My Credit Cards

Here are all of the credit cards in my wallet and the exact strategy I use to maximize the reward points/miles I receive from making everyday purchases. 

I currently have 11 credit cards with plans to open more in the near future.

Please note: This page contains my personal credit card referral links (denoted by flask icon). I will receive a referral bonus if you sign up through these links. You do not have to use these links but I really appreciate it if you do.

Disclaimer: The information here is collected independently by the Smart Living Scientist. All of the card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Credit Cards In My Wallet

My three American Express credit cards

American Express credit cards are one of the best cards out there and their Membership Reward Points program is one of the most valuable loyalty programs. Their cards offer some of the highest rewards for bonus category spending (dining, grocery, travel, etc.) out there and some of the best perks and offers.

One thing Amex does better than the major other credit card issuers like Chase is their generous Amex Offers and selection of transfer partners.

See this post for my overall American Express credit card strategy (coming soon).

Primary Card For Dining and Grocery Purchases American Express Gold

American Express Gold Card

Annual Fee: $250
Annual Airline Fee Credit: $100
Annual Dining Credit: $120

SLS Rating:
5/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 670+

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards Points (worth $600 or more) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.
  • Earn 4x Membership Rewards Points on restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery.
  • Earn 4x Membership Rewards Points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x).
  • Earn 3x Membership Rewards Points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

My Lifetime Savings: $220

Read my full review of the Gold card here (coming soon)

  • $100 Airline Fee Credit - This can be applied toward incidental air travel fees, such as baggage fees, seat changes fees or inflight meals and drinks at one selected qualifying airline. You can choose or change your airline of choice via American Express's website in January once each year. (Amex is replacing this with $120 Uber Cash in Jan 2022).
  • $120 Dining Credit - $10 monthly credits applied to purchases made at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth Chris's Steak House, Boxed and certain Shake Shack locations. These monthly credits do not roll over month to month so use them or lose them.
  • $120 Uber Cash *NEW* - Starting early in January 2021, Amex Gold card holders receive $10 Uber Cash each month for a total of $120. Can be used for Uber rides in the U.S. or Uber Eats orders.
  • 12-Month Complimentary Uber Eats Pass Membership *NEW* - Complimentary Uber Eats Pass Membership for up to 12 months ($119 value). Benefits include $0 delivery fees and 5% off orders over $15. Must enroll by December 31, 2021.
  • $100 Resort Credit - When you book a stay through the Amex Hotel Collection, for two consecutive nights or longer, you'll get you’ll up to $100 credit toward dining, spa and resort activities at the property. You also earn 2x points on your purchase and a room upgrade.
  • Travel Collection Membership - Complimentary access to The Travel Collection, a membership that normally costs $295 per year. This can help you land significant discounts with 10 airlines and perks at certain hotels when you book a stay of 2 nights or longer.
      • Daily breakfast for two people
      • Room upgrade upon check-in (based on availability)
      • Guaranteed 1:00 p.m. early check-in
      • Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi
      • A $50 hotel credit
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Gold card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage and kicks in after and in addition to your own personal policy.
  • Baggage Insurance - Purchase the entire fare of your common carrier ticket and get up to $1,250 in reimbursement if your carry-on bag is lost, stolen or damaged, and up to $500 if it’s your checked bag.
  • Trip Delay Reimbursement - Reimbursement of up to $300 for eligible expenses such as meals, lodging and toiletries if you purchase your trip with the card and your travel is delayed by more than 12 hours due to a covered reason. Total of 2 claims per 12 consecutive month period.
  • Purchase Protection - You are eligible for up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per calendar year to replace lost, stolen or damaged items purchased with the card within 90 days from date of purchase.
  • Extended Warranty - You get up to 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 5 years or less.
  • ShopRunner Membership - Complimentary membership to ShopRunner which gives you free 2-day shipping and free returns at participating merchants when you use your card to pay.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Pros

  • One of the highest rewards rate for both groceries and restaurants
  • Amex offers and credits
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Points are transferrable to airline and hotel partners to get double the value or more
  • Annual dining credit for Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth Chris's Steak House, Boxed and participating Shake Shack locations
  • Annual Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. starting in early 2021 *NEW*
  • Annual airline credit for fees such as checked bags, seat changes and inflight food & beverages
  • Travel protection, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty

Cons

  • Annual fee is only worth it if airline fee and dining credits are mostly or fully utilized each year
  • American Express is not accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard
  • No lounge membership
  • Monthly dining credits do not roll over from month to month

This has quickly become one of my favorite credit cards in my wallet. Well, the Amex Gold card is actually a charge card. Charge cards differ from credit cards in that there is no pre-set spending limit unlike credit cards which come with a credit limit and the balance must be paid in full each month.

 

I use this as my primary credit card for grocery and dining purchases, as it offers 4x Membership Rewards Points for every dollar spent. That is the highest transferrable points earning for groceries (technically second to the Chase Freedom cards) and second highest for dining (Citi Prestige being the highest). 

 

The annual fee is $250 but I can offset it with the $120 dining credit. I order from Grubhub once a month which lowers the annual fee to $130 a year.

 

The airline fee credit is a bit harder to use now because of the COVID pandemic but otherwise I would have made use of it on my flights to Columbia this year before we had to cancel our plans. That would have lowered the annual fee to just $30! To break even with the annual fee, I just need to spend $750 in dining and groceries combined in a year. I easily can spend that in less than 2 months.

 

Even though I cannot make good use of the airline fee credit, one of my favorite things about Amex cards is their Amex Offers. These offers provide either extra points per dollar spent or percentage cash back at hundreds of merchants. They require activation but this can be easily done in the mobile app. This year alone I already saved over $100 and we're not even through the entire year yet!

 

Combining the credits and the Amex Offers easily brings the annual fee to $0 for the Gold card. As groceries and dining are my top two expenses, I can very easily and quickly rack up a lot of Membership Rewards Points. I will transfer them to one of Amex's 19 airline partners, preferably international airlines since there's a fee for domestic airline transfers, and redeem the points for free business or first class flights or nights at high-end luxury hotels.

 

New Updates: American Express just announced they are giving cardholders $120 in Uber Cash that can be used for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. AND a 12-month complimentary Uber Eats Pass membership starting in 2021. This means in 2021, the Gold card will cost less than $0 to own with the addition of just the $120 Uber Cash alone. I expect to be able to fully utilize the dining credit and Uber Cash and most likely the airline fee credit, which means Amex is basically paying me to own the card.

Total Savings 2020: $220

  • Dining Credit - $100
  • Amex Offers - $120

Cost to Own in 2020: $30

  • Annual Fee: $250
  • Credits & Offers: $220

First Credit Card I Applied For Myself American Express Everyday

American Express Everyday card

Annual Fee: None

SLS Rating:
4/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 640+

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: Earn 10,000 Membership Reward Points (worth $100 or more) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. You can earn 25,000 points (worth $250) after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months through my referral link.
  • Earn 2x Membership Reward Points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per calendar year, then 1x).
  • Earn 2x Membership Reward Points on travel purchases made through amextravel.com.
  • Earn 20% extra points on all purchases when you make 20 or more purchases in a billing period (each month).

