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8/3/2001

While I only use one main card with rebate for purchases, I have several others which I have switched to & from, to get lower rates for large balance transfers.

My main card I pay off each month. To the 2 low rate ones with the transferred balances, I pay much more than the minimum each month too.

I never closed out the cards I don't use, thinking that they may make better lower rate transfer offers to get me back.

My question is: Is there any harm in keeping those open, would it be better to close them out for credit rating purposes? Thanks

I recently did a search for phone info, and thought you might like some of the stuff.

P.S. There are so many credit card sites out now. Wow! Last time I was looking around in 1996, your site was a real trailblazer. Thanks for keeping it going.

Well I finally got around to redoing my phone bill and calling cards (after MCI hiked my 5c weekends to 10c and weekdays to 17c, and I got hit with a surprise $100 phone bill), and I've found a really nice dial-around card for home phone calls.

They offer instant internet access to your phone records (The website shows the call after less than a minute - maybe faster. Very impressive! Much faster than the bank account/credit card systems which have a 1-3 day delay, or the wireless phone companies who won't tell you until the next month).

3.3 c/min - Callingcard.com
Using it is kind of a pain - Dial a local access number (xxx-xxxx) and then type in an account number (xxxxxxxxx), but you can set it on your speed-dial.

Almost half the cost of typical 5c/min (+ tax = 6c/min) home plans.

I'm using Opex for the home dial-1 service, but I may switch to ECG, since Opex has a $2 monthly fee. Opex, Unitel, and PowerNet Global are 4.5c plans with $2-3 monthly minimums. ECG is a 4.9 c/min plan with no minimum (5-6 c/min with tax). ...for those times when I don't feel like typing in a lot of numbers & access codes.

I just started using these services this month, so I don't know about long-term reliability, but Opex is using Global Crossing for my home service. Unitel and PowerNet are companies I remember from 1997.

P.S. Rates have gone way down since my last search in 1997 (8.5c home, 14c calling card). I didn't price the free internet phone stuff which is around (0-2c/min). Quality is still pretty variable.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Home Use
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calling card for home or work (rechargeable): CallingCard.com
  - 3.5 c/min (3.3 c/min if purchased with AmEx or Discover)
      - Taiwan is 9.5 c/min
  - Prepaid long-distance in $15 (429 or 457 minutes with AmEx/Discover),
      $25, or $50 blocks
  - Not so good for pay-phones
     - 35c pay-phone surcharge
     - 7.5 c/min or 50c surcharge for using an 800-number
     - Use the Fastlink card below.
  - http://callingcard.com

  - See your calls INSTANTLY on the internet.  Much better than GTE!

Date Time Phone # Location Code Minutes RPM Total 
8/2/01 16:12:26 3306781833 USA, OH 1330 4 0.035 0.14 
8/2/01 23:06:31 6462213986 USA, NY 1646 1 0.035 0.035 
8/2/01 23:09:22 6462213986 USA, NY 1646 1 0.035 0.035 
Total Calls 3     6  $0.21 



Home: Use smartprice.com to check available plans
  - http://www.smartprice.com/index.jsp
  - http://www.verityventures.com/news_2000-08-28_a.html

Home: Opex
  - 4.5 c/min anytime (?? with tax)
  - 4.3 c/min California (?? with tax)
  - $2 fee per month (if under $20/month)
  - 100 free minutes (applied to 3rd month's bill)
  - $0 PICC fee, 6.68% FUSF fee, Will reimburse PIC switching fee
  - 8% off if you Pre-Pay
  - Online viewing of phone bill available
      - don't know whether you can see current month calls
  - http://cognigen.net/opex/main.cgi?radrad7
  - http://www.opexagent.com/newagt/agents.asp?name=&id=

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
On The Road (to skip 35-50c payphone fee) and Very Long Calls
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calling card for payphones (prepaid) : Fastlink
  - 7 c/min (equivalent to 6c/min + tax on a home phone)
  - No pay-phone fee
  - No connection fee, 1 min minimum, Expires 6 months from first use.
  - http://phonecardmart.com/

Calling card for VERY long calls(prepaid): Nobelcom.com
  - 0.5 c/min + fees
  - $1.19 for 60 min call, $1.49 for 2 hr call
  - Connection fee 89c, Maintenance fee 33c/week, Expires in 3 months
  - http://nobelcom.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Home Plans - No monthly minimum
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Home: ECG
  - 4.9 c/min anytime
  - 4.5 c/min CA
  - no minimum/month, 6 sec billing (18 sec minimum)
  - $0 PICC fee, 6.68% FUSF fee
  - http://www.smartprice.com Look for ECG (Plan ID = 621)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Home Plans
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Home: Unitel
  - 4.5c/min, 4.2 c/min CA, 6 sec billing (18 sec minimum)
  - $2 per month (if < $15 of charges)
  - http://unitelagent.com/main.cgi?radrad7

Home: PowerNet Global
  - 4.5c, 3.9c/min CA, 1 min billing
  - (Or 4.9c, 6 sec billing, 18 sec minimum)
  - $2.50/month (if < $15 of charges)
  - http://cognigen.net/png/main.cgi?radrad7

Home: MCI
  - Prepaid 400 min for $10/month (2.5c/min).
  - With $75 free calling cards (300 min & 30 min).

Home: AT&T
  - AT&T offers a $100 check for switching to them.

http://members.aol.com/ffmiles/pc.htm

They're offering a $100 check to switch back from MCI on the "AT&T One Rate Plus Plan." Call 1-800-242-7497 ext. 55096. CA residents call 1-800-288-2662, ext 39277... if you didn't receive the check you'll have trouble getting cash, but they will give you $25 a month in credits for four months, if you ask for it.

10 cents a minute 24hrs days 7days week anywhere in the U.S.. No restrictions..no spending minimum, but a $4.95 monthly fee. They have also offered up to 60 minutes free each month for 3 months Their other good deal is 10 cents a minute 24 hrs a day, and they'll wave the $4.95 a month fee for the first 6 months

The eyeoncredit Web site is not as comprehensive or updated as this site. Last time I checked, they didn't cover the Farm Bureau Bank card, which I highly recommend. Forget about True Value Mastercard as it's a complete scam. They state (in fine print!) that the so-called rebates are issued in True Value "gift certificates" and not in cash or credit against account charges. Since True Value is a hardware co-op, many of the independent hardware store owners don't even know about those "certificates" and flat-out refuse to accept them. Fortunately for me, my rebate wasn't huge and I found a store where I got a bunch of light bulbs.

in regards to the person paying tuition in two weeks...... open up a credit card as the site suggests like american express, or discover platinium, or what i found truevalue mastercard and charge the tuition. our college also lets us do charges in monthly interest free payments. most colleges do not accept american express. call them and ask what charge cards they accept and can they charge it monthly. hey its a game.

