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Historic pattern of % cash back?

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Old Nov 8, 2017 | 7:55 am
  #1  
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Historic pattern of % cash back?

Hi,

I was wondering how long-lasting are the cash back cards?

I've never followed these cards to know how long the cash back feature lasts, so I wanted to ask those who have known these cards for a long time:

What is the trend/pattern do you see? Is it that you keep getting cash back over 5-10 years, or is just a temporary thing (to get new customers) ... And then the cash back is reduced or goes away after 1-2 years ?

Thanks.
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Old Nov 8, 2017 | 1:46 pm
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Fidelity has offered a 2% cash card since ~2009. Fidelity doesn't issue cards, and they changed issuers from a subsidiary of Bank of America to a subsidiary of US Bank in 2016.

American Express Blue Cash launched in 2002, while not shown on the website it may still be possible to apply. Later, American Express added Blue Cash Everyday and Blue Cash Preferred. The base rate on these cards is 1%, but the bonus categories may well bring the average above 2%.
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Old Nov 9, 2017 | 5:52 pm
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I don't think I've seen very many cards with a minimum cashback of over 2% last all that long. (The one exception is probably BofA TR combined with the Preferred Client program, but I suspect there's not all that many people who'd qualify for the highest tier. Not to mention that the "cash back" is intended to be redeemed towards travel expenses.)
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Old Nov 9, 2017 | 8:04 pm
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Haven't Discover's rotating 5% cash back categories been going on for decades? (I'm having a hard time finding a history of their 5% cash back categories online. Everyone is only interested in what they can earn now, not the history of it.

Discover's "match" of what you earned in the first year is new, however.

Last edited by sdsearch; Nov 9, 2017 at 8:13 pm
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Old Nov 9, 2017 | 8:09 pm
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Originally Posted by sdsearch
Discover's rotating 5% cash back categories have been going on for decades.
Sure, but the minimum is still 1% for that and similar cards from other issuers (not to mention that the 5% is for a different set of merchants every quarter and that only the first $X in spending for a specific quarter earns the 5%).
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