7:46 pm
I've always had cash back reward oriented credit cards, because we don't travel often. However, we are about to move to Los Angeles and therefore will be flying far more frequently to visit home (and with the increased cost of living- we will need to save on travel as much as possible)
I basically use one main credit card for all my purchases and bills, to accumulate points, and pay it off each month. My monthly bill is usually around 2k. Looking at travel cards, Capital One Venture card and the Barclays look like the best bets for me right now, but maybe I'm missing some good offers elsewhere? I have a 750 credit score. Recommendations?
I basically use one main credit card for all my purchases and bills, to accumulate points, and pay it off each month. My monthly bill is usually around 2k. Looking at travel cards, Capital One Venture card and the Barclays look like the best bets for me right now, but maybe I'm missing some good offers elsewhere? I have a 750 credit score. Recommendations?
This post was edited on 2/13/18 at 7:48 pm
3
Posted on 2/13/18 at 7:52 pm to Tigerfan56
I have the Cap One Venture card and will say I personally love it, their online and app interfaces, and their customer service. I'm not going to say there aren't better reward offers out there, but I'm very pleased. I like that you can also get a bonus on your redemption if you get a gift card to certain places like Amazon (assuming at some point you don't use it for the travel). When I got mine, it offered 40,000 bonus points for your first $3k spent in 90 days. I do what you plan to do, but our bill is about $4k each month.
Posted on 2/13/18 at 7:54 pm to Tigerfan56
The Barclays card and Capital One both offer 2X miles on all purchases. Barclays offers a 40k Miles reward for new customers and Capital One offers 50k, both of which I would earn. The interest rates don't matter to me, I never pay interest. So with all that being close to equal the main difference are:
Barclays says
Does that mean if I redeem 200 miles with them, I get back another 10 miles?
And with Capital One, I get 10x points on hotels. These benefits also on the surface seem like they would be pretty close. So my next big thing would be customer service and if it is accepted everywhere. Hasn't heard of Barclays, not sure if it's universally accepted? Or if there's another great card I'm overlooking.
Barclays says
quote:
Get 5% miles back to use toward your next redemption, every time you redeem
Does that mean if I redeem 200 miles with them, I get back another 10 miles?
And with Capital One, I get 10x points on hotels. These benefits also on the surface seem like they would be pretty close. So my next big thing would be customer service and if it is accepted everywhere. Hasn't heard of Barclays, not sure if it's universally accepted? Or if there's another great card I'm overlooking.
Posted on 2/13/18 at 7:56 pm to S1C EM
quote:
their online and app interfaces, and their customer service.
This is big to me. Assuming no other rewards completely dwarf this one, it could be a deciding factor
Posted on 2/13/18 at 7:57 pm to S1C EM
Chase Sapphire Reserve. Free TSA PreCheck, $300 travel voucher, ton of points for booking through Ultimate Rewards site, points extremely transferable, lounge access, and a ton of other benefits...too many to list.
There's a relatively high annual fee but you get that money back in the form of extras. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is another great travel card with a lower annual fee but no travel credit.
There's a relatively high annual fee but you get that money back in the form of extras. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is another great travel card with a lower annual fee but no travel credit.
Posted on 2/13/18 at 8:02 pm to mmmmmbeeer
50,000 ($750 value if redeemed through the chase portal) Chase UR points as well and 3x points in Travel and Dining. Dining is big for me.
Posted on 2/14/18 at 6:48 am to Tigerfan56
quote:
However, we are about to move to Los Angeles and therefore will be flying far more frequently to visit home (and with the increased cost of living- we will need to save on travel as much as possible)
Most important question- where is “home” I.e what airport, and what airline will you be flying the most from Los Angeles back home?
You’re best bet would be to get that airlines branded credit card (assuming the perks are beneficial) and/or the chase sapphire reserve, which is generally regarded as the best premium travel card. If getting the sapphire reserve, you also want to pair it with the (free) chase freedom unlimited card (or whatever it’s called).
Posted on 2/14/18 at 8:21 am to 632627
quote:
and/or the chase sapphire reserve, which is generally regarded as the best premium travel card. If getting the sapphire reserve, you also want to pair it with the (free) chase freedom unlimited card (or whatever it’s called).
I ended up going with this card. As a bonus, I talked to my parents who are about to book a $50k trip. They are anti credit card
so they pay in cash (I've told them countless times that they are missing out on huge rewards, as much as they make/spend). They are going to book it through my credit card and reimburse me. So I'm going to get 150,000 points for free 
This post was edited on 2/14/18 at 8:22 am
Posted on 2/14/18 at 8:22 am to 632627
quote:
If getting the sapphire reserve, you also want to pair it with the (free) chase freedom unlimited card (or whatever it’s called).
What is the benefit here?
Posted on 2/14/18 at 8:41 am to Tigerfan56
quote:
I ended up going with this card.
