Reward Card- Advice needed :)

[anevans81]

We are planning an extended family trip next spring for about 18 people. As you can imagine, that is going to add up fast. If you were going to open a new reward card to use for this trip, what would it be? We generally pay cash for everything but are considering the perks of a reward card.

 

[scrapquitler]

I would not open a card with the intention of putting the entire trip on the card and pay for all 18 people! I'd have each family group pay their own portion themselves. No way would I take the chance of booking airfare for 18 people and then trying to collect from everyone involved. Or are you planning to pay for the entire trip anyway? In that case...go ahead. But to wait for other people to reimburse me, no way.

 

[nowellsl]

American Express blue gives 3% At grocery store, 2% at gas stations and dept. stores. I got a $200 bonus and 1 free year of Amazon Prime after I charged $500 within a certain time (3 months I think).

 

[nowellsl]

Capital one has one that gives 1.5% cash back for anything you charge on it.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I recommend the Barclay Arrival Plus Card. You get 2 points for every dollar spent(no restrictions). 40,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days which equates to a $400 sign up bonus. Also, you get 10% back for rewards redeemed for travel(i.e. spend the 43,000 points you originally have for flights and get 4,300 points RIGHT back into your account). It DOES have a fee but you could always downgrade before the year is up. Also, depending on where you're traveling to it has NO foreign transaction fee and another perk is a free credit score every month.

I wouldn't recommend this card for everyday spending (i.e. groceries or gas) but it's a great travel card.

 

[Ngwira]

Capital one has one that gives 1.5% cash back for anything you charge on it.

This is the quicksilver card.

 

[My3Princez]

We have the Chase Freedom Card. I like it because the rewards are very flexible. We can spend the "points" to get items through their redemption program, or use the to buy gift cards. But most of the time, we just get the reward dollars deposited into our checking account. Cash in the bank is usable for ANYTHING, so we aren't trying to figure out how to use "miles" on a certain airline, or restricted to ONLY using Disney dollars for Disney stuff.
We DO have the Disney credit card, because we signed up for it when there was a $200 bonus offer and we were planning a trip. But other than that initial bonus (and we once took advantage of the early discount release for card holders and the 6 month no financing when we booked a package) we don't use the card.

 

[abcboys]

I also use the chase freedom. There was a $150 (I think) sign up bonus plus another $25 when I add another card. There are rotating 5% categories each quarter for groceries, restaurants, gas, and amazon (plus a few random things) and 1% on everything else. Yes, you do have to activate the 5% each quarter but its literally just a click of a button and not a huge deal at all. I'm usually on there once or twice a week anyway to pay it off. I decided on this instead of the American Express one because I know a lot of places don't take American Express. I've had the account around 6 months and have about $325 of rewards waiting for our vacation. Of course this includes the bonus from signing up.

 

[havaneselover]

Totally depends on how they will be used. My top cards are Amex Blue Preferred, capital one quick silver, chase freedom. I rarely have an issue that Amex isn't accepted. C1 is nice for traveling overseas. I constantly evaluate my strategies to maximize rewards. It's becoming a second job. Luckily I enjoy it.

For travel I would have recommended the Costco Amex because you get 2% back, but that card is going away

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

We use the Fidelity Investment Rewards American Express card. No annual fee. We get 2% on everything 24/7/365. There are no limits.