Best Replacement for Hilton Citi Visa?
 

I'm looking for a Visa/MC replacement for my Hilton Citi Visa that just switched over to AMEX. I already have a Delta AMEX Reserve, so I don't really need another AMEX, but since I usually only stay at Hilton's I figure I keep it for my stays there and to keep my Gold status. Since AMEX isn't accepted everywhere, I like to have a Visa/MC back up. I'm hoping to get something that has some synergy with Hilton or Delta, but that doesn't appear to be the case? I was looking at the Chase Sapphire, but those Ultimate rewards don't transfer to either Hilton or Delta. Thinking about a cash back, maybe Chase Unlimited or Freedom? There is also the Chase Amazon, I usually spend about several thousand there a year and 5% back might not be too bad. Is there something out there I'm missing?

Why limit yourself to only one hotel program? Haven't you ever gone anywhere where there's no HH propoerties (or the HH properties don't meet your needs)? :confused:

How about a Chase IHG Club MC? For a meager $49 AF, (after the first year), it gives you an uncapped free night certificate (after the first year). (The first year it gives you a bunch of hotel points if you do the minimum purchases.) And while you hold the card, your IHG points never expire.

You could use the card only where Amex isn't accepted,, and only stay at IHG once a year with that free night certificate, plus when it just makes more sense with the points you'll get the first year.

Or, if IHG it too similar to Hilton Honors, how about a lower-end hotel program (which is all you'll find in many smaller towns), such as WyndhamRewards or Choice Privileges?

Also, keep in mind that many hotels transfer to Delta, even though nowhere near at the earning rate that you get with a Delta card. But if you're only going to use the MC/Visa where Amex isn't accepted, and if you're not interested in any other hotel program for hotel points as such, consider a hotel program for transfer to Delta.

Hotel programs are the only non-Amex ways to transfer to Delta that I'm aware of.

I would suggest getting 2 backup cards (1) no fee Citi Double Cash for use in the US and (2) Chase IHG card as mentioned above as it has no foreign transaction fee when you travel aboard. I would not necessary put much domestic spend on IHG card as double cash card might yield better value.

One possibility is the Virgin Atlantic MasterCard, issued by Bank of America. Discussion here:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cred...000-bonus.html

The card earns 1.5 miles per dollar, with no foreign transaction fees. Flying Club members are able to exchange miles at the following rate: 2 Flying Club miles for 3 Hilton Honors points. Minimum Level: 10,000 miles and then in increments of 10,000. Just call the Flying Club Helpline with your Honors account number.

While you cannot transfer Flying Club miles to Delta, you can redeem them for flights operated by Delta:

https://www.virginatlantic.com/gb/en...air-lines.html

The same would be true if you had (example) a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Citi Premier card. These both earn points that can be transferred to Virgin Atlantic, and the Flying Club miles could then be transferred to Hilton or redeemed on Delta. Those cards earn only one point per dollar for general spending, but more in some bonus categories. You would need to think about your own spending pattern to see which is the best value for you.

Citi DC is a good backstop card. 2% cashback, no AF. Main drawback is it's MC so no Costco purchases. ;)

If you charge a lot of travel and dining, consider Chase Sapphire Reserve. UR doesn't transfer everywhere, but you can take it as cashback or get a bonus when spending through the travel portal. And it's a Visa, so good to go at Costco. ;)

That's a very poor value. You'd have to rack up 66,000 points to get 99,000 Hilton Honors points (worth about $594), or the equivalent of 1.4 cents per dollar.

If I understand the proposition correctly this card will be used only where American Express is not accepted. $6,667 spend = 10,0000 VS miles = 15,000 HH points (2.25 HH points per dollar), with the option to redeem the miles for DL flights instead.

Looking for the best Visa or MC that fits my needs
 

Since Hilton decided to go Amex I now have three business Amex cards and zero Visa or MC cards. I unfortunately need one as some places still do not take Amex which perturbs me.

A little background, I travel a lot and spend quite a bit for business. I fly Delta (I have the Business Plat Amex), stay with Hilton (Hilton Honors Business Card) and Amex Business Platinum metal card for my travel as I get Centurion Lounge access and all the other perks.

