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8/18/2002

Notice regarding Costco: as of July 1, 2002 they have only accepted debit, American Express and Costco credit cards.

I think you have a great site and its very worthwhile reading many of the grapevine comments, however I do have one GRIPE! The E.Card from First USA that is advertised on your site is no longer offering the 5% discount by ordering thru various on line merchants. I still have this card but have no reason to use it anymore. A couple of years ago it was a very worthwhile card as you could get 5% discount from Amazon and CDNOW and other on line merchants. But lately when I realized that I was NOT seeing any discount being advertised anymore and could not find the web page for the card, I decided to give First USA a call and did indeed verify that the card is not offering any discounts anymore. First USA just decided to pull the plug on the card without even notifiying me of this important development. First USA has something like 80 different credit cards to offer which in a way is nice but terribly confusing to the average person. For what it's worth, my wife and I use primarily a British Airways First USA VISA Card which costs $50 annually but does offer British Airway miles. If you belong to the British Airways Executive Club Dining Club you can earn 11 miles per dollar when using the card at certain restaurants. And since we fly British Airways almost exclusively (my wife is English) this seems to be the best card for us to use! We usually end up with at least one FREE roundtrip flight to the UK each year. I might mention that my wife does also use a Capital One TJ Max Visa card which offers a 5% discount when shopping at Tj Max and 1% elsewhere and believe it or not the grace period is a full month which is very rare among many credit cards that have less than three weeks between statement closing dates and due dates. Anyhow please keep up the good work. You have a geat site!

For the person looking for the AmEx cash rebate tiers online and definition of "everyday purchases", check here: http://www.expertcredit.com/expertcredit/category.asp?catid=10

Hi! Has anyone tried those online fund transfer websites? I used paydirect.yahoo.com and c2it.com. Before they treated withdraw from credit card as purchase, so you can easily earn a lot of rebate. (you can transfer the money to your wife's account for example). But now paydirect cannot do it. c2it claims they cannot make sure if the issuing bank will treat it as cash advance or purchase; it is depends on the banks. and I trie c2it with my Amoco Visa, I was charged a cash advanced fee. :(( Did anyone tried with other credit cards on c2it? And does anyone know other these type of websites that can treat it as purchase? Did anyone try neteller.com? thanks!

My compliments to you on putting the effort into a really useful site. I do a little web design on a part-time basis, so I appreciate the easy navigation as well as the theme of the site.

I am a retired GM employee. My wife and I carry two GM Master cards and have used them for purchase of GM cars. The nice feature has been (emphasize has been) that the rebate can be used in addition to the employee discount (which I still get as a retired employee). The problem: we just got a letter from GM stating that, effective 8/1/03, we can no longer use the 5%rebate in addition to our employee discount. I don't know all the details of this, but I believe they are going to offer us a new card which CAN be used on a car purchase, but it will accumulate rebates only at a "competitive rate" (their words) of ONE percent.

I will check into this further and let you know. Perhaps you have other GM employees or retirees that have already told you the story on this.

Thanks again for an excellent site targeted at us pay-every-month credit card users.

The www.americanexpress.com Cash Rebate Card (Green) search for a card and ask for details. Or call 1-800-843-2273 (1-800-The-Card) Your annual cash reward for everyday purchases at stand-alone U.S. supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations and home improvement stores is up to 3%. Your annual cash reward for all other purchases is up to 1.5%. You will receive an additional rebate of up to 2% for purchases in months in which your account carries a balance. Your cash rewards are limited to $50,000 of eligible spending. This is the most I could find on this website. I called and ordered one and she said they have been flooded with calls on it but I still don't have a clear list of the "stand alone" stores. She quoted me the rebates as:

0-2000 .25% or .50% everyday stores
20001 -6000 .50% or 1.0% everyday stores
6001 - 50000 1.5% or 3.% stores

My Fleet early August statement arrived and did not have any dividends posted for the month. There was a notice at the bottom saying that the name of the program had changed , but the terms had not changed. I called and they said that they did not know why the dividends had not posted, but thought it might be due to the change in the name of the program. My card expires this month and they said I will have my new card in plenty of time for September 1. And I should call again if I do not see the dividends for August and September posted next month. They were very nice, for a change.

