Anyone have advice on rewards credit cards?

[kuhltiffany]

We're in BC too, moved here a few years ago from Ontario. It's a lot easier to get Air Miles here than Ontario, so something to consider. I'd look at your buying habits, where you shop most to see if that helps steer you toward where you would get the most points. I'll be honest, we have a lot of credit cards and use them for very specific purchases to get the benefits. I shop a lot a Superstore, plus we have a PC Mastercard and use their banking services exclusively as well. This gives us a lot of PC Points and gets us 7 cents per litre back in "Superbucks" which can be redeemed in store against your grocery bill. (I redeemed just before Christmas, only buy groceries and gas with the PC Mastercard and just hit $300 in points for example).

Both Amazon and Marriott cards do not have extra service fees (I think about 2.5% usually) which is charged on top of converting your US purchases from USD to CAD. Not a big deal if you don't travel, but if buying anything in the US (or for us paying USD for Disney cruises) it can really add up.

As for Westjet, we find that there are always sales on that make it cheaper to fly than AC. Combined with it's own Westjet dollar points program, $99 companion flight per year and free checked baggage for your whole travel party, is worth it to us. (Depends how often and where you usually travel to).

The Capital One is our main credit card, has great travel insurance and is so versatile, it can be used for any travel expense, you just apply it when the bill comes in…so easy!

Ah, kuhltiffany, you've mentioned the amazon.ca card for USD purchases. I'm intrigued. I know nothing about it. I'll look into the Capital One Aspire Travel World Card. Do you use Marriott hotels and WestJet exclusively? What do you think of WestJet compared to Air Canada (if you've had experience with AC)?

 

[kuzco-like]

OK so transferring points, you can use points.com to do that but you will lose some points in the process.

As for booking itself, I've not had an issue. Last year I booked a flight YYZ-SFO near-last minute for a funeral. And just last week I booked a flight Labour Day weekend for my wife and I YYZ-YVR as we have a wedding to attend. But my ease of booking may be a result of having multiple flights per day to each destination.

For choosing a new card, it really does depend on what you want to get out of your rewards/points/cash back. I'd suggest looking at a site like Rewards Canada which do comparisons between cards. For me, I like using my points to book travel, so I have a no-fee MBNA Rewards MC that for some reason gives me points at the World Elite level (2pts/$ instead of 1pt/$) - I think I was grandfathered into this as this used to be a MBNA Starwood MC (which honestly was the Best. Card. Ever.) before they discontinued it. Booking flights is easy (or at least, no more difficult than normal) as they use real-time prices on their redemption website, and if you don't have enough points you can buy points.

I also have an Amex Blue Sky no fee which I don't really use - basically it's so I can get Front of the Line and as an emergency if a place doesn't take MC and Visa. I did use it more before Costco switched over to MC, but not so much anymore. And I have a TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, for when they don't take MC, business expenses and so I can use the Air Canada lounge if I book on points. I get the fee waived as part of my TD account perks.

The only other advice I can give for getting a new card is that if there is a no fee and an annual fee version, always go for the annual fee as the point-to-dollar ratio is more favourable. And similar to my TD card you may be able to get the fee waived if you combine a bank account with the CC.

starvenger...I was finally able to find some flights that worked, but I had to use extra miles to do so (43,000 instead of 25,000...bummer). Perhaps it's because I'm flying out of Vancouver to Orlando. That itinerary might not be as common as flying Vancouver>Los Angeles or Toronto>Orlando. Like you said.

Good tip regarding Rewards Canada website. I hadn't heard of that. I'll do more research there. That looks like a rich resource; I'll have to devote some time to that. Interested in the Amex Blue Sky. Not sure what you mean by front of the line. At the airport?

I have a CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite, so I'm curious about your TD card. I don't get the lounge fee waived. And I can use the lounge only once. I'm feeling ripped off, as I also have an account at CIBC. I think this is something I should follow up about with CIBC. Great info. Thanks for sharing!

 

[kuzco-like]

I have had good luck with booking flights through Aeroplan points. I booked a trip to to Disneyland in May for September with a Saturday departure. It cost 53400 points (17800 points per ticket) + $208 (69.33 per person) for fees and taxes for 3 return from Halifax, at good flight times. Last year we were able to get last minute 1 way flights for 3 to Barcelona for a transatlantic cruise.

I do find that checking regularly for flights and having some flexibility on dates helps with Aeroplan.

gilsan...one thing I've worried about when checking frequently for flights is the cookies/they know what you're looking for, so they'll jack up the "cost"/limited availability scenarios. Do you think you've ever experienced that?

