mrpolla

Hello everyone,

I will lose my frequent traveller status in 2024 so I will stop paying half-price monthly fees (5,41€ at the moment) and would probably be spending 11,50€/month. My thought is to close my Miles and More credit card saving 140€/year and get a free one where I could still collect some points. I am thinking of the Payback Amex which is free and I still get points for purchases. Does this seem like a good strategy? Do I have other options?

gaobest

everything I own is a better song :-)

if I get this bread Amex then will this card be more of an Amex or a bread card because then I could use the amex app for easier management
0 AF
2% cash back

so it doesn’t seem super bad.

mia

This is an Amex network card. It is issued and serviced by the bank (Bread). American Express acts as the transaction processor (instead of MasterCard or VISA), and might supply some of the benefits.

gaobest

I couldn’t resist that free $200 for the Bread cashback card on amex network. Comenity Bank. Fast approval on my mobile. I really don’t know this branding.

GrayAnderson

I'm weighing a business CC for my business (shocking, I know). Assume that about $200-250k/yr would go over the card. The options I'm weighing are:
-American Airlines. A major drawback here is that I think the LPs go to each user? And are there two cards? If the LPs all go to me, that's me almost never having to pay to fly.
-Delta Airlines (Reserve): The drawback here is the cost, but I'd basically default into Diamond status on the spend (and with it a lot of RUCs or some GUCs).
-Hyatt: There's a drawback in that I'd possibly run out of room on the milestone reward runway (100-125 night credits per year), but the effective award rate would be like 1.5 points otherwise (plus the points rebate).

I'm also open to Chase Ink or something generic at Amex, and I could plausibly consider Marriott as well.

Thoughts?

gaobest

With 200k a year I would split for 5 cards for the subs and then use with the cards based on the spend category. If it’s only merchandise and vendor fees (eg ups) then you might be stuck with 2% cash back or a basic hotel / airline that gives the equivalent of 1 point per dollar. Still better than zero rewards.

I say 5 cards because of the 5/24 rule for chase and maybe amex for card churn / subs. 5 cards max per 24 months.

This spend is quite legit for getting some decent rewards even if only $4,000 (2%) on $200k spend. You’re obviously needing a card for this stuff.

MDtR-Chicago

You'll do best, looking strictly at the return, by chasing many high value SUBs. (if you can keep the velocity of applications high enough)

If you don't want the overhead of doing that, and are strictly looking for a single card for your real business, it'll be important to value the perks you would get.

With a legitimate business, the value comparison should probably be to something like the Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card. You should be able to qualify for unlimited 2.62% cash back. That would yield $5240-$6550 on your spend.

$6000 can buy quite a few upgrades vs. trying to qualify for status and use an instrument.

GrayAnderson

This is true (it's a solid take), but alongside that status would come the RDMs (or equivalents). SkyPesos log at about 1.5 cents in my book, AAdvantage miles generally log at about 2.0 cents, and Hyatt miles log similarly.

So I'd be looking at:
Hyatt: Roughly 1.5 points per dollar (though declining at the high end), so 300,000 points on $200k [$6,000] and 350,000 points on $250k [$7,000]. Extending to $400k, that'd be 500k points [$10,000].
American: Roughly 1.0 points per dollar, so 200,000 points on $200k [$4,000] and 250,000 on $250k [$5,000]. Extending to $400k, that'd be 400k points [$8,000]. One of the two versions of this card add 5% to this (so $4,200/$5,250/$8,400).
Delta: Roughly 1.0 points per dollar up to $150k and 1.5 points thereafter, so 225,000 points on $200k [$3,375] and 300,000 points on $250k [$4,500]. Extending that to $400k, that'd be 525,000 points [$7,875].

So, on raw points value that's how things stack up. There are other ancillary/knock-on benefits:
-If I get the Delta Business Amex I might end up killing the Delta Personal Amex - that's one annual fee taken off my personal income statement and moved to the business income statement.
-If I get the Hyatt Business Card, I'd move a lot of spend off of my personal Hyatt card (either over to AA or to Amtrak).
-If I get the AA Business Card, personal spend would move from AA (possibly to Hyatt or Amtrak).

Now, having said all of the above, it sounds like a viable strategy would be to plunk for all three cards and then make decisions as we go along.

mre2b9

Looking to simplify and set it and forget it as much as possible. My plan is to have:
1. One card to track business expenses — mostly hotel, flights, some dining.
2. One card for all other personal expenses, except for below

And,
3. Continue Amazon Prime card for Amazon purchases
4. Continue Costco Card for Costco purchases
5. Cancel/Continue? Amex Plat for access to Plat lounges and maintain some Amex connection of still lingering Amex points. I think Uber still gives a monthly credit to partially offset the Annual fee. I guess this card is a candidate for canceling.

I currently put everything on a United Club card in attempt to maximize chance of getting United status, but I am flying less and less and it just seems pointless anymore. I can mostly buy upgrades after booking an economy ticket at a reasonable price if necessary and rarely got upgraded on status alone. The United clubs are now zoos and would just as soon find a nice airport restaurant to hang out in.

I”m thinking to use the Costco card for the business card (will also have costco purchases, but that is easy to separate out)

Is there a better option for Business spend? And what are best options to direct all other personal spending (probably about 100k year)? Main goal is an easy to use cash back — ideally it direct deposits or credits every month and doesn’t require me to remember to do something.

GrayAnderson

Following up on the above:
I went ahead and filed for all three. Delta Amex approved (and the two "show-off cards" are visually distinct for my wallet in a way that is vanishingly rare for a given card brand), AA Citi approved (sadly, it seems that Business Aviator isn't open to new customers), and Chase Hyatt pending approval.