Credit Card Rewards for CY21

[SecondCor521]

I have purposely chosen cards that are easy/automatic. I only have to remember to use AMEX at the grocery store or getting gas. Everything else on the USAA card. AMZN purchases are automatically put on the Chase card. So, no real effort to get cash back.

I used to "chase" bonuses, but not so much these days since they aren't nearly as great as they were a few years ago.

Yep. After a recent round of signup bonuses, I'm back to just regular cards. Personally I have a three card regime now: a USBank card that gives 4% on travel and gas, another USBank card that gives 4% on eating out, and then the Fidelity Visa which gives me 2% cash back on everything which I count as more than 2% back because in my case I use the cash back into my HSA, which gives me the associated tax benefits which are worth something (how much I'm too lazy to calculate at the moment).

 

[Jenna]

Free airline travel-every trip. Since 2012 with the Southwest Card, Companion Pass. It expired again in Dec 2021 and will get it again in a month and be good for 2022/2023.

We use points for the first ticket and the Companion Pass for me to fly free. It's my favorite. Second place is Chase rewards points. I reimbursed about $3000 in food charges this year. If I run out of Southwest points, they transfer there too. A couple years ago they took us lie flat business class to Spain.

I love Credit Card points!

 

[MJ]

We are not big spenders so between the BOA 2%/3%, Citi 2% cashback, Discover 5%, PFCU 5% we netted only $728 but with various bank bonuses we earned an additional $4150. At the end of December, I started using the Wells Fargo 2% Credit card and Citi 5% Custom Card both with a $200 easy bonus and 0% monthly minimum payment for 15 months. They're kinda like a 15 month reverse loan.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Made me look. $1,684 for 2021 on credit card points that don't expire( BOA and Chase). We also collected $1,900 in bonuses for opening new checking/savings accounts in 2021( all now closed).

 

[leftyfrizzell1963]

Used 1 card only - fidelity Visa @ 2% - approximately $2k for year. Happy with that.

Anybody have info on the USAA card for 2.5%? We are USAA members.

 

[jldavid47]

3 cards, $544.98 cash back, We are not big spenders.

 

[carty1]

Bank of America CC Points

Those of you with big Fidelity credit card rebates should really look into stashing $100k in stock/ETFs at Merrill Edge, so you can qualify for Bank of American Preferred Rewards at the Platinum Honors level. You can get 2.625% back on all purchases with their Premium Rewards card once you are at that level, and 3.5% on dining and travel.

Actually, with Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card you can get 5.25% on a selected category (3% plus 2.25% [75% platinum honors points]).

 

[carty1]

If you got the BOA Customized Cash card , and stashed $100K at ML , then the preferred rewards with give you 5.25% back on ALL your online shopping not just Amazon.

I think you also get the 5.25% on warehouse clubs (BJ'c,Sams,Costco etc) and gas.

 

[MisterBill]

I think you also get the 5.25% on warehouse clubs (BJ'c,Sams,Costco etc) and gas.

Warehouse Clubs are only 2/3.5% on the CCR, unless you do an online purchase (possibly using the app, but a recent post said it did not work) and choose the online 3/5.25% category. Gas is also a separate 3/5.25% category.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I don't know the exact numbers in credit cards cash back, but we aren't big spenders so it isn't a huge amount. We put what we can on a 2% Fidelity card and 5% Amazon card, including our Whole Foods shopping. WFs 365 house brand prices are pretty good, often comparable to Grocery Outlet prices, and even better with the 5% cash back. Plus WF has free online order and pick up. That is like having a personal shopper for free.

I didn't do any of the credit card games last year as we refinanced the mortgage and I didn't want any new debts on the credit report. I'll probably open a few new cards this year for the bonus miles or cash.

Most of my extra money last year came from product reviews ($6K last year, taxable income) plus a little extra from some odds and ends, like store rewards programs and ink recycling. The other big savings for us usually has been things like seat filler tickets and Facebook specials on event tickets, but last year because of the pandemic that was close to $0.

 

[Dtail]

Those of you with big Fidelity credit card rebates should really look into stashing $100k in stock/ETFs at Merrill Edge, so you can qualify for Bank of American Preferred Rewards at the Platinum Honors level. You can get 2.625% back on all purchases with their Premium Rewards card once you are at that level, and 3.5% on dining and travel.

IIRC, the 3.5% on dining and travel for the Premium card was only for part of 2021 throughout the remainder of the year.
In 2022, it reverts back to 2.625%.

 

[2017ish]

$4653, net of annual fees.

Chase Ultimate rewards (2 cards) gave us most of one business class trip to Madrid, a round trip to Colombia next week, and seveal hundred in travel "credits." (DW opened the second card last year and her bonus is included in this).

Couple of BoA cards with Platinum Honors gave us the remainder in cash and "travel" rebate/credit.

Most of this year and all of next, we'll be getting free companion fare on Southwest from bonuses and spending on the SWA/Chase card that we opened in December. That one will add up...