What is anyone's experience with rebates from Farm Bureau? Has anyone racked up $35,000 yet, to get the $700 rebate? Has anyone cashed in any rebates at all, yet? Is anyone using the card, yet?

I signed up for the Farm Bureau card a few months ago, but I haven't used it yet, since my Fleet hasn't max'ed out yet this year. I will be switching all of my purchases to Farm Bureau in a couple of months. I am just curious how it is going with Farm Bureau for anyone out there who switched already.

I wonder why eyeoncredit.com doesn't include Farm Bureau Bank 2% cash back Visa? I wrote them and gave them some info; they said they were going to look into it. That was almost 2 months ago. Just slow? or do they know something I don't?

I have a GE Rewards card and also have not been notified of any program reward changes (maybe because I carry a large revolving balance).

Being in possession of a MasterCard rebate card, I'm always on the lookout for "charge" possibilities. When it came time to purchase a new car, I did some checking on MasterCard's policy regarding purchases. I was told that merchants may NOT limited the minimum, or maximum, a customer can charge. I was told that merchants sign an agreement when they signup to accept MasterCard (or Visa) that specifically addresses this issue. If they do not want to accept the agreement, they can choose not to offer MasterCard (or Visa) acceptance . . . but they can't say they accept either card and then put a minimum, or maximum purchase limit on the transaction. The ONLY way a cardholder could be limited is by MasterCard (or Visa) itself. (By way of a credit limit.) So, it was my understanding that as long as my credit limit was high enough, the dealership HAD to allow me to charge the total price of my new car. Armed with this information I asked to "charge" the entire $18,000+ purchase price. I was told by Ford credit "no." When I cited MasterCard's policy regarding restricted charge amounts . . . I was then begrudgingly "allowed" to place the entire purchase price of my car on my MasterCard. Just wondering how many others are buying the dealership's false statements? Seems to me, that there are a lot of rebates not being realized!

8/1/2001

http://www.eyeoncredit.com/ lists similar rebates as you with the exception of true value master card. rebates for cash in order (balances paid in full by end of month) american express discover card titanium fleet visa true value mastercard

any comments from you freebie junkies out there????

when i do the eyeoncredit.com website i do come up with highest rebates in order (for those that pay their balance in full each month) american express discover platinum true value mastercard titanium fleet cash rebate visa i think i may consider the true value mastercard before the fleet

I need help. I was thinking it might be smart to pay my daughter's college tuition with a credit card,even though I have the money to pay for it. I don't know alot about this subject and I only have a Visa Card through my credit union. I need to pay the tuition in 2 weeks.thanks

Just did some quick checking -- Cobalt is at http://www.cobaltcard.com . It's very interesting, no fee for having, using or funding if you do so from a checking account. Sounds good to me as I trust AMEX more than the banks that Visa has offering Visa Buxx. The web site alternatively claims that ATM withdrawls are free if you use an AMEX ATM, or that there is a $1.50 charge. Not sure which is correct...

Citi Bank Dividend card also has a Student Card. It works the same as the reg. one. When you reach $100 they send it to you. This would be good for a Student who doesn't charge alot. You can take two years or more to get your $100.

That is interesting about the AMEX Cobalt card, I will have to check it out. My daughter wants me to get her a Visa Buxx card which is a debit card for kids. Last time I looked there were 4 different banks offering it with wildly varying fees and I believe only one was actually no fee. What are the fees for the AMEX card? Anyway, on another subject I have a Costco AMEX rebate card that I rarely use outside of Costco. A couple of weeks ago I got a mailing from AMEX saying that they missed my non-Costco business and from 7/15-9/15 they would give me an extra 2% rebate on all of my non-Costco purchases. I started to use it immediately, and last night paid my new car deposit on it (sadly he would not let me charge the whole thing but $1500 does translate to a $30 rebate). I found the promotion brochure yesterday and read the fine print and it turns out that it's even better than I thought because the 2% bonus will be credited directly to my account -- I thought I'd end up with this huge Costco check like with the normal rebate. Needless to say, my Citibank AAdvantage card has taken a back seat for a few weeks!

7/31/2001

I have a GE reward creditcard from FirstUSA. Since a lot of posting have been made here but I have not received any notice for my account, I called FirstUSA GE reward card customer service. I was told that SOME of GE reward account are going to be cancelled, not all of them. He said my account will stay with current reward structure. I am curious if all GE reward card holders have received the notice saying about the termination of the program and convesion of the card to 1% flat rate cash rebate card.

P.S. Before I talk to this guy, I heard two different stories from the customer services. One had no idea about the program termination and the other said there is no exception of the termination. Can anybody call to FirstUSA and verify what I have heard? Thanks.

FirstUSA pissed me off too. I had a BP VISA card. I am switching to the American Express Platinum Cash Rebate Card and either the fleet or Farm Bureau card. Thanks for the wonderful information. The only suggestion would be to know which cards offer transaction downloads to Money or Quicken.

to 16-yr old looking for credit...try american express...they have a cobalt card for teens. teen or parent funds the card from checking account or other credit card...at least it's a starting place!!! good luck.

What does everyone think about the Albertson's credit card? It has some good rewards like lift tickets, food and airline tickets. Anyone like to comment on it? I currently use my Sony card a lot. Trying to put as much on that card to get something good. Like a camcorder or portable DVD player. But I'm also looking for a backup card too. I like rewards and not cash back because I don't like to wait a year to get my money. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Check the following article out (click on link) for more on foreign currency transaction conversion. The surchages mentioned in the article are fees charged on top of the 1% Visa/Mastercard already takes out (i.e., if you have a Citibank VISA, it's 2% to Citibank, 1% to VISA for a total of 3%). AmEx charges 2% in total. http://stage.bankrate.com/sam/news/cc/20010416b.asp. Again, Fleet and the Farm Bureau Bank do not currently have surcharges, but in this increasingly cutthroat card biz, I wouldn't be surprised if they (Fleet anyway) take up this gouging practice.

I hope this is the Place to Send this Kind of Commment . . I like the platinum citibank dividend card. They send you $$ every time you get up to $100 instead of waiting until February. IT has a $300 year limit, but the money carries over to the next year without affecting that next year's amount (or so the info people said. . . ) I was told on the phone that they didn't have that kind of card, but then, when I said that I'd cancel my regular card, they suddenly DID have it. . .

7/28/2001

Here's a thought for those of you who are using credit cards that offer airline miles as a rebate but not with specific airline clubs. In my case MBNA. I have enough miles for 2 tickets each with a maximum of $500. I get 2 UNITED ickets issued and immediately cancel them and "pay" the airlines $100 fee per ticket. Net result is an $800 credit. I belong to United's Silver Wings and the airfare is $250 to visit my family which I do regularly. Net result is 3 tickets (800/250) with $50 left over. Easy to make 3 out of 2! If you user the weekend specials, often under $200, you make 4 out of 2.

