I need to change my card selection to maximize reward points. I know my current card selection is not delivering. Here is what I have:

1. Fidelity Amex Plat: I’ve had the Fidelity Gold for many years using it as my primary card and just recently upgraded. Annual fee is $320, and I going to see if I can make the $$ back through FHR, lounge access, and complimentary domestic companion tix. I see this as a kind of one year test, so if I don’t like it, I will just go back to Gold. I am also thinking that I don't need to make this my primary card anymore.

2. JetBlue Amex: $40 annual fee, and worth it for me. I have family in JB cities where flights are cheap and the TrueBlue points add up quickly. For example, I am flying to BUF next month on tix that are $39 each way. And if I didn’t have the card, points would expire after 1 year. I aim for one free RT Award flight every 12 –18mos, which I try to spend on JFK – SAN over the holidays (~$700 value for a non-stop with Direct TV). However, I don’t like to put a lot of regular spending on this card because I don’t think the points add up as quickly ($1 = 1 Award Dollar; 200 Award Dollars = 1 True Blue Point; 200 TB Points = 1 RT flight).

3. Corp Amex: My company requires that we use this. I’ve linked this to my MR account. Right now I have about 72K MR points.

4. Citi Diamond Preferred MC: This is my non-AX backup card and it is doing NOTHING for me. No rewards and I pay off my balance in full each month. I have just been lazy about doing the due diligence of finding a different card.

Ok, my issue now is that I am thinking that I don’t have a good card for maximizing rewards with the exception of trying for that 1 free JB flight each year. I’d like my rewards to help me towards a nice vacation (don’t know where yet). I’ve used the Gold for MR for years and there just don’t seem to be many double point promotions. I figure I should just count on the Corp Amex to contribute to my MR balance from now on and look to another card as my primary. Here are some cards I have been wondering about adding:

1. Amex SPG – points add up and airline transfer flexibitily. also, good promo now.
2. HH Amex – I hear the points add up quickly and no annual fee
3. Citi Diamond Preferred Rewards – No annual fee

Sorry for the long post, and thanks so much to anyone with advice!

If these numbers are correct you would need to spend $40,000 to obtain a award flight, which would be poor.

However, American Express states...

200 Award Dollars= 1 TrueBlue Point and 100 TrueBlue points=one round trip flight

JetBlue.com also says ...

100 Points = One Free Round-trip Flight

This would change the calculation to $20,000 spend for a flight which is similar to other airline affinity cards. Please clarify.

Also earn double Award Dollars every time you use the Card at restaurants, movie theaters, sporting events, golf courses, and performing arts events, as well as on gym memberships. Naturally, that goes for all of your JetBlue purchases as well. Are you using the JetBlue card at those types of merchants?

By comparison, Membership Rewards points transfer 250:1 to JetBlue, which means $25,000 spend to generate 100 points.

Right, I don't think I would use MR to transfer to JetBlue. JetBlue is a great airline, but still has limited destination choices. I would keep my MR balance to do something else with. That is where I am now, but I am wondering if another card would reward better than MR.

I don't know. I go back and forth. Maybe I should just stick with what I have and just get a better non-Amex card.

1. Make AMEX MR your primary program. Consider:

- You must use your corp AMEX
- You have Fidelity AMEX Platinum (a great value at $320 btw)
- Choose AMEX "The Knot" or "The Nest" card to earn 10,000 MR bonus points when you spend $15k in a year

2. Choose a MasterCard/Visa that has a decent reward rate, but does not create a separate commitment to a reward program:

- Diners Club - $95 per year, transfers to most programs, primary rental insurance
- Marriott Premier Visa Sigature - $65 per year, 15 nights toward status each yr, one free night each year
- Hilton Visa Signature - No annual fee, 6 pts per $ at Hilton Family hotels

OR

3. Choose a MasterCard/Visa that provides cash back

- Fidelity Visa Signature - 1.5% deposited directly to your fidelity account
- Chase Freem Visa Signature - 3% on everyday spending

Thank you for the clarifications.

I agree with awake's recomendation that inasmuch as you are earning Membership Rewards points from your business expenses you should maximize earnings by adding The Knot or The Nest credit card (or both). These cards are targetted at engaged or newly married couples but anyone can apply. There is no annual fee, and if you spend $15,000 in a calender year there is a 10,000 point bonus. This means you would receive 25,000 points for spending $15,000, 1.6 points per dollar. Note that the bonus is calculated on calendar year, not your anniversary year. These cards participate in Membership Rewards Express, but the points will be treated as regular Membership Rewards only if linked to your other cards. We use our account for recurring household expenses, such as broadband and CATV, cellular phone, dry cleaning, pest control, etc and the physical cards seldom leave the safe.

Otherwise, the first step in comparing Membership Rewards to other programs is to review the airline and hotel chain transfer partners to see how well they match your travel patterns. This means it's helpful to have at least a general idea of how and where you may want to travel for vacation, or if you prefer to maximize flexibility at the expense of some redemption value.

