Originally Posted by
HIFlya
I really don't have a real dog in this fight, I mean I have the CSR and not the Platinum, but I see the benefits of Platinum and the negatives of CSR, especially with the AF increase, so I am definitely thinking about whether or not to keep it, however, it seems like you are arguing against CSR by bringing up multiple cards to replace it. That seems to be besides the point in the debate unless you are trying to say, which card has irreplaceable benefits. I thought the point was just to see which individual card is "the best"?
Also, I don't think the airline credit for the Ritz Carlton is better than CSR. I thought it was only for incidentals, and required you to manually get it credited, and it was only for airlines, not all travel.
There is no such thing of the "best" credit card. We all carry multiple or many CC for various purposes. Even Chase know that. I would not want to charge air travel on my hotel card. I figure you do not do that either.
Ritz Carlton is very generous with its "travel incidental" credit.
Originally Posted by
Zeeb
Not everything has to be exciting or edgy. In fact that's one of the nice things about the CSR, or was at least until these new changes. The earning structure is easy to understand and while you can definitely put in time and effort to maximize your value you can also get a very decent return with straight redemptions through the portal that don't require moving points around or jumping through hoops.
I would not say the 4x MR earning on dinning and grocery from AmEx Gold card is any complicated. But if some people are just purely ignorant, there is not much I can say.
Originally Posted by
findark
There are what? Where? Where can I get higher than 7.5% back on categories or 4.5% on travel and restaurants? With the possible exception of the very situation-specific Alliant 2.5% flat card, I don't know of any portfolio that consistently outclasses Chase in pretty much any category if you discount the notional value of aspirational transfer awards. Amex Plat (Schwab) or Business Plat on airfare, but it's a hefty AF and is utterly worthless for other categories.
The 7.5% back on categories? That is from another card and is limited to $1,500 each quarter. You do not need a CSR to get to that.
The 4x MR on AmEx Gold is not worse than CSR. The 5.25% cash on travel from BofA Biz Cash Reward (top tier) is much better than CSR. And it is free. You do not have to pay $550 to get it.
Some people just do not know, or try to ignore it. And do all they can to defend the card they carry.
