scubadiver

The PNC Points VISA has always been pitiful - less than 1% back. Today I have a mailing for a PNC Cash-back VISA that looka as good as the Costco Citi VISA.

4% Gas, 3% Restaurants, 2% Groceries and 1% Other. There is an $8000 cap on the high percentage categories. Missing the 2% travel of the Citi, but I use special cards for travel anyway.

PNC has suddenly gone from offering one of the worst rewards cards to offering one of the best. What's the catch? Does anyone have insight to what PNC is doing. Should I get the PNC VISA?

mikesyr18

The card is pretty good compared to other community banks, but still somewhat weak compared to what the bigger banks, Discover, and AMEX offer.

This is a personal opinion but I hate relatively low caps, especially on a cash back rewards card, which is why I think the Bank of America Cash Rewards card is one of the worst cash back cards out there (unless you're a P.R client).

Happy

Got the same mailer.

Meanwhile TD Bank also has a mailer for a Visa except the 4% gas, the rest are the same - 3% restaurants, 2% grocery, 1% the rest. No cap on earning.
It has a $150 sign up bonus.

Plus got a mailer from Fifth Third bank on a Mastercard with similar earning but the grocery store is lumped with drug store and gas - capped at $1500 per quarter. It has a $250 sign up bonus. The caveat is, the cash back can only be deposited into a Fifth Third bank account. They only have one location in our downtown.

Meanwhile the Capital One Savor Dining Reward card is intrigue as it is a Master World Elite card. Same earning structure as TD's Visa. The only lacking thing is the sign up bonus is weak, and of course CapOne pulls all 3 bureaux to approve a card.

Oh, there is the brand new Uber card from Barclays with yet another twist.

Looks like the 2% cash rebate cards now have more and more competitions. With the airlines and hotels loyalty programs continue to devalue, more and more people may turn to the cash back cards once they have done the "premium travel" bit.

We may soon need a Comparison Thread to compare the cashback cards.

When will Chase up its game to offer a 2% card? Or AMEX makes its membership reward point has a 1 penny cash redemption value now even Citi has made TYP be able to redeem at 1 cent per point without using "tricks"?

garykung

While I have no prior knowledge with PNC, the #1 catch, as always, is when the benefit is too good to be true, it will be short-lived.

Citi is a classic example of being such practitioner.

scubadiver

Thanks all. I will pass. My Costco Citi VISA is good enough.