8/17/2002

Many of your reasons matches with mine. Except: How can you get in the upper levels when Discover and AmericanExpress are not widely accepted?! Second: If you are frugal (which applies to your way of thinking - value the penny) a 1% flat rate is good enough when i stay below 10k to 12K per anum. If i have a car and use it for more than $100 a year and i have a gas station who gives me a great deal (in the Midwest: Speedway/SuperAmerica) then i can cash my rewards in form of $5 increments in without losing to much on inflation (future value of money). That deal works for me the best, since i was not elegible for the GE card 4 years ago when i applied for it.

I got a mailing from American Express for my Hilton HHonors card. They say for each month between now and October in which I charge at least $100 a month, I will get a coupon for a free night's stay at a Hilton hotel that accepts Point Saver awards. I checked the HH website, and that seems to include some nice places in the NY/CT area (the Times Square Hilton, for example), so I'm going to make it my business to put $100 on the card for each of the next 3 months. Of course, I'm sure it won't be that simple to use the voucher, since the availability and dates for the awards are likely limited, but for $300 in charges, I'm willing to give it a try!

The Fleet Cash Divident Program has changed their rules. I just received my card in August 2002. It is now: .25% on the first $1,999.00 .50% for $1,999.01 to $3,999.00 .75% for $3,999.01 to $5,999.00 1.0% on the portion which exceeds $5,999.00 Apparently, there is no more 1.5% reward.

I am looking for a credit card that rewards you with savings bonds. I know Fleet offers such a card, but are there others?

I noticed this with the Discover Card: All purchases made at BJ's Wholesale Club, Costco, Sam's Club including any purchases made at these warehouse's clubs Internet sites and Wal-Mart (including any Wal-Mart Internet sites) will accumulate a fixed rate of .25% (.0025). However, purchases made at gas stations at these warehouse club and discount store locations will not be subject to this fixed rate and will continue to accumulate a Cashback Bonis award of up to 1% based on your annual level and type of purchases. Please note: Costco has limited Discover Card acceptance.

Does anyone know more about the Subaru MC from Chase? I have a few questions about the Subaru program from Chase. Can rewards be used toward a purchase or lease. Is there a annual or lifetime limit to the amount of rewards you can redeem? For example, could I accumulate $18,000 worth of SubaruBucks (hypothetically of course) and then buy a new Subaru for free? Also when do points expire. Thank you.

someone posted that the tiers for the new AmExp cash rebate card (the 3% one) are available online. I have not been able to find them and have only been able to get the tiers by calling customer service. if that' person could PLEASE post the URL for the online tiers I would be VERY appreciative. If he/she also knows the the definition of "standalone" everyday stores, I would appreciate that also. Thanks

8/10/2002

"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."

Here's a News Flash for ya, ...

Amex Optima (Starwood PFG card) is now forcing all cardmembers into a $30 annual fee. And they aren't even grandfathering any of their existing members!

Well, it certainly was good while it lasted though.

Appreciate your website content, man!

With Fleet now giving 2% back only if you carry a balance, are there any good deals for people who are looking to get a new Visa or Mastercard?

The MBNA Subaru award was terminated in July 2002, but the Chase Subaru award card replaces it; with 3% rebates toward new Subaru car purchase or Subaru dealer repairs.

PayPal's billpay will only let you make payments by drawing funds from your bank account, not via a credit card. Darn!

CORRECTION TO MY LAST MESSAGE (you can delete the old one): I just noticed that PayPay as a free billpay service. I am considering the following: 1) Make my usual charges to my Farm Bureau card; 2) Pay the full balance via PayPal using my Farm Bureau card; 3) Pay PayPal from my checking account. In effect, this allows me to charge twice as much on my Farm Bureau card without spending more money. This way I can reach the 2% threshold faster. I guess that I could even just keep passing the balance back and forth between PayPal and Farm Bureau for even faster results. This seems too easy. What am I missing?