The following article covers the foreign transaction surcharge issue well. Note that both Fleet and the Farm Bureau VISA cards do NOT add surcharges beyond the 1% levied by VISA/MasterCard. http://www.cardrevolt.com/resources/conversion.php

I am 16 years old , will i be able to apply for a credit card ?

I'm looking for information on the credit card that supposedly earns money towards college. I have a 6 year old sone and I think that would be a great way to start "saving".

We recieved an offer from Fleet bank saying that if we transferred our balance we would get a 0.0% apr until november 2001. What they didn't make so clear was that the 0.0% was on new purchases only not the balance transfer. To make things worse in the fine print they offered a 9.9% on the balance transfer that was miraculously changed to 11.98% on our first bill. When I called to complain I was greeted by a wise ass operator named vivian who obviously had many calls from angry customers already. I cancelled my account but not before they got $28 in interest from me.

Has anyone had the experience of having their credit card agreement changed so that they are forbidden to sue their credit card issuer and must now go through arbitration?

Are you aware of any cash back credit cards that allow you to make mortgage payments on the card? Any credit card that provides checks for such payments usually does so with a higher of 3% (of the check) or $25 associated fee. Obviously, the mortgage company doesn't want to pay the 1-3% the credit card company charges, so is there a way to get around that?

P.S. Are you saying that the GE Rewards card is going to be phased out if First USA drops it?

Just a quick note for you to pass on to your readers -- While traveling out of the country this past month we were charged as much as 3.1% in the conversion of our purchases on credit cards. This is not shown as a fee on the billing but if you check the conversion rate for the date of the transaction, you will note the amount you paid is not what the conversion amount shows.

I think these fees should be shown as direct charges to the consumer, not hidden in the conversion amount.

We were also charged for ATM withdrawals in the conversion of the currency, not just the noted $2.00 fee.

With respect to the comment about fees for foreign purchases, the last time I checked both MBNA and Farm Bureau had no extra fee for such purchases. As noted in the Epinions article, however, Visa and MasterCard do charge a 1% currency exchange fee. What are the fees for AMEX?

7/22/2001

Check this out, I also found a similar article on about.com. what's the point of getting miles on Citibank, if you're paying 2% on top of what you purchased???? http://www.epinions.com/content_1371775108

I received a gold card offer for $15,000 from First National Credit Pacific Park Plaza in Aliso Viejo,Ca. Are they for real? What kind of business do they conduct? What does the BBB say about them?

Do you have a list of credit cards that offer rewards (mileage, $, etc.)AND can be paid on line AND can be downloaded into Quickbooks with each transaction recorded as a split? Thanks.

<< Re: Fleet and Farm Bureau credit cards. One clarification - the posting said that the max rebate under Farm Bureau was $1075 versus $500 for Fleet. If the max charges per year is $60,000 (and therefore 60,000 points), why isn't the max rebate for one year $1,200 (60000x.02)?>> I'm glad you found my comparison helpful. Remember that Farm Bureau has certain levels at which you can redeem your points. The reason I say a max of $1075 is if you did not rollover your points and decided for some reason you wanted to redeem all 60K points at once. In that case you could redeem 35K for $700 and your remaining 25K for only $375. To make the most of your points, it would be most beneficial to wait and save the remaining 25K, then accumulate another 10K the next year to reach 35K to redeem another $700 cash back.

In May I received a Fleet promotion for a 0% intro APR for a YEAR! That basically equivalent to as much cache back as your savings or CD account allows (more than 2 or 3%). The problem, of course, is that the amount you can get the cash back is limited by your credit limit.

Thanks for the info, I already changed cards based on it! I am now getting ready to build a house and wonder about charging the materials - any suggestions for my best deal other that getting the 7% max for cash back? Thanks for you help.

7/16/2001

found this for visa memebers: http://www.cruiserewards.com/visa/index.htm

a 6/26/01 posting was very helpful to me when comparing the Fleet and Farm Bureau credit cards. One clarification - the posting said that the max rebate under Farm Bureau was $1075 versus $500 for Fleet. If the max charges per year is $60,000 (and therefore 60,000 points), why isn't the max rebate for one year $1,200 (60000x.02)?

Regarding the $500 max on the Fleet card, has anyone tried having a family member (spouse) apply for a second account in their name, and then split the charges over the course of the year? By doing so, is it possible to now qualify for a $1,000 "family" rebate? Don't see why not asuming your spouse has established her/his own credit and account. Thoughts?

7/13/2001

I got a letter in the mail yesterday from FirstUSA saying they are ending the Cashback Rewards program on their card (formerly GE Cash Rewards.)

After August 31, 2001 they will give you a 1% rebate for every $2500 you spend on the card. It's nice for low spenders, since it doesn't appear to have a ramp-up phase, but for heavy users it leaves the Amex and Fleet cards as reigning champs.

FYI: I'm also 100% in lock step with you analysis, except that I do use my GM Blue (original 5%, no rebate cap) card until I hit the $500 annual earnings cap. It locks me into a GM car, but since I keep two cars I can always find one GM car I can use at some point. This year I bought an Olds Silhouette, since they are offering 5 year warranties and 5 year 0.9% interest (oh how I love free money!) Hard to beat if you can also keep the dealer from making everything back on the selling price.

I guess I finally got my letter from GE Rewards which is run by First USA.... They discontinued the 1.4% cash rebate as of Aug 31 and changed it into 1% point/cash rebate. Down to it, it is 1% cash rebate OR various gift certificate. It is redeemed at $25 for every 2,500pts/dollars. So I guess they got rid of the tier which is good but lowered the overall cash rebate.

I don't think you have to be a Farm Bureau member to get a card. I just applied for a Farm Bureau Bank card, even though I'm not a member, and they are sending a card. I'm going to cancel my First USA card as soon as things are stable with the FBB card. What may be confusing is that FBB offers an alternative card that pays the rebate as a dues offset. By the way, I LOVE this site. This was the first place I looked after First USA gave me the bad news.

Hey all, fee free american express travelers checks for "AAA" road service members = $$$$$. Carry an ongoing $5000 deposit in your cheking while earning interest by applying for the AAA Visa & Master card, you can buy up to $5000 American Express Travelers checks, no questions asked. 1st buy $5000 of travelers checks on your AAA Visa and deposit in your checking account. 2nd waite for your visa statement to come and buy another $5000 with your AAA Master Card and deposit into your checking before paying off your AAA Visa. You can get creative and carry the $10000 balance for for a while by timing the cycle and post dates of your AAA Visa/Master Card. Just remember to keep w/in $5000 purchases at a time or you will be red flagged, meaning your credit line will be severly limited (credit line will be cut or revoked all together) When all is done and said at year end you should have accumulated couple of hundred dollars interest in your checking.

I want to buy a car this Fall, and would like to know of a card that offers rebate points..I know that GM does this, but I really want to buy a Ford.

