Best Credit Card with Cash Back Rewards

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AladainAF

Best Rabbit
<Gold Donor>
12,793
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I wish I hadn't missed out on the good years of credit card churning. I remember in the 2000's, especially with Fatwallet, it was huge. But they've clamped down on a lot of that, like manufactured spending.

Nothing was better than buying coins from the us mint with credit cards, getting points for the purchase, and depositing what you bought in the bank. You could get millions of points in the time it took them to catch on.
 
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Aychamo BanBan

<Banned>
6,338
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I'm finally revamping all my finances, and saw I've been using a fucking credit card for years that has no rewards or anything. Literally nothing. SIGH.

I applied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Freedom Unlimited, to start the "quadfecta." Waiting for approval.

I plan to pay my quarterly income taxes to rapidly rack up a lot of points, and that will get me all the "spend $3000 for X points" immediately. Other than that, is there any easy churning out there? I've really enjoyed reading about different ways to utilize this stuff. Like, the chase busines ink card that rewards you from office supplies stores, you go there and buy $1000 worth of amazon gift cards, then I can use those to buy my new laptop.
 

Burnesto

Molten Core Raider
2,142
126
I'm finally revamping all my finances, and saw I've been using a fucking credit card for years that has no rewards or anything. Literally nothing. SIGH.

I applied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Freedom Unlimited, to start the "quadfecta." Waiting for approval.

I plan to pay my quarterly income taxes to rapidly rack up a lot of points, and that will get me all the "spend $3000 for X points" immediately. Other than that, is there any easy churning out there? I've really enjoyed reading about different ways to utilize this stuff. Like, the chase busines ink card that rewards you from office supplies stores, you go there and buy $1000 worth of amazon gift cards, then I can use those to buy my new laptop.
I know that you're paying the quarterly tax to get your bonus with ease, but I believe there is a fee that would probably be greater than your spending rewards. So you'd probably be at a net loss on the points unless the card gives more than 2% or so for paying taxes to the IRS.
 

The_Black_Log Foler

Stock Pals VP
<Gold Donor>
42,385
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Sapphire reserve is best ever. I've used priority pass so many times now. Got myself and 6 friends in vip open bar lounge in Santo Domingo airport after our flight was delayed 6 hours. Add all the other travel perks and it's a beautiful card. Granted since I travel a lot its the best. Pretty awesome when you're in the middle of Africa, airport is complete shit with no wifi, o hey they have a priority pass vip lounge with WiFi, and food.

Currently sitting at 450k points. Need to book some travel.
 
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TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
<Gold Donor>
40,598
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I don't travel a ton but I do get my vacation flight paid for each year with my Chase Sapphire. The only card worth the annual fee so far. I haven't found another worth it yet.
 

Sanrith Descartes

Veteran of a thousand threadban wars
<Aristocrat╭ರ_•́>
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Experience has taught me that simple is usually best in the end. The gimmick cards that award x% for 1 category, y% for another etc rarely get maximized by the user. Amex Blue Cash Magnet is a straight no-limit 1.5% cash back with zero annual fee. Need decent credit to qualify. I use a similar Chase Ink card (1.5% cash back) for my business.
 
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Soygen

The Dirty Dozen For the Price of One
<Nazi Janitors>
28,306
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Experience has taught me that simple is usually best in the end. The gimmick cards that award x% for 1 category, y% for another etc rarely get maximized by the user. Amex Blue Cash Magnet is a straight no-limit 1.5% cash back with zero annual fee. Need decent credit to qualify. I use a similar Chase Ink card (1.5% cash back) for my business.
Agreed. It's why the Fidelity Rewards cards has been my main card for over a decade now. It's just 2% on everything, period.
 
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Ronaan

Molten Core Raider
1,092
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Finally gave in last year and got the Amazon Visa when there was a big signup bonus (I want to say 75€). 3% on Amazon and 1% on other stuff (in Amazon points) is pretty nice, plus no annual fee.

My other card costs €50 per year if I spend under €2500 and €25 if I spend under €50. I might have problems reaching the zero fee mark this year. Might as well cancel the card tbh, I don't need two really. But it's from the bank I have all my accounts at so it's in my online banking, which is nice I guess.

Meh.
 

Springbok

Karen
<Gold Donor>
8,961
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Experience has taught me that simple is usually best in the end. The gimmick cards that award x% for 1 category, y% for another etc rarely get maximized by the user. Amex Blue Cash Magnet is a straight no-limit 1.5% cash back with zero annual fee. Need decent credit to qualify. I use a similar Chase Ink card (1.5% cash back) for my business.

Just got the same card for that exact same reason - I NEVER remember to activate all the right deals at the right times, so the AMEX was a no brainer w/ zero annual fee.
 
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Unidin

Molten Core Raider
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Finally gave in last year and got the Amazon Visa when there was a big signup bonus (I want to say 75€). 3% on Amazon and 1% on other stuff (in Amazon points) is pretty nice, plus no annual fee.

My other card costs €50 per year if I spend under €2500 and €25 if I spend under €50. I might have problems reaching the zero fee mark this year. Might as well cancel the card tbh, I don't need two really. But it's from the bank I have all my accounts at so it's in my online banking, which is nice I guess.

Meh.

Reward cards in Europe are not nearly as good as their American counterparts because Europe doesn't allow the banks to charge people that don't pay off the cards nearly as much. So there's less money for rewards. For example, I also have the Amazon card, but it pays 5% back on Amazon stuff.
 

Sanrith Descartes

Veteran of a thousand threadban wars
<Aristocrat╭ರ_•́>
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Vepil

Gamja
<Bronze Donator>
5,741
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Chase Freedom Sapphire card is doing 5% on gas purchase July - Sep I think up to $1500. Don't quote me on the $1500 though I don't have the information any longer on the max.
 
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Burnesto

Molten Core Raider
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Chase Freedom Sapphire card is doing 5% on gas purchase July - Sep I think up to $1500. Don't quote me on the $1500 though I don't have the information any longer on the max.
It's still $1,500 I'm pretty sure. It's just the Freedom though. The Sapphire is its own thing unless there's a new one.
 
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Vepil

Gamja
<Bronze Donator>
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It's still $1,500 I'm pretty sure. It's just the Freedom though. The Sapphire is its own thing unless there's a new one.

Okay I wasn't sure, when I first got this it was a Sapphire and now it says Freedom on it. Thanks for the assist!
 

sleevedraw

Revolver Ocelot
<Bronze Donator>
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Amex released the refresh to the Green Card. It's better than it was, but it's still pretty underwhelming other than the sign-up bonus, especially compared with the good refreshes to Gold and Plat.
  • AF increase from $95 to $150
  • Card now earns 3X on restaurants and travel (defined as airlines, transit, rideshare, rental cars, and hotels, but not gas)
  • 30,000 MR point sign on bonus, 45k if target
  • Limited time $100 Away luggage credit (they make good but very expensive pieces)
  • $100 annual Loungebuddy credit
  • $100 annual CLEAR credit (meh, like a privately owned version of TSA Precheck that is only available in certain airports, and unless you get a discount through Delta, CLEAR is $180 PER YEAR.)

So TL;DR it's a Sapphire Reserve (SR has a $450 AF, but this is effectively $150 after the $300 travel credit) with hard-to-use bonus credits. There's not very much synergy with Gold and Plat (as Gold already gets 4x on restaurants, and the Plat gets 5x on airlines and hotels.)