I'm looking for some good credit card recommendations

[AFurryReptile]

Currently rocking a CapitalOne card, $1500 limit, that has absolutely nothing special about it. The balance is low and I really don't use it that much, because I'm not making any rewards.

I do a lot of driving, so I was thinking about getting something with a nice 3% cash back on gas, like the AMEX Blue Cash card. I'm pretty sure that I'll qualify for whatever I want.

What are you guys using? Any recommendations?

 

[PliotronX]

Amex's are charge cards where you cannot carry a balance but they're valuable to have. I like Citi's Forward and Discover More.

 

[boomhower]

Currently rocking a CapitalOne card, $1500 limit, that has absolutely nothing special about it. The balance is low and I really don't use it that much, because I'm not making any rewards.

I do a lot of driving, so I was thinking about getting something with a nice 3% cash back on gas, like the AMEX Blue Cash card. I'm pretty sure that I'll qualify for whatever I want.

What are you guys using? Any recommendations?

For gas Penfed has a 5% card available. Joint the CU and then apply for the card. They are typically very good with limits as well. You do need very very good credit as they are extremely conservative. It is really only good for gas as well since everything else is only .25% back vs. 1% for most cards.

The Amex BCP has 3% back on gas but be aware it has an AF. For me the 6% back in groceries more than off sets the fee.

If your a costco member the Amex costco card is a good option at 3%.

Bank of America BankAmericard is 3% but I hate BOA.

Chase Freedom and Discover IT have 5% rotating categories every quarter and gas is usually twice per year on each. 1% everything else.

I use Amex Blue Cash Preferred unless it's a bonus category with Discover or Chase, I have all three cards.

Amex's are charge cards where you cannot carry a balance but they're valuable to have. I like Citi's Forward and Discover More.

Citi Forward is no longer available other than to students which is a shame as 5% rebate at Amazon was awesome. More has been replaced but the Discover IT which is largely the same thing but better in that base rewards are 1% on the it vs. .25% on the More until you spent $3k and then went to 1%.

 

[Mixolydian]

Amex's are charge cards where you cannot carry a balance

Not all of them.

 

[el-Capitan]

I dont carry any balances, so I use my Amex for everything. Been very happy with it. Mixolydian is correct, they do allow me to pay some 80% of my monthly "over time". I don't know the terms and have not made use of it. I think it depends on what retailer the charge was incurred with.

 

[Vdubchaos]

There is nothing special about ANY credit card.

They all give you certain "bonus" in certain areas under assumption that you will not pay off your balance at the end of the month and interest rates will overshadow the "rewards".

If you do want to use it to your advantage, get one that suits you the most and make sure entire balance is paid off.....and take advantage of the rewards.

Personally, I don't even bother with rewards.....

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Amex is a charge card? Wtf are you guys talking about?

 

[el-Capitan]

Amex is a charge card? Wtf are you guys talking about?

It is.

http://www.americanexpress.com/ireland/personal_cards/american_express_what_is_charge_card.shtml

 

[Mixolydian]

It is.

http://www.americanexpress.com/ireland/personal_cards/american_express_what_is_charge_card.shtml

Amex has many different cards. Some of them are charge cards, some of them are credit cards.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

My amex Costco card isn't a charge card.
Best credit card I've found so far.

 

[Fritzo]

Amex's are charge cards where you cannot carry a balance but they're valuable to have. I like Citi's Forward and Discover More.

Costco's AmEx lets you carry a balance (Mines at 12.99% APR)

I love Costco's card because you get 1-4% cash back on purchases, plus you get a percentage back from Costco as well. I use the card exclusively for their gas (which is usually .25 less expensive than everywhere else) and it pays for my membership + I make around $100/year.

 

[RossMAN]

Read my post here
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2295329

 

[nickbits]

US Bank Cash+ or Chase Freedom are OK

 

[nickbits]

Personally, I don't even bother with rewards.....

I "make" about $50-$100/month in rewards. It is worth it for me.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I like the amazon visa. 3% on amazon purchases, 2% on gas, 1% on everything else. I shop a lot on amazon, so I end up building up a lot of points.

 

[KirbyCodeMonkey]

I love my Discover card. I don't care much about the specials you might get with, because I mean cashback is so slow to add up. What I love about my card is I talk to people. Real live people who actually cared about me and didn't try to upsale me (too hard). I my issues got resolved and no one was mad, sad, or pissy. It was so nice to hear people who like their jobs!

