 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
home
grapevine
historical grapevine
my own advice
comparison graphs
frequent flyer cards
related links
contact us
the fine print
CARD DIRECTORY
Find A Card For You
airline cards
auto cards
cash rewards cards
gas cards
good credit
hotel cards
other reward cards
poor credit
prepaid cards
retail cards
small business cards
student cards
credit reports
I Heard It On The Grapevine!
GOOD NEWS!
You can now receive the daily grapevine updates via e-mail. This is a free subscription-only service currently hosted by Yahoo Groups.
Click to subscribe to the Grapevine Mailing List!
ADD TO THE GRAPEVINE -- -->>Click HERE!<<--
The Associates National Bank Citgo Preferred Visa card offers 1% back that is returned on the statement of the month that you charge it. In other words, that's 1% that you never pay for at all. Although I haven't had the time to go through your other 1% cards, I believe this is the best deal available on credit cards, period, unless you spend over $30k per year or so, as you point out. It's hard to quantify what exactly is the value of a 1% monthly return, since that money can be re-invested in various ways to earn interest itself. With the state of the current economy, earning a significant amount of interest is an unlikely proposition, but something to consider. I would be interested to see how a 1% return every month
Looking for a rebate card where I can have the rebate sent directly to a non-profit organization of my choosing.
I want to apply for a credit card, but as I don't have any credit history, I'd like to know what credit card should I apply for and how, to start establishing my credit. Thanks in advance for your kind response.
I am also one of those people who signed up for the citibank dividend card yielding a flat 1.5% on all purchases. This program was only available from '92-'94, and there is a $20 membership fee. I've had mine for 8 years and used nothing else. Unfortunately, last year they reduced the cap from $500 to $300 to be consistent with their other dividend program yielding 1%. I charge between $18K and $25K/yr and find the Farm Bureau card to be more attractive. I know I have a good deal with 1.5% cash back card, but I think I can do better with the FBB card. My only concern is FBB's ability to keep that program going at the current cash back pay-outs. I know they are a new bank, etc, and wondering if they will be around and contiue the program on-going. Any thoughts, should I switch or hold tight with my 1.5% cash back and $20 annual fee? Thanks!
Hello, I am currently shopping aorund for a credit card that will give me something back--in the form of cash rebates--since I always pay my balances off in full. I have narrowed my best choices to the Farm Bureau Card and the Fleet Bank Titanium card. Can you tell me which of these is best? I am particularly concerned about the integrity of Farm Bureau (meaning I know little and found even less on the internet about them). Is there a site where I can check out their validity? Also, I just graduated from college and am taking a year off until law school, and am unemployed so I'm not sure how that will affect my application consideration.
Based upon the information provided on your web site I applied and got the Farm Bureau Bank Credit card. However one point of discussion that is missing on your website is to have Amex cash back card and then enroll this card for Membership Rewards. In that case we can get upto 1.5% cash back and Membership rewards as well. There is $40 annual enrollment fee for Membership rewards. I am not sure what value can we assigne to each Membership Rewards point, especially since we can make purchases from AMex site using Membership rewards points (unlike Freq. flyer miles). I will like to hear your comments.
Citibank's Quicken Platinum MasterCharge promised a Quicken program if you enroll. I enrolled 13 months ago, and have called the company 4 times, but haven't received the Quicken program yet.
I guess I just have a question, Iam a college student that pays for school myself and all the other things or activites I do, can anyone suggest any credit cards with a low interest rate and I would prefer no annual fee. I was also curious if there is a college credit card that helps those of us who are up in arms with bills and such. thank you
FYI, there is a Subaru Mastercard from MBNA, that reward 3% back. You can use those points to buy any car, accessary, or service from any Subaru dealership. Since I really like the new Impreza WRX, that is the only card I am using right now. Plus I have very good experience with the service from MBNA so far.
Discover is a cash-back rebate card that offers autopay.
Every month my Exxon/Mobile MasterCard balance (no website to check your status) is automatically deducted from my checking account. To enroll in this you would call customer service and the number should be on the back of your card or you can try 1-800-554-6914. I have the exact same arrangement with my Shell MasterCard at 1-800-993-8111
I have had no problem with transfering a balance to an empty card, and then asking for a refund. Does the new card only do a no fee balance transfer, and not a direct deposit to your checking account? It is best not to request a balance transfer on your application, do it later before the expiration of the offer. This way you can call customer service and ask for a transfer, and ask if they would do a direct deposit, sometimes for about $30 or they may increase the teaser rate by .5%.
I looked into the Paypal Mastercard rebate program. It is a debit card, with 1.5% flat cash back, but to be eligible for the card you have to set up an ebay account and have paypal as the only online payment method, and you have to be a paypal preferred member, which means you pay a percentage of online payments when people use paypal to buy on your online auction.
I need credit accounts with rebates that allow the balance to be automatically paid every month from a checking account. They usually call this feature "autopay". It assures that you never pay a finance charge and it simplifies your bill paying considerably. I was going to get the Citgo rebate card because it offers cash back (not gas), but I discovered it does not offer autopay. The Shell and Exxon/Mobil and Conoco cards do offer autopay. Another issue is how the gas rebates are paid. Exxon/Mobil credits it directly to future gas purchases. Conoco sends these coupons which you have to use like a check. Don't know how Shell does it. I am not interested in the Fleet or Farm Bureau cards because at my charging level (about $12K per year) you do not even earn 1% because of the tiers. Another good thing to know about cards is how foreign exchange transactions are handled. Some cards charge a "convenience fee" each time you use it in a foreign country, even canada. It would be great if someone could make a chart of all these things!
I have not received any notice from First USA of any change in terms of use. There is still a grace period on balance transfers. Regarding the 0% balance tranfer question: Card A does not know or care what your balance is on card B. If the rep. does happen to ask, tell them you might be planning a large purchase on card B very soon. If you do not want to wait for card B to send a refund check, you could use convenience checks to pay off other bills. My Amex does not charge a fee on checks as long as they are not written to an individual.
I have not received the notice of zero grace days from 1st usa. I hope I dont get it because I like gettiing interest income on the invested balances.