I just noticed the PayPal has a free billpay service. I am considering the following: 1) Make my usual charges on my Farm Bureau credit card. 2) Pay each monthly balance using PayPal. 3) Pay the PayPal balance using the Farm Bureau credit card. In effect, I will be charging twice as much on the card without spending more money and will help me reach the 2% threshold faster. Any comments?

When people mention "you" on this board. Who are they referring to. There's even one post that says "...your shows and info. We mention your name..." What am I missing? Is there a page on this site with some named guy giving advice? I haven't seen it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this a message board for all of us to exchange ideas? Why do folks post as if they are carrying on a private conversation with the site owner? QUIT IT. Another rant--why do so many folks ask the rest of the board if some company will do something? You folks ASK THE COMPANY. Report your findings to help us all. To be the biggest help, how about somebody figuring new ways to make purchases with credit cards in a way that we can turn the purchases into cash the way we do with savings bonds? I've thought of travelers checks but the fee is too high or they won't take credit cards. The post office won't let me buy money orders with a card either. No, so far savings bonds are the only way to go and they max out at 30k for series I and 15k for series EE. Do some thinking and help out.

[For some reason, I think this may be run by Clark Howard (http://www.clarkhoward.com/), but it's not. I listen to and enjoy Clark, but I have no affiliation with him! --Peter]

Ok, I need some advice. Currently I use a Discover "Classic" as my main card. That has to change. I have a few options. I will be charging at least $1,000/mo and always pay off the balance. I can qualify for a free Fidelity debit version of Amex Gold Card (http://personal.fidelity.com/accounts/services/content/amexfeatures.shtml.bvsr). This has the Best Value Guarentee (Amex's own price-matching). If I do this, should I enroll in the Membership Rewards program? Is that worth an annual fee? Also, does anyone think that having it be a debit card will cause problems? If not, I can get the Amex Cash Rebate card. I am not too aware of other rebate/reward cards available. I would try for a frequent flier card, but I do not use one airline exclusively, which is problematic. I am confused by the comparisons of this card to other various reward program cards. Any additional clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any help.

Farm Bureau Bank's online banking shows information about charge transactions on your credit card ONLY. It does not show your due date, the minimum due, the balance you must pay to avoid interest, nor any posting of interest.

On the Farm Bureau Bank Visa Reward Card. I was reading as much information as I could find on their website, but it said "you could earn "up to 2%" on your purchases, complete information on reward details will be included with your card." Was there some kind of limitation or tier amount you had to reach before you start earning the 2%?

For the person with question regarding Amex Sheraton. I don't know whether you can use this method with this particular card but my friend use this technique every year with Amex Delta Airline card. I am suprised that they didn't check.........

The guy who trashed the AMEX cash rebate card as an "up to" deal did a lot of talking but did not say anything. First of all, if you go to the website, all of the details, including tier amounts, are quite clear. If you still don't understand it, you can always call the 800 number to get the details. They are readily available. I know, because I did it. The picture is "prettier" than he outlined. I suggest he do a little research before blowing off like that.Details are availble, if one cares to find them

8/03/2002

My Amex Sheraton card charged me $30 annual fee. I am wondering if I can cancel it (to get the $30 refund) and apply for it again. Did any one do this before? Can I still use my old starwood account# when I apply again? Thanks!

where can I find the story on the Farm Bureau Rewards card. Is it free can anybody get one with good credit anyother extras. thanks http://www.farmbureaubank.com/

My husband and I pay any credit card balance in full each and every month, putting us in the same group as you!! However, we have become dissatisfied with one of the cards we currently hold. This is due to changes they have made to the rewards program. We would like to replace it with one that would give the maximum return for purchases we make. Please give us your advice on which card to get. We currently have a Delta American Express. In the past, we have had two GM Mastercards. We received rebates toward new truck purchases in the amounts of approximately $7,000. and $3,600. Aren't you proud of us???? My husband is very savy about our finances and I am learning. We have not paid one cent in interest to any of the credit card companies since we were married more than 15 years ago. Now, here comes the praise of your shows and info. We mention your name frequently to our adult children for them to confirm our advice. They listen to you!!! Thank you.

If I wanted to put my mortgage payments on a credit card, how would I do that and what would be the best card to use for that?