My Lifetime Savings: $90

Read my full review of the Everyday card here (coming soon)

  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Everyday card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage and kicks in after and in addition to your own personal policy.
  • ShopRunner Membership - Complimentary membership to ShopRunner which gives you free 2-day shipping and free returns at participating merchants when you use your card to pay.

Pros

  • No annual fee card that earns Membership Reward Points 
  • Points are worth 20% more when 20 or more purchases are made each statement cycle
  • Amex offers and credits
  • Points are transferrable to airline and hotel partners
  • Rental car insurance

Cons

  • Foreign transaction fee (2.7%)
  • American Express is not accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard

This was the very first credit card I applied for myself after I graduated from college. Prior to this card I had the Citi ThankYou Forward card (now the ThankYou Preferred card), which I never used because I used my debit card to pay for things throughout college. 

 

This card doesn't see much usage anymore but since it does not have an annual fee, I am keeping the card to boost my credit history. However, I do seldom use it whenever there is a good Amex offer.

 

Before I started learning more about credit cards and developing my strategy, I applied for this card because it did not have an annual fee and I got 20% more points whenever I used to the card to make 20 or more purchases each statement cycle. This was not an issue for me since this was the only credit card I used for all purchases. I had also just moved in with my then girlfriend and groceries were our main expense so this card was the perfect starter card for me.

 

Before I learned of the potential of Membership Reward Points and realized their value, I redeemed the majority of the points for gift cards, often at a discounted rate. 

 

But now that I know how to maximize the value of Membership Reward Points and I have my other credit cards, the Amex Everyday card just stays in my wallet at home.

Lifetime Savings from Amex Offers: $90

  • 2016 - $25
  • 2018 - $20
  • 2020 - $45

Lifetime Ownership Cost: $0

My Flat Rate Card For Business Purchases American Express Blue Business Plus

American Express Blue Business Plus card

Annual Fee: None

SLS Rating:
4/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 670+

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: None
  • Welcome Offer (My Referral): 10,000 Membership Reward Points after spending 3,000 in the first 3 months.
  • Earn 2x Membership Rewards Points on all purchases on the first $50,000 (then 1x).

Read my full review of the Blue Business Plus card here (coming soon)

  • Expanded Buying Power - Make purchases over your credit limit when you need to with no penalty or enrollment, and still earn Membership Rewards® points on those purchases. At the end of your billing cycle, the portion above your credit limit is due in full and you still get to choose whether or not to carry the remaining balance with interest. 
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Blue Business Plus card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage and kicks in after and in addition to your own personal policy.
  • Purchase Protection - You are eligible for up to $1,000 per claim and $50,000 per calendar year to replace lost, stolen or damaged items purchased with the card.
  • Extended Warranty - You get up to 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 5 years or less.

Pros

  • Simple and high rewards rate for any and all purchases
  • Amex offers and credits
  • Can spend above and beyond your credit limit and earn rewards on those purchases. The amount you can spend over your limit is not unlimited and it adjusts with your usage, payment history, credit card record, and other factors.
  • Can designate an account manager to manage account when you are not available
  • Points are transferrable to airline and hotel partners
  • Travel protection, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty

Cons

  • Foreign transaction fee (2.7%)
  • American Express is not accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard
  • Lower rate after spending $50,000 each year
  • Usually there is no welcome offer

I opened this card earlier this year to pay for my expenses for Smart Living Scientist. The Amex Blue Business Plus card was not the card I had originally planned to open but decided to apply for it after getting denied for the Chase Ink Unlimited card. I had wanted the Ink Unlimited card for its welcome offer and unlimited 1.5x Ultimate Reward Points on all purchases. 

 

Typically the American Express does not offer a welcome bonus for the Blue Business Plus credit card. There was only one other time that there was a welcome offer and that was back in 2018 where one could earn 10,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $3,000. This year Amex is offering up to $300 in statement credits, $100 credit each for purchase made at FedEx, Dell and DocuSign.

 

I have already made use of the $100 credit for Dell when I purchased my wireless keyboard. I will also some of the $100 credit for FedEx when I go print my business cards. The remainder of the credit and the $100 credit for DocuSign will remained unutilized but having some welcome offer for this card is already a win in my book.

 

I use this card for all of my business purchases that do not count towards a reward category. This ensures I never get less than 2x points on all of my business spending. I also sometimes use this card for specific Amex offers that I do not get from my other cards.

Lifetime Savings from Amex Offers: $33.73

  • 2020 - $33.73

Lifetime Ownership Cost: $0

My seven Chase credit cards

Like American Express, Chase credit cards are one of the best cards out there and their Ultimate Rewards Points program is one of the most valuable loyalty programs. Their cards offer some of the highest rewards for dining and travel out there and some of the best perks, especially perks for travel. Their travel and dining category is very broad and includes many things from food trucks and vending machines to parking and public transportation.

Chase arguably has the best lineup for beginner and no annual fee credit cards. Give that, however, Chase credit cards are also one of the more difficult cards to apply for, mainly because of their unofficial 5/24 Rule.

See this post for my overall Chase credit card strategy (coming soon).

Primary Card For Travel & Backup Dining Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

Annual Fee: $550
Annual Travel Credit: $300

SLS Rating:
4.5/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 720+

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: Earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards Points (worth $500-$750 or more) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
  • Earn 10x Ultimate Rewards Points on Lyft rides through March 2022.
  • Earn 3x Ultimate Rewards Points on travel purchases worldwide (after earning $300 travel credit).
  • Earn 3x Ultimate Rewards Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, including eligible delivery services, take out and dining out.
  • New Limited Time Offer: Earn 3x on up to $1,000 on grocery purchases each month starting November 1, 2020, and goes through April 30, 2021.
  • Points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards (makes welcome offer worth $750).

Read my full review of the Sapphire Reserve card here (coming soon)

  • $300 Annual Travel Credit - Easy-to-use credit that automatically applies to travel purchases, including public transportation, flights, hotels, AirBnBs, parking, tolls, etc. No enrollment is required.
  • Priority Pass Select - Access to 1,000+ Priority Pass airport lounges in over 500 cities worldwide. In addition, this membership provides access to Priority Pass restaurants where Sapphire Reserve cardholders can get $28 worth of free food per person at airport restaurants (check the full list here). Many other cards that offer Priority Pass Select memberships such as those from American Express do not include this.
  • Global Entry or TSA Pre Fee Credit - Up to $100 in credits every 4 years for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA Precheck. Both gets you through airport security lines quicker and does not require you to take electronics out from your bag, your shoes off, etc. Global Entry gets you through customs screening quicker. Getting Global Entry automatically gets you TSA Precheck.
  • $120 Credit for DoorDash - $60 credit on DoorDash purchases through 2020 and another $60 credit through 2021.
  • 1-Year Complimentary DashPass Subscription - One free year of DashPass membership from DoorDash, which waives all delivery fees on orders over $12 and reduces service fees ($120 value).
  • 1 Year Complementary Lyft Pink Membership - One free year of Lyft Pink valued at $199 minimum, which provides benefits such as 15% off Lyft rides, priority airport pickups, three waived cancel fees per month, free Grubhub+ membership ($120 value), and more.
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Sapphire Reserve card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is primary coverage, which kicks in before your own personal insurance. You can be reimbursed up to $75,000 for rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance - Get reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations. Coverage is only for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
  • Trip Delay Reimbursement - If your common carrier travel is delayed 6 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered up to $500 per ticket for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging.
  • Lost Luggage Reimbursement - Get covered up to $3,000 per passenger for carry-on or checked-in luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier. Coverage applies to you or an immediate family member.
  • Emergency Evacuation & Transportation - You or an immediate family member is covered for medical services and transportation up to $100,000 for injuries and illnesses during a trip far from home that requires an immediate emergency evacuation. 
  • Purchase Protection - Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.
  • Return Protection - You can be reimbursed for eligible items you bought but the store won't take back within 90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item and $1,000 per year.
  • Extended Warranty - You get 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 3 years or less in the U.S.
  • Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection - Enjoy special benefits such as room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, free daily breakfast for two, free spa treatment, and more at over 1000 hotels, resorts, lodges and spas around the world. Booking through Chase's LHRC program usually costs not much more than booking direct.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • 24/7 concierge service from anywhere in the world.

