Credit Card-Rewards

[sritter78]

We are looking to get a credit card that will earn us airline miles/cash/etc.
We are going to start putting all of our groceries and gas on the credit card and pay it off each month (yes we will pay it off--we have no credit card debt).

We currently have Disney Chase cards, but feel like there might be a better option out there.

Any suggestions????

 

[HaleyB]

American Express. Hold out for the 50,000 point no fee the first year offer. It will be 50,000 points after spending xxxx in the first three months. 25,000 points = roundtrip air inside 48 States. If you sign up for offers on their website they will start sending them. I got a 15,000 point offer within 24 hours, 20,000 point about a week later and then the 50,000 point offer came in the mail a few weeks later.

You do need excellent credit though.

My parents have been opening accounts, getting the free year and all the points and then closing them before the annual fee. Rinse. Repeat. For many years. They do one in each of their names so 4 free flights each time. About every 18 months. I am on my first round, I should have listened to my mother sooner

 

[SuzanneSLO]

We are looking to get a credit card that will earn us airline miles/cash/etc.
We are going to start putting all of our groceries and gas on the credit card and pay it off each month (yes we will pay it off--we have no credit card debt).

We currently have Disney Chase cards, but feel like there might be a better option out there.

Any suggestions????

If you can get a cash back card that pays 2%, that may be your best option. You are essentially already earning 1% with Disney, so unless you find you can't use the Disney rewards, if you want a "cash" card, the Disney card may be a good fit for you.

If you want to earn airline miles, the first question is to determine what airline you would be likely to fly. Then search for deals for a card that earns miles on that airline, with the best sign up bonus possible. There are still some very generous sign up bonuses out there, although the best I have seen is the one last Spring with British Airways that gave a 100,000 mile bonus with sign-up and spend.

I like the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express. The bonus is only about 10,000 points, but the points you earn can either be used at Sheraton, Westin, Four Points etc hotels or converted to miles in many (but not all) airline programs. A night in the Swan at WDW, for example, would cost 10,000 Starwood points, but if you stay 5 nights, the 5th night is free. When you convert 20,000 points to many mileage programs, you get a bonus of an addiional 5,000, so you effectively earn 1.25% miles per $ spent.

The flexibility of the SPG card is one of its great features. My parents are on the Disney Baltic cruise in July. By redeeming 60,000 Starwood points, they are getting 5 nights free in London at the Sheraton Park Lane in Picadilly before the cruise and 50,000 miles on Virgin Atlantic that allowed them to book Upper Class seats for a just a small premium over what Disney was charging for coach.

There is a fee for the SPG Amex after the first year, so it is nto a good option unless you charge a lot.

Best of luck in your decision -- Suzanne

 

[Swimalie]

If you have a Costco membership card, get the Costco American Express card called True Earnings. The card has no annual fee for Costco members and it's also your membership card with your picture on the back (helps against fraud as well). You earn 3% back on gas, 3% back on restaurants, 2% back on travel and 1% back on everything else. We charge about $2000-2500 each month (pay it off at the end of every month) and will earn around $500 this year.

 

[dd50]

I mostly use HSBC weekender card. You get 2% cash back on weekends and 1% during the week.

 

[QVCshopper]

I have a Mastercard that gives me 2% back on all purchases into a 529 plan at Fidelity. This way, I save at least $600-700 extra for my kids' college savings each year. I'm grandfathered (for now) at 2%. I think new people get 1.5%.