The new Amex deal is not 3% on all purchases without a carried balance. In fact, for most purchases it appears to be only 1.5%

We have the Amex Platinum cashback card and just spoke to AMEX about getting the new cashback card. The rep was very pleasant and informative. The new card is somewhat better and she said we could switch to it, but we would forfeit any rebate earned so far this year on the old card. Since for us it is already over $300, we will wait until the end of the rebate period.

Once and for all, when looking for a great cash rebate, look for the words "up to". That's "UP TO". In case you didn't see it, the phrase is "UP TO". In credit card terms that phrase equals "you will never get an actual rebate of ___". The AMEX 3%-5% deal quoted is an "up to" deal. I could not even find the tiers on the web site so I'm guessing its not pretty. To me, its a very deceiving phrase and it should be mandatory to spell out the real %'s if the phrase is ever used. (That phrase again being "up to".) Using AMEX as an example, the only way you can earn a real 3% rebate is if 1.)you only use it at certain types of stores AND 2.)you can get SOMEONE ELSE to spend and pay for the first $10K-$20K put on the card. You can get the full 5% if you meet the above criteria AND 3.)let them charge you 10%+ on the same purchases. Since AMEX doesn't give the details of their offer, my guess is that its actually a 1% or worse card similar to Discover. I'm always wary of a company that tries to deceive me BEFORE I start doing financial business with them. That is the case with this card.

Where did you find the breakdown for the cashback for the new AMEX card. I only see "Your annual cash reward for everyday purchases at stand-alone U.S. supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations and home improvement stores is up to 3%. Your annual cash reward for all other purchases is up to 1.5%. You will receive an additional rebate of up to 2% for purchases in months in which your account carries a balance. Your cash rewards are limited to $50,000 of eligible spending." I think the new structure is better if your detail is correct.

The AMEX site says nothing about a two tier system for rebates for the new card. It says simply that there's a cap of $50K and that drugstores, supermarkets, etc. earn 3% and everything else is 1.5%. Where did you read that the rebates are split into tiers?

I get the impression that everyone thinks the new American Express rebate card is good. IT IS NOT GOOD. there is a $50k rebate expense cap. you are spending $12k at LOWER tiers, so you only get $38k at the max rate. You do NOT want this card. Read terms and conditions call and ask for the tiers (I could notfndtham at the site) This card is bad news.

Does Farm Bureau Bank's online banking include transaction information about your rebate credit card?

It appears that Fleet may be bought out by some other bank, according to the Wall Street Journal recently. How that will affect cardholders, who knows, but the banks listed in the article do not have comparable cashback programs (BankAmerica is one of the banks mentioned). It shows, just like the Nextcard and AmEx and other situations, that one needs to watch what is happening and be prepared to move to another credit card. Even Farm Bureau may change its terms. We are fortunate to have a site like this one to allow us to find information on deals, and we must always remember that the credit card companies are not in business out of the goodness of their hearts--they want to make money. Even though they collect what many of us consider exorbitant fees for people with balances, they say they need it for all the deadbeats, who don't pay their bills. The best thing we have going for us (besides this site) is that the credit card business is pretty well saturated, and the companies are doing what they can to hold good customers and get more of them.

I was a nextcard card holder and they were closed down. I was wondering if there were any card companies excepting the transfer balances of nextcard customers. Please let me know. Thank you.

7/30/2002

American Express has increased the cash back card to 3% for purchases and 5% if you carry a balance. The card has also changed to green to resemble the dollar bill. The major feature that is missing is car rental insurance! For more information go to www.americanexpress.com and follow the path to apply for card and select I know which card I want or click on http://www66.americanexpress.com/cards/Fmacfservlet?csi=66/0/b/3/0/206061546414/0/n&mgmID=null&from=80

I was a nextcard card holder and they were closed down. I was wondering if there were any card companies excepting the transfer balances of nextcard customers. Please let me know. Thank you.