It looks good, but a $450 annual fee plus another $75 per authorized user is a non-starter for me. Plus, the airline benefits would be the only thing that I could use as we never stay in hotels. Condos and rental homes, unfortunately, rarely ever qualify as "travel" since the owners have to have their transactions labeled that way and most I have used do not do this.
And the 3x points on travel and dining is nice, but dining generally means "fine dining". Not Dunkin Donuts. For me, 2x miles on every dollar goes farther.
At any rate, it's a still a great card. Enjoy the rewards!
Posted on 2/14/18 at 8:45 am to S1C EM
quote:
, but a $450 annual fee
Initially this was an auto-disqualifier for me as well. But, the card also comes with a $300 annual travel statement credit. So essentially, since I will always have $300+ travel in a year, the fee is $150.
Posted on 2/14/18 at 8:50 am to S1C EM
quote:
And the 3x points on travel and dining is nice, but dining generally means "fine dining". Not Dunkin Donuts. For me, 2x miles on every dollar goes farther.
I have the CSR Card as well....it's all dining for 3x. Subway, Chick Fil A, Ruth's Chris. Whichever. It's a killer card - basically $150 fee if you travel at all, plus the lounge access at several big airports and automatic elite status at National and Avis I think. I only rent cars with National so I'm not sure on Avis but I think that's part of it.
My favorite part of the rewards card though is that travel booked using points through Chase's portal gives you a 1.5x redemption rate. You can book a $150 hotel for 10,000 points. That's a great redemption rate.
Posted on 2/14/18 at 9:28 am to MudIslandTiger
quote:
it's all dining for 3x. Subway, Chick Fil A, Ruth's Chris.
Hmmm. That's interesting. I said that based on the fine print I read on their site and it just read "fine dining".
quote:
basically $150 fee if you travel at all
Gotcha. I did see the $300 credit, but I've run into other reward cards where there was a catch to it. I have the Chase IHG card, actually, and it used to give you a free hotel stay every year. They seem to have eliminated that, though. That said, I also don't travel enough to care anything about lounge access, rental cars, etc. And again, most of my travel involves private, individual-owned properties that don't report their charges as "travel", so can't redeem on those. I'm more likely to take the bonus on a gift card redemption.
quote:
My favorite part of the rewards card though is that travel booked using points through Chase's portal gives you a 1.5x redemption rate.
This is similar to redeeming Venture miles for non-travel. You have options like this as well. I know for sure Amazon was one of those. I could have paid for Christmas this last year with my miles, but didn't have to (already had a lot of cash back to redeem this time around). Christmas will be "free" again this year, though!
Posted on 2/14/18 at 9:39 am to Tigerfan56
quote:
What is the benefit here?
Chase lets you transfer points between cards. Take someone like me, for instance:
Sapphire Reserve
Ink Cash
Freedom
Freedom Unlimited
So that's 5x points on cable, internet, cell phone, and office supply stores. 5x on Freedom rotating categories. 3x travel and dining. 2x gas. 1.5x everything else.
But all of those point get transferred to the Sapphire Reserve to either get transferred to one of the travel partners or used on travel for 1.5x bonus. So even with the net $150 fee on the Reserve, I come out far ahead of what I would if I was simply getting a straight 2% cashback.
Posted on 2/14/18 at 9:58 am to Joshjrn
Wow, I didn't realize that. That's amazing.
Posted on 2/14/18 at 10:47 am to Tigerfan56
quote:
Wow, I didn't realize that. That's amazing.
Yep. If you have even one of Chase's premium cards, your UR points are valued at 2.1 cents to per point (and have been at that point for years now) because of the value that comes from transfer partners. For example, it's not unusually for me to get three to four cents of value per point at Hyatt hotel properties.
So that 1.5x points on the Freedom Unlimited becomes 2.25 cents when transferred to the Reserve and used to book travel (which is the worst valuation you should ever subject yourself to) or 3.15 cents if you're getting the average valuation of 2.1 cents per. And that's on everything. My spend on gift cards at office supply stores turns into 10.5 cents, etc.
This post was edited on 2/14/18 at 10:48 am
Posted on 2/14/18 at 11:24 am to Joshjrn
What do they consider "office supply stores"?
Posted on 2/14/18 at 2:16 pm to Joshjrn
Also, let's not forget the most important thing. You feel like a fricking boss whipping out that heavy arse card
Posted on 2/14/18 at 2:21 pm to Tigerfan56
CSR $300 Travel Credit applies to Uber and UberEats as well.
Posted on 2/14/18 at 2:48 pm to mmmmmbeeer
quote:
You feel like a fricking boss whipping out that heavy arse card
Is it metal? I have enjoyed that about my Venture. Wears a lot better in the wallet, but people always comment on it when I have to hand it over to be run.
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