Pros

  • Easy to use $300 travel credit
  • Chase Offers
  • Special offers such as free 6-month Spotify Premium subscription (see offers here) 
  • Many credits, benefits and perks to offset annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Points are transferrable to airline and hotel partners to get double the value or more
  • Premium travel protections, primary rental car insurance, purchase and return protection and extended warranty

Cons

  • Points are not earned for travel until $300 travel credit is used first
  • High annual fee if you cannot take advantage of perks, credits and benefits
  • $75 annual fee for authorized users
  • Need excellent credit

I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve card as part of my "Chase trifecta" strategy to maximize earning Ultimate Rewards Points. I currently use this card for all my travel purchases, including flights, hotels and AirBnBs, unless it makes more sense to use, for example, my World of Hyatt card for stays at the Hyatt. This is because the Sapphire Reserve provides outstanding travel protections. I will sometimes put travel expenses on this card even though I will not get the highest earning rate because the amount of money I can save far outweighs the points I will miss out on.

 

Most of my travel expenses come from traveling for work. As part of my job, I have to travel to different parts of the country and world to attend conferences. I am in a very fortunate situation where my company does not handle the travel plans and itineraries. Instead they allows us to pay for all travel expenses out of pocket and then get reimbursed. This allowed me to rack up a lot of points very quickly, especially with the Sapphire Reserve card which earns 3x on travel purchases.

 

I used to also use this card for all of my dining purchases until I got the Amex Gold card. Right now I carry this as a backup to the Gold card whenever Amex is not accepted or when I think something would not be considered dining for the Gold card such as purchases made at food trucks.

 

The Sapphire Reserve offers a $300 travel credit, which effectively lowers the annual fee to $150 ($250 in 2021 and beyond). This card also now offers a $60 DoorDash credit through 2020 and another $60 credit through 2021, complimentary one-year DashPass subscription for DoorDash ($120 value), and complimentary one-year Lyft Pink membership ($199 minimum value). That is a total of $439 in value over 2 years! All of that easily makes up for the $400 ($150+$250) annual fee I would have to pay for this card over the course of two years. And this doesn't even include the money I save in delivery and service fees and on Lyft rides.

 

Essentially it will cost me $0 to own the Sapphire Reserve card for two years.

 

When I travel, I use this card to access the PriorityPass lounges at airports without having to pay for a membership ($69 value) where I get free food and drinks (not that I drink much anyway). The awesome thing is that I can bring up to two guests with me so I bring my fiancé with me whenever we travel together and she makes good use of the free drinks. I also use this card to waive the collision damage waiver for car rentals, saving more money. I used this benefit in Ireland in 2019 and it even helped me cover in full the damage to my rental car in Ireland, which saved me over $1,200.

 

The Sapphire Reserve card doesn't get nearly as much usage ever since I got the Amex Gold card earlier this year but I still use it and its benefits enough to warrant the annual fee. In addition, I keep this card because I can transfer the Ultimate Rewards Points earned from all my other Chase cards and then either redeem them through the Ultimate Rewards portal where all the points are worth 50% more OR transfer them to partners and redeem them for at minimum 100% more value.

Lifetime Savings from Chase Offers: $66.58

  • 2018 - Data lost
  • 2019 - Data lost
  • 2020 - $6.58 + $60 (Doordash)

Lifetime Ownership Cost: $450

  • 2018 - $150
  • 2019 - $150
  • 2020 - $150

Primary Card For Personal Non-category Bonus Spending Chase Freedom Unlimited

Chase Freedom Unlimited Card

Annual Fee: None

SLS Rating:
5/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 640+

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: Earn $200 bonus (20,000 Ultimate Rewards Points) after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months AND get 5% cash back on grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.
  • Earn 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards Points) on travel purchases made through Ultimate Rewards portal and Lyft rides through March 2022.
  • Earn 3% cash back (3x Ultimate Rewards Points) on dining at restaurants worldwide, including eligible delivery services, take out and dining out, as well as from drugstores.
  • Earn 1.5% cash back (1.5x Ultimate Rewards Points) on all other purchases.

Read my full review of the Freedom Unlimited card here (coming soon)

  • 3-Month Complimentary DashPass Subscription - One free year of DashPass membership from DoorDash, which waives all delivery fees on orders over $12 and reduces service fees ($120 value).
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Freedom Unlimited card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage in the U.S., which kicks in after your own personal insurance. It is primary coverage abroad. 
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance - Get reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations. Coverage is only for pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
  • Purchase Protection - Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Extended Warranty - You get 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 3 years or less in the U.S.
  • Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection - Enjoy special benefits such as room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, free daily breakfast for two, free spa treatment, and more at over 1000 hotels, resorts, lodges and spas around the world. Booking through Chase's LHRC program usually costs not much more than booking direct. *Note: this is not directly stated on Chase's application page but people have reported having access.*

Pros

  • Chase Offers
  • Boost cash back earned from 1% to 15% at select merchants through Chase's Shop Through Chase online shopping portal 
  • Ability to transfer points to other Chase cards such as the Sapphire Reserve and get higher value per point
  • Decent travel protections, rental car insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty for a no annual fee card

Cons

  • Foreign transaction fee (3%)

The Freedom Unlimited is one of the cards I use in my "Chase trifecta" strategy to maximize my rewards for all spending. The goal of such a credit card strategy is to never get less than 1.5x points or 1.5% cash back on purchases AND maximize the value on the rewards.

 

I use this card for purchases that do not fall under a bonus category such as dining and travel. This ensures that I always get at least 1.5x Ultimate Rewards Points or 1.5% cash back on all of my purchases. I transfer all of the points earned with this card to my Sapphire Reserve card to maximize their value.

 

Although the difference between getting 1x and 1.5x is not huge, it can add up in the long run, particularly if you spend a lot on purchases that do not fall in a bonus category.

 

We all have purchases we have to make and expenses to pay each year that do not fall into a bonus category. I myself easily have on average over $5,000 of purchases and expenses I can put on a credit card every year. The difference between 1x and 1.5x on $5,000 in points is equivalent to $25, which may not seem like much. However, when transferred to my Sapphire Reserve card, those points are now worth at minimum $37.50, with the potential of being worth $50 or more when redeemed for travel.

