what is your favorite credit card?

[frank]

I notice a lot of the members here mention a credit card with penfed and other companies. who do you think has the best card with the most perks and cash back?

 

[Gil24]

I have been using Amex Blue Cash for years. It seems to have the highest cash back %.

 

[travelover]

I use Fidelity AmEx, 2% back on everything including Costco purchases, Costco AmEx 3% on restaurants and gasoline, REI VISA, 1% on everything, 5% at REI.

 

[Nodak]

I have been using Amex Blue Cash for years. It seems to have the highest cash back %.

+1

 

[pb4uski]

My main card is Escape by Discover. I've had it for a little over a year. Previously my main card was Discover Cash Back. I was reading an article in Money magazine where they mentioned a website where you input info on your spending/payment habits and it recommends the best rebate cards for your situation and Escape by Discover was the best in my situation.

Also have Amex, MC and VISA, but use them infrequently. VISA (with cash rebate) is backup for places that do not take Discover.

 

[Amethyst]

Favorite used to be Penfed Visa, but since they've switched to "points" instead of cash-back, I have no loyalty. Presently, I am just applying for cards that offer promotional points, and then dropping them as soon as the benefit is in hand and before annual fees (if any) kick in. These $500 and $300 promotional offers can't go on forever.

Amethyst

 

[Lsbcal]

Visa debit from credit union, use 12 times/month and get 2.5% on rewards checking account

BoA Visa, 1% cash back and some complicated mumbo jumbo about more

Amazon, 3% back on purchases through Amazon

 

[PaddyMac]

Amex Costco for Costco purchases mostly.

Chase Freedom - use the 5% cash back for different sectors each quarter (this quarter it is groceries and movie tickets, last quarter it was Amazon etc.). Just got the $200 signing bonus for spending $500.

Amazon - for Amazon purchases - 3% (but don't use the points to buy stuff - keep getting cash back and buy new stuff to get more points!)

Also got the Citi AAdvantage cards because they saved us $100 each on our flights to Europe this summer, and they gave us enough miles for a free domestic trip.

 

[easysurfer]

Discover cash back - like the 1% cash back standard, and the 5% shop discover and sign-up. I think their website is friendly and intuitive and there customer service is helpful and friendly.

Amazon - 3% back in points for Amazon purchases

Usually I reach for my Discover unless I'm buying from Amazon or places don't take Discover.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Depends on where I am and what I'm buying. I generally use my BOA debit card for everyday purchases. I just don't have the guts to get a giant credit card bill at the end of every month. At Costco's I use the AMEX business card and for gas at only their station (3% cash back). At all other gas stations I use BOA Visa card for 5% cash back. I try to buy gas at Sams and/or Costco which saves me about 32 to 35 cents/gal. I recently started using a CitiBank card for bundled TV, internet and phone for 5% cash back and a $400 bonus for activating it.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Costco AMEX. We buy our gas at Costco with it and all our airline tickets. I bought my latest laptop with the annual rebate. More retailers are accepting AMEX these days for some unknown reason.

Seldom use any other cards, which are kept only for emergency.

 

[rescueme]

FIDO AMEX 2% cash back for most purchases. FIDO Visa 1% cash back (2% after $15k/year) for all other places that don't take the AMEX card.

 

[Dave J]

For the last year we used the AARP 5% rewards card. Now that that is over, we used the PenFed rewards(5% gas, 3% groc. )PS: my Walmart is coded as grocery on everything,so it is 3%.
On everything besides gas and food and walmart, we use Choice Privleges(2 points per dollar) so we get some free hotel nights each year.

 

[JakeBrake]

I use a Discover Card everyday. I have 3 Chase Freedom MC cards. I use 2 Chase cards for our road trips. With Chase you can choose your payment due date. I have one card with a due date of the 15th of the month and the other card with a due date of the 28th (that is the last day for payments). I use whichever card will allow me to place all our expenses for a road trip on one statement. We charge everything from a cup of coffee to our car rental and lodging to the card. The statement makes an excellent trip journal. Of course, we pay the full balance every month.

I use the other Chase card for dental and medical expenses, including Medicare part B payments.

I have discovered that the Discover card is useless in Canada, and the AMEX card is almost useless where I spend my money.