I've found one downside to the Farm Bureau VISA application: they require giving a Social Security number. Since the 1970s when credit card interest was no longer tax deductible I've never given the SSN as part of an application and with the rise in identity theft will not start now. I've never been denied a credit card (but sometimes I've had to talk to a human being on an 800 number if the web site application requires an entry in the SSN space). But Farm Bureau says it is the only piece of information they use in getting credit references. So no deal.
Another Cash Back Credit Card that I didn't see listed on your site is the "Citibank Dividend Card". It pays 1% of all charges as a cash back; there is no tier structure as with other cash back cards. There are no anniversary dates with this card; instead they send a check every time $100 in cash back money is accumulated.
Great all around cash back card for a person that may swing wildly in amount of usage of their credit card.
It is my preferred card at the moment, with Discover in second place... My Capital One cash back card has been dumped for very poor customer service issues.
I have question: In graph on "your best chioce" you indicate "Dollars Spent". In what time period? "one month", "one year"? Please specify. it makes a BIG difference! Second question: I pay my credit card off each month. I never pay interest. I spend approximately $2,000 per month on my card. I presently use Discover. Is this my best choice?
Please if anyone could answer my questions. I am going to apply to credit card company A for their credit card which has a 0% balance transfer option. I will transfer x$ from card B to A. Card B will have a zero balance. 1. Will card A know there is a zero balance if they pull my credit report and not do it? 2. Can I change my ATM card to a Visa debit card and have the balance transfer hit my bank account directly or will card A know it and won't do it? They ask for you Visa payment address, won't they know it is your bank account's address? 3. If I can't change my ATM to a Visa debit is there an easy way of getting the money from card B besides requesting a check?
Does anyone have a lot of GM Card rebates earned but not in the market for a new car? Did you know that any authorized user is able to redeem your points? A friend neighbor or co-worker (anyone 'trustworthy') can be added to your account as a user. You do not even have to give them a card. The user may redeem your earnings when they buy a GM vehicle. You may then cancell that person as an authorized user and split up the earnings redeemed.
First USA is stopping grace periods on balances as of Nov 1. If your acc is not paid off by Nov 1 you will have to pay interest like a cash advance. I called them when I received the notification in the TOS in my statement. I will have a zero bal on Nov 1!
re the farm bureau card, does anyone know when that 2500 bonus point offer expires? I am convinced of the farm bureau advantages, but I currently have the Fleet Home Rebate card & am already in the 2% rebate range with that, I would like to continue using it until the end of the year, and also hold off on getting the farm bureau card until the beginning of next year, so that the 2500 bonus will stay credited to my account for an extra year. but if it expires before then, I'd want to just get it now ...
The Sunoco Mastercard is available once again. Call 800-4-Sunoco to apply. The card offers a 4% rebate on Sunoco gas purchases and up to a 1 % rebate on purchases elsewhere. Rebates are credited against future Sunoco purchases. If you apply by 10/31/2001 they are offering a $20 credit to your account. Bank of America used to handle the old Sunoco accounts. I'm not sure of the credit issuer handling the new Sunoco Mastercard.
The USAA Four Star Checking account rebates 0.5% of all purchases made using their Mastercard debit card each month.
I understand that PayPal has a debit card program that pays a 1.5% reward.
Is there any site or software that would simplying the buying of i-bonds using a credit card so you could buy 30K worth without having to enter the info thirty times. BTW Thanks for all the pointers on this site about cash back credit cards and i-bonds. Seems like a great idea to couple the two.
I need a good Visa or Mastercard that pays cash back and has Direct Quicken/OFX access. Any suggestions?
I am writing from a best practices research firm and am currently looking into debit card reward programs. If you know of any beyond US Bancorp, Bank of Montreal, Chase, Charter One, and TCF, I'd be very glad to know. Please let me know if you would like to have any additional input into the research
I am trying to locate a revolving charge account company called GRSI P.O box 15524 Willmington, DE 19850. Do you know of such a company? Your help would be greatly appreciated thank you!!
Someone mentions "First USA is discontinuing the grace period on BT's as of Nov. 1. " Is that true? How do you know that?
what do you know , and what can you tell me about ABC (america benefits club) credit card offering???
Yes, Ford is about to unleash an advertising blitz featuring 0% financing.
I have purchased I bonds in the past on the site of savings bond direct and used my credit card but I cannot get this site to work lately, is there another site where I can buy the bonds?
I have had the Amoco Visa for several years now--mine offers 2% on general purchases (except gasoline bought at their competitors), and 3% on Amoco gas. I don't know if this is the same rebate percentage being given to new people applying for the card nowadays or not. I suggest anyone interested in the card go by their local Amoco station and grab a application--the last time I checked they carried them, and other than calling the 1-800 # it's about the only way to get the card, since as far as I know there is no website offering it.
Now that GM is offering interest free loans on the purchase of GM cars between now and October 31, 2001, is Ford Motor offering anything in the way of incentives to purchase a Ford product? Thanks for your help.
re: "Has anyone bought US savings bonds with a cash back card and received cash back? The website says that there is no fee for purchasing savings bonds with a credit card, and that they are treated like a purchase, not like a cash advance. This seems like a pretty good deal to me!" Answer: Yes! Last year I maxed my Fleet Card rebate using Series I savings bonds. This year my Farm Bureau Card is rapidly approaching its maximum and the bonds are crediting properly on the "points" scale. Buying Series I savings bonds (which pay about 6% and adjust upwards or downwards with inflation) and getting 2% cashback may be the best return on investment you can get conservatively. The only downside is there is some penalty if you take the money out in less than five years. As an added bonus, you also get credit for being "patriotic" when you buy US Savings Bonds. When patriotism and greedy self interest intersect, life is good. Has anyone else found any really useful things (like savings bonds) that bill out as merchandise purchases?
Yes I have bought series I savings bonds using my credit card and the purchase was treated as just that a purchase. Series I have to be held 5 years to avoid interest payment penalty but you get an immediate kicker in the amount of rebate that your credit card provides. I posted this several months ago and have used the process many times. Series I pay a nice rate and are indexed for inflation.
I have not found a web site or message board that confirms that the Amoco card pays 2% on all other purchases. All I have found is 1% and 3% for Amoco purchases. So far the Chase Shell card is the winner as far as I'm concerned.