 

[kuzco-like]

I love my TD First Class Travel Infinte card. They have changed to #points per dollar spent but I still love it because you can use it for anything travel related. Plus it has great insurance etc as well. Once a vacation expense that I want to cover shows on my visa bill, I simply go online and redeem the $ I want. In 2 business days it shows as a credit on my bill. Super easy. I don't use a PC visa or account but I do use just the PC points so when I do groceries I get PC points plus visa points. For visa I generally have $1000 per year in travel $'s and right now I'm close to $200 in PC $ which I plan to use to buy Starbucks gift cards to use in Disney this summer.

I agree, JennyT1. The insurance coverages are excellent. I usually buy extra for trip cancellation, lost luggage, etc. Nice to see that included (I think that's what I saw). I'm not familiar with this scenario you've described. So you purchase a vacation expense on your Visa, and then you redeem/apply your points/miles to that expense? I've never heard of this. Sounds really easy. Okay, I have to admit that you lost me. "I don't use a PC visa or account but I do use just the PC points so when I do groceries I get PC points plus visa points." Can you explain? When are you going to Disney this summer? I'm going to WDW in July. First time in the summer. I don't know what to expect. I'm a little scared.

 

[kuzco-like]

We have the RBC Travel or Avion, can't quite remember which one and we have now booked 2 trips with it. My best advice would be to book early and to look up the flights on the internet prior either on the carrier's website or on google flights. Mark down the flight code and call in to book it and give them the code, most of the time the flights are not listed on the miles website but you request for them with the codes you'll be able to get it 95% of the time.
Another tip; look for american carriers like Delta or United, they have lower taxes and fees on their flight so the residual you have to pay after using your points. If you're with Aeroplan the United flight will most likely be serviced by Air Canada! I personally prefer a card that isn't stuck to Aeroplan because the other programs have better availabilities in general since you can book on any company not just Star Alliance!

OMG...what a great tip, Tam&Sam. It never occurred to me to look up the regular flights and then call in. I've just gone to the Aeroplan website and searched to see what is available. I wish that I'd seen this before I booked. I might just call in anyhow, and see what they can get me. Now, the flights that I've booked through Aeroplan...many have been with other carriers, such as American, and I think United. But I'll look into that, as well...looking at the American carriers, first. Thanks for the help!

 

[Aladora]

Aladora...you kind of lost me. Can you explain more about making US funds purchases on your amazon.ca card. I'm not familiar with the amazon.ca card. I usually just purchase through the amazon.ca website and use my Visa card. Am I missing out on something?

When you buy something on a Canadian credit card that is charged in a currency other than Canadian, the credit card company not only charges you the exchange rate but also an extra 2.5% foreign exchange fee.

Amazon Visa cards do not have the extra 2.5% foreign exchange fee that most Canadian credit cards charge so when I buy anything in US funds I always use my Amazon card. I also earn 2% cash back per $1 I spend on Amazon.ca and 1% cash back per $1 I spend everywhere else. Oh, and I got a $20 Amazon.ca gift card as soon as I was approved.

Hope that made sense!

 

[kuzco-like]

The RBC WestJet card has been good to me, between the companion fare and the free checked luggage. Also WestJet's reward program uses straightforward "dollars" accumulated and redeemed rather than points, so there are no blackouts or availability issues, and you don't have to save enough for a whole flight to get some value. The only problem is that it does tend to push you towards WestJet, which isn't always cheapest, but I prefer them to most other carriers anyway.

Chase Amazon.ca card for *any* forex transaction (not just USD purchases).

OP, if you stop regularly collecting Aeroplan points, just make sure you keep the account active (I believe it's at least one transaction a year), or they will expire all your points. Aeroplan lost me when this happened several years back, without even so much as a "your miles will expire soon" warning.

Oooh...free checked luggage. That is a bonus, mab2012. I've been lucky enough to book some business-class flights, and the free checked luggage is certainly a nice bonus. I also like the idea of dollars. I hate having to look up flights to see how many miles they're worth. Plus, I like the idea that you don't have to save up for the entire value of the flight, too.

I'll have to check into the Chase amazon.ca card for foreign exchange transactions (it too me a minute to figure out forex).

I've got a lot of points on Aeroplan, so thank you for the tip about keeping the account active. Would hate to lose them all. Thanks for all the good advice!

