I am not going to write about all benefits with each card. I am mostly going to write why I like the card for myself. I don’t usually close Amex cards with no annual fee because they only give you a bonus once per lifetime on each card.
IHG Rewards Card
$49 annual fee
I pretty much only use it for the annual free night, worth more than $100. I am having the wife open one so that we get two free nights per year. You can use the anniversary free night at any IHG hotel. Most hotel cards with a free night only let you use it for lower category hotels.
Final verdict: Keep
Amex Gold Business
$175 annual fee, waived the first year
I opened this card for the 50,000 Amex points. I will close it when the annual fee posts in the fall. You can pick a category out of 5 to get 3x points on, with the rest you will be getting 2x points.
If you regularly charge in any of these categories, you could be earning 3x points on the first $100,000 you spend (in each category) every year:
- Airfare purchased directly from airlines
- US purchases for advertising in select media
- US purchases at gas stations
- US purchases for shipping
- US computer hardware, software and cloud computing purchases made directly from select providers
I picked 3X points for gas.
Final Verdict: Close when fee posts
Amex Premier Rewards Gold Personal
$195 annual fee waived the first year, $100 airline credit, 50,000 points
2X points on Supermarkets. I could get 2X points at restaurants but I use Chase for that. I will probably keep this card because I view Amex points second best after Chase. The fee is really just $95.
Final Verdict: Keep
Amex SPG Card Personal
$95 annual fee waived the first year,
I opened this card for the 35,000 point offer. Plus SPG points are rated best. They also have a ton of airline transfer partners with a bonus. Every 20,000 points transferred to an airline, they give you an extra 5,000 points. So that makes the transfer ratio at 1:1.25 for airlines. I use this card on purchases that no other card gives a bonus on since their points are worth the most. I will close this card when the annual fee posts because I just got the business card
Final Verdict: Close when fee posts
Amex SPG Card Business
$95 annual fee waived the first year
I recently opened it for the 35,000 point bonus. The business card has the same benefits as the personal card with one extra benefit, access to Sheraton Club Lounge
Final Verdict: Keep
Amex Hilton Honors Surpass Card
$75 annual fee not waived
I opened this card last week for the special 100,000 points and receiving a free weekend night after your anniversary date. The free night was also special with this bonus. I will have to keep the card for a second year to have that special bonus night.
Final Verdict: Close after the second year
Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card
No annual fee
I don’t use this card much because it is a cash back card. I opened it up awhile back for the 0% on purchases for the first 12 months and the bonus cash back. It does give you 3% back at gas stations and 2% at restaurants.
Final Verdict: Keep
Chase Sapphire Preferred
$95 annual fee, free the first year
2X on restaurants. This was once one of the top cards and it was the best card for people starting out in the points game. Then Chase came out with the Reserve card with 100,000 bonus this past year. I can’t get the Reserve card because of the Chase 5/24 rule. 5/24 rule means: You have to have opened less than 5 personal cards and Chase business cards in the last 24 months to be able to open a Chase card. Credit reports do not show business cards, but obviously, Chase will see their business cards that you opened. Right now the Reserve card is only at 50,000 points, making the Preferred card the one to open right now if you do not have it.
Final Verdict: Keep until I one day can open the Reserve card at 100,000 points
Chase Ink Cash Business Card
No annual fee
I had the Chase Ink Bold card that had an annual fee because of the bonus they offered. I recently moved it down to the Chase Ink Cash card because it doesn’t have an annual fee. Now I do not like cash back cards because they are not worth as much as points, but since I have the Chase Sapphire preferred card I can move the cash back points over to that card. You can’t open either of these cards anymore. Chase has a new Business card
5X points on cell phone and cable bills, 2X on gas.
Final Verdict: Keep
Chase Freedom
no annual fee
5x on bonus categories each quarter. The best no annual fee card out there today! I get 5x cash back bonus categories each quarter. Since I have the Chase Sapphire preferred card I can move those cash back points over and they become regular chase points. Last quarter I was getting 5X points on gas and local commuter transportation (uber, trains, tolls) This quarter I am getting 5x points on drugstores and grocery stores.
Final Verdict: Keep
Discover IT
no annual fee
5% cash back on bonus categories each quarter. Almost as good as the chase freedom, but just a cash back card. Chase freedom transfers to other chase cards.
Final Verdict: Keep
Jet Blue Plus Card
$99 fee, not waived the first year
2X on restaurants and supermarkets, but I am currently only using it on jet blue flights. I usually fly Jet Blue since Boston is a hub.
Benefits that I like for myself:
The bonus when opening, 10% miles rebate when using miles to book, free checked bag, 6x points when using the card with JetBlue purchases, 50% off in-flight purchases, and 5,000 annual bonus points that are worth $70. That makes the fee only $29.
Final Verdict: Keep
Citi American Airlines AAdvantage Card
$95 annual fee waived the first year
I don’t really fly American Airlines. I think they stink unless you have status with them. I will never have status because I don’t fly enough. I opened it for the 50,000 point bonus and can I can use the points with their partner airlines that are better. Benefits of the card are: free checked bag, 2x points purchasing American Airlines, 10% miles rebate when using miles with them, preferred boarding.
Final Verdict: Close when annual fee posts
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card
$75 annual fee not waived
I opened this card last week for the 30,000 point bonus and the $100 credit. The $100 credit offsets the annual fee the first year. I love Alaska miles because they have many great transfer partners. Plus they are a mileage based airline which makes miles worth more. See my last blog post on their partners. Other card benefits: free checked bag, 3X miles on Alaska, annual companion fare of $121
Final Verdict: Probably will close it after a year
Credit Cards I have but do not use
The reason being they do not have an annual fee and their benefits are not worth using the card. I keep them for credit reasons. Closing these cards will hurt my score by giving me less credit and history of my credit.
Hilton Amex, no fee
Two Bank of America cards, no fee, had them a long time
Jet Blue Card with no annual fee, had it a long time
Citi Thank You Preferred Card, no fee, had it a long time
Any store cards had them a long time
Cards that I closed:
Hilton Citi Card, no fee, I canceled because it was a new card and I will go for bonus again in 2 years