I wanted to know if you knew of any credit cards with rewards in the form of US SAVINGS BONDS? Smithsonian used to have one with Discover but it was just discontinued. Thank you.
One of our number asked, "Has anyone bought US savings bonds with a cash back card and received cash back? The website says that there is no fee for purchasing savings bonds with a credit card, and that they are treated like a purchase, not like a cash advance. This seems like a pretty good deal to me!"
Absolutely. I bought $10,000 in I-bonds last year, and Fleet MasterCard rebated $200 of that to me (once they finally got around to paying the rebates).
A little perk on AMOCO card. They cap earnings to $70 a year and one does not earn ANY money on gas purchased from non AMOCO station. The thing about other station is not in their terms and conditions. I found out about it by finding discrepances on my bill and then calling them.
Has anyone bought US savings bonds with a cash back card and received cash back? The website says that there is no fee for purchasing savings bonds with a credit card, and that they are treated like a purchase, not like a cash advance. This seems like a pretty good deal to me!
Do you know of any cards besides First USA, that have a grace period for balance transfers and no fee BT's? By the way First USA is discontinuing the grace period on BT's as of Nov. 1. Another good deal bites the dust.
In response to the request for info on sending money to an elementary school, I do know that MBNA America does an affinity card but doubt that an elementary school is big enough to do this. Instead I know you can participate in escrip. Purchases as participating stores get a percentage electronically credited to your school if the person making the purchase has registered their credit cards with escrip. Read more here: http://www.escripinc.com/
For those who have kids and/or buy toys every year,the Chase ToysRus Visa may be worthwhile. I have been using it many years. No annual fee, it is basically a 1% rebate. When your rebate reaches a $10 increment, they send you a rebate certificate good at ToysRus or KidsRus. On the plus side, when you use the certificates, you can use multiple certificates, and the sales taxes are taken off as well (additional 5-8% savings depending on taxes in your area). On the downside, they can not be used for on-line purchases and the certificates expire 1 year after they are issued.
How can I get a credit card after bankruptcy? Where and how do I start in reestablishing a new line of credit?
Thanks for your site. When First USA announced discontinuation of their rebate, I began looking for another card. I've always gone with paying cards in full each month, going after rebates, and eliminating annual fees. Shortly after contacting your site, I recieved a banner ad in Juno for the Chase Shell Platinum Mastercard. They offer 1% back on all purchases, along with 5% on all Shell gasoline purchases. There is no annual fee if you fill up 9 times at Shell over the course of the year. If you haven't added this to your site information, you may want to look into it further: http://creditcardsatchase.com/portal/index.jsp?pageID=homepage Thanks again for your hard work!
I want a credit card that gives points on balance transfers. The America on line visa gives aol points when you do a balance transfer. The Bank of America Travel Choices, is stopping the program on Sept 30 2001 If you know of any more please let me know.
Good news - Conoco card changed but still available! I've used the Conoco Visa card for the last year or so and have been very pleased. The card offers a 3% rebate on Conoco purchases and a 1% rebate on all other purchases. The nice thing is that you don't have to wait until the end of the year to get your rebate - a Conoco voucher is automatically mailed to you every time you accrue $10 in rebates. The rebates have no annual cap. I received a notice in my statement that the Conoco Visa is being dicontinued in Oct.,2001. As it turns out, Conoco has decided to switch their card to a new bank. So, the same rebate structure continues. You just get a Conoco Mastercard instead of a Conoco Visa. However, current cardholders do not get automatically switched. You need to either go to the following website or call the phone number: http://www.conoco.com/buy/creditcard/mastercard.asp 800-764-9500 Hope this info. is useful!
I can't find anything on the Juniper MasterCard "cash back" offer mentioned here.....Is it for real? There's nothing about it on their site???
I have the Conoco Visa Rebate card issued by US Bank too and got the same form letter. Go to www.conoco.com and click on Buy Conoco. Select the credit card application and you will see that Conoco now has a Conoco Mastercard with the same 3% and 1% rebates. They made a deal with Associates Bank for this new rebate card after US Bank cancelled the Conoco Visa card offer.
Hello, I am wondering if there is an institution that will issue a credit card and not give the rebate to the buyer, but to an organization. I am representing a private elementary school and am looking into fund raising opportunities. I think this would be a great idea for a bank or credit union. Any ideas?
Someone wrote: "I just read this website and saw that Fleet offers up to 2% cash rebate. But while reading through the grapevine, some are saying that you can get only '1.64% overall', and not '2% straight'. I'm confused..." The reason I say 1.64% overall is because they use a tiered system: the first $2000 you spend, you only earn 0.25%. Then next $2000, you earn 0.5%. Then 0.75%, 1.0%, and finally 2.0% on purchases after $8000. IF you reach the maximum, which is $500 (after spending $30,500), your effective cash back is only 1.64%. Check out Fleet 2% Visa at http://www.fleetcards.com/apply/ . However, if you want to earn a straight 2% cash back and think you can spend $35000 within 3 years, check out Farm Bureau Bank 2% Visa at http://www.farmbureaubank.com/bankserv/creditcards.htm . Read the 8/12/01 posting for a more detailed comparison.
The Conoco Visa has been replaced by the Conoco Mastercard. They should have offered to convert you. GO to www.conoco.com to read about it.
I am a part time student working for a major chip maker, and try as I might no one wants to offer me a credit card except those pay us 90 bucks and we will give you the privilege. Do you know of any cards that are not student cards that will accept me?
Confirmed - Conoco Visa card being discontinued. I spoke to the company directly.
I've been using US Bank Conoco Visa for a while. They give 1% on purchases and (I believe) 3% on purchases from Conoco. The rebate is only toward Conoco gas. Since I have to buy gas, anyway, I saw it as a good deal. BUT, I just received notice that the program is being cancelled. Here's how the letter started: "As a Conoco Visa cardmember, you're important to us. That's why we're writing to inform you about the discontinuation of the Conoco Visa card program..." Who do they think I am... an idiot? Right, I'm important to them! Who writes these letters? Anyway, any other suggestions for gas cards? Used to have a Phillips and they did the same thing.
I just read this website and saw that Fleet offers up to 2% cash rebate. But while reading through the grapevine, some are saying that you can get only '1.64% overall', and not '2% straight'. I'm confused...