 

Now while even $50 may not sound like much, I’d still be out on $50 if I had just stuck to the 1x earning. And that’s just from one card only! When combined with Chase’s other cards, such as the Freedom Flex card, the amount of points and money I could be missing out is even greater!

 

The idea here is that if I am already going to be spending the money anyways I might as well maximize the amount of money I get back. All it takes is a few strategic credit cards and remembering to use the credit card that earns the highest rewards.

Card For Rotational Category Bonus Spending Chase Freedom Flex

Chase Freedom Flex Card

Annual Fee: None

SLS Rating:
4.5/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 640+

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: Earn $200 bonus (20,000 Ultimate Rewards Points) after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months AND get 5% cash back on grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.
  • Earn 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards Points) on travel purchases made through Ultimate Rewards portal and Lyft rides through March 2022.
  • Earn 3% cash back (3x Ultimate Rewards Points) on dining at restaurants worldwide, including eligible delivery services, take out and dining out, as well as from drugstores.
  • Earn 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards Points) on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter of the year (you need to activate each quarter).

Read my full review of the Freedom Flex card here (coming soon)

  • 3-Month Complimentary DashPass Subscription - One free year of DashPass membership from DoorDash, which waives all delivery fees on orders over $12 and reduces service fees ($120 value).
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Freedom Flex card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage in the U.S., which kicks in after your own personal insurance. It is primary coverage abroad. 
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance - Get reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations. Coverage is only for pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
  • Purchase Protection - Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.
  • Extended Warranty - You get 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 3 years or less in the U.S.
  • Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection - Enjoy special benefits such as room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, free daily breakfast for two, free spa treatment, and more at over 1000 hotels, resorts, lodges and spas around the world. Booking through Chase's LHRC program usually costs not much more than booking direct. *Note: this is not directly stated on Chase's application page but people have reported having access.*

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • High rewards rate and no minimum cash back/points redemption
  • Chase Offers
  • Boost cash back earned from 1% to 15% at select merchants through Chase's Shop Through Chase online shopping portal 
  • Ability to transfer points to other Chase cards such as the Sapphire Reserve and get higher value per point
  • Decent travel protections, rental car insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty

Cons

  • Foreign transaction fee (3%)
  • Spending may not align with rotating categories
  • Requires you to keep track and activate bonus categories

The Chase Freedom Flex is the newest and most recent addition to my credit card lineup. I applied for this card and got approved in October of 2020. This card essentially replaces the Chase Freedom card in my "Chase Trifecta" strategy, but in reality it actually turns my Chase Trifecta into a "Chase Quartet".

 

This card replaced the Chase Freedom card, which is basically the same card minus some of the newer benefits and earnings such as the 3% cash back on dining and 5% on travel purchases made through Chase's Ultimate Rewards portal. Even though I already have the Freedom card, I decided to open this card instead of requesting a product change of my Freedom card so that I can boost the total 5% cash back on rotational categories I can earn on my spending each quarter of the year and earn the welcome offer. Had I done a product change I would not have been able to get the $200 welcome offer. I don't mind carrying both cards since both the Freedom and Freedom Flex cards have no annual fee and they stay in my wallet at home most of the time unless I can make use of the rotational bonus categories.

 

The spending cap each quarterly bonus is limited to $1,500. While I do not always max out the 7,500 Ultimate Rewards Points in earnings (equivalent to $75) each quarter depending on the category bonuses, I do typically max out when the category bonus is purchases made via PayPal. Chase has made PayPal the bonus category in Q4 for both last year and this year. This is perfect for holiday shopping when I go buy gifts for friends and family and take advantage of the huge savings that come around during this time.

 

Now instead of earning only 7,500 Ultimate Rewards Points or $75, I can earn up to 15,000 points of $150 on $3,000 worth of spending. When transferred to my Sapphire Reserve card, these points are worth at minimum $225 with the potential of $300 or more.

 

Another benefit is that I now get World Elite Mastercard benefits that I do not get with my Freedom card since it's a Visa Signature card. Aside from my one Citi card, I do not have a Mastercard credit card and it's always best to diversify and carry cards from multiple networks. I always wanted a Mastercard credit card that I would use more often and the Freedom Flex provided me with just that. There are many World Elite Mastercard benefits that come with the Freedom Flex but the one I value most is the $1,000 annual cell phone protection. It reimburses me up to $800 per claim for covered damages as long as I pay my monthly cellphone bill with this card. I don't drop or break my phone often, but it's great to have this protection for peace of mind, especially considering how expensive phones are nowadays.

 

Now, while I may not be able to maximize the earning rewards every quarter of the year, carrying both the Freedom and Freedom Flex cards is still great because both cards have no annual fees.

Card For Rotational Category Bonus Spending Chase Freedom

Chase Freedom Credit Card

Annual Fee: None

SLS Rating:
3.7/5

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: None – this card is no longer available to new applicants and has been replaced by the Freedom Flex.
  • Earn 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards Points) on Lyft rides through March 2022.
  • Earn 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards Points) on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter of the year (you need to activate each quarter).

  • 3-Month Complimentary DashPass Subscription - One free year of DashPass membership from DoorDash, which waives all delivery fees on orders over $12 and reduces service fees ($120 value).
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Freedom card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage in the U.S., which kicks in after your own personal insurance. It is primary coverage abroad. 
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance - Get reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations. Coverage is only for pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
  • Purchase Protection - Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.
  • Extended Warranty - You get 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 3 years or less in the U.S.
  • Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection - Enjoy special benefits such as room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, free daily breakfast for two, free spa treatment, and more at over 1000 hotels, resorts, lodges and spas around the world. Booking through Chase's LHRC program usually costs not much more than booking direct. *Note: this is not directly stated on Chase's application page but people have reported having access.*

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • High rewards rate and no minimum cash back/points redemption
  • Chase Offers
  • Boost cash back earned from 1% to 15% at select merchants through Chase's Shop Through Chase online shopping portal 
  • Ability to transfer points to other Chase cards such as the Sapphire Reserve and get higher value per point
  • Decent travel protections, rental car insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty

Cons

  • Foreign transaction fee (3%)
  • Spending may not align with rotating categories
  • Requires you to keep track and activate bonus categories

The Chase Freedom card is the third card I opened with Chase. I opened this card a few months after the Freedom Unlimited card for the 5% cash back rotational category bonus. Being able to earn essentially 5x Ultimate Rewards Points on certain purchases each quarter is quite a lot, especially considering this card has no annual fee and the points can be transferred to my Sapphire Reserve card for getting maximum value out of the points.

 

Instead of product changing my Freedom card to the Freedom Flex, I decided to keep this card and open the Freedom Flex separately. That allowed me to earn the welcome bonus for the Freedom Flex card. And by keeping the Freedom card, I now can earn 5% cash back or 5x Ultimate Rewards Points on up to $3,000 in spending instead of $1,500 by carrying both cards. The rotational categories are the exact same as the Freedom Flex each quarter.

