Chase Sapphire vs Discover Escape Card

[JadamR15]

Hey Mustachians!

This is my first post here.  Been reading consistently for about a month.  Found this site after I had an epiphany at 1am late one night about my mismanagement of finances.  Thankful I did.

So, in the coming years I'm looking to do more travelling for work and to travel home (I'm moving across the country for work, and plan to visit 1-2x annually).  So, I'm looking to get the most of out of my credit card usage. 

I currently use Discover Card, and according to my annual statements for the last 12 months, I spend about 30k annually with the card (I know, I know...)

I saw the recommendation for the Chase Sapphire card here, but I'm worried that the one of the primary benefits, 20% off travel through their "ultimate rewards" site - will limit my options for travel.  Does anyone have experience with this site and card? 

Of note, I came across this site: http://www.creditdonkey.com/chase-sapphire-preferred_discover-escape.html

..Which basically runs an algorithm based upon spending quantities using the percentage of rewards (1-2%) to give you how much you would earn in rewards annually.  In the scenarios I ran, Discover Card Escape always beat out Sapphire, but that didn't take into account the 20% savings on travel, which could be significant with a few trips a year.

Thanks for your feedback on the Chase Sapphire Card!

Best,

Joe

[Chris]

I have a Sapphire Preferred. It has a $95 annual fee (after the first year), but the additional benefits may exceed that, depending on how you travel.

If you're traveling internationally, the SP has the major pluses: 1) being a Visa, so acceptance is high and 2) not charging a currency exchange fee.

The Preferred version also gives double points for expenses on travel. I've found this includes mustacian-friendly options such as hostels and public transit.

As far as their Ultimate Rewards site, I've found it to be pretty satisfactory. The prices are very similar to what you'd find on Kayak or some other ticket aggregator. One curious thing I've found is that while major US air carriers are listed, not all air carriers are (Aeroflot, for example).

The 7% end-of-year bonus is a nice benefit of the Preferred card. All points earned during the year are counted for this, including miles earned during the signup bonus.

Anyway, I think it really comes down to the amount of international travel you do. If Discover isn't accepted at the places you're going to spend money, you're missing out on transactions where you could be earning points.

[JadamR15]

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the reply.  I think I'm going to go with the Chase.  After comparing the two based on points/cash alone, Discover always won out - based on my 30kish spending, by a few hundred bucks each year.  However, that advantage will probably be wiped out with the 7% bonus and the 20% back on travel.  Coupled with the Visa acceptance, it's the winner.

Thanks for your input on the Ultimate Rewards site - as long as they have the major stuff, I'll be fine - I wanted to ensure there were no "blackouts," like I"ve heard about from other places. 

Thanks again!!