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At some point the hassle of juggling cards and remembering which cards to use for what and which to pay off each month becomes not worth the hassle. I feel like I am doing more work than the rewards are paying me for.
I just write on small white stickers what the benefits are for each card and if there is a foreign transaction fee. I juggle about 5 cards and I don't find it too hard to do. Only a couple change every 3 months.
I just write on small white stickers what the benefits are for each card and if there is a foreign transaction fee. I juggle about 5 cards and I don't find it too hard to do. Only a couple change every 3 months.
The other issue I have is that by splitting them across so many cards, each of my cards have small reward balances. I can't buy a plane ticket with $30 on each of 8 cards but I can with $200 on one card. Even if the total is less overall. Most of these only let you do statement credits, not cash out to a main account, so they end up being a lot of trivial bonus vs a big noticeable reward.
Is anyone seeing a $250 sign up bonus for this card? It seems like the standard bonus is $200, but one time a few days ago I checked the amex site on my mobile phone and saw $250, but now I am not able to get that offer again.
SERIOUSLY??? My preferred Amex Blue I pay over $100 per year just to have earns 1% in online and this one triple that?? I'm definitely going to cancel my Preferred Blue. This is ridiculous and a spit on the face to customers like me who have paid annual fees for over 10 years...
How is it a slap in the face? Preferred gets warranty extension, 6% on groceries, 6% on Streaming
This card gets 3% groceries and 3% online shopping. It's just a different benefit.
If you like the no-fee card better for your needs (I did) then just get on a support chat and tell them you want the no fee card. They will switch it and refund a pro-rated portion of your annual fee back. Took me 10 minutes when I switched. They sent me a new card a few days later. My old card kept working until it arrived. Completely painless experience.
No need to feel insulted by this. You got the benefits you were promised when you signed up for the fee based card. If you don't feel the benefits are worth the fee any longer, you can cancel or switch to a different Amex card at any time.
is this one of the first general 3% shots fired? i remember when 2% was the target and fidelity led the way.
still not as good as my credit card which is 3% on everything, everywhere, unlimited. i spend 80% of my purchases online so this deal would be ok if i didn't have u.s. alliance
The other issue I have is that by splitting them across so many cards, each of my cards have small reward balances. I can't buy a plane ticket with $30 on each of 8 cards but I can with $200 on one card. Even if the total is less overall. Most of these only let you do statement credits, not cash out to a main account, so they end up being a lot of trivial bonus vs a big noticeable reward.
I'm a rewards maximizer with many cards, and my strategy is to cash out my rewards on a regular basis (every few months or so) on each card - usually applying the rewards to the statement balance. Then I transfer the sum of those amounts to a HYSA that I use for travel/vacations. It has worked very well so far. Sending these amounts to the HYSA allows interest to be earned - you don't earn anything with the rewards just sitting there waiting to be redeemed. I also transfer all spend bonuses, checking account bonuses, etc. to the travel account.
It is usually not recommended to actually use rewards to cover a purchase (unless you are getting more value from your points by doing so like in the case of airline point transfers) since you typically do not earn additional rewards on a transaction that you paid for with rewards.
The other issue I have is that by splitting them across so many cards, each of my cards have small reward balances. I can't buy a plane ticket with $30 on each of 8 cards but I can with $200 on one card. Even if the total is less overall. Most of these only let you do statement credits, not cash out to a main account, so they end up being a lot of trivial bonus vs a big noticeable reward.
That seems more psychological than anything. Unless you are using a card that earns miles, it doesn't matter what you use to purchase a plane ticket - it's all the same.
I have the older version of this card, which gives 3% cash back on grocery but not the gas or internet sales. But for those in similar situation, there's a referral program that gives $75 each person you sign up to any AMEX card. So I sent the referral to my wife and signed her up for this new AMEX Blue Cash, and she gets $200 (I think after $2,000 spent) and I get the $75 referral credit. Now I will have access to the new card with 3% internet purchase!
That seems more psychological than anything. Unless you are using a card that earns miles, it doesn't matter what you use to purchase a plane ticket - it's all the same.
It is psychological, yes.I agree. Also as I said earlier, more work to coordinate.