We have 2 GE Reward Cards. On one, we just received a notice that the program will be discountinued as of August 31, 2001. We will be automatically converted to the "Free Cash Rewards" program. We will get 1 point for every dollar spent and can redeem 2500 points for a $25 check or a $25 gift certificate for selected merchants. I am not sure why anyone would want the gift certificate. Anyway, this is effectively a 1% cash rebate with no cap and no calendar year limit. I called them and asked a bunch of questions. Here is the info I got: 1) The old program is being phased out over time. If you are not part of this wave, you should receive something in the future. 2) some card holders are not being offered the Free Cash Rewards Program. 3) For purchase from that start of the new program year to August 31, 2001, we will receive a rebate based on the old schedule. 4) This credit will show up on the Oct. 2001 statement. 5) Starting Sept. 1, 2001, we start to earn points. That is the info I have. I am a little screwed since I will not get close $10,000 by Aug 31, 2001, so the 1.4% rebate will actually be 0.5% for me. I just applied for the Farm Bureau Card based on info on this website. I will let you know my experience later on.

Just wanted to say- great page! Very helpful and interesting. I wanted to check to see when you updated your analysis, a couple of sites I found were not. Is http://www.creditcardgoodies.com/analysis/ your recommendations as of July 2001? Thank you. Also, I used to have a Navy Federal Credit Union Visa, but the annual fee was high. You earned miles with it or you could redeem the points for cash to your NFCU account.

Fleet Visa does have online payments, called Fleet Ease e-pay, which you'll see on the right hand column when you manage your account online. It takes 3 days to go through, according to their disclaimer. I haven't actually tried it myself.

Yes, Fleet recently starting taking payments for credit card accounts over the Internet about 2-3 months ago. They do, however, require 3 business days for payments to post to your account. So you'll have initiate the payment at least 3 days before the due date, or you may still be penalized. From my experience, payments have posted to my Fleet account (and my checking account is simultaneously debited) on the second business day.

Re: Farm Bureau membership. No, you do not need to be a farmer or a Farm Bureau member! I applied and received a Farm Bureau Bank 2% cashback Visa card 2 months ago. There are no annual fees and no membership due is required. According to their correspondent, they are a Federal Savings Bank and you do not need to be a member to have an account. Their financial services is different from their membership program, which is a farmers' advocacy group. As for online payments at FBB, I found this info on their FAQ list: Q. Can I make a payment online to my Farm Bureau Bank VISA card from another financial institution through the web site? A. At this time, if you would like to debit another checking account held with another financial institution as a payment towards your credit card, please contact us at 800-492-3276, Monday-Friday 7am-7pm CST. We will debit your checking account usually the same day to make a payment towards your Farm Bureau Bank credit card. The cut off time for same day credit is 2pm CST. Transfers can be made directly to your VISA card if you hold an account with us. Please contact us if you are interested in establishing an account with Farm Bureau Bank.

Yes, Fleet lets you pay online. This is a new feature. The money is deducted within 3 business days and cannot be stopped once the process starts. There is no charge for the service.

Question:

"OK, so everyone is happy with the Farm Bureau Card and its rewards. But I have one question. If you don't spend an incredible amount of money on it, will the rewards be higher than the membership dues?? As in membership dues of being a Farm Bureau member."

Answer:

There are no membership dues.

7/9/2001

OK, so everyone is happy with the Farm Bureau Card and its rewards. But I have one question. If you don't spend an incredible amount of money on it, will the rewards be higher than the membership dues?? As in membership dues of being a Farm Bureau member.

> What I am understanding about this card is that you really need to keep your "points" for 4 years.. I don't want to wait 4 years to get my money back.

Nope. Redeem your points as soon as you want (after you have at least 5000), or wait until you have 35,000 for the full 2% rebate. They expire after 4 years, so you have to use them before that.

just graduated from college-i do not spend a great deal of money because i do not have any-what credit card is the best for me?-wether it be cash back, car or air milage....?

is the capital one card-with flyer milage a good credit card to have even though 19% annual fee? What other types of credit cards will go to airlines or car milage?

Can you tell us how to get more info on the Citibank Dividends Visa card?

Does Fleet allow you to pay your bill online? I didn't know they had this feature.

Amen to the reply on fleet. If you pay your card on time, be nice to the agents and meet your obligations you will be treated by a king a most credit card companies. I just don't like the idea of a cap. I spend hundreds of thousands a year on cards and I don't want to have to figure out when my cap is reached on one card or what level I am at. Discover, AMEX Cash & Principal Visa covers all bases. Suppliment it with a Score Card from my credit union (20k free round trip in US) and some merchant rebates from Sony & Dell and I am good to go. If you only have one card and only charge $20k a year or so, I guess the Fleet & other teired cards is worth a little more effort but for the big chargers, stick with the big names and enjoy the rewards. For the folks who have asked about paying mortgages with visa. I have never seen such a program that would earn rebates or not counted as cash advances.

7/8/2001

Re: Citibank, are you sure you're still getting 1.5% with a $500 max? Their current offer is for 1% and $300. I've never heard of a card paying more than 1% for more than 2 or 3 years. Eventually they all cut back their payouts.

To the person who has the great Citibank Dividend Platinum card: it looks like that deal is no longer available. Now, you can only get 1% cash back and it is capped at $300 per year. There's much better cards than that out there.

To the person who said that dealing with Fleet was not worth the hassle, I had the same opinion as you at first. However, I can see their point of view. The only screwup they really did was to delay my rebate this year, for which they compensated me (and I believe everyone else) to make up for it. It is only until we get a payment history that they place a hold on our credit after receiving our payments--for instance, I paid online on July 4 my current bill and it showed this morning, July 7, as paid in full with the credit released. I think they have a right to expect us to establish that we are credit worthy. If you are out to play games with the card companies, you are not going to win, but if you play fair, I think that a reputable company will try to keep us as customers, and Fleet is a large company that cares very much about their PR. When you say that you would rather have 1% from Discover than 2% from Fleet, remember that 1% od $25,000 is $250, and I would rather have the extra $250, besides the fact that Discover is not taken by as many merchants as Visa or Mastercard.

