Originally Posted by
crimsona
Chase does have the Amazon Visa and Sears MC with no forex fee.
I really can't value Marriott points as much as the 1% cashback on the Amazon with the constant devaluations (second year in a row for Seattle properties)
If I can't even use the cat 5 room, I might be better off with the Amazon so that I don't have to stress over it
well 1 Marriott pt is supposed to be less than 1 cent anyway. i think around 0.8 cents on average is what i've seen. i did see a couple Bangkok properties around 1 cent though.
but you do get the bonus of double points on a lot of travel related expenses. i think the card's T&A says restaurants, airlines, and car rental, but actually its much more than that. i've been getting 2x points on hotels, tour companies , cruise ships, and more.
obviously even at 2x points, there are other better options for domestic use (2x0.8=1.6c which isnt that good) but while overseas, its a nice bonus
last year i used the cat 1-4 sign up voucher for a pre-cruise stay in Fort Lauderdale, saved $200 on airfare by flying in 1 day earlier so that was cool. but i agree with you its hard to use the cat 1-5 as most big city or tourist spot properties with decent location seem to be category 6+. one possible use if you live in GTA or near border would be for some cross-border shopping (Black Friday, or something)