romsdeals3

Everyone is talking about 5X strategies with Ink Bold, but what card is everyone using for normal non-category bonus spending? Here are my thoughts, please add your thoughts or other strategies as well.

Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard - Spending $1 on this card would equate to 2.22% return per dollar spent because you receive 2X points on every purchase and each Barclaycard point can be redeemed for 1 cent of travel with a rebate of 10% back on points. Therefore, each point is worth 1.11% and since it is 2X points on every purchase, each dollar spent is a 2.22% return. See more details in My Review of the Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard.

American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card - Spending $1 on the AMEX SPG card would equate to about 2.2% return per dollar spent as I discussed in my post My New Valuation of American Airline Miles and SPG Points.

United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card (if $25K spent to earn 10K extra points) - Spending $25K would yield 35,000 United miles with the United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card. That would equate to 1.4 United miles per dollar spent or a 2.1% return per dollar spent (1.4 * 1.5 cents per United mile).

American Express Premier Rewards Gold Credit Card (if $30K spent to earn 15K extra points) - Spending $30K would yield 45,000 Membership Rewards. That would equate to 1.5 MR points per dollar spent or 2.25% return per dollar spent based on a valuation of 1.5 cents per MR point.

Another method is buying $200 Visa GC's at Staples or Office Depot and spending with those, but that is very tedious and I'd rather not go through the headache. Anybody have any inputs?

sam_goh

There are fee and fee free ways to consolidate those gift cards onto one card for regular spend. Target or Gobank for examples of both types.

bribro

If I'm not working on some kind of minimum spend requirement, I use my Chase Freedom card, which gets 1.1% in non-bonus spend with the 10% Chase Exclusives checking account bonus. I value UR points at $0.02pp, so that's 2.2% essentially.

romsdeals3

I would value 1 SPG over 1.1 UR, but that's a matter of opinion. I am using chase freedom a lot until August 1st when 10 points per transaction ends .

TheDapperDon

I'm running a Discover Escape and the PRG. I use my CSP do to the annual amount. I need a Chase checking account, but I haven't been able to figure out how to set one up in my state. I also have Bank of America Travel rewards. I do have them in my state, so I'm probably going to get an account there. I hate BofA almost as much as I do Comcast, but sacrifices must be made.

cuebert

Fidelity Amex and Priceline Visa (for current cardholders) offer 2% cash back everywhere with no AF.

jason885

If you're a big spender and a Delta flyer, personally for me the Delta Reserve blows other non-category spend out of the water (though Club Carlson now coming close). Although Skymiles are worth less than other currencies, the 1.5 skymiles/$ + 0.5 MQM/$ combination is a hard one-two punch to beat. Only important thing to note is that in order for those exact payouts, you must spend either $30k or $60k per calendar year.

PainCorp

It always concerns me when bloggers post things asking for comparisons to be made about products they peddle on their website...

Hopefully we don't see an article about this shortly....

romsdeals3

cash back is no fun! =P

T3pleShot

I use my non-category-bonus spending for 1 thing and 1 thing only - spread them across all the cards I use for manufactured spending - to add variety to the spending I do on those cards. anything I can do to help indicate that I am not in this for just perk abuse..

lad2

LoL, have you check the site? I'd give some effort credit for attempting to look like there are original ideas on there.

raghu455

Spend on United card from next year onwards. 25k for 35k united is a no brainer if you are also going for status as this will help meet MQD upto platinum

romsdeals3

I'd probably do this, but I need to see my retention offer first. Not sure if the card is worth keeping after first year unless I get fee waived for 10K points or so.

lovenola

I use the spg card whenever I will just get 1:1, although I also try to mix it up a little and use the ink so that not everything on that card is a purchase at od. Also it's good to use cards that otherwise only get used at cvs.

dunderball

I use the CSP since dining is my largest spending category by far.

I was using the Freedom for a long time as a daily driver but with the 10-10 program soon to be expired, the Freedom ends up being a pretty poor card to use beyond manufacturing spending at 7-elevens and CVS.