Best Credit Card

[eta2020]

What is in your opinion best Credit Card.

I am looking for max cash back, good internet interface, and best customer service if I have dispute with merchant. I do not care about API since card would be fully paid every month.

Card must have no annual fees.

 

[MBSC]

It depends on what categories you make the most purchases.

Simple:
Fidelity 2% cash back on everything

Specific Categories:
PenFed Rewards Visa 4.25% gas, 2.55% groceries, 0.85% everything else (cash is 0.85 of a point)
AMEX Blue Cash Everyday 3% groceries, 2% gas & department stores, 1% everything else. They also have another version with $95 annual fee with 6% groceries (capped at $6k purchases), 3% gas/dept stores, and 1% everything else. For some, it may be worth the fee for the extra cash back.

 

[freedomatlast]

CitiBank Double Cash - 2% Cash Back on everything - No caps on anything

 

[REWahoo]

This thread has good information: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/credit-cards-need-recommendations-79041.html

 

[target2019]

I aim for 5% cash back. For example:
- Penfed Visa pays 5% on gas purchases. Don't use it for much else.
- Amex Business pays 5% for telcom and office supplies
- Target pays 5% in-store
- Lowes pays 5% in-store
- Discover pays 5% on something or other several times a year.

 

[fritz]

CitiBank Double Cash - 2% Cash Back on everything - No caps on anything

+1 offers text alerts for charges, and very easy access (online and downloadable app) to virtual account numbers VAN for online purchases. Also allows you to set amount and expiration date for each VAN. FICA score available on website, payment due/made emails as well. Card is chipped.

 

[pb4uski]

CitiBank Double Cash - 2% Cash Back on everything - No caps on anything

I just ordered one a few days ago... 1% when purchase and 1% when paid... and no annual fee... since I have my credit cards on autopay it is like a 2% card for me. DS has had one for over a year.

I get 2% with a grandfathered Discover Card but it has a $65 annual fee. I asked them to waive the fee and they refused so I'm changing.

The 2% Fidelity card looks similar.

 

[Ready]

I use two cards.

Costco Visa - 4% back on gas, 3% on travel and restaurants, 2% at Costco, 1% everything else.

Fidelity Visa - 2% back on everything.

So I use the Costco card for anything that I get 2-4% back on, and then I use the Fidelity Visa for anything where the Costco Visa would only pay 1%.

Both have no annual fees.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[mpeirce]

Costco Visa - 4% back on gas, 3% on travel and restaurants, 2% at Costco, 1% everything else.

The Costco Visa is from Citi and I've been pleasantly surprised at their excellent web interface as well as iPhone and Apple Watch apps (they have an Android app too, but I haven't used it).

I really like getting a notification for every charge that goes on the card. This includes my charges as I use it, DWs, and any automatic charges we have set up. This helps me to be totally aware of the card usage. It pops up on my watch (or phone if I'm not wearing the watch) so I can easily glance at it so it's very unobtrusive.

 

[Al18]

Mymoneyblog.com has a good summary of credit cards with $500+ bonuses $500+ Bonus Credit Card Promotions of 2016 — My Money Blog

 

[Amethyst]

I had a good experience with Citi Double Cash Master Card when I filed a dispute with a merchant for a rather large online purchase. I didn't get my package. Merchant did not respond to emails, and the two listed phone numbers did not work. Citi immediately gave me a temporary credit and promised to contact the merchant (they give the merchant 2 months to respond).

Four weeks into the 8 week period, the merchant emailed me to relate a sad story, and offered a discount. Long story short: I got my package and discount. Without Citi's help, I'm not sure anything would have been resolved.

Amethyst

 

[2017ish]

If one card for everything, we've had good luck with BoA Travel Rewards (although it isn't cash back, the "points" can be applied against any travel charge on the card). No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and one of the visa "signature" cards.

If you have Platinum honors status (checking account and 100,000 in assets with Boa/ML Edge), yields 2.625% on all purchases. The assets can be taken care of via buying and holding vanguard ETFs with a few of the free trades that you get via the DIY edge account. Honors status also gives you no charge access to any USA ATM--including the expensive ones at music festivals...

 

[mickeyd]

Chasing the "best CC" is not unlike chasing the "best savings act". The only thing that you can be assured of is that it will eventually change and some other deal will probably emerge.


Pick a couple of cards and stay with them. It will all balance out in the end.

 

[audreyh1]

Currently we get the most out of our Fidelty Visa 2% on everything and our Costco Citi VISA with generous rewards on several categories.

But when we go to Europe next month we'll be using our BankAmercard Travel Rewards VISA with 1.65% rewards and no foreign transaction fees almost exclusively.

Oh - I forgot we use the Amszon Store card for 5% back on Amazon purchases for prime members. We use Amazon heavily.

 

[COcheesehead]

I aim for 5% cash back. For example:
- Penfed Visa pays 5% on gas purchases. Don't use it for much else.
- Amex Business pays 5% for telcom and office supplies
- Target pays 5% in-store
- Lowes pays 5% in-store
- Discover pays 5% on something or other several times a year.

The numbers don't usually work on 5% for SOME vs 2% on everything.

 

[swakyaby]

I have 3 no-annual-fee cards:

Costco Citi VISA: 2% back on Costco purchases, 4% back on gas, 3% on travel, 3% on restaurants, 1% on everything else. But I also like the 2 year additional warranty on purchases, up to 5 years extended warranty. So I'll purchase some small electronics for only 1% cash back because I receive the added 2 year extended warranty.

Discover It card: 5% cash back on various categories on a 3 month rotating basis, currently all Amazon purchases and home improvement store purchases, then only 1% on everything else. But the first year, all rewards are doubled. So any Amazon purchases currently are 10% cash back. It also has a 90 day price protection, which I've already taken advantage of and received a refund on an Amazon purchase that changed price 2 weeks later.

Wells Fargo VISA: I keep this card at home. Nearly all recurring charges are kept on this card (utilities, cell phone service, Netflix, gym membership, etc) so that if my wallet ever goes missing, I don't have to call all these merchants. It only gives 1% cash or gift card.

 

[DROPOUT]

Currently: Citi Double Cash MC Been using it steadily now for about a year and a half.

 

[target2019]

The numbers don't usually work on 5% for SOME vs 2% on everything.

Did you check Discover.com?
5% cash back for categories that change each quarter

 

[Cobra9777]

We have a two-card system:

1. AMEX Blue Cash pays 5% on gas, groceries, and drug stores. This is a grandfathered card with no annual fee.
2. Fidelity VISA pays 2% on everything else. No annual fee.

With our mix of spend, we average just under 3% cash back.

 

[easysurfer]

Did you check Discover.com?
5% cash back for categories that change each quarter

I use Discover as my primary and Chase Visa (via Amazon offer a few years back) as my secondary. For this quarter, I believe Discover has 5% on Amazon online purchases.

 

[COcheesehead]

Did you check Discover.com?
5% cash back for categories that change each quarter

I had a Chase card like that. Every quarter it switched. The last year I had it, I got about $500 back. Since I switched to a 2% on everything, I have averaged about $1200 a year. The 5% card never seemed to cover the big purchase categories that really mattered to me like vacations, airlines, dinners, appliances, business expenses. The big spends are where the 2% card really matters.

 

[ivinsfan]

Don't forget that Discover 5% bonus cashback is capped on 1500 dollars per quarter.