Author Topic: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards  (Read 2853 times)

KyDustBunny

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Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« on: March 03, 2019, 07:37:47 PM »

Hubby & I are looking to travel extensively across country next year.

We currently have a Kroger's Rewards MasterCard that earns rewards for groceries that we are very happy with,
but we don't want to lock ourselves in to searching for Krogers grocery stores while travelling months on the road
to buy groceries or cash in the rewards.

I saw another post here asking for new credit card advice, but he was interested in Travel Miles which is not of interest to me.

Groceries, Church/Charity Donations, and Fuel are the Top 3 "purchases" on the card each month.

Thanks for your awesome Mustachian input !







HipGnosis

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2019, 10:38:23 AM »
Citi Double Cash Credit Card
2% Cash Back‎
1% Cash Back On Purchases And 1% Cash Back As You Pay.
https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/credit-card-details/citi.action?ID=citi-double-cash-credit-card

FIRE@50

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2019, 10:42:02 AM »
Costco Citi card pays 4% on gas and 3% on restaurants and travel. 1% everywhere else.

https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/credit-card-details/citi.action?ID=Citi-costco-anywhere-visa-credit-card

chaskavitch

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2019, 02:15:45 PM »
American Express Preferred or Everyday Blue Rewards card

Preferred - 6% back on groceries, 3% on gas, 1% on everything else, $95 yearly fee
Everyday - 3% on groceries, 2% on gas, 1% on everything else, no yearly fee

If you do decide on one of these, I'm sure everyone who recommended a card will also have a referral code you could use :)  $250 back on $1000 of purchases in the first 3 months for you if you chose the Preferred card, $75 for me.

Indexer

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2019, 07:09:08 PM »
I use the Citi Double Cash + Costco + Uber.

Double = 2% on all purchases.
Costco = 4% gas, 3% restaurants & travel
Uber = 4% restaurants.

I'm eyeing the Amazon (5% at Amazon) or the Amex Everyday as my next one.

GuitarBrian

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2019, 07:32:06 PM »
Citi Double cash 2% on everything
Sam's Club MasterCard 5% on gas also 3% on travel
Amazon for 5% back on Amazon
Southwest for the account opening bonus towards flights
AMEX Preferred for 6% on groceries


KyDustBunny

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2019, 06:09:09 AM »
Thanks to ALL for your recommendations !

We will sit down this week-end and sort through the options.

I almost pre-faced my post by saying I was not interested in any card that carried an annual fee,
but, depending on the $ amount of purchases and rewards, it just might be our best option !

If I go with one of these cards, I will certainly check in to referral awards for you....

HipGnosis

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2019, 09:52:36 AM »
Uber = 4% restaurants.
I hadn't heard about the Uber CC.  Thanks for the tip!

Indexer

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2019, 01:35:22 PM »
Uber = 4% restaurants.
I hadn't heard about the Uber CC.  Thanks for the tip!

And I believe they also have a $100 or $150 sign on bonus if you spend X in the first 3 months.

BrightFIRE

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2019, 11:12:08 AM »
If it's not too late, the Alliant Credit Union Visa gives 3% back the first year and 2.5% every year afterward - with no annual fee the 1st year, $59 after that.
https://www.alliantcreditunion.org/bank/visa-signature-card

They also happen to have a great savings rate (currently 2.10%) if you're looking for somewhere to park that cash.

KyDustBunny

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Re: Best nation-wide Credit Card with cash back awards
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2019, 03:09:08 PM »
Okay, so today I applied for the Alliant Credit Union Visa with 3% cash back.  It took me 15-20 min to enter in a bunch of our personal info.

5 minutes later, I got a form email stating my application was declined.  No additional explanation. 

I called the general # asking courteously for an explanation.  The phone Rep seemed distracted, eventually asking me for my account # when I just told her I had been declined for a card. "Ummm... I don't have an account #.  I was declined."

She tried to transfer me to the loan officer who had declined our app, but she wasn't available (Jadwiga was her name).
Instead, she transferred me to her associate, John, who explained that we do not have High Enough Limits on our current credit cards to qualify
for their Signature card (with 3% rewards) that automatically comes with a $15,000 balance.

Sooooooo....

Since our current credit card only has a $10k credit limit, you are declining me for your $15k credit card?

Sooooooo...
Me:  If I call and ask my current credit card provider to RAISE the limit to $15k, THEN would you approve me for your Signature Card?

Them:  Maybe.  But you can't apply for our card again for 45 days. 

After I hung up with John, I tried to email Jadwiga via my on-line application "EMAIL HERE" button.
The button doesn't work. 

I have spent 30 years in Customer Service.  This has been a terrible customer experience / first impression.

Our world is upside down:    You have lots of money, own your own home, your credit rating is stellar, but your credit limits aren't high enough on your current credit cards to allow us to approve you for another credit card.   In other words, you need to have MORE credit for us to give you MORE credit.

As my teens say:  SMH