Hi. I've just visited your site and I think it has a lot of helpful advice. More power!
I have just one question. I'm particularly interested in the Fleet Visa Card but can't seem to find any info in the site as to how to apply for it. Can you tell me where to get more information about it?
I'm interested in finding 2.9 (or thereabouts)CASH ADVANCE AND BALANCE TRANSFER feature. I'm particularly wanting the CASH ADVANCE feature because I want to pay off my OPTIMA account but not lose all the miles. Any help?
I'm confused about the Amoco Visa card. A few recent posts mentioned that the card pays 2% rebate in Amoco gas credits for general purchases. I know the card started out this way, but a few years ago, it changed to 3% rebate on Amoco gas purchases but no rebate on general purchases. Am I wrong, or is there more than one type of Amoco Visa out there???
"Someone asked: Is there a good straight 1% card that pays cash back? Someone else answered: I heartily recommend the Citgo Visa card. No tiers, no gimmicks, no annual fee--just 1% knocked off each monthly bill. My question: Is the reward good only toward Citgo gas, or is the 1% knocked off the entire balance?"
The latter, of course. Check the website I posted: http://www.anbcards.com/citgo/external/citgo.htm
It appears that the Amex Sheraton Starpoints is not offered anymore or that it had changed to the Starwood Preferred Guest card. When I clicked on the Apply button on the Amex site (from the Sheraton card link mentioned below by one of the other poster), it takes me to the Starwood Preferred Guest Card (which is only free for the 1st year) application page.
I used Google to find "rebate credit cards" Your site floated to the top. I was already of the same conclusion that Amex is a good primary card. I just needed to find my (www.)USAFCU(.org) MasterCard replacement which had a 1.05% cashback on its highest tier. They're discontinuing the cashback program in October. I am in agreement with you that cash is best.
I am debating on whether on not to apply for an AMEX Personal Card or not. I used to have the Blue card and was sadly disappointed with the customer service department. Friends of mine who are either are Green, Gold or Rewards Plus cardholders keep raving about the outstanding customer service. I need strong advice about whether I should take the plunge and pay the annual fee in order to get this high-quality service. Help! ! !
http://www.juniper.com/app/banking/marketing/credit_card.jsp
Sounds VERY comparable to Fleet (almost identical tier structure and maximum). Fleet beats Juniper though, as you get to the $500 maximum with $125 less in total purchases. I'm sticking with Farm Bureau.
Someone asked: Is there a good straight 1% card that pays cash back? Someone else answered: I heartily recommend the Citgo Visa card. No tiers, no gimmicks, no annual fee--just 1% knocked off each monthly bill. My question: Is the reward good only toward Citgo gas, or is the 1% knocked off the entire balance?
I have been looking over air line miles cards I am lost, which ones are the top three that are not run by airlines?
Love the site and took the recommendation for the Farm Bureau card to heart and am now working towards my first $700. Wanted to mention an airline offer I received via snail mail this week from Citibank. It is called TravelerMiles Mastercard and offers a free unlimited value ticket in the contiguous US for 25,000 points with no blackouts,any airline and best of all no annual fee. 50,000 points gets you anywhere in the world up to an $800 value and 75,000 gets you a ticket anywhere up to $1,000 value. You max out at 60,000 points per year or 10,000 per month and are good for a max of 3 years. I tried to find this offer on the Citibank website but it wasn't there. The phone number provided was 1800-665-1356. I did not sign up but for those looking for travel rewards this might be a good one to look into because of the no annual fee.
Yes- i do agree -you do not get any rebates by using convenience checks, but when i am going to be charging more in a month than my credit line, i prepay ahead and i do accumulate frequent flier miles on all my prepay as long as i use my card as a credit card
Someone recently recommended "dumping" the Amoco card in favor of Shell. While the Amoco Visa does definitely have its drawbacks (i.e. no online bill pay) it pays 2% for general purchases as opposed to Shell's 1%. Also, unlike what the previous post implied, rebates from the Amoco Visa are credited each month and applied toward your Amoco gasoline purchases, just like the Shell card does with Shell purchases. In my opinion, assuming that in your area Shell and Amoco gasoline cost about the same, the Amoco Visa would be best for general purchases (2% rebate vs. 1% rebate), while the Shell card would be best for gasoline purchases (5% rebate vs. Amoco's 3% rebate).
Does the Citago credit card from The Assoicates have an online account access? Were they bought out by CitiGroup? Where can I pay my bill online?
For those struggling with the Amoco card, DUMP IT. Those of you that enjoy buying outrageously overpriced Amoco gasoline should use the Shell card from Chase (Web site: http://creditcardsatchase.com/portal/index.jsp?pageID=standard&key=shellplataqmain ). They give you 5% back on Shell purchases and 1% on everything else. Also the rebates are paid out on the next month's statement. No more having to wait all year to get it. Also Shell gas is priced about the same as generic gas (at least in my area in east central FL). I got rid of my GE Rewards tiered cash rebate card in favor of this.
Also for the person looking for a card for their mother that pays a 1% flat cash rebate, look into the Citibank Dividend Platinum Select Card (web site: http://www.citibank.com/us/cards/cardserv/divplat/). It pays 1% cash flat (no tiers) however they only send you a check once you've accrued $100 in rebates. That means you have to charge $10,000 before you see the first penny of your rebate. For you heavy chargers, they limit the payout to $300/year.
If your mom still drives, get her the Shell card I spoke of above. Much better for low volume chargers.
Attached is an exciting web site to gain extra money on top of your current frequent flyer points and cash rebates; go to http://www.upromise.com and sign up for an acrual college fund for your children or someone you wish to designate college money for based upon your spending at the enrolled participants. Some of the major players include Exxon, Mobil, Toys"R"Us, Staples, Avis, Border and Walden Books, CVS, McDonalds, and IDine.
Re: Hilton HHonors. I, too, use that program and I like it very much. I can collect points using many different airlines: United, Continental, Delta, American, and many more airlines (domestic and international) and non-airline partners, too. My husband and I share one HHonors account, so that our separate frequent flier miles feed into this one account. Points accumulate very quickly that way. I have used the points to stay at several Hiltons and Double Tree free! But you can also deem for car rental, airline points, etc.