Regarding the new AMEX cash rebate card, I am an existing Platinum Cash Rebate cardholder(1.5%-2%) and I am getting the runaround with the customer service department. I spoke with a Customer Service Rep and she informed that I can neither transfer or upgrade into this new program which claims to offer up to 5%. The only way to get into this new program is by completing a new application. I did fill out a new application. Later, I was informed by the New Accounts division that I am not eligible for this new card because I have a comparable account existing. I explained to the New Accounts person what I was told by people from their own Customer Service Dept and up to this point(7/29) I have no answer even though I was later told that I can request a re-instatement of my original application. To All Readers of this fine website, AMEX is a wonderful card company if u are a charge card client but, the service for regular credit card holders is LOUSY. PROCEED WITH CAUTION WHEN DEALING WITH AMEX ! ! !

Thanks so much for a very informative site-- really most helpful. One area of interest not covered is overseas travel and what card to use then given the 3% fees etc. being charged.

A great 1% cash rebate card is the Citgo Preferred Visa. 1-800-GO-CITGO (462-4846) or http://www.anbcards.com/citgo/external/citgo.htm

New American Express CashBack Terms:

Your annual cash reward for everyday purchases at stand-alone U.S. supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations and home improvement stores is up to 3%. Your annual cash reward for all other purchases is up to 1.5%. You will receive an additional rebate of up to 2% for purchases in months in which your account carries a balance. Your cash rewards are limited to $50,000 of eligible spending.

Well, I guess the hand writing is on the wall for the AmEx cash rebate card. Because of a post on the previous grapevine, I went to americanexpress.com to look up the new cash rebate card. First of all, there is no longer a Platinum Cash Rebate Card listed, only a plain Cash rebate card. The purchases on the new card are divided into purchases at everyday stores (gas stations, supermarkets, drug stores and home improvement stores) and all other purchases. Rebates for the everyday purchases are at the following tier: $0-$2000 .5%, $2001-$6000 1%, $6001 and up 3%. All other purchases: $0-$2000 .25%, $2001-$6000 .5%, $6001 & up 1.5%. Maximum $50k eligible charges, combined. The tiers are accumulated separately, so you have to spend a total of $12,000 to get to the maximum rebate amount! I can see no use for this card unless perhaps you are planning a major do it yourself renovation, or are feeding a family of 5 or something. And I would not be at all surprised if existing platinum cash rebate cards were changed next February.... terrible news indeed

AMEX is now offering a Cash Rebate Card with up to 5% cash back. It says: Your annual cash reward for everyday purchases at stand-alone U.S. supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations and home improvement stores is up to 3%. Your annual cash reward for all other purchases is up to 1.5%. You will receive an additional rebate of up to 2% for purchases in months in which your account carries a balance. Your cash rewards are limited to $50,000 of eligible spending. The card is Green and looks different from any of their other cards.

I saw the post on the Fleet Cash Back Platinum card saying you have to carry a balance to get the 2% rate. This is correct, BUT you can carry $1 balance each month and essentially pay a $6 annual fee to get the 2% rate instead of the 1% max rate. It is a bit inconvenient, but not too bad. I bet they'll close this loop hole if enough folks do this.

7/27/2002

Too bad Amazon nextcard tanked. Really enjoyed that card. Thanks for this website I've already gotten my Farm Bureau Rewards card and I'm on my way to getting my 2% again. My email to nextcard about getting my 'remaining' points cashed was answered with a curt NO WAY. My email to Amazon about getting my 'remaining' points cashed in was Yes, we will honor it soon. Glad Amazon has enough business sense to insure they keep their loyal customers. Here is the email they sent back to me: **************************** Thanks for writing to Amazon.com with your concern. As you've probably heard, NextCard has closed the credit card accounts of a large majority of their card holders, and unfortunately many Amazon.com NextCard card holders were affected by this move. Rest assured that Amazon.com has every intention of honoring the Rewards points you have accrued with your Amazon.com NextCard Visa. You will be receiving an e-mail from Amazon.com in the next couple of weeks with details on how you can convert your points. If you have any further questions regarding your NextCard account, please call NextCard directly at 1-888-974-2265 or send e-mail to feedback@nextcard.com. Thanks for shopping at Amazon.com. Best regards, Chris S. http://www.amazon.com

I've read all the credit card sites, and it's all very overwhelming. I'm looking for a Visa or MasterCard for my great aunt. She currently uses Discover but is tired of it not being accepted everywhere. She does not carry a balance. She just wants a simple Visa or M/C with a cash back bonus (1% is fine). She also does not have a computer, so she needs to be able to do this by phone or mail. Can somebody give me a suggestion?