I am glad that I had the time to read these. Had I simply followed the site author’s "What I Use" lead (Amex, then Fleet Visa), I would have missed what I think is the better deal - the Farm Bureau card. First, I'm no fan of Amex. I travel extensively through Europe, and MasterCard/Visa is most often the only card accepted there. "Don't leave home without it" should instead be “leave it at home in the US because no shops outside will accept it.” I would never travel abroad without a trusty MasterCard or Visa (preferably both) in my pocket. I do have an Amex, a Delta SkyMiles card that offered too many initial miles and waived annual fee to pass up. But… as if I’m going to pay the $85 annual fee next year to ‘get’ be a member, hah! Until now I used a Fleet Gulf gas MasterCard and a Chase Verizon/Bell Visa as my two cards. The Gulf card was ideal. Unlike the site’s author, here’s why I liked my gas card. The many local Gulf stations in the Massachusetts area always have the cheapest gas prices so I’d be going there to fill up anyway (unlike the lessened value of getting rewards for the national mega-stations that charge $0.10 or so extra per gallon thus negating the 4% rebate). Therefore I always used my rebate every month for something I’d be buying anyway. The Verizon card gave rebates used on my local phone bill. However I’m getting rid of both cards. Verizon stopped its rebate program as discussed here. Bye-bye Chase. Fleet Gulf sent insulting mail saying that they so-called ‘improved’ their card by cutting back the discount on Gulf gas from 4% to 3.5% and on other purchases from 1% to only 0.5% if you pay off your bill each month. Bye-Bye Fleet Gulf. So to compare the Farm Bureau card to the American Express CashBack card: Annual spend: FB rebate: Amex rebate: $10K $75 $95 Initially it looked like Amex comes out ahead. But considering that Farm Bureau let’s you accumulate dollars over a 3 year period whereas Amex makes you go through each of the lower 0.25% (etc) steps all over again every year (watering down your rebate amount), for the same annual spending FB comes out way ahead…. Annual spend: FB rebate: Amex rebate: $10K $95 Year 1 $10K $95 Year 2 $10K $375+$25 $95 Year 3 $30K $400 $285 And say just spent only $5K more over those three years and hit the $35K amount (charging 3 years worth of vacations, cruises, air tickets, dinners, suits, daily needs, etc), then your Farm Bureau rebate check would be for $700, way over shadowing the Amex rebate. Annual spend: FB rebate: Amex rebate: $11.7K $126 Year 1 $11.7K $126 Year 2 $11.7K $700 $126 Year 3 $35K $700 $378 Let’s see if it also works out spending less: Annual spend: FB rebate: Amex rebate: $5K $20 Year 1 $5K $20 Year 2 $5K $150 $20 Year 3 $15K $150 $60 So I get a better rebate with a standard Visa card without the added hassle of dealing with whether my Amex will be accepted or not. And for $35K over three years you get a pure 2% rebate for the entire amount. That feels good. Why bother with Amex? As for my future gas card… since Gulf most of the time does not have diesel for my new 55mpg diesel car anyway, Fleet destroying the Gulf card no longer matters to me. Mobil often has diesel and gives a 3% rebate on its gas. Shell also has diesel but perhaps a little less often. However Shell gives a 5% rebate on its gas. I’ll get both cards and judge where to fill up during my 800 mile range based on each station’s prices du jour. Thanks for the previous entries, hope mine helps others too. It’s also nice to be able to reward the company with the better rebate program. Your mileage may vary. Do the math for your own annual spending amounts…

For those of you who are seeking a credit card for on-line purchases a company called CashX,Inc. in Arizona has launched a pre-paid Credit card which is supported by Visa that can be used for on-line and phone catalog purchases. There is no pre-qualification and no yearly interest rates. There is a monthly maintenance fee and they are about to launch buying the card online in the next few weeks. Currently, the card is being sold in the Giant Convenience Store retailer in New Mexico and Arizona, Arizona State University, Minneapolis Community Technical College. No social security number needed or minimum deposit because it is a pre-paid amount. See company website at www.cashx.com!

Someone mentioned that Amoco has a 5% gas reward card. Are you sure it's 5%. Mine is 3% of Amoco gas for Amoco gas purchases only.

7/6/2001

GE REWARDS: My check for $140 showed up the other day attached to a zero balance statement (I haven't used the card since March when I maxed out the reward). Still no letter from them stating that the cash rewards program has been terminated, as has been discussed here.

I have been using Citibank Dividend Visa for 8 years now and have been receiving 1.5% straight cashback capped at $500 per year. A check is issued everytime your accumulated cashback exceeds $100. I have never found a better deal elsewhere (for my level of spending). By the way, their online account access and customer service is probably one of the best.

Interested in the GM credit card. Do I just go to a GM dealer and sign up for the card??

Steve Golgolab IS First National Credit and he used to be the President of Capital Credit. He loves taking your money, so keep sending it! OR YOU CAN PUT HIM BEHIND BARS by calling the US Postal Inspection Service at http://www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-is.html Also call the California Attorney General and check out the suit just filed against First National Credit at http://caag.state.ca.us/press/2001/01-041.htm File a complaint at http://caag.state.ca.us/piu/mailform.htm DEMAND JUSTICE NOW!

I am looking for information on a credit card called Visa Bucks. It's a card for teenagers. It's a prepaid card to teach young adults how to budget and be responible for spending. Please let me know.

http://www.visabuxx.com/

To the person wondering if a rebate is taxable: Year 2000 IRS Pub 17 p90 says: "A cash rebate you receive from a dealer or manufacturer of an item you buy is not income."

I heard a raadio spot last week that said something about a credit card that had college tuition rebates associated with it. I think AT&T was mentioned as a sponser/participant. I can find no info on the web. Can you help?

Gang, I keep seeing postings about Fleet and all the little tricks to get the 2% out of them and all the stories of people getting burned. It seems to me that everyone should just drop them. There are numerous 1% and better cards available. Even if you just used Discover & Cash Back Amex, you will do just fine. I just don't see the extra aggravation and dealing with all the fees to squeeze an extra $200 or so out of a card each year. That is $4 a week. Is it worth it to put up with Fleets problems? I earn thousands of dollars a year in refunds a year by sticking with good cards that don't play games. I could probably make out well with Fleet's program, but why give business to guys that don't seem to want it. Get Discover & Cash Back Amex find a 1% card (Citgo, Amoco, Shell, Grocery, First USA Merchandise Cars like Dell Visa, etc....), sit back and relax. Yes you could work Fleet over and deal with all the check holds, late fees, over the limit fees and the like but I have got to imagine everyone has a better use of their time. For those of you who have missed my posts before, here is the best cash back visa going. Principal bank - 1.25% - no tiers - no caps - no annual fee. I have received over $1,000 from these guys in under 12 months and they deposit directly into my Principal Bank account with no problems or delays every quarter.

"Amex has an optima card called the Sheraton Optima It has no annual fee and lets you get one point per dollar spent These points can be converted, 1 for 1 to frequent flier miles with participating airlines."

You may want to add this to your Frequent Flyer page: The Sheraton Starwood credit card with give you an additional 5,000 miles when you transfer 20,000 points to an airline. So for 20,000 points (or $20,000 of spending on your credit card) you will receive 25,000 miles. 25,000 miles in most airlines is worth a domestic ticket which can be worth around $1,000 (depending upon where and when you use it). That's a 5% return on your spending. Not a bad deal.

6/29/2001

I am wanting to find a credit card that will let me pay my mortgage and get some kind of reward points. I am willing to refinance my house if this is the only option to get some kind of reward. Please help. There has to be a card out there that lets a person do this!!!

