Originally Posted by
tev9999
Citi Platinum Amex has about the best deal (IMO) I've seen lately. For the first two years you get 3 or 5 thank you points per dollar spent. If you redeem for gift cards you can get $.01 per point, so a minimum of 3%. If you go for flights you can do much, much better. Annual fee is waived for the first year, then $125. Not sure why you would be so worried about fraud issues - you are not liable, and all banks have their issues in this department.
I've also been using a Chase professional for cash back at up to 3%. For the best coverage of all spend catagories you will probably need more than one card.
Tev, sorry, but "Citi Platinum Amex" does meet the non-Amex criteria...
If it has to be a visa or mastercard, there are several good choices. However it depends on what you want. Some possibilities are (winners in parenthesis):
1. Unlimited Points - for big spenders (Merrill+, Fidelity Investment Rewards, Diners Club)
2. Flexibility - Conversion to airline miles or hotel points (Diners Club)
3. High Reward Rate - High value/points per $ (Fidelity 1.5 cents / $, Citi Professional 3 pts / $ on restaurants/gas, Citi Hilton Visa Signature)
4. Benefits - Airline club access, hotel status, hotel upgrades, etc. (Merrill+, Continental Presidential Plus, Saks World Elite, Ameriprise World Elite, Diners Club Carte Blanche, Chase Marriott Premier Visa Signature)
Decide what is most important to you and take a look at the cards.