rrgg

Once in a while someone here asks which card is best for them. This article tries to answer that but has strange recommendations:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/...mag/index.html

It's a little amusing. Where did he come up with these cards? I didn't realize it's a "big-time reward" to get something from Capital One. I also thought using the word "skinflint" is a little archaic.

Kagehitokiri

thats what happens when people try to copy forbes

SPG / CITI TYN
DC / AX MR
ML+

singlemalt

Any article on credit cards that leads with the APR wasn't meant for us.

TAHKUCT

Wirelessly posted (Treo 700p Sprint: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D052; Blazer/4.5) 16;320x320)

Interesting. Does anybody on this forum uses any of these card?

I will admit I have Discover Cards (but not Discover Miles) and use them seldom to maximize my cashback on certain purchases.

Tom92591

Its funney Menshealth magazine ran an article like this where they went against discover and pro amex blue cash for the best rewards. It kind of makes you think that the authors get paid for recomendations

acf573

Amex Blue Cash can be useful depending on your needs. Citi Driver's Edge is a good card. I actually have a Discover Miles card but that was for the 0% on purchases/BT for 12 months + 12k point bonus. Otherwise the card is worthless.

rrgg

I actually have Capital One as a secondary card, but the sole reason is for the 0% forex fee when abroad (or -1% if you include the reward). However, the article doesn't even mention this feature.

joelmeu

I'm a user and a big fan of the Citi Driver's Edge card. With it you can earn up to 12% back on EDP and up to 2% back on non-EDP in the first year and up to 6% back on EDP in subsequent years.
AmEx Blue Cash is also a great card.

outoftown

None of these 7 cards are worth a look. All have limitations in either spending or timeframe to earn benefits. The benefits are also watered down from earlier offerings.

FWIW, I use Costco AMEX for 3% restaurants, 2% travel and 1% everything else, Chase Dividend Rewards (closed for new accounts - new cardholders have to settle for the Chase Freedom mentioned in the CNNmoney artilce). I cancelled three Citi Reward cards that dropped the 5% cashback benefits but I still get 5% gas, grocery & drug for now from Chase. I also use AMEX Open for 5% office supply stores and 5% gas. These three have refunded me over $1000 per year the last two years. My airline cards, NW, UA, US (World) are idle, obtained for the signing bonuses. Citi AA use is dwindling but may keep it due to AA's new 18 month no activity equal zero miles rule. I was a charter member of Driver's Edge, converted from Ford Citibank without my input. I have had the Marriott Visa, Holiday Inn Visa, GM gold card back when there was a $7000 rebate, US BofA, Diner's Club, personal and corporate, AMEX personal and corporate, both with MR, Sheraton AMEX, Skymiles AMEX, all now cancelled. I've cancelled MBNA cards when they started charging fees for foreign use. I've cancelled every gas card. I still use the AMEX Hilton, but only for Hilton property stays. I will probably open a new Skymiles AMEX for the signup bonus (they called my cancellation bluff three years ago). Life is too short to be loyal to any service provider, including credit and charge card companies, or to worry about the FICO hit. I'm always ready for the better cc deal to come along...unfortunately it is not any of the seven in the article.

-outoftown, posting from Monterrey, Mexico

tev9999

I'm switching from my NW Worldperks Visa as primary card to Amex Blue Cash. I debated about the Costco instead, but I should be a little better off with the higher (5%) gas/food/drug store and 1.5% everything else over the Costco 3/2/1%.

I also got a Chase Professional cash back card that pays 3% on restaurants, home improvement and office supplies, 1% everything else. This will be my card for restaurants and Lowes/Home Depot, and anywhere that won't take AMEX.

joelmeu

By the way, for a quick evaluation various rewards cards for a given spending profile, there's this rewards calculator:
Credit Card Reward Calculator (for your spending profile)

It also does a multi-card analysis to find the best 2-card combination, 3-card combination, etc. for a given spending profile.

stevek0202

I've been using Blue Cash and Citi Dividend Platinum Select for some years now, and realized that I'm actually saving more with the Citi card. The BC gives 5% for gas, drugstore, and groceries, and 1.5% for everything else, AFTER spending $6,500. Before that, the offer is 2% and 0.5%. So, say $6,500 was reached by paying bills in advance or so, with 0.5% cashback, and now how much will I be using the card for putting in gas and going to a supermarket & a drugstore? On the other hand, the Citi card has Bonus Cash center, and allows me to get extra cashback that is not counted towards the $300/yr limit. So my point is, BC's 5% looks good, but it only applies to purchases that don't take much % of my budget, while Citi's extra cashback applies towards the big purchases, giving more savings for my annual budget. By the way I'm not yet married and don't have a family to support.

UA Fan

What exactly does EDP stand for? I assume it is something to do with gas purchases. How do you get 12%?

gpan

Has anyone looked at the Citi Home Rebate Platinum Select MasterCard - the 6% rebate on ISP services is interesting...