New Mastercard with up to a 2% Rebate http://www.juniper.com/app/banking/marketing/credit_card.jsp Tier A - For the first $1,000 of Purchases in a Reward Year the multiplier is .25% (.0025). Tier B - For the next $1,000 of Purchases in a Reward Year the multiplier is .50% (.005). Tier C - For the next $8,000 of Purchases in a Reward Year the multiplier is 1.0% (.01). Tier D - For purchases in excess of $10,000 the multiplier is 2.0% (.02). The maximum for any Reward Year is $500.
To the person who asked here:
>My retired mother needs a new credit card. She uses the Discover Card but doesn't charge enough each year to move up the tier to 1%. Is there a good straight 1% card that pays cash back?
I heartily recommend the Citgo Visa card. No tiers, no gimmicks, no annual fee--just 1% knocked off each monthly bill.
Go to http://www.anbcards.com/citgo/external/citgo.htm
There's a rebate limit of $40 a month, but I gather your mother is rather unlikely to charge more than $4,000 in a month.
I'm using the Fleet Edvance Visa card. For every $2500 in charges, they send you a $50 savings bond. I applied at fleet.com. If it's no longer on the Web site, call them - I think they're still offering it.
The Fleet Edvance Card offers savings bonds. I have used this card for several years. 1.800.492.2500
For the person with the card now serviced by Citibank (which is because The Associates was purchased by Citibank), you should go to https://www.accountonline.com and register your card and sign up for "Autopay" which has them debit your checking account (from any bank) either the minimum or full amount due on the due date. It is an absolutely wonderful feature and anyone with a Citibank card should be using it. BTW why aren't you paying the bill electronically anyway? Who still mails checks to pay bills???
Greetings,
I would like to emphasize a subtle point about the Amoco Visa that rebates 2-3% of purchases in the form of future Amoco purchases.
There's an annual limit of $70 on the rebates. After you earn $70 in rebates, your rebates are then based only on 1% of purchases made at Amoco.
It's a bummer we didn't read the fine print before we'd passed $3500 in purchases. I should have known to read the fine print if it's issued by "Associates Bank" on behalf of Amoco.
Buyer beware.
My retired mother needs a new credit card. She uses the Discover Card but doesn't charge enough each year to move up the tier to 1%. Is there a good straight 1% card that pays cash back?
To replace the Smithsonian card with savings bonds, go to this site, you will not be sorry!!! http://www.epinions.com/finc-Credit-Cards-Rewards-Cashback-Fleet_Bank_-_Edvance(r)_Platinum_MasterCard
Smithsonian Discover has canceled the card, I will miss the U.S. savings bonds, I need another card like this <:(
To the person who inquired about the Amoco Visa card: I have been using this card since 1995. I have been collecting the maximum rebate of $70 per year and paying in full to avoid all finance charges. Twice now, they have "upgraded" my card to an Amoco Platinum Visa card. The Platinum card pays 3% on Amoco gasoline with no annual cap, but pays no rebate on ordinary purchases. When I called to complain they refused to allow me to go back to the regular Amoco Visa card. Both times I cancelled the Platinum account, and 2 months later applied for a new Amoco Visa card. I'm on my my 3rd Amoco Visa account now and have maxed out my $70 for the year as of this month. The rebate starts over on your anniversary date of opening the account. My card expires in March 2002 and it will be interesting to see what they renew it with. I have read about this on other websites. Apparently they only renew accounts with the non-rebate card for people who max out the rebate and pay in full each month. I guess they don't like giving away free money. There are 2 other things to consider. Amoco and BP oil companies have merged and BP offers a different rebate program that isn't as good as Amoco. I've often wondered if they will eventually merge the 2 credit cards. The other thing is that the Amoco Visa is issued by Associates National Bank. Associates was bought out by Citigroup. My payment each month went to an Associates processing center in Des Moines, Iowa. Two statements ago there was a note on my bill stating that my payment address has changed to better serve me. It goes to a Citigroup/Citibank processing center in The Lakes, Nevada now. Some improvement as I'm in Minnesota and it now takes 5 days for my payment to be credited instead of 3. It just indicates that Associates and Citigroup are merging their operations. These 2 things make me wonder how long the Amoco Visa rebate program will continue in its present form. I favor this card because of the 2% rebate from the get go instead of a tiered rebate. I also get $140 per year as my wife and I each have our own individual account instead of one joint account. We each ordered a second credit card for each other so we can use each other's account. By next month I will have maxed out the second $70 rebate for the year.
Smithsonian Discover just canceled their Savings Bond rewards. Please where is another card which offers this reward???
In regards to the person writing about the AmEx Sheraton Optima... Often cards are not listed on the company's main web sites. Try (1) search in google.com for the name of the specialty card; sometimes there are older webpages not accessible by the new interface; ads at other sites (like coupon sites and reabte sites ebates.com) may offer discounts for applying through them; A nice tactic when ordering on-line is search google.com for "" and "coupon" to find 5-10% off or $5-20 off coupons (2) look at sites like this one, and call the company to ask about cards.
AmEx Sheraton Starpoints Card is NOT the Sheraton Preferred Guest Card (which is only free for the 1st year). I'm not sure if the starpoints optima card is still being offered. Starpoints card http://home1.americanexpress.com/apply/optima/sheraton/docs/page1b0.asp?Entry=0 Compare the two webpages. Preferred Guest card http://www25.americanexpress.com/cards/Fmacfservlet?6/0/b/3/0/208152407159/0/n
The person who posted about paying "Mastercard" and paying "Visa" at Royal Bank is really thoroughly confused about credit cards, as I believe they have been when posting in the past. First and foremost -- your Mastercard and Visa are issued by a bank, they are not issued to you by Mastercard or Visa directly, and most importantly, when you call customer service, or when you pay your bill, you deal with the issuing bank. Now I will assume that your credit cards are issued by this "Royal Bank" that you say you're paying at. However, if you read the fine print on your credit card statement, you will most likely find that if your payment is received at any location other than the one your bill says to send it to, it may not be credited for some number of days, possibly up to 5. This is what is probably happening when you say it's not getting credited promptly. Now, if you're not bringing the payment to the bank who issued your cards, then all bets are off, but I don't think that anyone would be that foolish.