 

[Tweak155]

I like Chase Freedom because if you open another card with Chase, all the points are combinable. Also if you have your savings / checkings / etc with them you see them all in one login.

Also if you have enough $$ in the bank, you get lots of perks for free. Free checks, free cashiers checks (and they will mail them free, and you can order them online), no fees, free savings withdrawl if you go over your checkings balance, etc. Just lots of stuff that makes putting everything with them convenient. The downside is they have lower interest rates on their savings / checkings.

It helps that Chase is all over SE Michigan too... they are the most convenient bank there is.

 

[Riverhound777]

I use the Penfed Rewards card. It's not just 5% on gas, it's 3% on groceries as well. Those two are usually my biggest purchases each month, so perfect for me.

 

[adairusmc]

USAA Amex or MasterCard (they offer both). If you are eligible to be a USAA customer that is.

 

[Svnla]

OP, read this long thread = http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/711457/

You are welcome.

<<<---- know a thing or two about finance and CC/rewards/points/bonus/etc.

There is nothing special about ANY credit card.

They all give you certain "bonus" in certain areas under assumption that you will not pay off your balance at the end of the month and interest rates will overshadow the "rewards".

If you do want to use it to your advantage, get one that suits you the most and make sure entire balance is paid off.....and take advantage of the rewards.

Personally, I don't even bother with rewards.....

If you have some disciplines, you could earn some good money with CC rewards/cash back/points/etc.

For example, from my own experience within the last year or so:

1) Maxed out Chase Freedoom 5% cashback last month - $1,500 * 5% cashback = $75 in my pocket with zero annual fee plus 1% cashback of everything else.
2) Earned over 100K of points from American Express Platinum = able to sell them at least $1K then minus the $450 annual fee = $650 in my pocket.
3) Earned about 95K of United Airlines miles for 1 international round trip => save about $1500 to $2000 for air fare with enough miles left over for another domestic air ticket.
4) Earned 3% cash back from gasoline, 2% from groceries, and 1% of everything else with zero annual fee.



and so on. Of course, I ALWAYS pay off ALL of my CC bills, never carried a balance, ever.

And I am not a hard core CC user. Go to Fatwallet Finance and read up. You would be amazed at the things people do for money.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I have an AmEx Blue Cash Preferred. Higher interest rate than most cards, but:

6% cash back on groceries
3% on gas
1% on everything else

Now that does mean you have to buy groceries from a grocery store, not a Walmart or Target, in order to benefit. But if you do, and you spend a very modest $200 a month on groceries, you save $144 in a year. That's about enough to offset the $75 annual fee vs. the free Blue Cash card, which only provides 3% cash back on groceries. Everything on top of that is gravy.

You get a 1-year warranty extension on some purchases, a 90-day protection against damage or theft up to $1,000 (if you buy a TV and break it in the first 3 months they will cover the cost), and a 90-day protection against returns in case the store you bought it from won't take it back, up to $300.

When I signed up they were also running a promo where if you make $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of having your card, you get an extra $150 in cash back, so that covers two years of the annual fee.

 

[Kadarin]

I don't care about rewards because I'm far too lazy to use them. I care about interest rates, and my cc has a permanent rate of 4.75%, no annual fee.

 

[AMDZen]

www.bettercreditcard.com

 

[AstroManLuca]

I don't care about rewards because I'm far too lazy to use them. I care about interest rates, and my cc has a permanent rate of 4.75%, no annual fee.

Cash back doesn't exactly take a lot of time. It's not one of those things where you have to accumulate points and jump through hoops to use rewards. There's free money sitting there and all you have to do is click a few things to get it every month. Or you can just sit on it and turn it in every 6 months if you want, it doesn't matter.

I'd give it all up for a 4.75% permanent interest rate though, wow.

 

[Tweak155]

Cash back doesn't exactly take a lot of time. It's not one of those things where you have to accumulate points and jump through hoops to use rewards. There's free money sitting there and all you have to do is click a few things to get it every month. Or you can just sit on it and turn it in every 6 months if you want, it doesn't matter.

I'd give it all up for a 4.75% permanent interest rate though, wow.

Why? If you only get 1% back all the time that is like taking a 5.75% hit. But if you average to 2-3%, it goes up from there.

The free money is being thrown away, and paying interest is just throwing away more money.

Credit cards are one rotating debt you should avoid having large amounts of. Firstly it is bad for your credit score (if you over-utilize), and generally it is the most expensive. 4.75% is an excellent credit card rate, but still higher than all my rates that I actually pay.