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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 8:26 am
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Which CC for Groceries?

Hi.. any CC out there that give more then 1pt for groceries? Just got the Ink Bold and Sapphire Preferred to cover gas and dinning out. But, with 6 people in the family, grocery bills are very high and would love to try and earn more then 1pt. Thanks..
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 8:32 am
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American Express Blue Cash Preferred ($75 annual fee) is 6% cashback for groceries. IIRC this excludes discount stores like walmart.
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 8:41 am
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I use the hilton fee free amex you get 6 hilton pts per dollar at groceries/drugstores
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 8:42 am
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Originally Posted by Dr_wanderlust
American Express Blue Cash Preferred ($75 annual fee) is 6% cashback for groceries. IIRC this excludes discount stores like walmart.
Yes, this card is the best at grocery stores/supermarkets, which also sell gift cards.

6% cash beats almost anything.
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 10:07 am
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Originally Posted by particlemn
I use the hilton fee free amex you get 6 hilton pts per dollar at groceries/drugstores
I have the Surpass card but never use it for bonus categories given the low value placed on HH points.
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 10:12 am
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I vote Amex BCP too. ^

6% groceries. Buy gas cards and gift cards for other stores from the grocery stores and use them for 6% effective rate everywhere
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 10:19 am
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Originally Posted by particlemn
I use the hilton fee free amex you get 6 hilton pts per dollar at groceries/drugstores
Same.

I value my HHonors points at around .07, so with the 6 pts per dollar on groceries, its effectively a 4.2% return.

Not as good as the 6% CB from the Blue card, but there is no $75 annual fee on the free Amex Hilton. Plus, the 6% only kicks in after you spend $6,500, which only gets 1% up to that point.

So for me, where I spend about $10000 in groceries a year, I'd only be getting the 6% rate on the $3500 above the base $6500 threshold.

So the math is: 10k spend on the blue card would be $6500 x 1% = $65 + $3500 x 6% = $210, or $275 Cashback, minus $75 annual fee = $200

vs $10k x 4.2% (value from my HHonors card) = $420 .. double the return basically.

Of course if someone is buying thousands in Gift Cards, or they dont value HHonors the same (or dont care for Hilton) the math changes substantially.
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 10:27 am
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Originally Posted by rajuabju
Not as good as the 6% CB from the Blue card, but there is no $75 annual fee on the free Amex Hilton. Plus, the 6% only kicks in after you spend $6,500, which only gets 1% up to that point.
Not true. They changed the terms on the card and you get 6% on dollar 1. That was the old version which had a better rate for gas rewards IIRC (once you cleared the hurdle).

http://www304.americanexpress.com/ge...Cash-Preferred

EDIT - don't apply via that link. There is another link that will get you $150 after $1K of spend. This one:

http://www304.americanexpress.com/ge...-bluecashpref/
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 10:36 am
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Originally Posted by rajuabju
Same.

I value my HHonors points at around .07, so with the 6 pts per dollar on groceries, its effectively a 4.2% return.

Not as good as the 6% CB from the Blue card, but there is no $75 annual fee on the free Amex Hilton. Plus, the 6% only kicks in after you spend $6,500, which only gets 1% up to that point.

So for me, where I spend about $10000 in groceries a year, I'd only be getting the 6% rate on the $3500 above the base $6500 threshold.

So the math is: 10k spend on the blue card would be $6500 x 1% = $65 + $3500 x 6% = $210, or $275 Cashback, minus $75 annual fee = $200

vs $10k x 4.2% (value from my HHonors card) = $420 .. double the return basically.

Of course if someone is buying thousands in Gift Cards, or they dont value HHonors the same (or dont care for Hilton) the math changes substantially.
The BCP card no longer has the $6,500 threshold. It starts from $0.
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 11:05 am
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Thanks for the information. So, I spend about 12,000 a year on groceries. But, will not use the card for anything else.. Since I get 5 times on gas with husband business Ink card and he spends about $1500 a month on gas alone. Have to decide if its worth another credit pull just for the money back on groceries.
Thanks again...
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 11:10 am
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I also use the HH AMEX card with no annual fee for groceries.
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 11:10 am
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Originally Posted by gogiantsfan11
Thanks for the information. So, I spend about 12,000 a year on groceries. But, will not use the card for anything else.. Since I get 5 times on gas with husband business Ink card and he spends about $1500 a month on gas alone. Have to decide if its worth another credit pull just for the money back on groceries.
Thanks again...
$12K * 0.06 = $720 - $75 annual fee = $645. Current earning of 1 point/dollar then, depending on what type of point it is, and how you value your points, that's anywhere from 1% to 1.5%. At the top of the spectrum, 1.5% on $12K is $180, netting you $465 annually. If this is likely to be an ongoing expense, it definitely seems worth it. Of course, that math changes based on how you value your points. What are you charging the groceries on right now?
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 12:53 pm
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Not quite as lucrative, but the AMEX PRG also has 2x MR for groceries
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 12:55 pm
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Originally Posted by roki
$12K * 0.06 = $720 - $75 annual fee = $645. Current earning of 1 point/dollar then, depending on what type of point it is, and how you value your points, that's anywhere from 1% to 1.5%. At the top of the spectrum, 1.5% on $12K is $180, netting you $465 annually. If this is likely to be an ongoing expense, it definitely seems worth it. Of course, that math changes based on how you value your points. What are you charging the groceries on right now?
Thanks.. Right now I am charging it on my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. So, I guess what is worth more to me.. 12,000 Ultimate rewards points or 465 Dollars? Is that the way I should look at it?
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Old Aug 22, 2012 | 1:03 pm
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Originally Posted by gogiantsfan11
Thanks.. Right now I am charging it on my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. So, I guess what is worth more to me.. 12,000 Ultimate rewards points or 465 Dollars? Is that the way I should look at it?
No way a UR point is worth almost 4 cents cash. Not close.

A large supermarket will also carry dozens of gift cards for Home Depot, Amazon, clothing stores, restaurants, Disney, Marriott, Southwest, etc.

Take a look.
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