Here are the details I could find on a couple 'no annual fee' rebate cards from AMEX that I did not see mentioned anywhere on the site or grapevine.
Delta SkyMiles® Options Credit Card No Annual Fee Earn 1/2 (0.5) Delta SkyMile for every $1 charged Earn 1 Delta SkyMile for every $1 charged with Delta First purchase earns 1,000 bonus SkyMiles SkyMiles Info: One roundtrip coach ticket is approx. 25,000 SkyMiles Rebate if you only make non-Delta purchases... (50,000 = 1 ticket)
http://www25.americanexpress.com/cards/Fmacfservlet?48/213/b/3/25125142/236084408393/0/n
http://www.delta.com/skymiles/index.jsp
Hilton HHonors® Platinum Credit Card No Annual Fee Earn 3 Hilton HHonors points for every $1 charged Earn 5 Hilton HHonors bonus points for every $1 charged at Hilton & Partner Hotels 7,500 points as a Welcome Bonus
HHonors Info:
Participating Hotels --- Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels One Coach Ticket with US : 85,000 Points One free companion coach ticket within the U.S., with purchase of one full-fare ticket : 40,000 Points
** Doesn't look like this program includes Delta Points can also be redeemed for Car Rental, Hotel Stays, Vacation packages, Cruises on Carnival and Princess, Gift Certificates... $50 Sharper Image Gift Certificate = 25,000 Points
http://www25.americanexpress.com/cards/Fmacfservlet?4/213/b/3/25125142/236084408393/0/n
http://www.hhonors.com/ http://www.hilton.com/en/hhonors/rewards/airline.jhtml
On your Frequest Flyer Point page, you state that "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." Is this the same as the 'Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card' offered by AMEX? http://www25.americanexpress.com/cards/Fmacfservlet?6/213/b/3/25125142/236084408393/0/n If so, there IS an annual fee of $30 after the first year. I could not find a 'Sheraton Optima' card offered by AMEX.
Does anyone have more definitive information on the AMEX Blue card's BlueLoot program? It does not appear to be 'cash', but rather merchanidise and gift certificates earned via points for purchases made on the card.
To the person who paid their MasterCard at the bank on the due date but got charged late interest, was the bank you went to the bank that issued your MasterCard? Be very careful: banks are creating newer and newer ways to make it harder for cardholders to pay their bills on time. What used to work may not work in the future (i.e., you may start seeing a charge for your Visa card if you're doing the same thing)! It usually says that payments must be received at the payment address provided. Making payments elsewhere may cause a delay.
Re: the person who wants to submit payments to his/her card company in advance and using the card as a "debit" card, and still earn cash back points. No, it won't work. The amount of cash back points each month is determined by the balance of your bill. If the credit and charge equals $0, you get $0 back; if you have a credit to your bill at the end of the month, you get cash back points taken away. That's what happened to me with my Fleet card.
To the person who's thinking about "pre-paying" his/her credit card and writing a convenience check to the non-card-accepting merchant...no, I don't think it would work. I've thought about the same scheme in the past and checked with several card issuers. In each case, they charge you the cash advance percentage immediately, and only "credit" you with the prepayment at the end of the month, so you end up paying a month of interest (quite steep for a large transaction and on an annualized basis). There are often other transaction fees (1-2%) that they slap on even if they were to apply your prepayment immediately. So, as Nancy Reagan would say, JUST SAY NO.
You can not get a rebate or points from cash advance checks.
Hi: First of all, let me congratulate you on a great site! Based on your recommendations, I'm going to change one or two of my cards. But I do have a question. You (understandably) recommend the AmEx Platinum Cash Rebate Card; but at one point you indicate that it's an AmEx Optima card. If I understand the AmEx website correctly, the Platinum Cash Rebate Card isn't technically in the Optima line. Or have I just misunderstood the confusing AmEx web page? In any event, thanks for all your work, and for any clarification you can provide.
In answering the Amoco visa card..... I have the one that is backed by Associates National Bank (I don't know if there is another one). Customer service is seems ok. I initially had a hard time looking where apply this card (I initially got the amoco gas card). Be very careful on the due date which they might trap you there. They use to send me tons of convenience checks which annoyed me enough to call them to stop those mailings. There is not auto payment or online access that I am aware of. I do pay it electronically through my online bank (Citibank). It pays to Associate National Bank. The rebate is redeem EVERY month which is good but I think they seem to calculate it funny if you look at it in detail. But overall I do not have any complaints.
From my statement, it looks like my points expire in Dec of my third year. If that holds (and I don't know for sure that it does), it would be advantageous for people who charge little annually to join in Jan 2002, when their points expire Dec 2005. That gives you 48 months to earn 35000 points. And remember when applying online, you get 2500 points to start you off.. With all that in consideration, you only need to charge $8125 per year. Unfortunately, in this scenario, you'd have to wait 4 years to see results, and there's always a question whether the program/bank will last that long. But if it does last, you'd gain $700 in 4 years whereas at Fleet, you'd only earn $210 in 4 years ($52.50 per year). But if you spend less than $8125 per year, you'd better stick with Fleet or Amer Express. Every situation is different, try the math yourself.
thanks to your site i was able to read about "first national credits" gold card promo. needless to say it is in the garbage now. thank you.
I know that Gulf offers a 5% (yes, five percent!) rebate on Gulf purchases. Well, I get Gulf gas anyway so why not save the money? This card is administered by Fleet, so I waited until they sent me the next junk-mail, and I opened the FLeet account. THe offer included a zero percent rate until APril of next year, so I'll keep the card for use until then, and in April I'll switch it to the Gulf card for the 5%.
We had an 'experience' with Mastercard today that was not very pleasant. Our due date was July 31 and we paid on that day at the Royal Bank. However Mastercard never received the payment until August 8 so they charged us interest. We argued with them to take it off and they did but warned us they would only do this once. Correct me if I'm wrong but we paid on time, so why make a big deal out of it? When I pay my VISA at the bank on the due date it doesn't reach VISA on that day either but they don't charge interest. Is Mastercard have a whole different set of rules?