 

[Alan]

Penfed rewards is my first card, switched end of Feb from Penfed cash rewards, same deal as the cash back just a little less convenient - just ordered a $100 Walmart gift card today which I'll use to buy groceries.

Second card is Amex Blue Cash.

 

[harley]

Discover Cash Back. I use it for every purchase, from my electric bill and insurance payments to a diet coke at McDs. We do a lot of purchasing online, and use the Shop Discover option which gets us 5% or more back on many of the purchases. The only things I don't use it for are Amazon purchases (Amazon Visa) and things like my mortgage or taxes that either don't accept it or tack on a significant fee.

When I get the Cash Back points I usually use them to buy gift cards to places we shop often (Lowes, some restaurants, etc). I get a $50 gift card for $45, for further savings.

 

[Khan]

Kroger VISA
Grocery chain
Get cash back, coupons, $.15 off per gallon of gas at their fuel stations.

 

[truenorth418]

Great idea for a thread.

I have used the Capital One Venture Visa Signature card since last summer. I have done a considerable amount of international travel over the last few months. As I understand it, the Cap One Venture Visa Sig is one of the few cards that does not charge a foreign transaction fee (typically 3% for other cards). Also, it comes with a travel rewards program which will come in handy once I charge up a critical mass.

But I will check back to this thread frequently as there are some great ideas here for some potentially better deals. Thanks all!

 

[Lsbcal]

... As I understand it, the Cap One Venture Visa Sig is one of the few cards that does not charge a foreign transaction fee (typically 3% for other cards).
...

As I recall there was a settlement on this issue some years back.

Here is a relevant link from Visa: Exchange Rates - FAQ | Personal | Visa USA

Visa Inc. does not assess any fees to cardholders or merchants. Visa applies International Service Assessment (ISA) fees ranging from 0.15 to 1 percent to its financial institution partners for their use of the global payment system.

This link discussed foreign transaction fees for many specific cards: Find the Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards
It does mention the Capital One Venture Rewards card as one of the favorites.

 

[CoolChange]

My current favorite is actually the PriorityClub (Holiday Inn, etc.) Rewards Visa from Chase.

I got it during some kind of mega point sign up promotion; but, I may break my personal rule of not carrying cards that charge fees for the following reasons:

• Lots of extra points when I use it at a Holiday Inn family hotel (where I stay a lot)
• At least one free hotel room night per year for keeping the card
• No foreign transaction fee
• Consistently the best currency conversion rate of any of my credit or ATM cards

When I finally quit traveling so much, I will probably have a different favorite.

 

[frank]

some good ideas on here and especially on exchange rates. I never considered that their would be an exchange rate fee for out of country charges.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Just started with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, have been with Penfed until recent changes. Wanted to pick up the transferable points to United, which is my airport's cheapest carrier. Like Amethyst, we will do a little work for the rewards, but not my whole life. Enrolled in the new Penfed, but will probably use it just to get the initial bonus and then return to the Chase card.

 

[obgyn65]

I like my Chase / Continental (United) card. I get 1 air mile for each $ spent.

I notice a lot of the members here mention a credit card with penfed and other companies. who do you think has the best card with the most perks and cash back?

 

[Sesq]

I got hooked on the AARP 5% card, and just found a similar one from Citibank for the next 6 months (see: https://creditcards.citi.com/credit-cards/citi-thankyou-preferred-card/ ).

My back up cards are:

-Amex HHonors (for the bonus, and good points on hilton, telecom, drug store, groceries - though my grocer doesn't take it)
-Fidelity Visa 1.5% (first 15K); 2% after - - will be primary once the 5% citi goes away.
-Sony Card (old one) for no forex fees (its Cap One)
-Citi Bronze AA card (no annual fee, 1 point per mile, I have my ez-pass billed to it to ensure my AA miles don't expire).
-Old Navy Visa card (my wife likes the coupons).

To be cancelled/consolidated:
-BOA 123 card (was schwab 2% card, my old primary card until they took it away and had to find a replacement [AARP for 6 months, now citi])
-Fidelity 1.5% card (replaced by the 1.5%/2.0% card above).

To be gotten at some point (had a lot of applications recently):
- Marriott card for the bonus and company travel.
- some of these other cards with points you can transfer for hotel/air miles.

I want to build up some hotel points for free travel in a couple years when my kids are bigger. I plan to use the Citi points for amazon certificates since I do a lot of x-mas shopping online.