recommend your cash back credit card please...

[kealina]

hey everybody...
our current credit card is through our credit union and while it is ok it doesn't have much of a rewards system... it's on a points system but it's only 1 point per $1 and it takes almost 10,000 just to get a blender... so i've convinced DH that we should switch to a cashback... i've started looking at offers on creditcards.com but also wanted to check in with my savvy friends to see what you guys think... are there any websites in particular i should look at? any cards in particular?

what we are looking for is a card with a
1) good cashback deal to use mostly for gas and groceries
2) no annual fee, interest doesn't matter as we pay in full every month
3) easy online payment
4) a card without tons of restrictions. it's keeps life simpler, although this is lower priority than the other points...

any other perks are nice but unnecessary...

i think that's it... thanks guys... i really value your input and appreciate it..

[autoxer]

I've earned over $60 from my Discover card over the past year. The regular card has revolving promotions where they will give you 5% back on certain purchases, but I just switched it to the Discover Gas Card to only get 5% back on Gas, and 1% on everything else.

[sakigt]

+1 for Discover.

I just paid my tuition with it and got 5% back automatically. I withdrew $100 last month and Im already up to $15 in rewards...and thats just using it for daily expenses and using it for payment as my cell phone.

[RJB1180]

Try Chase and Citibank, you should be gettting at least 5% back on Gas, Groceries and Drugstore. 1% on everything else.

I have been looking at the BOA Petrewards Visa( 2% everything), as we have 4 dogs and vet bills. YMMV

If you decide on the BOA card let us know how it works.

[vsjhoc]

Originally Posted by autoxer

I've earned over $60 from my Discover card over the past year. The regular card has revolving promotions where they will give you 5% back on certain purchases, but I just switched it to the Discover Gas Card to only get 5% back on Gas, and 1% on everything else.

I too just switched to the Discover Gas Card. But my understanding was you get UP TO 1% cash back on everything else -- it's a tiered system, depending on how much you spend. I can't remember the parameters, but you start with only 0.25% cash back. Maybe you've already hit the upper tier which pays 1%. In any event, you can't argue with free $. I use it to pay the current bill.

[DivaJen]

I recently switched to the Citi card and may open a Chase card as well once we hit the $300 limit.

There was a thread a while back about this that I found helpful - you might want to do a search for Citi dividend card or something similar.

[sweeps]

Citi Platinum Dividend Select and Chase Cash Plus cards are the best overall cash-back rewards cards. For "everyday" purchases, you can do better with certain cards such as the Fidelity Investments reward cards.

[greedy4chips]

We have 3 Citicards now because we hit the $300/yr rebate limit easily so need a 2nd. We also have the one that offers you money back on your home improvement store purchases and they send the rebate to your mortgage company to add to your principal. That one is great since a $100 rebate actually saves you lots in interest over the rest of your mortgage.

[rickatheslicka]

I love my Citibank Dividends card because they cut me an actual check for my refund instead of just debiting it from my balance (I know it all works out the same, but there is something very satisfying about depositing those checks). Though I do come close to hitting the $300 annual cap...

I did also want to add for any parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc out there - the Citibank Upromise card has the same rules as the Dividend card (5% on groceries, pharmacy and gas, 1% on all else) but there is no annual cap and the money goes toward college savings for the child/children of your choice. I plan on switching to this card when I have kids. Just a thought!

[sweeps]

The Upromise card only pays off (but pays off big) if you're buying Upromise items with it. Otherwise you're still better off with your Dividend card for the 5%/1%.

I don't remember who it was, but someone on here makes a special trip into the grocery store to buy Upromise-only items with their Upromise card. They racked up huge rewards that way. Then all their other shopping trips was with the Dividend (or similar) card.

(Note: You can also register your Dividend card with Upromise to passively get Upromise points.)

[rickatheslicka]

I just looked up the Upromise card, and I guess it is only 2% back on gas at Exxon or Mobil. But it is still 1% back on everything else, plus the 10% back on qualifying Upromise purchases, so it is pretty close to the original Dividend card. And the $300 cap doesn't apply to gas and Upromise purchases, just to the everything else that is getting 1% back. Still a pretty good deal, check out citibank.com for more info.