Does this work? I'm considering making payments via my credit card to a vendor that doesn't take credit cards. My payment will be via convenience checks. The purchase is major > $5K and I have the cash to pay for it outright. I will try to avoid the "cash advance" charges by submitting my payment to my card company in advance and using the card as a "debit" card. I think this pre-payment method will earning points on my purchase since I've already got the cash in hand. Any comments?
I've had an Amoco Visa for a number of years. Customer service is fine, but I'm not aware that it offer either an automatic payment plan or online account access.
However, don't overlook the fact that you can take up to 4 years to reach that $35K level, at which point you get a straight 2% cash back. I think Farm Bureau is the best choice if you are making as little as $9K per year in purchases.
The person who made the long 8/18 posting missed a key point about the Farm Bureau card -- unlike most cards such as Fleet, Citibank, or Amex, you could accumulate the $35K (to get the full 2% rebate) for Farm Bureau over 3 years. That's an annual average of under $12K. Pretty reasonable in my opinion. What does suck about FB is their customer service hours (7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Central Time). It's horrible for me since I do a lot of overseas travel. 24-hour customer service is a wonderful thing, believe me. The REI card gives you a 1% rebate, but you cannot receive the cash until July 1 the following year (you could use the rebate to purchase merchandise at REI before July 1). Between the 6 month delay and the foreign currency charges that Bank of America tacks on, it's not really a good deal.
re: 8/18 about Fleet being better than Farm Bureau card. REMEMBER - the Farm Bureau card is NOT capped at the end of a year, therefore, it is a 2% card if you can charge 37500 before the points expire. The person who was using the 1.64% analogy for the year is correct about switching. So, you do not have to start each year at the lower tier. I think they give you 3 yrs before points expire. Thanks, my 2 cents. BTW - an excellent site
First Chase cancelled the bell atlantic rebate acrd that I had for 3 years. 1% flat, use on phone bill. Signed up with FirstUsa for Dell Dollars. 1% toward a computer. Now, got a notcie that they have cancelled. Signed up today with Farm Bureau Bank. 2% if you get enough points. what a battle!
I've just found out that Umbrella Bank offers a no annual fee frequent flyer Visa that works like the Miles One card offered by Capital One. Does anyone had experience with them? Here's their link: http://www.umbrellabank.com/credit_cards/umbrellaair_card.asp. Then Amex Sheraton optima card that was mentioned on the frequent flyer page has no annual fee for the first year only and $30 after that. With the cash back, I believe that the Fleet card is the best. When you think about the Farm Bureau Bank's card, it's also like a tier card. If you do the calculations, the Fleet card will beat it from $6,000/yr (rebate of $30 or .5% effective rate) to it's limit of $30,500. At $6001, you're getting more than .5% since the additional $1 is earned at 2% which will then increase the effective rate. At $8800, I'll get an effective rate of .75% whereas FBB is only earning .5% and will earn at .75% at $10K while I'll be getting effectively .9%. At $11K, it's like a 1% card (the breakeven point). After that, it beats all other cards (except for the discover card when redeemed at partner merchants). In the Subjective Analysis page, I have a different opinion. Unless you know that you're going to charge more than $37K ($500 rebate), the Fleet card would be the better choice. (If you're charging $37K or more, the FBB Visa would be the best choice.) However, if you know that you're charging less than $11K, a straight 1% is best. Thus, with the assumption that most people don't charge $37K/yr unless you're using your card for business purposes, and would probably be able to charge $11K/yr, the best strategy I believe for most people is to get the Fleet Visa. It's still better strategy to use the Fleet Visa along with a 1% card up to $50K ($500 + $195) than to use the Amex. Personally, I now use my Fleet Visa for all purchases, except gas at Shell stations where I would use my Chase Shell MC, since I know that I usually charge more than $11K but less than $30K annually. I do have an Amex Cash Rebate card for backup just in case I go crazy and hit the limits on all my credit cards. The FBB card does sound tempting though. However, I'm not sure about the bank since all the other ones that I deal with are major financial institutions. The PtPlot graph on the Your Best Choice page goes haywire when I zoom in. Most of them were paying off more than $300 before $10K. Is there a problem with the application or my browser IE 5.0 or IE 5.5?? I haven't tried it using Netscape yet. With increased travels these years and hotel costs being so expensive, I wonder if it is wise to use a card that accumulates hotel points. I haven't done the calculations yet but perhaps someone else has. What is the approximate rate that one would get with these cards? For example, say you need 10K points (charge $10K) for a free night of stay worth $200 would equate to 2%; for 3 nights worth $500 one would need 20K point and this would equal to 2.5%. Does anyone have some kind of analysis on these programs? Please post.
Someone wrote: I've been using Farm Bureau Visa for 2 months, but I haven't reached 35,000, yet. I stopped using my Fleet card immediately, because it isn't worth it. Even if you max the Fleet card ($30,500), you'll have gained only get 1.64% overall. If you start using Farm Bureau Visa now, you can start earning a straight 2% on all your purchases now. This doesn't apply if you're already into the flat 2% back range on the fleet card - if you're at that level, and you wouldn't hit $35K on a Farm Bureau card before the end of the reward period, you may as well keep using the Fleet card until you hit the $500 cap on rewards, then shift to Farm Bureau...
I see myself spending charging about $20k annually. I am most interested in a cash back card. What do you suggest?
Some questions regarding Amoco Visa Card. How is its customer service? Does it have automatic payment service? Can I view my statement online? Please give me some of your experience with it. Thanks!
Just to clarify one point about Farm Bureau that was recently discussed, they do have an autopay plan that automatically deducts from your bank account.
I am trying to locate information on the goodys clothing store credit card
First USA has been quietly closing out reward cards. Two months ago it was Onsale.com now its Dell. My Credit Union Visa is raising the mileage requirement from 20,000 to 30,000 for round trip tickets. Looks like the rewards will be getting harder to come by.
