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Speaking of credit card rebates...
11-04-2007, 02:40 PM
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#1
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 743
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What's the best deal you are aware of for credit card rebates or point systems? The one caveat - the credit card must have no annual fee. In other words, for us non-revolvers, a little bit of money for free.
I spent a little bit of time researching this about 2 years ago. Most of the decent rebate programs came with fees. The best I could find at the time with no fee was Amazon, which gives me 1% in Amazon credit for all purchases, but 3% in Amazon credit for purchases on Amazon.com.
For me it seemed as good as cash (at least in modest quantities) since I'm likely to spend a few hundred bucks a year on their site as it is.
Does anyone know of a better deal? (with no fees!)
__________________
Money's just something you need in case you don't die tomorrow.
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11-04-2007, 02:49 PM
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#2
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Texas~29N/98W
Posts: 3,014
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Discover has a standard 1% kickback. Each quarter they have 5% kick back on different things. For example in the first qtr they had cruises, travel related stuff. In the summer they had a kick back for gas and auto repairs. In the spring I seem to recall that Home Depot, Lowes etc was part of the 5% deal. They currently have 5% bonus on restaurants.
It all depends on your particular spending habits if it is worth it. For example, if you never buy from Amazon, what good is 3%?
__________________
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
In dire need of: faster horses, younger woman, older whiskey, more money.
Last edited by mickeyd; 11-04-2007 at 03:08 PM.
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11-04-2007, 03:24 PM
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#3
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 743
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by mickeyd
Discover has a standard 1% kickback.
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But doesn't it have an annual fee?
Also, their international coverage was traditionally pretty spotty.
__________________
Money's just something you need in case you don't die tomorrow.
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11-04-2007, 05:35 PM
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#4
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Texas~29N/98W
Posts: 3,014
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maurice
But doesn't it have an annual fee?
Also, their international coverage was traditionally pretty spotty.
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Discover has never had an annual fee.
__________________
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
In dire need of: faster horses, younger woman, older whiskey, more money.
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11-04-2007, 03:15 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boise
Posts: 1,490
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cantlogin
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Ditto this.
It's nice because:
1. There are no fees on the card or the program.
2. There are no minimums or tiers.
3. The cash back shows up automatically as a credit on your monthly bill. Buy $100 in gas one month, send 'em a check for $95.
Only drawback is you can't easily set them up for autopay. I've got them set up in my checking billpay which works well enough for me.
2Cor521
__________________
"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough, and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may in fact be the first steps of a journey." Violet Baudelaire.
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11-04-2007, 05:26 PM
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#7
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 608
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SecondCor521
Ditto this.
It's nice because:
1. There are no fees on the card or the program.
2. There are no minimums or tiers.
3. The cash back shows up automatically as a credit on your monthly bill. Buy $100 in gas one month, send 'em a check for $95.
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Ditto. Loving.
Quote:
Only drawback is you can't easily set them up for autopay. I've got them set up in my checking billpay which works well enough for me.
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Actually you can. I do it. You have to print out some form and write
in by hand. Somebody gave the particulars here early this year.
Search, or call them.
No only do they auto-pay, they do it at the very last day, effectively
floating you the money for the maximum possible time. There is one
minor downside of this, which is that it effectively halves your credit
line, since it must absorb the current month's spending as well as
last month's. Except you hopefully have some 10's of thousand of
dollars on deposit with their 6+% CDs, so raising credit line as
needed should be no problemo.
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11-05-2007, 11:12 PM
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#8
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boise
Posts: 1,490
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnEyles
Actually you can. I do it. You have to print out some form and write in by hand. Somebody gave the particulars here early this year. Search, or call them.
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Thus my use of the word "easily". I had the instructions and then just bagged it...too lazy.
2Cor521
__________________
"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough, and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may in fact be the first steps of a journey." Violet Baudelaire.
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11-04-2007, 03:25 PM
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#9
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 743
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cantlogin
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Sounds like a good deal, although I don't buy gasoline so its less attractive to me.
Do you have to be active or ex-military to get one?
__________________
Money's just something you need in case you don't die tomorrow.
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11-04-2007, 03:34 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 3,657
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I have a Chase card that gives 5% back for gas, groceries and drug stores and 1% on everything else... but not available anymore...
