FlyerTalk Forums - what is the best Mastercard for points?

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- - what is the best Mastercard for points? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/324062-what-best-mastercard-points.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinniped

I did not see that ad, but I recall an older version of that card offering a delayed-1% rebate.

You spend the money now, we give you a rebate once a year.

That only approaches a real one-percent rebate for the spending that takes place at the tail end of the "year".

But moreso that the (admittedly small) investment loss on that money, I just don't like the idea that I'm married to a card for any period of time waiting for an award. I don't trust banks to do anything correctly, especially if they are allowed time to think about it. That's why I like SPG Amex and the next-statement-rebaters like PerfectCard. If I decide I want out of that card, it only takes me a month or two to fully part ways with all of my rewards.

FYI, it's somewhere in-between. The small print reads "You may accumulate a maximum of $300 in Cash Reward Dollars in any calendar year, payable in $100 checks."

Quote:

Originally Posted by outoftown

For someone looking for a MasterCard, this looks like the best deal, for the next year anyhow. An ad I saw in the Parade section of the Sunday paper a few weeks ago...

AT&T Universal MasterCard

0% on Balance transfers until March 1, 2005

Full 5% cash back on purchases made at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations until 6/1/05, full 1% cash back on all other purchases up to a maximum of $300 annually

No annual fee, no balance transfer fees

Limited time offer, must apply by 7/15/04, ph 1-800-506-8737

I have had one of these cards for years, and mine earns points that require "thresholds" to get "cash" back, and the only kind of "cash" you can get back (that's a good value) is "gift cards" at one of number of common nationwide retail chains.

Thus you should check carefully how and when you get the "cash back" before you assume that it's better than the Chase card.

Meanwhile, the two "hooks" in the offer you quoted don't make sense to do together. The 0% is on balance transfers only, and the cash back is on purchases only, and if you are carrying a balance, then your purchases are subject to an interest rate too (and MUCH bigger than 0%!!!), because I'm sure the card has a fine print clause which says something to the effect that monthly payments are applied in whatever order makes them the most money, ie, if you transferred $2000 and make $100 in purchases and pay $200, the $200 reduces your 0% rate $2000 to $1800 and your $100 at the HIGH interst rate gets added! Thus by mixing a 0% transfer and "cash back" purchases at the same time, you'll lose a lot more money in interest rates than you'll save with the "cash back".

How about one of the continental MC's from chase?

Stefan Daystrom, Your right - if someone is truly going to only spend a couple hundred $ a year on a card, your suggestion may be the best. But if they are really only going to spend a couple hundred a year, it really doesn't make a lot of difference which card they go for. $2 - yeah, its something, but not worth much of my time trying to figure out.

I guess I assume the OP would use the card enough to make it worth it. I would recomend the MBNA Amtrak card - if the OP does any significant spending internationally this alone will make it quite worthwhile. As gleff helpfully pointed out there are many ways to earn Amtrak points - getting to 5,000 is not that hard. But if the OP really is only going to use for $200 a year and not do anything else to earn Amtrak Points (for UA miles), your right, this is not a good option.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan Daystrom

In case you didn't notice, the poster of the original question (whom I was replying to) was specifically looking for a MasterCard (to use mostly for MC-specific promos), but all the programs he actively particpates in currently only partner with either Visa or Amex. If that weren't his case, my recommendation might be completely different (for example, a 1 mile/$2 no-annual-fee card for one of those FF programs).

Please explain to me how needing expensive tickets makes it worthwhile to subject yourself to a 90% devaluation by going through a points-transfer service or how earning a few hundred points a year on a card which has a 5000-point transfer threshold? (Because those seem to be the main point/mile-earning options he has right now with MasterCard relative to the FF programs he prefers.)

May not help the OP, who wasn't interested in AA miles, but if they work for you Citibank offers a few versions of MC with sign-up bonuses in the 10,000+ mile range and no fee for the first 6 to 12 months - so you can cancel it after you get the Hyatt bonus. More in the AA forums. One of the threads is here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=325872

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efrem

The three offers on on the Annual Fee Cards page of the Credit Cards section of my website below. 15,000, 12,500, or 10,000 miles for first use, and free for 1 year or 6 months.