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.
American Express Gold Card
$250 annual fee
50,000 point bonus after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months Please use my link to apply.
4x points on spending at US restaurants and up to $25,000 per year in US supermarket spending (then 1x points after $25,000 is reached).
3x points on flights booked directly with an airline or through AmExTravel.com
$100 airline credit for incidental fees, baggage, extra legroom and etc.
$10 per month in dining statement credits (annual limit of $120). This can be used on Grubhub or at Ruby Tuesdays, Cheesecake Factory and
If you sign up by January 9, 2019, you’ll receive 20% back as a statement credit at US restaurants for the first three months (with a limit of $100 back).
This is my favorite card now that they have 4X points on restaurants and grocery shopping. If you open the card by 1/9/19 the annual fee pays you $70 the first year and only costs you $30 each year after because of the credits.
Final Verdict: Keep
American Express SPG Card Business
$95 annual fee waived the first year
75,000 Bonus points for $3000 spent in the first 3 months. Please use my link to apply
SPG (now Marriot) has the most airline transfer partners
I opened it for the 35,000 bonus points. Marriott now owns SPG and points are worth less so the bonus is now higher. The business card has the same benefits as the personal card with one extra benefit (before the Marriott purchase), access to Sheraton Club Lounge. Before Marriott bought SPG, this was my go-to nonbonus spending because SPG points were worth the most. I don’t use that much anymore.
Final Verdict: I may close it when the annual fee posts. I am currently unsure.
Amex Hilton Honors Ascend Card
$95 annual fee not waived. Was $75 on the older version
150,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Please use my link to apply
Automatic Gold Status
Priority Pass Select
Free weekend night if spend $15,000 in one year.
Final Verdict: Closing it. I don’t care that much about hotel cards. I do it for the bonus points.
Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card
No annual fee
$200 back after spending $1,000 for the first 3 months. Please use my link to apply
I don’t use this card much because it is a cash back card. I opened it up a while 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
50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 the first 3 months. Please use my link to apply.
2X on restaurants, and travel
This is one of the top cards and it is the best card for people starting out in the points game. Though Chase came out with the Reserve card with 100,000 bonus and I felt was the best card when they had that offer. This bonus is no longer available. I couldn’t get that bonus on 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
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 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 the cell phone, internet 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
IHG Rewards Card
$49 annual fee
You can no longer open the current card I have. They now have a card called the IHG Premier Rewards Credit Card for 80,000 bonus points. Please use my link and apply here
$89 annual fee, 80,000 bonus points when spending $2,000 in the first 3 months.
Earn 10 points per $1 spent at any of their 5,300+ hotels worldwide.
2 points per $1 spent on gas, groceries, and restaurants. 1 point for everything else.
I pretty much only use it for the annual free night, worth more than $100. The wife has one also 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. New cardholders no longer get any category free night. Existing cardholders will no longer get any category free night after May 2019.
Final verdict: Probably close after I use my last Anniversary night that shows up on my account in April
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 Business 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
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: Closing when annual fee posts because I just got the Business version.
Citi American Airlines Business 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 70,000 point bonus and I can use the points with their partner airlines that are better. Planning to fly to Japan on JAL airlines with American points. 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 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: closing it because I rarely fly Alaska
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.
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:
Citi Aadvantage card, $95 fee, I canceled because I only wanted it for the bonus offer.
American Express SPG Card, $95 fee, I closed it because at the time the business SPG card had one more benefit and didn’t need to have both cards. This is no longer the case now that Marriott bought SPG.