Starwood Preferred Guest offers more airline transfer partners, and 25% more miles per dollar to most airlines. Diners Club Rewards transfers to a better balanced set of airlines than Membership Rewards and to more hotel programs than any other card. There is some partner overlap between all three of these programs, for example you could transfer to Air Canada, Delta, Virgin Atlantic and Hilton or Intercontinental from all of them, but each has unique partners. Spend some time studying the details. For example many are surprised to discover that Membership Rewards transfers to Starwood Hotels at a 3:1 rate, $3,000 spend = MR 3,000 = SPG 1,000. If you are interested in redeeming at Starwood properties it is far better to use the SPG Credit Card also issued by American Express.

Citi's Thank You network offers good value for airlines that are available through Expedia, but there is no synergy between this program and any other because the points are not transferrable to miles. Thank You also hides its best values in the small print, you need to pay attention.

Awake and Mia,

Thanks for the good suggestions. I like the idea of getting 1.6 MR points per $1 if I get an Amex with the The Nest and charge $15K on it because of the 10,000 MR welcome points. And it looks like I'd receive another 5,000 welcome MR points after I make my first purchase. The only thing I'll have to figure out now is how to link this card to my Amex charge card because the Nest card is MR Express where points can't be redeemed for airfare and my charge card is regular Membership Rewards with airline transfer benefits. Is there going to be an annual linkage fee?

Still deliberating on a back-up non-Amex card.

Thanks again.

There is no linkage fee. You should be fine.

This should occur automatically if you provide your Platinum card number during the application process.

Thanks. To your point about how you need to spend $10K on the Nest Amex in a calendar year, I am realizing that there is no rush to get this card. I don't have a lot of spending to do over the next 4 months, so it looks like I wont able to get the 10K bonus MR points until Q2 2009 (because the T&C says to allow for 12-14 weeks after year end to receive the points). It's hard to get excited about 10K points a year and a half from now.

You should pick two backups to your AMEX card, i.e. one visa and one mastercard from DIFFERENT issuers.

Some merchants especially outside of the US accept only visa or mastercard but not both. Also, under some circumstances an issuer may cut off your credit because they do not like your spending pattern. You can call them to get it fixed, but it is annoying. Keep a backup!

Again, focus on cards that (a) give you cash back, (b) transfer to reward programs that you already use, or (c) provide benefits that you value:

VISA
Fidelity Investment Rewards Visa Signature - No fee
Chase Freedom Visa Signature - No fee; points or cash - 3% on everyday spending
Chase Marriott Premier Visa Signature - $65 fee, but you get a free night each year; silver status (with 15 days credit towards gold/platinum)
Citi Hilton Honors Visa Signature - No fee; silver status

MASTERCARD
Diners Club - ultimate in flexibility for transfers, but has a $95 fee
Chase Freedom World Mastercard - No fee; points or cash - 3% on everyday spending

Alternatively, consider an airline card, but frankly these have high fees and may not be justified if you do not have the spend level. Actually Diners may have too high of a fee depending upon your spending level.

There are some other good cards, but they will lock you into other proprietary programs (Citi Premier Pass/Diamond Rewards/Professional, Merrill+, etc.).

I would apply for the card sometime between now and the end of the year, use it once to earn the 5,000 point activation bonus, and then charge in earnest beginning in January. Remember, you need to spend $15,000 (not $10k). Our 2006 bonus posted in early January 2007.

Thank you, Mia.

Here's my question...is there a significant drawback having cards which participate in both Starponts and MR so long as I use points soley to redeem for flights? I ask because I am really really drawn to the the current Starwood Amex promo (10K points to join and another 15K if I can charge 15K in 6mos).

I am relatively new to FT, but it appears that many people here believe that Starpoints are more flexible than MR (and there is that 5K point bonus for every 20K points earned). I know that my Corp Amex will still contribute to MR, but couldn't I transfer them to an airline and also do the same with my Starpoints?

Also, for some reason, I am just not digging the Nest card. I'm not the target demo, and I just don't feel like carrying that card around to use a lot, which I would have to do if I were to charge $15K (marketing must work, heh heh).

OK, well nevermind. MR doesn't redeem American and Starwood doesn't redeem well with United or CO. It is probably too complicated/limiting to balance them both. And I don't think I need to have 3 different Amex cards plus a Corp Amex. I'll just resist the urge and keep with what I have .

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8830/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Cinnamon...

The bad news is that you will not find a single credit card that does it all.

Given that you must use a Corp AMEX, the nest/knot is still a great choice.

Fidelity AMEX is a debit card. It does not show on your credit report. The question is not "Do I need another AMEX". The correct question is "Do I need the benefits". I do not spend a dime on my Fidelity AMEX Platinum.

As for Starwood SPG... Decide on what your final reward objectives are: AA miles, United miles, SPG, Hilton Honors? Pick a card that will help you achieve that goal and has a reasonable fee (SPG AMEX, United Visa, Hilton AMEX/Visa, Diners). If you cannot decide on one, then go with CashBack, e.g. Fidelity Visa or Chase Freedom Visa Signature.