The Amoco Visa gives back 3% on Amoco purchases and 2% (not 1% as others have said) on all other purchases (except non-Amoco gas stations for which their is no rebate). The cap is $70 but you continue to earn 1% rebates on Amoco purchases even after hitting the cap.

I've read on this site that First USA is going out of the cash rebate programs they had. How will this effect their new backing of the AOL online rebate??? Should I bail out?

We have AMSouth Visa at present and there are no rewards at all. We pay our card in full every month.

Can you tell me if the cash back is subject to Income Tax?

I am a user of the First USA/Chevy Chase Cash Rewards Card. I need to find another Visa/Mastercard to replace it. As bad as FirstUSA is they do offer features that I really like and use: 1: Direct Quicken access (OFX, NOT Webconnect or QIF) 2: Web Access 3: Automatic monthly debit of full balance from checking account (with FirstUSA, I can extend my grace period to 30 days) 4: Online Payment Quicken access is really my first priority. I don't think Farmers or Fleet offer Direct Quicken access. Does anybody else know? I am actually looking at the REI Visa from Bank of America. I think they offer full Quicken Access.

Even after reading the negative comments about the Fleet Rebate Credit Card on several web sites I thought I could beat their system. Now I'm not so sure. Here's why. I use the card for both business and pleasure, paying off the balance in full each month. After charging up a bathroom remodel and Caribbean vacation on the card in the first two weeks, the limit was pretty well used up. So I looked sent in an immediate $2000 e-payment directly from my bank to theirs before the first statement arrived. When the first payment had not been posted in three days, I paid an additional $2500.00. Another three days, no postings yet and another $1000.00. Now I go to charge a new car tire and the card is rejected. After repeated phone calls and more $1000. payments, this is what I learned: even e-payments will not be posted to your account for 5-7 days, even though it has been subtracted from your checking account and is physically in their bank. If the payment is over $300.00 it will then be "suspended" for an additional 10 days to be sure it doesn't "bounce." Now, I am sure they will try to charge me over limit charges although I have paid $8000. in the first month of the card. They show me with an unused credit available amount of over $6000. but my account is in "arrears" by $47.00, so I still can't charge anything until the first hold is off my $2000 payment (e-pymt 6-14-2000, received 6-20-01, will release 7-1-01). So what now? Don't ask why I'm nutty enough to do this except spite and the fact that it is easy to do but I'll e-pay $299.99 payments every day to keep the balance down as needed. That way I can continue using the card to full 2% rebate advantage. Of course, they will probably point out the rule where you can only make so many payments on your account each month but...oh well.

Another problem with the Amoco Visa is that you don't even get 1% for competitors' gas. You get nothing. If you are in a state like California, where there are no Amocos, you get no rebates on gas.

Someone said that they had recently investigated the Amoco Visa and that it gives 3% rebate on their gas but only 1% rebate on other purchases..I have had an Amoco Visa for several years. It gives me 3% rebate on their gas, and *2%* rebate on other purchases, and I have not received any notices that they are changing these percentages.

6/26/2001

I see a lot of people jumping on the Fleet Visa bandwagon without a second thought. Also I note that your subjective analysis only briefly mentions Farm Bureau Bank Visa, without a complete evaluation. So I thought I'd put down some of the advantages and disadvantages of FBB Visa. Advantages: 1) The point system is more straightforward than the percentage tier system in calculating your return: Redeem 5000 pts for $25, 10,000 for $75, 15,000 for $150, 25,000 for $375, 35,000 for $700 First $2000 get 0.25% back, $2000-4000 get 0.5% back, $4000-6000 get 0.75% back, $6000-8000 get 1% back, after $8000 get 2% back 2) It's possible to get a full 2% back, vs. only a maximum of 1.64% effective cash back at Fleet. 3) You can accumulate points over years (3 years max, according to the paperwork I received) vs. starting over at the beginning of the tier every year. 4) The cap is higher, $1075 per year (if you don't roll over the points) vs. $500 at Fleet. 5) Get 2500 points to start when you apply online. 6) You can redeem points anytime vs. waiting for the calendar year to end. 7) Customer service is prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable (vs. First USA Cash Back). 8) It's probably easier and more reliable for the company to issue credit toward your balance than issuing checks (See the archives for the problems and delays experienced by Fleet customers). 9) FBB gave me a higher credit line than Fleet did. Disadvantages: 1) If you charge <$35,000 per year you have to wait for more than a year to see 2% back. 2) It's a new bank, new program, without customer feedback, yet. 3) You cannot pay online unless you also have a checking/savings account at FBB (although one customer says their rates are good). Both FBB and Fleet have on line application, and they notify you within hours via email. Both have online review of transactions and statements. Neither has an annual fee. Learn more at http://www.farmbureaubank.com/bankserv/creditcards.htm and http://www.fleetcards.com/apply/

I have the GE Rewards which is under the First USA. Are there plans to cancel this particular card since people are saying that the First USA/Chevy Chase is ending their rebate? Ending some First USA rebate or is it all First USA rebates card?

FYI Be careful of Farm Bureau Bank. They told me that I was accepted with a nice credit line and the Credit Cards would be put in the mail. One week later I received a letter in the mail stating I would have to supply a gas water and electric bill. I promptly withdrew my application

Ok. Checked out the Amoco rebate card. It's 3% for their gas, 1% for other purchases - $70 cap. No fee I believe. Exxon/Mobil has a better deal. No fee & No cap. 800-554-6914. Also 3% for their gas / 1% for others. That's 1% for ALL purchases. You don't work your way up unlike other cards. Would the wondeful managers of this terrific site please put this card on their graph and compare with other cards. I LOVE THIS SITE!!!

I have read many times in this forum that "First USA" is cancelling their rebates. Now First USA runs A LOT of credit cards. Is that statement applicable to ALL their rebate cards? From the breadth of that statement I would think so. I currently have a GE Rewards card, a cash rebate card, through them. Is that card included too? I haven't yet received my statement from them so I haven't been notified. Curious. Thanks.

6/23/2001

Check out the Amoco Visa card which gives you a 5% rebate for Amoco gasoline purchases, 1% on other purchases. It is also capped per year - I believe $75. The rebate is applied to the monthly statement. The other cash rebate cards such as Fleet or Amex have better overall rebates. Call 1-800-254-9695 for more information and to apply.

Many thanks for all the information and comments posted on this site. I had a BJ's cash rebate card, then a Verizon card - all getting canned. I also had a Discover card for years but got tired asking if it was accepted - I found Amex accepted in more places! So based on the information here, I got an Amex Cash Rebate which became important since the Price Club (Costco) only accepts Amex these days. It was also helpful that I didn't have to slug through the mathematical comparison myself! I just applied online for the Fleet Visa and was accepted. So once I get that, the Verizon card gets cancelled. Keep up the great work!