For the new folks, here again are the advantages and disadvantages of Farm Bureau Bank's 2% cash back Visa over Fleet's 2% Visa. 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 2) You can redeem points ANYTIME vs. waiting for the calendar year to end. 3) It's possible to get a full 2% back, vs. only a maximum of 1.64% effective cash back at Fleet. 4) You can accumulate points over years (3 years max) vs. starting over at the beginning of the tier every year. 5) The cap is $1075 per year (more if you roll over the points) vs. $500 at Fleet. 6) Get 2500 points to start when you apply online. 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) You have to accumulate 35,000 points before getting 2% back (that may be more than a year for some people). 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 you can pay over the phone from any account, with same day transaction). 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. You do not need to be a farmer or a Farm Bureau member (no dues needed.) Learn more at http://www.farmbureaubank.com/bankserv/creditcards.htm and http://www.fleetcards.com/apply/
Do you know of any credit cards (other than MBNA) that offer some kind of cruise reward/rebate incentive program? Thanks!
I have the MBNA rewards card and use it as my sole Visa card. I use it to accumulate flyer miles, but have not redeemed a ticket as of yet. They have a large number of vendors you can redeem points with that equate to about 1% cashback, but no annual fee for flyer points is why I use it. I did redeem once for Toys R Us dollars with no problem.
I wanted to add a word on behalf of the REI Visa card. In addition to the 1% rebate, paid yearly and good for anything at REI, there is also checking overdraft protection if you have a checking account with the same bank that provides the card, which is the Bank of America. That last benefit has kept me on the fence regarding the attractiveness of the greater but less frequent rebate from Farm Bureau. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Great site. Anyhow, www.paypal.com offers a new Mastercard Debit program that pays 1.5% on all transactions ran through as a MasterCard. You get the money as soon as the transaction settles. Its a feature of their business accounts, which charges a fee for receiving money (2.9% to 2.2%) via Credit Card payments from other Paypal users, or transfers. They say that you can use the Debit card to get your fees lowered via this 1.5% rebate, but I've found you can just add money to your Paypal account via adding funds and take advantage of the 1.5% rebate. While there are some hoops to jump through to make the whole thing happen, its worth it. also... Chase now offers a 1% rebate card at http://creditcardsatchase.com/portal/index.jsp?pageID=standard&key=i-cardaqmain If you decide to publish this information, I'd like it very much if you would refer to me as "Peter from www.click4profit.com" Thanks!
FIRST NATIONAL CREDIT Been ripped off? Call Steve Golgolab the owner at (949)294-7169 and demand your refund!
Do you know of a credit card that you can write checks off of, and the amount written shows up as a CHARGE and not a cash advance? I'm looking for a way to earn frequent flyer miles for things that require checks.
Re: First USA GE credit card rebates, I was told,(and received a notice) that the current cash back program was ending at the end of August and all cashback accrued through that date would be credited - then...they would switch you(if you wanted) to their new points for merchandise program. For the record, I only believe it's true since I received a notice. In the 3+ years of having the card I have never heard the same story twice from a rep. over the phone.
I would like to apply for the Fleet Mastercard Rewards card based on the Your Best Choice graph. When I link to the Fleet web site, it looks like they only offer Visa. Is this the card on the graph? Thanks.
Does anyone have any knowledge of MBNA's Elite Rewards program. We just received an offer in the mail stating that it earns one point per dollar spent towards airfare, hotels, car rental, & various major retailers (30,000 pts. airfare anywhere in US/5,000 pts. one hotel night, etc.). Plus earns bonus points at some major retailers. It sounds like an equivalent of a 1% rebate card with particulars. Any feedback appreciated.
Great site!! LIke you I pay off my balances each month and am recieving rebates from Discover and a First USA Master card that I have. The latter has been maxed out for the year(gives rebates to 10K) and not all places take the Discover card, so I'm looking for some more possibilities. please advise!!
Thanks again for the great site. I figure I'm ahead $500 from my Fleet rebate last year (better late than never) and I'm well on my way to $750 back from Farm Bureau (fingers crossed). I owe it all to you (figuratively speaking). Thanks. Speaking of which, let us know (via the Grapevine which is all I read anymore) if there is anything faithful readers can do to repay you for your service and make sure you keep doing what you do. Other than that I'm writing to say, I just noticed the following unauthorized charge on my July Fleet bill: SFM*CARD REGISTRATION 888-872-2869 IL $12.00 I called and they explained they had signed me up for a "free credit reporting/maintenance service." I explained that 1) the charge was unauthorized and 2) $12 ain't free where I come from. They said they'd take it off and they swore it would not start triggering never-ending revolving finance charges. I think just to be safe I'll overpay and work off the credit after it shows up. Anyway, just thought my fellow soon-to-be-ex Fleetcard users might want to check your bills for the charge and call them on this scam.
Thanks for the web site! Here is another card with a 1% rebate no tiers: REI Visa card through Bank of America.
So if you get a Farm Bureau Card, you have to wait 3 years before you can get your full rebate? I have not known many cash back cards to last that long. I don't want to have to wait that long for a good rebate.
Excellent site! Straight forward and no garbage! I recently received a Sears Mastercard that rewards certificates towards Sears Merchandise or reward partners such as; Marriott, Waldenbooks, Blockbuster, MCI, Red Lobster, Pizza Hut, Barnes & Noble, Olive Garden, T.G.GI. Fridays, Denny's, Sam Goody and more. Rewards are as follows; Earn one point for each dollar charged. 2500points = $25 certificate 3500points = $35 " 5000 " = $60 " @ Sears or $50 @ others $10000 " = $120 " " " " $100 " " and so forth. This would appear to be better than any of the cashback cards (realizing the limitations of the selection of merchants). What do you think? This is free the first year then $15 annually.
I've been using Farm Bureau Visa for 2 months, but I haven't reached 35,000, yet. I stopped using my Fleet card immediately, because it isn't worth it. Even if you max the Fleet card ($30,500), you'll have gained only get 1.64% overall. If you start using Farm Bureau Visa now, you can start earning a straight 2% on all your purchases now.
My parents who have excellent credit and income was refused on a popular Visa card application because they had "too many obligations." When they received their credit rating, they had many credit cards that they have stopped using long ago, but never bothered to call and cancel. They currently only use one Fleet Visa and always pay in full, but had about 20 other cards listed that showed no balance. Many of these cards, they don't even know who to call to cancel; they threw out the cards and paperwork years ago. So, yes, too many open cards can be harmful.
Please continue to the grapevine archive of this continuing Saga!