Best cash back, miles or rewards credit card?

[bearishgurl]

[quote=AN]It depends on if you travel a lot or not. If you like to go on trips and like Starwood’s portfolio of hotels, I highly recommend the Amex Starwood card. With your spending, I think you might be qualified for Platinum member level (at least gold). With Platinum/Gold, you get free upgrades and with their cash&points program, I get anywhere between 4-6% equivalent “cash back.” I recently spent a week in downtown Chicago at the Westin Michigan Ave. for $60+4000 points per night. Their normal rate for basic room on the lower floor is already ~$230-240/night. I got upgraded to the top floor with lake view for free.[/quote]

That’s an awesome deal you got in Chicago, AN. No doubt your $60 fee was just for the “point conversion.” The AMEX Gold program also has the Starwood Group for a travel partner, who now own all the Sheratons nationwide, as well.

I really think that bubble_contagion’s spending should be $50K+ annually (preferably more) to take advantage of all that the AMEX Platinum program ($450 annual fee) provides. But (s)he’s borderline, in that depending on frequency of travel, if it might be worth it for him/her to convert. Remember, the AMEX Blue Cash program has NO FEES and 2.5% cash back on all purchases! Definitely, if the OP travels (preferably by air) even twice a year, upgrading to AMEX Gold ($150 yr) MAY be cost-effective for him/her, depending on preferred airline.

edit: I forgot to add that when I signed up for AMEX Gold, they were giving out two RT air tix as an initiation for signing, but not sure if this is still the case and don’t know if this incentive applies to conversions.

[Coronita]

I’ll repeat the question again. Where are people getting 2.5% rebates?????

[Coronita]

I’ll repeat the question again. Where are people getting 2.5% rebates?????

[Coronita]

I’ll repeat the question again. Where are people getting 2.5% rebates?????

[Coronita]

I’ll repeat the question again. Where are people getting 2.5% rebates?????

[Coronita]

I’ll repeat the question again. Where are people getting 2.5% rebates?????

[bubble_contagion]

Thanks for the replies. Amex Blue Cash has 5% on groceries, gas, drugstores. 1.25% on all others. On average the last two years I got about 2.5%. The cycle ends in December. I will try the Gold “Premier Rewards” for 1 year since I have an offer to waive the fees for the first year.

These are the details for the Blue Cash:

# Get up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores, plus up to 1.25% cash back for all your other purchases.3
# There’s no limit on the cash rewards you can earn

Gold “Premier Rewards”

# Earn triple points on all airfare, double points on gas and groceries, and single points on virtually everything else throughout your membership

# Earn triple points when you use Bonus Points Mall® to shop online — there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn

# Earn an extra 15,000 bonus points when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year

From what I gather, 7,500 points equal $100 in airline tickets so it is not clear winner vs. Blue Cash.

[bubble_contagion]

Thanks for the replies. Amex Blue Cash has 5% on groceries, gas, drugstores. 1.25% on all others. On average the last two years I got about 2.5%. The cycle ends in December. I will try the Gold “Premier Rewards” for 1 year since I have an offer to waive the fees for the first year.

These are the details for the Blue Cash:

# Get up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores, plus up to 1.25% cash back for all your other purchases.3
# There’s no limit on the cash rewards you can earn

Gold “Premier Rewards”

# Earn triple points on all airfare, double points on gas and groceries, and single points on virtually everything else throughout your membership

# Earn triple points when you use Bonus Points Mall® to shop online — there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn

# Earn an extra 15,000 bonus points when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year

From what I gather, 7,500 points equal $100 in airline tickets so it is not clear winner vs. Blue Cash.

[bubble_contagion]

Thanks for the replies. Amex Blue Cash has 5% on groceries, gas, drugstores. 1.25% on all others. On average the last two years I got about 2.5%. The cycle ends in December. I will try the Gold “Premier Rewards” for 1 year since I have an offer to waive the fees for the first year.

These are the details for the Blue Cash:

# Get up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores, plus up to 1.25% cash back for all your other purchases.3
# There’s no limit on the cash rewards you can earn

Gold “Premier Rewards”

# Earn triple points on all airfare, double points on gas and groceries, and single points on virtually everything else throughout your membership

# Earn triple points when you use Bonus Points Mall® to shop online — there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn

# Earn an extra 15,000 bonus points when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year

From what I gather, 7,500 points equal $100 in airline tickets so it is not clear winner vs. Blue Cash.

[bubble_contagion]

Thanks for the replies. Amex Blue Cash has 5% on groceries, gas, drugstores. 1.25% on all others. On average the last two years I got about 2.5%. The cycle ends in December. I will try the Gold “Premier Rewards” for 1 year since I have an offer to waive the fees for the first year.

These are the details for the Blue Cash:

# Get up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores, plus up to 1.25% cash back for all your other purchases.3
# There’s no limit on the cash rewards you can earn

Gold “Premier Rewards”

# Earn triple points on all airfare, double points on gas and groceries, and single points on virtually everything else throughout your membership

# Earn triple points when you use Bonus Points Mall® to shop online — there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn

# Earn an extra 15,000 bonus points when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year

From what I gather, 7,500 points equal $100 in airline tickets so it is not clear winner vs. Blue Cash.

[bubble_contagion]

Thanks for the replies. Amex Blue Cash has 5% on groceries, gas, drugstores. 1.25% on all others. On average the last two years I got about 2.5%. The cycle ends in December. I will try the Gold “Premier Rewards” for 1 year since I have an offer to waive the fees for the first year.

These are the details for the Blue Cash:

# Get up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores, plus up to 1.25% cash back for all your other purchases.3
# There’s no limit on the cash rewards you can earn

Gold “Premier Rewards”

# Earn triple points on all airfare, double points on gas and groceries, and single points on virtually everything else throughout your membership

# Earn triple points when you use Bonus Points Mall® to shop online — there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn

# Earn an extra 15,000 bonus points when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year

From what I gather, 7,500 points equal $100 in airline tickets so it is not clear winner vs. Blue Cash.

[an]

BG, the Platinum status I’m talking about is Starwood Platinum, not Amex Platinum. The fee for the Starwood card is $45/yr. Starwood points can also be converted to airline miles. Convert 20k points and they’ll give u 5k bonus miles. However, it’s not the best way to use your points. I find using cash and points will yield the highest cash back. If you use all points, the cash back for that hotel would be ~2.3%.

[an]

BG, the Platinum status I’m talking about is Starwood Platinum, not Amex Platinum. The fee for the Starwood card is $45/yr. Starwood points can also be converted to airline miles. Convert 20k points and they’ll give u 5k bonus miles. However, it’s not the best way to use your points. I find using cash and points will yield the highest cash back. If you use all points, the cash back for that hotel would be ~2.3%.

[an]

BG, the Platinum status I’m talking about is Starwood Platinum, not Amex Platinum. The fee for the Starwood card is $45/yr. Starwood points can also be converted to airline miles. Convert 20k points and they’ll give u 5k bonus miles. However, it’s not the best way to use your points. I find using cash and points will yield the highest cash back. If you use all points, the cash back for that hotel would be ~2.3%.

[an]

BG, the Platinum status I’m talking about is Starwood Platinum, not Amex Platinum. The fee for the Starwood card is $45/yr. Starwood points can also be converted to airline miles. Convert 20k points and they’ll give u 5k bonus miles. However, it’s not the best way to use your points. I find using cash and points will yield the highest cash back. If you use all points, the cash back for that hotel would be ~2.3%.

[Author]

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