 

The rotational categories have historically included groceries stores, purchases made via PayPal, gas station, home improvement stores, Amazon.com, wholesale clubs and internet, cable & phone services.

 

The Freedom card stays in my wallet at home until I need to use it when the bonus category provides me with the highest earning rate. The bonus categories for Q4 of 2020, for instance, are PayPal and Walmart. With the holidays approaching, it can be quite easy for me to max the $1,500 in spending through buying gifts. I plan on using this card for all my online purchases where the merchant has PayPal as an option, which most online merchants do.

 

The points earned with this card will be transferred to my Sapphire Reserve card to be redeemed for travel.

Card For Internet, Cable, Phone and Office Supplies Chase Ink Business Cash

Chase Ink Business Cash Card Image

Annual Fee: None

SLS Rating:
4.6/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 670+

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: Earn $500 bonus (50,000 Ultimate Rewards Points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • Earn 5% cash back (5x Ultimate Rewards Points) on the first $25,000 in combined purchases made at office supply stores and on internet, phone and cable services each account anniversary year.
  • Earn 2% cash back (2x Ultimate Rewards Points) on the first $25,000 in combined purchases made at restaurants and gas stations each account anniversary year.

Read my full review of the Ink Business Cash card here (coming soon)

  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Ink Business Cash card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is primary coverage in the U.S. and abroad when renting for business purposes. This coverage kicks in before your own personal insurance. You will be reimbursed up to the actual cash value of the rental car.
  • Purchase Protection - Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Extended Warranty - You get 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 3 years or less in the U.S.
  • Employee cards at no additional cost. You can set the spending limits for individual employees.

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • High rewards rate on internet, phone and cable services, and office supply stores
  • High welcome offer for a no annual fee card
  • Chase Offers
  • Ability to transfer points to other Chase cards, including personal cards such as the Sapphire Reserve and get higher value per point
  • Great rental car insurance and decent purchase protection and extended warranty

Cons

  • Foreign transaction fee (3%)
  • Bonus categories may not align with business spending

The Ink Business Cash card from Chase is my first business credit card. I opened this card back in December of 2019 when I was thinking of starting Smart Living Scientist. However, I didn't officially start my blog until July 4th of 2020 but I was still able to make good use of this card.

 

I opened this card for its 5% cash back, which is essentially 5x Ultimate Rewards Points per dollar spent on internet, phone and cable services. Prior to this, I had no card that earned higher than 1.5x in this category. Internet and cable is one of the higher bills I pay each month so I really wanted to maximize my reward earnings in this category.

 

Although this is a business credit card, I can still use it for personal spending. These cards are meant to make it easier for you keep your personal and business expenses separate. Making personal purchases with business cards will make it a little more difficult to sort out the business expenses from the personal expenses but I personally do not mind this.

 

You don't even need to have your own business to be qualified for business credit cards. Simply having a side hustle and being a freelancer or independent contractor will qualify you for these cards. 

 

The 2x on gas purchases also worked out for me because I didn't have a card that earned more than 1.5x and I was doing Uber prior to the pandemic. By doing Uber, I was qualified for this small business credit card.

 

The great thing about Chase's business cards is that points can be transferred to personal Chase credit cards such as the Sapphire Reserve. This is an outstanding benefit as business cards tend to have bonus categories that are not typically offered by personal credit cards. This allows me to earn more than 1.5x on a broader range of spending.

 

And the points I earn with this card will be transferred to my Sapphire Reserve to be redeemed for travel.

Card For Amazon Purchases Amazon Prime Rewards

Amazon Prime Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee: None
(Prime Membership Required)

SLS Rating:
3.7/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 640+

Highlights

  • Welcome Offer: $100 Amazon Gift Card
  • Earn 5% cash back on purchases made at Amazon and Whole Foods Market.
  • Earn 2% cash back on purchases made at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores.

Read my full review of the Amazon Prime Rewards card here (coming soon)

  • Purchase Protection - Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Extended Warranty - You get 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 3 years or less in the U.S.
  • Baggage Delay Insurance - You can be reimbursed for essential purchases such as toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over 6 hours by the carrier up to $100 per day for 3 days.
  • Lost Baggage Reimbursement - Covers you or your immediate family members on up to $3,000 per passenger for checked or carry-on bags damaged or lost by the carrier
  • Travel Accident Insurance - You are eligible for accidental death or dismemberment coverage of up to $500,000 when you pay for air, bus, train or cruise transportation with your card
  • No foreign transaction fee

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • High rewards rate on purchases made at Amazon and Whole Foods
  • Chase Offers
  • Decent travel and purchase protection

Cons

  • Requires Amazon Prime Membership
  • No rental car insurance
  • Can redeem for travel but have to book over phone and travel rewards are subject to availability

I opened the Amazon Prime card back in 2017 when we purchased our first house. We bought many things from Amazon, including supplies and furniture, so I signed up for Amazon Prime to get free 2-day shipping. It made sense to open the Amazon Prime Rewards credit card since it cost nothing to own with a Prime Membership and the rewards are good. I could always downgrade to the Amazon Rewards credit card if I ever decide to cancel my Prime Membership.

 

Unless the rotational category for the Chase Freedom card is Amazon.com (5x UR Points) or there's a special Amex Offer that gives me bonus points (+5 MR Points), I use this card strictly for purchases made at Amazon.com. I also use this card for purchases made at Whole Foods (for the one or two times a year I shop here). This used to be my go-to card for gas stations and restaurants. That quickly changed when I opened my Sapphire Reserve card (restaurants) and Freedom Unlimited (gas). 

 

This card gives me 5% cash back for all purchases made at Amazon.com, which is quite good. It's among the best rewards credit card for Amazon purchases. Again, the only time I would not use this card for Amazon.com is if my other cards give me better earnings.

 

The Amazon Prime Rewards card also has no annual fee and it comes with a slew of benefits. Because it's a Visa Signature card it has a couple of travel benefits such as baggage delay and lost baggage protection, as well as travel accident insurance. Combined with no foreign transaction fees, this card is a great beginner card to use for travel that cost nothing to own.

Card For Stays & Annual Free Night at Hyatt Hotels World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt Credit Card

Annual Fee: $95

SLS Rating:
4.6/5
Apply Here

Recommended Credit Score: 700+

Highlights

    • Welcome Offer: Earn 25,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 within the first three months and an additional 25,000 points after spending $6,000 total within 6 months OR $200 statement credit and 1 FREE NIGHT at any Category 1-7 hotel or resort worldwide after spending $3,000 within the first three months.
    • Limited Time Offer: Earn 10 qualifying nights towards elite tier status in 2020 and 2021 when you apply by December 31, 2020.
    • Free night every year at any Category 1-4 hotel or resort
    • Earn 9x Bonus Points on Hyatt stays.
    • Earn 2x Bonus Points on purchases made at restaurants.
    • Earn 2x Bonus Points on flights purchased directly from the airline.
    • Earn 2x Bonus Points on club and gym memberships.
    • Earn 2x Bonus Points on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services.