I just received a notice from First USA that as of July 2001 they are discontinuing their cash rewards program. Bummer!

I am looking for a card that offers discount for Coastal gas. I am looking for at least 3 %. Help Any other gasoline cards other than Shell amd Amaco.

Cool site - exactly what I was looking for when I did a search on altavista. First USA is indeed getting out of the 1% rebate game. I just got that in the mail yesterday and decided to take a look around. Not only have I found a replacement in Fleet - but they beat my old deal. Many thanks

I had a First USA - Cash Rewards card for about five years now and loved it. They recently informed me that effective July 31st the rebate program has been cancelled. I will get one final check in August. I originally got this card as a Chevy Chase Cash Rewards Card, then First USA bought them out about two years ago. Besides the fact that it took them 4-5 business days to post a payment they were not a bad company to deal with.

Let's say I want to make a big purchase, say $5000, on a credit card such as the Fleet or AmEx that divides your rebate as following: 25% on the first $1,999.00 of your annual qualifying transactions; .50% on annual qualifying transactions from $1,999.01 to $3,999.00; etc. Would the first transaction of $5000 be split up into the different amounts - $2000 at 0.25%, another $2000 at 0.5%, and the last $1000 at 0.75%? Or would it all count toward the first 0.25% Thanks a lot for your help.

Apparently, I am like you. I pay off my credit card balances every month so percentage charges are of no interest to me. I have a Discover card because it has no annual fee and offers cash rebates (last year I earned over $200 in rebates), but not all merchants accept Discover card. So I'd like to have an alternate card, a VISA or MASTERCARD, that also offers cash rebates to use for purchases in establishments that do not accept Discover card. Your web site hints at such cards being available but you do not identify them by name or tell anyone how to access them.

Got a letter in the mail today from First USA. They are canceling their Cash Rewards program effective July 31st, 2001. Sure would have been nice to know last month but of course then I would have had the opportunity not to pay their Annual Fee. I guess it just slipped their mind? Anyway, I will be terminating my account with First USA immediately.

I was wondering if paying $55 for the AMEX Personal Card is worth the money. The customer service at the credit card division at AMEX is pretty bad. Are the benefits better if I pay the annual card fee to get better customer service?

Maybe I'm overreacting, but was anyone else concerned about the individual who paid off his 4 credit cards with a home equity loan. I have no problem about the loan. I'm sure it is saving money and the consolidated payment is most likely deductible. But if you got into $25K worth of credit card debt, be very careful about getting another credit card, no matter what rate and terms are offered. I commend you on investigating the best rates and terms, but paying off credit card bill every month would be better and you might even get money back if you get the right card. With the refinace lowering your monthly debt, it might be easy to slip back into your old spending habits. Please don't take offense to my comments. They are only given with the best intentions. Good luck.

We now use Citgo (straight 1% back, credited monthly)for general purcahses, Kroger for Kroger groceries and gas (generally 1.67% back in merchant coupons on Kroger purchases), Shell for Shell gas only (5% back in free gas), LLBeane for LL purchases only (3% back & free shipping). We may soon take the Eddie Bauer card too, which is a better deal than LL. Sounds complicated, but this is the new "paradigm." It's like the old days, when you had a card for every store, but you get money back and this is the way to get the most back.

Farm Bureau Bank accepts payments online from customers who also have a checking or savings account with them (pretty good rates, too.)

Pulaski Bank, & Trust, 800-980-22265, offers a fixed rate with a current interest rate of 6.99%. They are strict about whom they accept so you do need to have good credit to qualify.

Seeking a good commercial lease back card.

6/17/2001

Thank you for a wonderful and helpful site. My local telephone company has just stopped the 1% rebate feature on the visa card I got through them, and I'm very happy to have some alternatives thanks to your site. I never would have been able to find the quality of comparitive information you provide on my own (wouldn't have known where to look, nor had the time to do the research). I just wanted you to know that your site is very much appreciated. It's so great to know that some people are willing to expend so much energy to assist others they don't even know. Thanks!

I recently took out a Home Equity Loan to pay off about 25,000 in credit card debt i had accumulated over the last few years. I had 4 cards, a visa, a 2 mastercards, and a discover card. each card started me out at a nice low rate and then after i had approached the credit limit, raise the rate up to around 18-22%. i'm am currently looking for a card that will offer a fixed rate that will never go up. i dont care about low introductory rates or balance transfers. if i could get a card with a rate of 9 or 10% fixed (never go up no matter what). is there such a card?

For several years now I've been using an LL Bean Visa card issued through MBNA America. You only get 1/2% credit on your general purchases that must be used buying stuff from LL Bean, so in that respect it's not great from a cash-back perspective. *But* you get free shipping on all LL Bean purchases made with the card, so the savings can add up quickly that way if you make a lot of purchases throughout the year. Plus you get free monogramming (but I've only used that once, so it's not *that* useful). So if LL Bean is one of your favorite places to shop, you should definitely get this card.

GE REWARDS: First USA told me "for sure" that the anniversary date for rebates is June 30th and that I would receive a check shortly thereafter (an agent had told me the date was March the first time I asked, so I maxed it out and haven't charged anything since). Since the friendly reminder posted on 6/7 states they burn you if you have a zero balance on your June statement, I might charge a couple of bucks on it just in case.

The Fleet Card also has an anniversary date that is important - that is you earn rewards based on a calendar year. So it does not pay to open an account late in the year.

Fleet seems to have a much better rebate program. 0.5% on the first $1999, 1% from $1999 to $4999, and 2% over $4999. cupped still at $500, though. The program rules I just received dated as 10/00. FYI, I have a Fleet Platium Master rebate card.

To the person who is warning First USA cardholders to charge something on their account before the june statement is generated so that they rec' their rebate sooner; no need 'cause I had a zero balance on my June statement, but rec' today my $140 rebate check anyway...

I was tring to find out how can get a credit card for Goodys Department Store.

6/10/2001

> Does anyone have information about "Saving Bonds" rewards program? Edvanta. It's the Fleet Edvance Visa card. Whenever you spend $2500, you get a $50 savings bond -- essentially a 1% reward, since the bond costs $25. I got mine by applying at the Fleet Web site, fleet.com. I know it's still available, but I think you now have to apply over the phone. You can get the number at the Fleet site.

Just cancelled my Fleet Rewards card today. They froze my acct after I flaked and forgot to pay last months bill. They we're pretty snotty over the phone saying that I needed to pay my $10 minimum before I gould use the card again. Plus their line was too low; only $1000. I regularly charged $2K to $5K per month on my Verizon card. So I cancelled them & I'm back on the prowl. Don't know how long I can survive on only the Optima card. I need a new Visa FAST! I'll look into Farm Bureau....