Quote
from samwathegreat
:
I'm a rewards maximizer with many cards, and my strategy is to cash out my rewards on a regular basis (every few months or so) on each card - usually applying the rewards to the statement balance. Then I transfer the sum of those amounts to a HYSA that I use for travel/vacations. It has worked very well so far. Sending these amounts to the HYSA allows interest to be earned - you don't earn anything with the rewards just sitting there waiting to be redeemed. I also transfer all spend bonuses, checking account bonuses, etc. to the travel account.
It is usually not recommended to actually use rewards to cover a purchase (unless you are getting more value from your points by doing so like in the case of airline point transfers) since you typically do not earn additional rewards on a transaction that you paid for with rewards.
How much is this interest you are earning per year at current interest rates? $10-15 max? It is an interesting strategy I will consider, though, so thanks for sharing.
I don't actually buy the items with the rewards, but if I pay off a specific $300 purchase with $300 in cashback credit, then it's a clean 1:1 payoff with points.
Nice card but when I went down to the fine print it states "3 Points per dollar accrual rate is a promotional value and expires on 12/31/2022, at which time points will accrue at 2 points per dollar. " just a heads up
Where did you see that? Reading through the cardmember agreement, I'm not seeing that mentioned:
"You will earn a reward of 3% on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year (then 1%) at supermarkets located in the U.S. (superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and meal-kit delivery services are not considered supermarkets); 3% on the first of $6,000 of U.S. online retail purchases (then 1%), 3% on the first $6,000 of purchases of gasoline at gas stations located in the U.S (then 1%)"
I have the older version of this card, which gives 3% cash back on grocery but not the gas or internet sales. But for those in similar situation, there's a referral program that gives $75 each person you sign up to any AMEX card. So I sent the referral to my wife and signed her up for this new AMEX Blue Cash, and she gets $200 (I think after $2,000 spent) and I get the $75 referral credit. Now I will have access to the new card with 3% internet purchase!
These benefits were added to the Blue Cash Everyday. It doesn't matter if you have the old card design or the new card design, the newly added benefits are available on all of them. If you log in to amex and tap "membership" then "see all" under "benefits", then tap "cash back". There you will see all of the newly added benefits.
You must be talking about the BCE (Blue Cash Everyday) because the OLD "Blue Cash" card (no longer available) earns 5% on grocery, not 3%.
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This card gets 3% groceries and 3% online shopping. It's just a different benefit.
If you like the no-fee card better for your needs (I did) then just get on a support chat and tell them you want the no fee card. They will switch it and refund a pro-rated portion of your annual fee back. Took me 10 minutes when I switched. They sent me a new card a few days later. My old card kept working until it arrived. Completely painless experience.
No need to feel insulted by this. You got the benefits you were promised when you signed up for the fee based card. If you don't feel the benefits are worth the fee any longer, you can cancel or switch to a different Amex card at any time.
still not as good as my credit card which is 3% on everything, everywhere, unlimited. i spend 80% of my purchases online so this deal would be ok if i didn't have u.s. alliance
https://go.usalliance.o
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It is usually not recommended to actually use rewards to cover a purchase (unless you are getting more value from your points by doing so like in the case of airline point transfers) since you typically do not earn additional rewards on a transaction that you paid for with rewards.
It is usually not recommended to actually use rewards to cover a purchase (unless you are getting more value from your points by doing so like in the case of airline point transfers) since you typically do not earn additional rewards on a transaction that you paid for with rewards.
I don't actually buy the items with the rewards, but if I pay off a specific $300 purchase with $300 in cashback credit, then it's a clean 1:1 payoff with points.
Where did you see that? Reading through the cardmember agreement, I'm not seeing that mentioned:
"You will earn a reward of 3% on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year (then 1%) at supermarkets located in the U.S. (superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and meal-kit delivery services are not considered supermarkets); 3% on the first of $6,000 of U.S. online retail purchases (then 1%), 3% on the first $6,000 of purchases of gasoline at gas stations located in the U.S (then 1%)"
You must be talking about the BCE (Blue Cash Everyday) because the OLD "Blue Cash" card (no longer available) earns 5% on grocery, not 3%.
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