Curious about which credit cards I use MOST? :D If I’m not working on a signup bonus, retention offer, or distracted by something else, then these are the cards I use most often for my regular spend. Click “Show More” to see Ad Disclosure.
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BACKGROUND
My default credit card strategy is cash back, plus travel on the side. By that I mean in my day-to-day life, I prefer to earn cash back rewards to cover expenses, invest, etc. Then when I decide to travel, I like to use travel credit cards because I can often get more value with points and miles than I can with cash back.
PART 1: THE CORE
American Schwab Platinum Card
- 5X Flights (5.5% return)
- Airport lounge access: Centurion Lounge, Priority Pass, Escape Lounge, Delta SkyClub, etc.
- Redeem Membership Rewards points for 1.10¢ each (e.g. 10,000 points = $110)
Amex Gold Card
- 4X U.S. Supermarkets, up to $25K spent per year (4.4% return)
- 4X Dining Worldwide (4.4% return)
Amex Green Card
- 3X Travel at non-chain hotels, car rentals, etc. (3.3% return)
- 3X Transit for tolls, parking, rideshares, etc. (3.3% return)
Amex Blue Business Plus
- 2X Other Purchases, up to $50K spent per year (2.2% return)
PART 2: CASH BACK CREDIT CARDS
Chase Freedom Flex
- 5% Quarterly Categories, up to $1.5K spent per qtr.
Discover it Cash Back
- 5% Quarterly Categories, up to $1.5K spent per qtr.
U.S. Bank Cash+
- 5% Gym
- 5% Internet
Up to $2K spent in combined 5% categories per qtr.
Citi Custom Cash
- 5% Live Entertainment
- 5% Gas Stations
Citi Double Cash
- 2% Other Non-Amex purchases (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay). May replace with SoFi Credit Card.
PNC Cash Rewards
- 4% Gas Stations (when Citi Custom Cash is used for Live Entertainment)
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature
- 5% Amazon
PART 3: HOTEL CREDIT CARDS
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- 6X Marriott Hotels
- Free Night Award (up to 50K point value)
- Elite Night Credits (15/yr.)
Ritz Carlton Credit Card
- Free Night Award (up to 50K point value)
Marriott Bonvoy Premier Plus Business
- Free Night Award (up to 35K point value)
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
- Free Night Award (up to 35K point value)
- Elite Night Credits (15/yr.)
Hilton Honors Business Card
- 12X Hilton Hotels
- Free Night Reward (after spending $15K)
- Hilton Honors Gold Status
World of Hyatt Credit Card
- 4X Hyatt Hotels
- Free Night (up to 15K point value)
Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card
- 8X Wyndham Hotels
- Anniversary Bonus (15K points)
- Diamond Elite Status
PART 4: AIRLINE CREDIT CARD
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
- Preferred Boarding
- Free Checked Bag
- 25% Off Inflight Wi-Fi
- 25% Inflight Food & Beverage
- 1 Loyalty Point per $1 spent
CREDIT CARDS I USE MOST OFTEN
1. Chase Freedom Flex
2. Citi Custom Cash
3. Discover it Cash Back
4. U.S. Bank Cash+
5. Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature
6. Amex Gold Card
7. Amex Blue Business Plus
AVERAGE RETURN (of the 7 most used cards) = 4.5%
SUMMARY
- I currently have 42 credit cards as of March 22, 2022
- Of those 42, this video featured 19 that I use most often throughout the year
- Of those 19, I use 7 with the highest frequency
FINAL NOTE:
You may notice that I’m not running a Chase Trifecta setup that everyone raves about (I do have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, but not the Chase Sapphire Reserve). That doesn’t mean you should or should not use it - or any other credit card setup - yourself. Remember to get the credit cards that reward YOU the most in the areas in which YOU spend the most, while also giving you the benefits YOU value the most. Credit card setups are a personal thing ;-) And yes, the Chase Trifecta is AWESOME.
Disclosure: This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Mark Reese is not a financial advisor.
#creditcardstrategy #bestcreditcards #cashbackcreditcards