Read my full review of the World of Hyatt card here (coming soon)

  • Annual Free Night - Get 1 free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary. In addition get an extra free night if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year.
  • Purchase Protection - Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Baggage Delay Insurance - You can be reimbursed for essential purchases such as toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over 6 hours by the carrier up to $100 per day for 5 days.
  • Lost Baggage Reimbursement - Covers you or your immediate family members on up to $3,000 per passenger for checked or carry-on bags damaged or lost by the carrier
  • Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance -  Get reimbursed up to $5,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations. Coverage is only for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
  • No foreign transaction fee.
  • 24 hours a day Visa Signature Concierge Service.

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • High rewards rate on purchases made at Amazon and Whole Foods
  • Chase Offers
  • Decent travel and purchase protection

Cons

  • Requires Amazon Prime Membership
  • No rental car insurance
  • Can redeem for travel but have to book over phone and travel rewards are subject to availability

The World of Hyatt credit card was on my list of cards I eventually plan on opening in the future. However, the pandemic changed those plans and I decided to open it in April earlier this year. Chase and Hyatt gave the normal welcome offer a boost and offered 10 elite qualifying nights towards elite status, which is double the normal offer. I also had large purchases to make for my wedding, which made meeting the welcome offer requirements easier.

 

Earlier in the year I did not expect the pandemic to last as long and to be as devastating. I figured I could be traveling in the last quarter of the year and planned to stay at Hyatt hotels to earn Explorist status. Any status that is earned this year is carried through all of 2021, which is one main reason I opened this card. Unfortunately that did not happen.

 

Even though my plans did not go accordingly, it was still worth opening this card simply because it can otherwise be difficult to meet the spending requirement for the welcome offer, which is $6,000 in 6 months. I had to put a large deposit for my wedding earlier this year, which helped me earn the welcome offer.

 

I also earn a free night at at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort during my account anniversary every year. Hyatt points are one of the most valuable hotel points. Nights at Category 3 and 4 hotels typically include places such as Grand Hyatt which can go for well over $100 per night. This allows me to easily recoup the $95 annual fee. With the pandemic limiting travel, I plan to make good use of this free night reward when we go to "make up for lost travel" once the world opens up for travel again.

 

I will be using this card whenever I stay at Hyatt hotels or resorts. Even if I cannot travel for work or may not be able to in the future even after the pandemic, I can recoup the annual fee as long as I utilize the annual free night each year.

My one Citi credit card

This is my very first credit card and the longest card I’ve owned to date. It is the only one I have from Citi. Citi’s ThankYou Reward program is in my opinion the third best credit card reward program, behind American Express’s Membership Rewards and Chase’s Ultimate Rewards. And because of that, I focus more on the credit cards from Amex and Chase.

Much like Amex and Chase, Citi’s credit card lineup includes a broad range of bonus categories, including travel, dining and groceries. Similar to Chase, ThankYou Reward Points earned on entry-level cards such as the Citi Rewards+ can be transferred to a premium card such as the Citi Prestige to increase the value of the points.

While the perks, benefits and transfer partners are not as great as Amex and Chase, Citi has the highest reward earning for dining and tied with Amex for air travel at 5x. Citi also has the highest reward earnings for gas purchases.

Occasional Card For Entertainment Purchases Citi ThankYou Preferred

Citi ThankYou Preferred Credit Card

Annual Fee: None

SLS Rating:
3/5

Highlights

    • Welcome Offer: None – this card is no longer available to new applicants and has been replaced by the Citi Rewards+ card.
    • Earn 2x ThankYou Reward Points on dining and entertainment purchases.

  • Purchase Protection - Your new purchases are covered for 90 days against damage or theft.
  • Extended Warranty - You get 2 additional years added to the manufacturer's warranty.
  • Citi Private Pass - Provides presale and preferred access tickets to select events and experiences in big cities. The four categories are: music, sports, dining and theater.
  • ShopRunner Membership - Complimentary membership to ShopRunner which gives you free 2-day shipping and free returns at participating merchants when you use your card to pay.

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • One of few cards with bonus earnings for entertainment
  • Complimentary ShopRunner Membership
  • Access to preferred and presale tickets to select events and experiences via Citi Private Pass

Cons

  • Foreign transaction fee (3%)
  • Limited points redemption options
  • Poor value redeeming points for cash (0.5 cents per point)

The Citi ThankYou Preferred card used to be the Citi Forward card, which was the very first credit card I owned back in high school. I was very fortunate that my parents opened a student credit card for me when I was a senior in high school. That allowed me to start building my credit early, though I did not use it much mostly because I did not know how rewarding credit cards are and I was afraid of getting into debt.

 

Since the Forward card became the ThankYou Preferred card, I have only used this card once each year. And that is only because there were promotions to redeem ThankYou Points for 20% or $20 off purchases of $50 or more. This card does not see much usage due to my slew of other credit cards, all of which have higher earning rates for the same categories. 

Cards I'm Getting In The Future

Primary Card For Airfare Purchases and Lounge Access American Express Platinum Card

Amex Platinum Card

Annual Fee: $550
Uber Credit: $200
Annual Airline Fee Credit: $200
Saks Fifth Avenue Credit: $100

SLS Rating:
4.5/5
Apply Here

Highlights

    • Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards Points (worth $600 or more) after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. **You may be targeted for 100,000 Membership Rewards Points via the CardMatch Tool**
    • Earn 5x Membership Rewards Points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
    • Earn 5x Membership Rewards Points on hotels booked on amextravel.com.
    • Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold status and Hilton Honors Gold status 