The amex rebate card has changed. The new card pays up to 1.5% on most purchases and up to 3% on some purchases. However, unlike the old card it's limited to $50,000 worth of purchases.

i currently have an amex cash rebate card with an up to 1.5% rebate.The current amex ad for this card shows a 1%-5% rebate.calls to amex got me two contadictory answers,basically old issue cards don't get this. could one of your knowledgable readers clarify this with specifics.

The AMEX card you refer to has a 3% or $5.00 charge per transaction? Are you aware of this? Or am I missing something?

In reply to query about Upromise. I joined several months ago. The only credits I have gotten are from my gas purchases at Exxon/Mobil. I will not be paying for a semester with this program, but might get enough to cover some text books for my grandchild.

To the person who just got the Carnival Cruise card @ 2% rebate. I had this card for a few years at 3% and closed my acct when they dropped to 2%. Now I use an MBNA Norweign card that rebates 3%. Monthly cap is 250 points, annual 1000 points. 1 point = 1 dollar discount.

In response to the question about the $1,075 per year "cap" on Farm Bureau Visa rebates. The reason I wrote the figure $1075 cap, is because the reward rules say you can only earn a maximum of 60,000 pts per year. You can charge more than that if you credit limit is high enough, but you won't get more points than 60K. If you earn 60K pts, you can redeem 35K to get $700 credit. If you wish, you can redeem the remaining 25K for only $375 credit (for a total of $1075 that year). But you'd be better off to save the 25K points and accumulate another 10K pts the following year then redeem for another full $700. Make sense?

To the guy who recommended a scheme on carrying a 1c balance the first month and paying it off the 2nd month. This won't work because you only get a rebate on NEW purchases the month(s) you're carrying a balance. So if you buy nothing in month 2, you're getting a rebate on 1c (your month 2 balance), not on your month 1 balance. So essentially, you're paying finance charges and getting nothing in return.

To the guy with the Citibank 3% student credit card. You COMPLETELY read it WRONG. You should NOT max out the first month. YOu get nothing back on it. You don't get 3% on balances, only on NEW purchases every month you're carrying a balance. Also note that you'll be paying finance charges (no grace period when you carry a balance). So you'll get nowhere near 3% cashback.

About the Citibank rebate card for college students, if the requirement for the 3% rebate is that payments/credits must be less than the previous month's balance, then it sounds to me that you will automatically begin incurring finance charges on all you purchases. Not a good deal to me!

Can the person with the Capital One Carnival Cruise Card please give a web address or phone number for this card? I don't see it mentioned on the Capital One website anywhere. It sounds similar to the old MBNA Carnival Cruise Card. I have the current MBNA Cruise Rewards card, but the percentage rebate is nowhere near as good as the original Carnival program.

I have just acquired a Capital One Carnival Cruise Line credit card. If you go on cruises this card has approx. a 2% return on your dollar. For example if you spend $75,000 (about 2.5/3.0 years for me )you can earn a 7 day cruise for 2. The value would be approx. $1500 for this cruise during off season. Not bad if you enjoy cruising. They have other levels to turn in your points for 3 or 4 day cruises and other perks.

To the person who stated a 3% rebate on the Student Dividend card: it is available on the Citibank web site with the terms described (not just by invitation) and the 3% only applies if your son CARRIES A BALANCE -- which means interest will start accruing on all new purchases. It is NEVER profitable to carry a balance in order to get a rebate. There is simply no way to earn a bigger rebate than the finance charges you will be billed. ---- Original Message: ---- My son has received what could be the most interesting rebate card yet from Citibank being offered to college students, but it's interesting only with those with strict financial discipline: It offers up to 3% cash back! No annual fee; online account management.You should also have another credit card. The discipline required lies in the fine print: "3% rebate on net purchases made during each billing cicyle in which the total of payment and credits to your account is less than the Previous Balance on your current statement." As I read this, you should max out the card the first month you have it (no rebate on this), and then come as close as possible to the previous month's balance to earn the 3% rebate on each month you do so (this is why you need the second card, as you max out this one with the falling ceiling). When this ceiling gets too low to be useful you have to lose a month's rebate by maxing it out again. It appears to be by invitation, but he can respond by calling 1-888-SEND-ONE.

