Originally Posted by
bribro
There was an error in your formula for AmEx Everyday on groceries.
=if(Spend!$C3>=6000,12000+(Spend!$C3-6000),Spend!$C3)
It should be:
=if(Spend!$C3>=6000,12000+(Spend!$C3-6000),Spend!$C3*2)
Also, if you give PRG 4x on airfare, you should give CSP 3x on airfare to be consistent.
Whoops, thank you on the formula! I also wasn't aware of the bonus airfare point through UR--is this just a system to find a book flights on the normal market like
https://travel.americanexpress.com/ or is it a bonus attributed on award travel? This is new info!
Originally Posted by
bribro
Fair enough. From a practicality perspective, it would be difficult to elegantly incorporate 5x rotating category cards into your spreadsheet anyway...
...I think 5x toward $1,500 on restaurants, 5x toward $3,000 on gas, and 5x toward $1,500 on department stores would be a decent (not perfect) assumption for the spreadsheet. That's what the bonus categories looked like for 2013 and 2014.
Well, it's worth a shot. I'll probably play around with it. Also, the other columns are open to edit if you want to extend this
[QUOTE=bribro;22765931]I see what you're saying, but if you only use a card when there is no fee (like a lot of people on this forum), then there really is no fee. Perhaps it's best for people like that to just compare the benefits earned number, and not "value," which adjusts AFs.[QUOTE]
Sure, fair enough. I assume this covers both completely non-AF cards, and using cards with it waived during the first year (or waived as a retention bonus). Still, one point of this exercise was to understand a little about the business model, and under what circumstances a fee-based product can still generate a greater benefit under standard usage: for different products, where is the sweet spot for maximum mutual benefit between issuer and consumer over several years?
[QUOTE=bribro;22765931]Gotcha, I remember reading that the AmEx rewards portal (similar to the UR Mall) was recently shut down. I must have mixed that up with the AmEx travel portal.[QUOTE]
Yeah I missed the boat on the rewards portal. The travel site is a general public-facing service (I think it's just a white-labelled Orbitz for flight at least).
Originally Posted by
bribro
I may be an exception because much of my spend is concentrated in travel and dining, which makes CSP+Ink come out ahead by quite a bit. Plus, I place a premium on UR points since United has a hub nearby and I'm a fan of Hyatt. For people that spend a larger percentage on groceries I can see how the AmEx Everyday cards can be a clear winner.
I'm curious what a good example scenario is? And in the end, bonus rates are probably going to be blown away by how each individual values points. I by contrast am at a Delta/KLM/Air France hub and will be traveling to Euro & SE Asia.
Great conversation, btw. Thank you.