By the way, I looked for the info on the Dividend card, and I couldn't find it. Is Citibank still offering it? Maybe I just overlooked it...

[sweeps]

ricka, I would agree with you if there were a lot of items that qualify for Upromise bonuses. Unfortunately there's not, and the ones that do are relatively expensive (Tide, for example).

Speaking of gas, why not get 5% back regardless of your choice of gas station. That's the beauty of the Dividend card (and Chase Cash Plus card too). I agree, though, that the $300 reward cap is a pain in the you-know-what.

Info on Dividend card

[rickatheslicka]

Hmmm, good point Sweeps. Thanks for the link to the Dividend card, I didn't think they would have stopped issuing it.

[greedy4chips]

Sweeps you are right about many of the items on the Upromise card. 10% back does help defray the difference though and so do coupons. I have purchased Tide 100oz for $4.99 on sale and $1.00 off coupon - $.50 for the 10% rebate.

I have never watched that closely to tell if this works or not. My store's coupon card is registered with Upromise and we are getting 5% back on the Citicard. Upromise pays 10% for those purchases on their list. Do you actually get 15% then.

I have seen 1 person do 2 checkouts with her items seperated. Too much work for me.

[kealina]

thanks everybody...i will start checking out the different cards and all their various details... you guys are always so helpful i knew this was the place to post before i got started...

[Ima saver]

Last year we used the american express blue cash card and got over $500 off of the balance on the june bill.
Now I have just started using HSBC GM Flexible earnings card. They sent you a check everytime you accumulate $100 and request it. I think I have already earned about $50. We buy a lot at Home Depot but we pay it off every month.

[kealina]

thanks every, i did a search on the boards and am reading all the other posts as well... i will run my findings by DH and see what he thinks... so far i'm considering the citi dividend card, the discover gas card, and the chase cash rewards card...

[sweeps]

I'd like to reopen this thread considering the situation brewing with the Citi Dividends card and the Chase Cash Plus card. Since they seem to be going away or at least substantially downgraded, we may have to be more creative.

One possibility is the 1.4% mastercard from Emigrant Direct. Minimum $10,000 in an ED savings account.
There is still the 1.5% card from Fidelity/MBNA (2.0% if you choose the 529 savings version).

[Jewelsmom]

Originally Posted by autoxer

I've earned over $60 from my Discover card over the past year. The regular card has revolving promotions where they will give you 5% back on certain purchases, but I just switched it to the Discover Gas Card to only get 5% back on Gas, and 1% on everything else.

I agree!
Discover Platinum card is our preferred card. Not only do we get the 5% on quartertly promotion (e.g., last fall we paid our daughter's college tuition in full instead of over 4 payments, and with the 5% promo at the time, we got $160 back! on a purchase we would have had to make anyway).

In addition, we can choose to get a gift card instead of the cash. $20 in cashback bonus = $25 Red Lobster gift cards (also good for Olive Garden). I send these gift cards as gifts to new parents for a night out on us, college student birthday gifts, x-mas stocking stuffers, etc.

To add to the savings even more, we go to Red Lobster for "dinner" just before 4pm, and eat off the cheaper Lunch menu.

[greedy4chips]

Upromise...ways to earn money, copied from their site


With your current credit cards

The easiest way to get free college savings at thousands of participating retailers and restaurants is through the credit cards you already carry in your wallet. Register your credit cards once with us and every time you use one of them at a participating company you'll get a percentage of your spending back into your Upromise Account - automatically. We protect your credit card information with strict security precautions and use the information only for posting rebates to your account.
Register your credit cards

With your grocery and drug store cards

Register your grocery or drug store card and you'll get money for college when you buy brands like Coca-Cola®, Energizer®, Tide®, Huggies®, and many more.
Register to save with groceries

By shopping online thru Upromise

Visit our online shopping section and shop thru our links to get credit for your online purchases. Or, download remindU™, and we'll make sure you get college savings whenever you shop with a participating online retailer whether or not you go thru Upromise.
Shop online thru Upromise

Thru Upromise Special Programs

While the above are the primary ways to save for college with Upromise, companies like Citi®, McDonald's® and more offer special programs.
Find out more