BUT, a co-worker has the Freedom card and it just started to give 3% cash back on the highest three purchasing categories you spend during the month and 1% on everything else... SO, use it big for travel then all travel is 3% that month, use it for gas, then that is one... I am thinking of getting one of these for all my other purchases besides the 5% above..
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11-04-2007, 03:50 PM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,505
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Costco American Express - 1% everything including Costco, 2% travel related, 3% restaurants. You do have to pay to be a Costco member - $50/ year, IIRC.
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Feral Engineer
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11-05-2007, 01:38 AM
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#12
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 425
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Proud
I have a Chase card that gives 5% back for gas, groceries and drug stores and 1% on everything else... but not available anymore...
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TP, I think Chase is slowing converting all the 5% back cards to Freedom card (3%). My friend got converted to Freedom about 6 months back and I just got converted a few months back. Enjoy it while you can.
One note for Freedom card holders. If you wait till you have accumulated $200 before cashing in your rebate, you get another $50, for a total of $250. This effectively makes the rebate 3.75% assuming that all your purchases are in the 3% category.
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11-05-2007, 12:55 PM
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#13
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 3,657
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WanderALot
TP, I think Chase is slowing converting all the 5% back cards to Freedom card (3%). My friend got converted to Freedom about 6 months back and I just got converted a few months back. Enjoy it while you can.
One note for Freedom card holders. If you wait till you have accumulated $200 before cashing in your rebate, you get another $50, for a total of $250. This effectively makes the rebate 3.75% assuming that all your purchases are in the 3% category.
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Yea, I lost my Citi 5% card last year when I signed up for the Chase one... I do expect it to go down anytime, but will continue buying with it until it does...
Have not seen anything on that holding off till $200.. is it on the site somewhere or did someone just come upon it one day? (ie are you guaranteed the $250  )
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11-04-2007, 04:37 PM
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#14
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boise
Posts: 1,490
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maurice
Do you have to be active or ex-military to get one?
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That works. Or if you're a relative of a military or ex-military. Failing either of those, there's an organization you can join for $20 which will then let you join PenFed. Personally my dad was USAF a long time ago, so that is how I qualified.
2Cor521
__________________
"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough, and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may in fact be the first steps of a journey." Violet Baudelaire.
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11-04-2007, 04:04 PM
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#15
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 515
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I have that Chase Freedom card that gives 3% on the 3 highest categories, too. But there's a limit of $600/month for the 3%, after that it's 1%. I use it for groceries so I always use up the $600. But that card also will give you $250 back when your rewards reach $200, so that's a bit of a bonus.
5% rebate cards used to be more common, but everyone has cut their rate back.
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11-04-2007, 05:25 PM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,457
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there is still a 5% (grocery, drug store & gasoline) cash rebate card available ... check fatwallett.com.
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11-04-2007, 05:53 PM
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#17
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 253
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I'll nominate American Express Blue - also no annual fee!
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11-04-2007, 06:32 PM
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#18
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Baton Rouge
Posts: 2,073
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FinanceGeek
I'll nominate American Express Blue - also no annual fee!
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This is what I have used for a couple of years. ytd $384 cash back on $21K spent. (1.83%)
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Age and treachery will usually overcome youth and ability
Countown clock is at 9 weeks to be SIRE'd
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11-04-2007, 11:46 PM
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#19
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: North-Central Illinois
Posts: 2,525
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maurice
The best I could find at the time with no fee was Amazon, which gives me 1% in Amazon credit for all purchases, but 3% in Amazon credit for purchases on Amazon.com.
For me it seemed as good as cash (at least in modest quantities) since I'm likely to spend a few hundred bucks a year on their site as it is.
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That's the one I use for EVERYTHING, and pay off each month! I usually spend a few hundred bucks a year at Amazon, so it works out quite well for me. 
__________________
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~ Dr. Seuss ~
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11-05-2007, 08:32 AM
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#20
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Florida
Posts: 855
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I have a FIDO card that pays 1.5% on all purchases into kid's 529 account. Parents have their own card paying into the other kid's account. No fee. I have have to even em up now and then.
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I would not have anyone adopt my mode of living...but I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his own way, and not his father's or his mother's or his neighbor's instead. Thoreau, Walden
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