6/8/2001

First USA Bank is the merchant bank for cyberrebate.com ( they have filed chapter11) What kind of contract is between the merchant bank and the online retailer and the consumer (me) who used my First USA CC to purchase from Cyberrebate.com Shouldn't First USA back the customers since they believed in this cyberrebate.com (which I believe to be fraudulent)What measures can be even taken?

Do you know of any travel cc's that earn cruise miles (exclusively)? I have tagged your freq.fly page and will investigate each card there but thought you might have a faster answer for me. THANKS.

I'm trying to find out a solution to put some monthly bills (mortgage, 2nd mortgage, auto loan and auto lease) on my Fleet rebate or Amex rebate cards I've acquired from the advise of this site. I have Paypal but I don't think that will work and of course I don't think I want to write credit card checks because there could be fees and I believe interest starts right away with no grace days. I pay off every month and would like to take advantage of every dollar. Please let me know if you have a solution.

To the reader who said they were cancelling the my points mastercard program: I recently obtained one and last I checked the my points website they are still offering it as a way to get points. http://www.mypoints.com so my question to you is did you get a notice of cancelling the program from the card company itself recently and if so what did it say? Thanks

6/7/2001

This is an excellent website. I just opened a Fleet account as a result of finding this website in the middle of May. Their website is also excellent. The user can set alerts on the account, such as when the current billing period closes, if a posted charge exceeds a certain amount and when a payment is posted. You are notified of this by an Email. I monitor this website for additional info often.

I haven't heard anything about the GE Rewards program terminating either. Does GE pay its rebates to all its cardholders in June?

Check out Sony Citibank Card it has a pretty cool rewards program

Does anyone have information about "Saving Bonds" rewards program?

Edvanta.

You mention using the credit card for every cash transaction possible, including charitable donations, which I would advise against. If you are giving a charitable donation and use your credit card, you are in effect only giving them about 97% of the donation while the credit card company takes 1 to 2% percent and you would receive 1 to 2%. If you are truly making the charitable donation to benefit the charity, pay by check if possible, give 2% less if you feel that strongly, and keep the rest out of the hands of the credit card company.

Hi, Im trying to find the best credit card deal for my parents, they currently use your ordinary westpac visa. However Im trying to find something were they can earn points, that is flybuys and frequest flyer. They are very good with there card and never let it run into debt. Your advice would be very appreciated.

Just wanted to say thank you for the information. A couple of years ago I was a dedicated GE Rewards customer - but I charge 10000 in 3 months time so that didn't last long. I went with Private Issue but then they capped to. Recently I have been using the MyPoints Mastercard by Next Card - to earn points towards giftcertificates. I redeem these for GC to JCPenny or a Resturant that I would visit anyway - so to me they are just like cash. Problem is they are cancelling this program too. I also have been using the Bell Atlantic/Verizon Visa because they send a check for $$$ off your phone bill, but of course they are stopping this program also. So I will take you up and follow your lead of the Amex. Ex. card - Do you have a link to follow where you can get a referral fee? Also, I already have a Am Ex. Optima Platinum card - is this the one for cashback or should I reapply. Again, thanks for all the info - I found it really usefull.

Good to see this site's still around. I haven't been here since 1995, and you're doing a great job! I still have many of the cards I got in 1995 after hearing some of the discussions then. Shell Mastercard a) Balance Transfers (and Transfer Checks) are free, and if you pay off the balance, they register as purchases. NO INTEREST. b) They recently removed the cap ($70/yr). And offer 5% back on gas. c) At many gas stations in LA, they offer free car washes with fill-up. Fleet Edvance (1% on bonds) a) Don't know if this still works. I got about $450.00 from transferring balances onto the account, because balance transfers count as purchases. FirstUSA absorbed my GE Rewards card, and they're doing funky stuff with my accounts, which is why I came back to check out the news. I liked the Reader's Digest free CDs, but FirstUSA has now collapsed three of my favorite cards together. On the flip side, FirstUSA's online payment site is great. You can see all your recent transactions. Mucho-great site! I got hit with two $395 and $463 fees for using convenience checks accidentally. I guess the banks got some of their money back. :-) Checks are coded as convenience checks and balance transfers. a) CALL the bank to double check on their current fees. Watch out for UNCAPPED fees which are common now. Ask about special offers, or if balance transfers by phone are free. b) Save your balance transfer checks. They may come in handy 3 years later. Most places use these new CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems to send out selected offers. FirstUSA even offers an on-line place to check for special offers. Many places will give you mega-points for big balance transfers. You can often start the balance transfers with a balance transfer check from your bank into an existing card.

I was excited to see Farm Bureau Bank Visa on your chart. But, this card is different than the others, in that it is not a line plot; it should be represented in steps, as each new level is attained. Also, the maximum per year is $60,000 charged, which amounts to a maximum cash back of $1075 ($700 + $375).

To the GE-$140 earner: You may want to charge something for your June Satement. GE (1ST USA) only mailed out rebates to those that had a balance on thier June Satement. It took me almost four months to eventually get my rebate since they did not mail me my zero-balance June Statement. Just a friendly reminder!

I have had a Verizon (Chase Bank) Visa card for a few years. As of May 15 they have discontinued their rebate practice of 1%-purchases,2%-verizon local phone and online services, 3% Verizon calling cards. I was very happy with this card, they were very responsive and had nice service personel for problems. Since I charge nearly everything that I am able to ,I would always get a monthly rebate check that applied to my monthly local telephone. That was as good as cash-ranging from $20 to $60 a month. It was immediate gratification!! Of course, all good things must come to an end. Now, I need to start using another credit card. Do you know of anything similar? Or am I best off using the AMEX Platinum or Cashback Card? With the Farm Bureau or Fleet Rewards Visa as a backup? Help!! I am losing valuable rewards on a daily basis. Thanks

6/1/2001

TO the person who asked if there is any better deal than Discover's 2%, you should know that Discover's 2% is gimmicky, hard to use and mostly illusory in my opinion. You can "double" your 1% rebate only by converting $10 or $20 chunks of it into coupons good with certain merchants. I recently took DIscover with the intent of converting my $200 annual rebate into $400 at Omaha Steaks, where be buy regularly. After I received the card and called the toll-free number to see how this Omaha conversion would work, they told me I could only double $20 a year at Omaha. I'm cutting up the card.

To improve my credit rating and get perks points does anybody have any good and safe Ideas for increasing spending thru my cards similar to near cash transactions but not incurring the 3% fee. Thanks

Will Farm Bureau Bank accept payments on their website? Thanks for your help.

No.

I have been unable to find the "Farm Bureau" Visa that you talk about. Could you please send a link or phone number for this card/

1-800-492-FARM.
http://www.farmbureaubank.com/bankserv/creditcards.htm

On 5/13 someone noted that the Shell credit card does not allow online payments. They do allow direct debit from your checking account. Hope this helps.

Please continue to the grapevine archive of this continuing Saga!