 

[kuzco-like]

We're in BC too, moved here a few years ago from Ontario. It's a lot easier to get Air Miles here than Ontario, so something to consider. I'd look at your buying habits, where you shop most to see if that helps steer you toward where you would get the most points. I'll be honest, we have a lot of credit cards and use them for very specific purchases to get the benefits. I shop a lot a Superstore, plus we have a PC Mastercard and use their banking services exclusively as well. This gives us a lot of PC Points and gets us 7 cents per litre back in "Superbucks" which can be redeemed in store against your grocery bill. (I redeemed just before Christmas, only buy groceries and gas with the PC Mastercard and just hit $300 in points for example).

Both Amazon and Marriott cards do not have extra service fees (I think about 2.5% usually) which is charged on top of converting your US purchases from USD to CAD. Not a big deal if you don't travel, but if buying anything in the US (or for us paying USD for Disney cruises) it can really add up.

As for Westjet, we find that there are always sales on that make it cheaper to fly than AC. Combined with it's own Westjet dollar points program, $99 companion flight per year and free checked baggage for your whole travel party, is worth it to us. (Depends how often and where you usually travel to).

The Capital One is our main credit card, has great travel insurance and is so versatile, it can be used for any travel expense, you just apply it when the bill comes in…so easy!

First...belated welcome to BC. It's so nice to hear an Ontarian (is that the proper word?) say something nice about BC, even if it is just about collecting travel points.

I agree. I'll have to really look hard at my spending/buying habits and figure out from there. A lot of people have mentioned PC points, and I really don't shop at those stores. I might have to switch.

I need clarification...the Amazon and Marriott cards do or do not have extra service fees?

Because of Aeroplan, I've never really looked into WestJet. Sounds like I might have to. A few people have written positively about WJ.

And someone else described how easy it is to use the Capital One card. That sounds amazing. So much easier than searching for available flights...

Thanks again!

 

[kuzco-like]

When you buy something on a Canadian credit card that is charged in a currency other than Canadian, the credit card company not only charges you the exchange rate but also an extra 2.5% foreign exchange fee.

Amazon Visa cards do not have the extra 2.5% foreign exchange fee that most Canadian credit cards charge so when I buy anything in US funds I always use my Amazon card. I also earn 2% cash back per $1 I spend on Amazon.ca and 1% cash back per $1 I spend everywhere else. Oh, and I got a $20 Amazon.ca gift card as soon as I was approved.

Hope that made sense!

So much sense! And I wish that I'd known about this before. I'm looking into that tomorrow. Thanks again!

 

[squirrel]

When you buy something on a Canadian credit card that is charged in a currency other than Canadian, the credit card company not only charges you the exchange rate but also an extra 2.5% foreign exchange fee.

Amazon Visa cards do not have the extra 2.5% foreign exchange fee that most Canadian credit cards charge so when I buy anything in US funds I always use my Amazon card. I also earn 2% cash back per $1 I spend on Amazon.ca and 1% cash back per $1 I spend everywhere else. Oh, and I got a $20 Amazon.ca gift card as soon as I was approved.

Hope that made sense!

Thanks for the tip about the card not charging a foreign exchange fee. I just applied for the card and didn't know about that. I will be using it for my US trip expenses.

 

[squirrel]

Depending where you live in BC it may be cheaper to drive down to the US and fly from there. I like to go all the way to Seattle for a direct flight to MCO. I also fly with Alaska and have their CC. I use the companion ticket each year.

 

[Schooner]

I just purchased my entire DVC membership on credit cards. I did the first half on my RBC Avion card, and found out the hard way about the 2.5% fee. The second half I did with an RBC US Gold card, which allowed me to collect Avion points as well. It's not advertised, but if you collect Avion points, you have to call them to transfer the points to your other card. They told me that as long as it's under 30,000 points, they will convert them to Avion points. (You can't do it online)

 

[Canadian Girl]

The CIBC Adventura card can be used to book a trip anytime, anywhere. I just booked a return trip to Orlando in November ( flex on Westjet) when there was zero availbility from Aeroplan, for 35000 points and 189.99. Retail was close to $1000.00.

 

[mshanson3121]

Hi, mshanson. Thanks for your reply. I have a few follow up questions. Does PC = President's Choice? Also, are you in Ontario? I forgot to mention in my original post that I'm in BC. Quite often, our stores/offers are different. I'll have to do some more research. One thing I don't do currently is earn gas points. I usually do just what's convenient. But I should, at least, be taking advantage of these high gas prices (at least in BC they're high). And that's great news about Visa or MC gift cards. I know that friends in the US are able to make the most of gift cards. Nice to know that's an option for us. Thanks again.

