I’m looking for a credit card now that I will be spending about 15k in late Feb and early March due to having a new baby. So main thing I’m looking for is a card with a big sign on bonus but it seems like they all have high annual fees. The ones I’m looking at American Express Platinum: Pro: - 150k bonus points ($3k with shared airlines or $1.5k conservatively) - Airport lounges (idk if I’ll use them often) - Clear $179 - Uber eats $200 - Hotel credit $200 Cons: - $200 airline credit is just for add ons - 1x on purchases sucks - Wouldn’t use other rewards - Annual fee $695 Chase Sapphire Reserve Pros: - 50k bonus points ($750 with them or shared airlines or $500 conservatively) - $300 annual travel credit for flights - 3x points for dining - Airport lounges - Lyft membership (idk how much I’ll use it) - DoorDash pass (idk how much I’ll use it) Cons: - Less points than AMEX - Less lounges - Annual fee $550 Capital One Venture X Pros: - 100k bonus points (about $1k) - 10k miles every year ($100) - $300 annual flight credit - $200 vacation rental credit (one time) - 2x on all purchases - Credits pays off the card every year Cons: - annual fee $395 - It’s a new card so less reviews online Or should I just start a trifecta? Or should I get 2 of these cards? Or other options? Thanks TC was 540k now is 390k (Looking to switch jobs soon)
Well, let’s start with do you travel a lot without kids? That’s when you can really maximise the output of those cards
That’s one of my doubts. I don’t travel much. My wife and I take a couples trip once a year for a few days. Main attraction to getting a card right now is since I have big purchases coming up to just do it for the sign on bonus and maybe cancel after a year or keep it I like it
The points are best redeemed to travel too. So beyond the math that you’ve done already I’d look at my most probable spend next year and see what perks I’m more likely to have any benefit/fun from using.
Was in same situation a while ago, ended up with the Csr.
Any regrets?
If you genuinely don’t travel, I think the math was at least 3 times a year, the CSR is better. But if you do travel then yeah, you’re better off with the Amex and if you truly Min Max everything, then as you listed above, you’ll have more travel perks with statements, lounge, and non travel benefits to make up for the heavy fee My biggest regret with getting the CSR was travel perks. I travel with a partner and we try to travel as consciously of our surroundings as possible, so delta access would’ve been clutch.
I was under the same debate couple weeks ago. I chose the venture X and love it so far
Have you tried reddened points and/or booked through their portal?
Yup had a travel planned. So booked through their portal and got the $300 credit within a week. Another thing to note, if you book through the portal, you’re pretty much guaranteed the lowest rate. They bought hoppr and they’re a pretty solid platform to find low fares. And in case that it isn’t the lowest fare, they’ll refund the difference automatically so I like it!
The fees on all these cards are insane
the benefits are pretty good as well. You get a straight off $300 yearly travel credit with CSR, and can make up the remaining $250 of fees via hotel and flight bookings pretty easily.
Most of them pay for themselves if you take advantage of the benefits.. but .. do the math
Go for 2% Cashback cards
OP will need to spend $150,000 for the 2% card to make up for the missed Amex Platinum signing bonus + points.
Get both amex plat and csr. You can hit the MSR on both
Which is your preferred airline? If it’s Delta OR you’re flying airports that have Centurion lounges then Amex is compelling. I have the Amex Platinum and exclusively fly Delta so the lounge benefit is huge for me. Just be warned that most priority pass lounges, especially in the US, suck. So I wouldn’t value that much. The Delta and centurion lounges you get from the Amex are amazing though.
Yea priority pass is ok, better than sitting at the gate like a pleb. Afew of them are legit tho
CSR is best if you want long term card it also upgrades to a better card after 1 yr. But realistically you want a daily driver like CSR then AMEX plat for big purchases so you can build vacation points
what is the upgrade? I have a CSR since 2 years and I'm not aware of any upgrades? how would I get one?
Are you maybe referring to CSP? I think that one upgrades to CSR. But I could be wrong and maybe there’s another one even higher