My credit score is above 810 and I have very little debt other than a mortgage on my home due to building a additional wing and a business mortgage on a building I recently purchased.

What is bar none, the best value Visa card out there for semi high spenders that will maximize reward points?

Appreciate any advice

Have you considered a cash back card as an alternative? Keeps your focus on earning on Amex which is already spread over three programs (Skymiles, Honors & MR) while getting you a nice return. The Citi Double CashBack card is pretty good with 2% across the board. Other CB cards have perk periods with higher category returns but lower general returns.

If you're going into another points game and haven't applied for many cards in the past two years the Chase Sapphire cards combined with a Business Ink and/or Freedom series card(s) can get you a heavy bonus return with good value for the points and some overlapping partners with Amex MR and some that aren't (mostly UA).

Well, you need to decide (and explain to us) what kind of rewards points other than Delta or Hilton would be useful to you; Consider the fact that you don't need to fly an airline paid to want to collect its miles for award trips, and you don't need to stay at a hotel program paid much to want to collect its points for award trips.

For example, would a Chase United Explorer card (Visa) make sense because United has better "saver" award availability?

Would a Barclay AA Aviator card (MC) make sense because it has the most thorough Chip + PIN implementation (especially useful for unattended kiosks in parts of Europe)?

Would a hotel card for another program make sense because there are places with no Hilton family properties? (If you travel to national parks for example, there are many gateway towns with only Choice or Best Western or WyndhamRewards properties, plus indie hotels. If you travel to Scandinavia outside the city capitals, you'll only find Choice, Best Western, and Club Carlson, among the programs you know from the USA.)

And, btw, does it need to be a Visa, or would an MC be just as good? (There's a very few establishments that only take Visa and maybe a very few establishments that only take MC, but the vast majority of establishments that take one also take the other.)

And, btw, there are hotel cards for 3 hotel programs from Chase (IHG MC, Marriott Visa, and Hyatt Visa) which give you a free hotel night in exchange for an annual fee ($49 to $99) each year after the first (the first year the annual fee is waived). They're what I call "net negative" annual fee cards.

Which brings us to the point, do you care whether your Visa/MC card has an annual fee or not?

My apologies for the late reply. I own a Disaster Restoration company and I've been going 20 hours days since I posted this thread.

To answer a few questions, I am Gold if I am correct with SPG and enjoy the St Regis, W and Westin brands when I am in a super lux area that Hilton doesn't have properties. I am extremely happy with Hilton as almost every time I stay with them I am upgraded whether with family in tow or just myself. I am also extremely loyal with Delta as living in South Dakota my options are either Delta or United so I chose Delta.

I am not in for a Visa per se. I am more than happy to go with a MC if rewards and or Cash Back are tops

I am a huge fan of taking the road less traveled with my young children as both my children had traveled to all 50 States and numerous foreign countries before my son turned three and my daughter turned two so the Choice Benefits program and I have had a healthy relationship when a Hilton can not be found.

I was just told today Penfed is offering 1.5% cashback on any and all purchases but if the Citi Double Cashback card is at 2% as DarthBrimmer and Yoshi212 related to I'm all for that and putting that cashback into a travel slush fund for my young kids when they say "daddy I want to go to a beach"

In all honestly though I would love either a V or MC that is the top earner for either cashback or rewards that can be applied with good to great results with Delta or Hilton or straight into a pot for future travel.

Thank you to all that took the time to post and once again my apologies for the lateness but unfortunately this is the game and company I bought into 11 years ago here in South Dakota.

Here are some cashback possibilities at 2% or more. Review the threads for tradeoffs on issues such as annual fees, foreign transaction fees, customer service etc:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cred...-1st-year.html

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cred...-4-2016-a.html

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/citi...ted-1-1-a.html

Throw Penfed and Paypal in there.

https://www.penfed.org/credit-cards/power-cash-rewards/
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mp...ack-mastercard

US Bank altitude reserve. 4.5% towards travel everywhere with Samsung Pay. That's my favorite for non-category spend.

What is the earning rate without a Samsung phone? How is this implemented? Would aspenedelen need to accumulate sufficient points for the full cost of a ticket to realize this return?