Sorry, yes, PC = President's Choice, and my understanding is this is a nation-wide program, so it's for any Loblaw's owned store.

 

[JennyT1]

I agree, JennyT1. The insurance coverages are excellent. I usually buy extra for trip cancellation, lost luggage, etc. Nice to see that included (I think that's what I saw). I'm not familiar with this scenario you've described. So you purchase a vacation expense on your Visa, and then you redeem/apply your points/miles to that expense? I've never heard of this. Sounds really easy. Okay, I have to admit that you lost me. "I don't use a PC visa or account but I do use just the PC points so when I do groceries I get PC points plus visa points." Can you explain? When are you going to Disney this summer? I'm going to WDW in July. First time in the summer. I don't know what to expect. I'm a little scared.

Yes you need see excellent travel ins coverage. I don't buy anything extra. So say I'm paying for my final Disney balance with my visa. Once it hits my visa bill, I log into the TD Rewards site. So for this upcoming trip I will have the equivalent of $700 in points, I simply click how many points I want to redeem, click which travel expense I'm applying it to, and 48 hours later the $700 shows as a credit/payment on my card.

Ok for PC points, I don't use the banking services because I like TD. So when I shop, I scan my PC point card to get my PC points ( lower points than if I had their credit card) then I pay with my TD Visa to get my visa points.

 

[gilsan]

gilsan...one thing I've worried about when checking frequently for flights is the cookies/they know what you're looking for, so they'll jack up the "cost"/limited availability scenarios. Do you think you've ever experienced that?

I don't think the cookies makes a difference. I had been looking at the flights to LA for about a month when I found the bargain that we booked. I also have been looking for a flight to Orlando for next May and saw a drop in the miles required from the first day I started checking. I have also found that you look for flights and there are none and then check back a couple days later and flights are available.

 

[starvenger]

Interested in the Amex Blue Sky. Not sure what you mean by front of the line. At the airport?

No, that's for things like certain concert tickets, or advance reservations for things like Summerlicious in Toronto.

I have a CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite, so I'm curious about your TD card. I don't get the lounge fee waived. And I can use the lounge only once. I'm feeling ripped off, as I also have an account at CIBC. I think this is something I should follow up about with CIBC. Great info. Thanks for sharing!

I should clarify that I get the lounge fee waived once a year with the TD card as well. Other times... well I just try to be nice to the people at the front and sometimes I get in. I do get my annual fee waived, but that's a part of my banking plan with TD.

 

[jjpet]

We combine our efforts with Air Miles Mastercard, and Scotiabank Gold Amex. The Gold Amex offers 4% return (in points) on grocery, gas, and restaurant purchases. Then those points are applied directly in cash form to any travel related purchase. There are some annoying limitations (Superstore and Save-On don't take Amex, for example) but when we are able to use it, we haven't yet found another card that can match the 4%. We tend to shop more at Safeway/Sobey's for the Air Miles anyway, so that usually isn't an issue for us. The points on the Amex can also be used to make payments on the credit card and I think for RRSP contributions, so there is an element of 'cash back' to it as well.

 

[kuzco-like]

Thanks for the tip about the card not charging a foreign exchange fee. I just applied for the card and didn't know about that. I will be using it for my US trip expenses.

It's a great tip, isn't it? DIS-folks are so helpful!

 

[kuzco-like]

Depending where you live in BC it may be cheaper to drive down to the US and fly from there. I like to go all the way to Seattle for a direct flight to MCO. I also fly with Alaska and have their CC. I use the companion ticket each year.

I hear what you're saying, squirrel. (I'm in Surrey, by the way...so yes, it's a quick trip to the border.) And I've done that before. But I had a bad experience once that put me off doing that again. Ironically, it was when I was coming back from my first trip to WDW. I had lunch at Sunshine Season's (cold chicken salad...never again), and got food poisoning, which reared its ugly head on the flight. Landed in Seattle, and still had the approximately 3 hour drive to get home. Longest 3 hours of my life. Well, not actually, because I don't remember much, except curling up on a bench at the customs office because, of course, we had to get out of the car and declare our purchases. It was not pleasant, and put me off the idea of going through Sea-Tac. But perhaps I'll have to look into that again. Having a direct flight to MCO does sound very appealing... Questions: So you drive? What do you do with your car? Do you have a favourite hotel where you park and fly?