  • Uber VIP Status - Automatically get Uber VIP status by owning this card. Uber VIP is only available at select cities and provides benefits such as connecting you to drivers with at least a 4.8 star rating and “high quality cars.” There is no additional cost – rates are the same as non-VIP rides. Downside to this is that there are not many VIP vehicles on the road so wait times may be longer.
  • $200 Uber Cash - Every year, you will receive a $15 statement credit each month and a $20 bonus for a total of $35 in December for Uber. These statement credits can be automatically applied toward Uber rides or Uber Eats. These credits do not roll over; if you do not use them in the month they are issued, you lose them.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit - This $200 statement credit can be automatically applied towards incidental air travel fees, such as baggage fees, seat changes fees or inflight meals and drinks at one selected qualifying airline. You can choose or change your airline of choice via American Express's website in January once each year.
  • $100 Saks Credit - Receive up to $50 worth of statement credits from January through June and another $50 from July through December for purchases made at Saks Fifth Avenue. No purchase minimum and this is not automatic - you must enroll.
  • $100 Resort Credit - When you book a stay through the Amex Hotel Collection, for two consecutive nights or longer, you'll get you’ll up to $100 credit toward dining, spa and resort activities at the property. You also earn 5x points on your purchase and a room upgrade.
  • Global Entry or TSA Pre Fee Credit - Up to $100 in credits every 4 years for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA Precheck. Both gets you through airport security lines quicker and does not require you to take electronics out from your bag, your shoes off, etc. Global Entry gets you through customs screening quicker. Getting Global Entry automatically gets you TSA Precheck.
  • Amex Centurion & International Lounges - Complimentary access to American Express’s own airport lounges. There are only a handful of Centurion lounges in the U.S. and these lounges usually provide better luxuries and amenities than other lounges. The international lounges are also equally as nice. Both lounges are usually not as crowded as Priority Pass lounges because it’s harder and more expensive to get access unless you carry the Platinum card.
  • Delta Sky Club - Complimentary access to Delta Sky Club lounges when flying Delta. Normally you would need to be a Delta elite member or own a Delta credit card for access.
  • Priority Pass Select Membership - Access to 1,000+ Priority Pass airport lounges in over 500 cities worldwide for you and two guests. Authorized users do not receive this membership. This Priority Pass Membership does not come with partner restaurants like the one from the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
  • Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold - Receive automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold status without having to meet any stay requirements. Comes with various perks and benefits such as room upgrades and late checkout.
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold - Receive automatic Hilton Honors Gold status without having to meet any stay requirements. Comes with various perks and benefits such as late checkout and complimentary bottles of water and breakfast.
  • Fine Hotels & Resorts - Book through this program and get elite-like benefits at over 1,000 properties in over 500 cities worldwide. Benefits include automatic room upgrades, if available, late checkout, complimentary breakfast and amenities unique to each property. Properties are well-rated luxury properties hand-selected by Amex.
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Platinum card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage and kicks in after and in addition to your own personal policy. Coverage is not available in Italy, Australia and New Zealand. 
  • Baggage Insurance - Purchase the entire fare of your common carrier ticket and get up to $3,000 in reimbursement for lost, stolen or damaged checked or carry-on bags for each covered person per covered trip. This includes up to $2,000 for checked baggage and combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage. 
  • Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance - Book a round-trip flight entirely with and if the flight is canceled for a “covered reason” — including inclement weather, terrorist action, call to jury, sudden illness or injury to you or an eligible traveler — you may receive reimbursement of non-refundable travel expenses of up to $10,000 per trip, with a maximum of up to $20,000 per eligible account for each consecutive 12-month period.
  • Trip Delay Reimbursement - Reimbursement of up to $500 for eligible expenses such as meals, lodging and toiletries if you purchase your trip entirely with the card and your travel is delayed by more than 6 hours due to a covered reason. Total of 2 claims per 12 consecutive month period. Paying taxes and fees on award tickets is also covered.
  • Purchase Protection - You are eligible for up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per calendar year to replace lost, stolen or damaged items purchased with the card within 90 days from date of purchase.
  • Extended Warranty - You get up to 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 5 years or less on covered purchases in the U.S. or its territories.
  • Return Protection - You may be refunded the full purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, if you try to return an eligible item within 90 days from date of purchase and the merchant won't take it back. Up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per account. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories.
  • ShopRunner Membership - Complimentary membership to ShopRunner which gives you free 2-day shipping and free returns at participating merchants when you use your card to pay.
  • American Express Experiences - Exclusive access to ticket presales and card member-only events in a nearby city. 
  • Premium Global Assist Hotline - 24/7 medical, legal, financial and other select emergency assistance services while traveling 100 miles from home. Emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost only if approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline.
  • Concierge service available day and night for making arrangements and reservations.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Pros

  • High reward rates for flights and hotels
  • Provides luxury travel benefits
  • Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold and Hilton Honors Gold elite statuses
  • Amex offers and credits
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Great travel protection, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty
  • Many credits, benefits and perks to offset annual fee
  • Points are transferrable to airline and hotel partners to get double the value or more

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Annual fee is only worth it if credits can be mostly or fully utilized each year
  • Credits may be difficult to use
  • American Express is not accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard

The American Express Platinum card is not an ideal card based on my spending and lifestyle. It also competes directly against my Sapphire Reserve card from Chase. While there are benefits for carrying both the Sapphire Reserve and Platinum cards, I just don't travel enough to justify carrying both cards.

 

With that said, you can only receive the welcome offer on Amex credit cards once per lifetime. This means if you ever cancel any credit card from Amex and decide to open the same or similar card in the future, you will not be eligible to earn and receive the welcome offer.

 

I would only open the Platinum card just for the high welcome offer. If I get targeted for 100,000 Membership Rewards Points, which people have gotten via the CardMatch Tool, I will open it. I will then spend enough to earn the welcome offer and then cancel the card since there's no charge card with no annual fee in Amex's lineup. The Platinum card is a charge card like the Gold and I can only downgrade from a charge card to another charge card and it also must be within the same family of cards (i.e. cannot change it to a Delta Amex cobranded card).

 

Unfortunately, I have yet to be targeted with this offer so I will just wait until I do get this offer.

Primary Card for Stays At Hilton Hotels & Resorts Hilton Honors Aspire from American Express

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

Annual Fee: $450
Annual Resort Credit: $250
Annual Airline Fee Credit: $250

SLS Rating:
4.8/5
Apply Here

Highlights

    • Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points (worth ~$900 or more) after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
    • Earn 14x Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar spent at Hilton hotels and resorts.
    • Earn 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies.
    • Earn 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on dining at U.S. restaurants.
    • Earn 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on all other purchases.
    • Complimentary Hilton Diamond status (highest Hilton reward program status).

  • Complimentary Diamond Status - Complimentary Diamond status for the primary cardholder (authorized users not included) as long as the card account is open. This is the highest status in the Hilton Honors program and comes with benefits such as free room upgrades, breakfast, etc.
  • Weekend Night Rewards - One free weekend night reward and every year after renewal. This can be redeemed at virtually any Hilton property worldwide except the ones on this list. You can earn a second weekend night when you spend $60,000 on the card each calendar year.
  • $250 Hilton Resort Statement Credit - During each cardmember year (defined when the account is opened), you'll receive up to $250 in statement credits at participating Hilton resorts, which can be used for dining, activities and spa treatments. This credit is automatically applied.
  • $250 Airline Fee Credit - This can be automatically applied toward incidental air travel fees, such as baggage fees, seat changes fees or inflight meals and drinks at one selected qualifying airline. You can choose or change your airline of choice via American Express's website in January once each year.
  • $100 Hilton On-Property Credit - Receive up to $100 for incidentals during a two-night paid stay at Waldorf Astoria or Conrad properties through HiltonHonors.com/aspirecard. It does not apply to the cost of the room.
  • Priority Pass Select Membership - Access to 1,000+ Priority Pass airport lounges in over 500 cities worldwide for you and two guests. Authorized users do not receive this membership. This Priority Pass Membership does not come with partner restaurants like the one from the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Hilton Honors Aspire card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage and kicks in after and in addition to your own personal policy. Coverage is not available in Italy, Australia and New Zealand. 
  • Baggage Insurance - Purchase the entire fare of your common carrier ticket and get up to $3,000 in reimbursement for lost, stolen or damaged checked or carry-on bags for each covered person per covered trip. This includes no more than $2,000 for checked baggage and $1,000 for high risk items such as jewelry and electronics. 
  • Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance - Book a round-trip flight entirely with and if the flight is canceled for a “covered reason” — including inclement weather, terrorist action, call to jury, sudden illness or injury to you or an eligible traveler — you may receive reimbursement of non-refundable travel expenses of up to $10,000 per trip, with a maximum of up to $20,000 per eligible account for each consecutive 12-month period.
  • Trip Delay Reimbursement - Reimbursement of up to $500 per trip for eligible expenses such as meals, lodging and toiletries if you purchase your trip entirely with the card and your travel is delayed by more than 6 hours due to a covered reason. Total of 2 claims per 12 consecutive month period. Paying taxes and fees on award tickets is also covered.
  • Purchase Protection - You are eligible for up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per calendar year to replace lost, stolen or damaged items purchased with the card within 90 days from date of purchase.
  • Extended Warranty - You get up to 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 5 years or less.
  • Return Protection - You may be refunded the full purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, if you try to return an eligible item within 90 days from date of purchase and the merchant won't take it back. Up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per account. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories.
  • ShopRunner Membership - Complimentary membership to ShopRunner which gives you free 2-day shipping and free returns at participating merchants when you use your card to pay.
  • American Express Experiences - Exclusive access to ticket presales and card member-only events in a nearby city. 
  • Premium Global Assist Hotline - 24/7 medical, legal, financial and other select emergency assistance services while traveling 100 miles from home. Emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost only if approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline.
  • Concierge service available day and night for making arrangements and reservations.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Pros