Relatively big spenders on travel and dining, so Chase Sapphire Reserve actually does well for us despite the annual fee. Currently have 100K points, which we'll use this year.

 

[hotwired]

CC

We use Chase as our "core"

Chase Freedom (5% rotating categories)
Chase Freedom Flex (got 5% for groceries for 1 year, then rotating 5% categories)

Then we use Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 year) for dining and travel and ALL points earned get tsfrd to CSR for the 50% bonus on some items. Specifcally, we route all points to "pay yourself back" for dining. So we basically dine weekly on points.

Of course we got huge signup bonuses when we signed up. We actually spent the 95 to get my wife the sapphire preferred, 100K, ported it to CSR and it became 1,500 in dining and entertainment.

We haven't paid for airline tickets in 5 years give or take. Just before the pandemic we had 700000 points (10,500 in value) plus we put about 90-100K in biz expenses so they keep accumulating. When the pandemic hit, they added the pay yourself back categories of groceries and dining. We went 8 months not paying for groceries and 18 months free dining out.

Then we ocassionally do signup bonuses on Cap One or Amex (Delta). Just got a $700 SUB from Cap One Spark for spending 6K in 3 months.

 

[sengsational]

I got the Chase Sapphire sign-up bonus of $1,000 (+) worth of points. But yesterday I got my house insurance renewal....the dreaded "we couldn't give you the best rate" cover letter This isn't based on credit score (mine is >800), it's based on several things, one of which is the number of hard credit pulls, and also the most recent issue of credit. I don't know exactly how much more I'm paying, but it's probably around $50. No big deal, but annoying.

 

[Chuckanut]

<snip>
plus we put about 90-100K in biz expenses so they keep accumulating.

There's the key. Having ongoing large business expenses that one can use the card for. For me to spend 90 to 100K on any card or combination of cards would require one of three things:

1. I win a multi million dollar lottery and go wild.
2. I own a profitable business with lot of cash flow.
3. I spend down my assets on wild flings and then end up in the Poor House.

Otherwise I accumulate points/miles at a very slow rate with the exception of credit card signup bonuses.

 

[Lagniappe]

I received $1690 in credit card rewards and $2850 in bonuses for account and credit card opening for a total of $4540 in 2021. I move the money to a separate account throughout the year and give the balance on my birthday to charity.

 

[Sunset]

I got the Chase Sapphire sign-up bonus of $1,000 (+) worth of points. But yesterday I got my house insurance renewal....the dreaded "we couldn't give you the best rate" cover letter This isn't based on credit score (mine is >800), it's based on several things, one of which is the number of hard credit pulls, and also the most recent issue of credit. I don't know exactly how much more I'm paying, but it's probably around $50. No big deal, but annoying.

How do you get a lot of hard pulls ?

 

[SunnyOne]

Wondering how inquiries on your credit report translate to higher risk for the insurer?

 

[SunnyOne]

$4255 in bonuses and cash back.

150K Marriott points
90K Wyndham points
125K IHG points

not counting points for stays and promotions

 

[mystang52]

I'd chase more rewards but DW likes to keep our life simple, and won't let me. My 2 primary cards are AMEX Blue Cash Preferred and Chase Freedom. I'm too lazy to check specifics, but total rebates from last year was about $1000, less the $95 AMEX fee so about $900 net. Oh, yeah I almost forgot: thanks to my Dunkin Donuts "DD Perks" account, I also got about 12 free cups of coffee last year

 

[foxcreek9]

Actually, with Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card you can get 5.25% on a selected category (3% plus 2.25% [75% platinum honors points]).

Wal-mart grocery pickup codes as online, so 5.25

 

[sengsational]

How do you get a lot of hard pulls ?

I only had the one hard pull. I was just listing what the letter said were the reasons for getting the higher price. I suspect the driver in my case was the new credit card.

Wondering how inquiries on your credit report translate to higher risk for the insurer?

Statistics. They see a correlation and that's all it takes... the mechanism of action need not be understood.

 

[2017ish]

Quote:
Originally Posted by carty1 View Post
Actually, with Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card you can get 5.25% on a selected category (3% plus 2.25% [75% platinum honors points]).

Wal-mart grocery pickup codes as online, so 5.25

Even better, if you pay via the app, in store purchases count as online. Same is true of Kroger and Sam's club (and at the latter, it lets you avoid the checkout lines).

N.B., the cash rewards card limits you to $2500 in eligible grocery and bonus category purchases each calendar quarter.

 

[Sunset]

I only had the one hard pull. I was just listing what the letter said were the reasons for getting the higher price. I suspect the driver in my case was the new credit card.

....

Sounds to me like they would have used any excuse as 1 hard pull is really nothing and for me I know it knocks only 20 points off my rating, which still leaves it high.


Now maybe they are looking somewhere else and seeing a lot of pulls due to identity theft and theft attempts.



I wonder where they look ?

 

[scrabbler1]

We are not big spenders about $168 cash back.

Same here. I am thrilled I got $86 back in cash rewards. Some of those here get more back in cash rewards than I spent using my CC!