  • High reward rates for stays at Hilton properties
  • Automatic Diamond elite status (highest status)
  • Amex offers and credits
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Free weekend night(s) available upon opening and then after each account anniversary
  • Great travel protection, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty
  • Many credits, benefits and perks to offset annual fee

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Annual fee is only worth it if airline fee and resort credits are mostly or fully utilized each year
  • Even though earning rates are high, Hilton Honors Bonus Points are worth less than other rewards programs, about 0.6 cents per point.
  • American Express is not accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard

The Hilton Honors Aspire card from American Express is on my list of cards to open because of its outstanding perks and benefits. This card will cost nothing to own if I stay at an eligible Hilton property once a year and utilize the free weekend night reward, which should not be difficult to do.

 

The free weekend night award is available shortly after opening the card. Depending on the property, one weekend night can easily run $100 or more. The $250 resort credit can be applied towards the cost of the room in addition to dining, activities and spa treatments. Combined with the perks such as complimentary Diamond status, which provides free breakfast and room upgrades, I can more than make up the annual fee.

 

I plan to use this card for yearly short weekend getaways at Hilton properties. 

Primary Card for Stays At Marriott Hotels & Resorts Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant from American Express

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card

Annual Fee: $450
Annual Statement Credit: $300

SLS Rating:
4.8/5
Apply Here

Highlights

    • Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points (worth ~$800 or more) after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
    • New Limited Time Offer: Earn an additional 25,000 points after your first anniversary of owning the card and Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status for one year in 2021. **Offer Expires 1/13/2021**
    • Earn 6x Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points per dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
    • Earn 3x Marriott Bonvoy Points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
    • Earn 2x Marriott Bonvoy Points on all other purchases.
    • Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.

  • Complimentary Platinum Elite Status - Complimentary Bonvoy Platinum Elite status for the primary cardholder (authorized users not included) one year in 2021. After 2021, you get Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
  • Annual Free Night Award - Receive one free night every year after your Card account anniversary, which can be redeemed for up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points (worth ~$400) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees.
  • $300 Marriott Bonvoy Statement Credit - During each cardmember year (defined when the account is opened), you and your authorized users will receive up to $300 in statement credits for eligible purchases made at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. This credit is automatically applied.
  • $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit - Receive up to $100 for incidentals when you book a paid stay of at least two-nights at participating Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties. It does not apply to the cost of the room.
  • Global Entry or TSA Pre Fee Credit - Up to $100 in credits every 4 years for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA Precheck. Both gets you through airport security lines quicker and does not require you to take electronics out from your bag, your shoes off, etc. Global Entry gets you through customs screening quicker. Getting Global Entry automatically gets you TSA Precheck.
  • Priority Pass Select Membership - Access to 1,200+ Priority Pass airport lounges in over 130 countries worldwide for you and two guests. Authorized users do not receive this membership. This Priority Pass Membership does not come with partner restaurants like the one from the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
  • Rental Car Insurance - If you reserve and pay with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and decline the collision damage waiver, you will be covered if the car is stolen or damaged. Insurance is secondary coverage and kicks in after and in addition to your own personal policy. Coverage is not available in Italy, Australia and New Zealand. 
  • Baggage Insurance - Purchase the entire fare of your common carrier ticket and get up to $3,000 in reimbursement for lost, stolen or damaged checked or carry-on bags for each covered person per covered trip. This includes no more than $2,000 for checked baggage and combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage. 
  • Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance - Book a round-trip flight entirely with and if the flight is canceled for a “covered reason” — including inclement weather, terrorist action, call to jury, sudden illness or injury to you or an eligible traveler — you may receive reimbursement of non-refundable travel expenses of up to $10,000 per trip, with a maximum of up to $20,000 per eligible account for each consecutive 12-month period.
  • Trip Delay Reimbursement - Reimbursement of up to $500 per trip for eligible expenses such as meals, lodging and toiletries if you purchase your trip entirely with the card and your travel is delayed by more than 6 hours due to a covered reason. Total of 2 claims per 12 consecutive month period. Paying taxes and fees on award tickets is also covered.
  • Purchase Protection - You are eligible for up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per calendar year to replace lost, stolen or damaged items purchased with the card within 90 days from date of purchase.
  • Extended Warranty - You get up to 1 additional year added to the manufacturer's warranty of 5 years or less.
  • Return Protection - You may be refunded the full purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, if you try to return an eligible item within 90 days from date of purchase and the merchant won't take it back. Up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per account. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories.
  • ShopRunner Membership - Complimentary membership to ShopRunner which gives you free 2-day shipping and free returns at participating merchants when you use your card to pay.
  • American Express Experiences - Exclusive access to ticket presales and card member-only events in a nearby city. 
  • Premium Global Assist Hotline - 24/7 medical, legal, financial and other select emergency assistance services while traveling 100 miles from home. Emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost only if approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Pros

  • High reward rates for stays at Marriott properties
  • Automatic elite status
  • Amex offers and credits
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Free award night up to 50,000 Bonvoy Bonus Points available after each account anniversary
  • Bonvoy Bonus Points can be transferred to airline partners, usually at a 3:1 ratio
  • Great travel protection, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty
  • Many credits, benefits and perks to offset annual fee

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Annual fee is only worth it if credits can be mostly or fully utilized each year
  • American Express is not accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card from American Express is on my list of cards to open because of its $300 statement credit and annual free night award. Even though Marriott properties are not at the top of my list for vacation stays because of their resort fees, this card will cost nothing to own if I stay at an eligible Marriott Bonvoy property once a year and utilize the free night reward, which should not be difficult to do.

 

The free night award can be redeemed for up 50,000 points. Depending on the property and time of the booking, one night can easily run well over $100. The $300 statement credit can be applied towards the cost of the room in addition to dining, activities and spa treatments. Combined with the perks such as complimentary Platinum Elite or Gold Elite statuses, which provides benefits such as free breakfast and room upgrades, I can more than make up the annual fee.

 

I plan to use this card for yearly short weekend getaways at high-end Marriott Bonvoy properties. The points will be used either for stays or transferred to their airline partners if I need extra points for ticket redemptions. Marriott does not waive their resort fees for award redemptions, which is a huge bummer, but it shouldn't be too bad for short stays.

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