I am not sure that I understand the $1,075 per year "cap" on Farm Bureau Visa rebates. there was apost on the grapevine that stated "The cap is $1,075 per year (more if you roll over points). Does that mean that (1)I cannot charge more that $53,750 ($1,075/2%) in a year or (2) FB will only credit my account a maximum of $1,075 per year?

You can charge all you want but...

Key point is you only get one 2% $700 rebate per calendar year. You can roll over any excess rebate, but the rebate can only be rolled over for (I think) 4 years. If you want to redeem more than $700 in a year, the subsequent amounts are less than 2% and it appears even those have caps.

If you exceed $35,000 in purchases or $700 rebate per year, and you are married, you can open an account in each person's name with additional cards for the other and in effect double the annual limit.

My son has received what could be the most interesting rebate card yet from Citibank being offered to college students, but it's interesting only with those with strict financial discipline: It offers up to 3% cash back! No annual fee; online account management.You should also have another credit card. The discipline required lies in the fine print: "3% rebate on net purchases made during each billing cicyle in which the total of payment and credits to your account is less than the Previous Balance on your current statement." As I read this, you should max out the card the first month you have it (no rebate on this), and then come as close as possible to the previous month's balance to earn the 3% rebate on each month you do so (this is why you need the second card, as you max out this one with the falling ceiling). When this ceiling gets too low to be useful you have to lose a month's rebate by maxing it out again. It appears to be by invitation, but he can respond by calling 1-888-SEND-ONE.

Don't be fooled, this is a rotten deal and so are many like it! If you carry a balance, you will be paying interest on purchases from the moment they post to the account, hence much more than wiping out any advantage of getting 3% vs 2% at farm bureau. This will be in the fine print which must be read, especially if the offer sounds too good to be true.

Re: the person wanting to start a debate. My question is how much can you get for your money if you don't collect it for 3 yrs as with a FBB Card. Let's see your math. Let's assume it takes a person a full 3 yrs to collect the $700, or spend the $35K to get the 2% rebate. If that's the case then the same spending pattern should be used for any other card. Assuming you use the Amex and get back 1.5% max after starting with the tier system each year. For the sake of simple math, let's say $12K per year. That works out to $112.50 the first yr. Let's be generous and say that you can get 5% simple interest. At the end of the 2nd yr, you get $5.63 in interest and another $112.50. Total is $225 + 5.63 at the end of the 2nd yr for $230.63. Interest at the end of 3rd yr is $11.53. Total after 3 yrs works out to $354.66, ABOUT 1/2 of $700. So, let's debate and help me understand how you can get the immediate or annual payouts to be better than the worst case waiting 3 yrs for a 2% payout? It's the tier system at the front end that keeps it from working out unless you are getting some outrageous return for your small sum of money annually.

In response to the time value of money: I think this is a very real issue here, but really associated more with the risk that the company may change the condidition/reward payout or even cancel it prior to getting a payout. There are recent posts of people accumalating points with a card that went out of business without warning. Everyone got stiffed. My GE Rewards card last September changed their payout, 3 months into their new year. They honored the rebate, but it was only at the 0.5% since I had not had a chance to get to the higher levels. All cards saythey can change the terms at any time. With Farm Bureau, carrying points for 3 years provides a lot of flexibility, but who knows what the credit card rebate market will look like in 3 years. It looks like I will hit the 35000 point some time this fall. I just hope the rebate structure does not change before then.

To the person who just got a Capital One Carnival Cruise Line credit card: This sounds like a good deal if you like Carnival Cruise, but there is a risk being locked into a single reward like this. We went on a 7 day Carnival Cruise last December and it was terrible. The dining room personnel were rude and everyone was not accommodating. We have had good cruise experiences in the past on Royal Carribean and Celebrity. The point is that your card locks you into Carnival, which may not be the best cruise for you when you go on your next cruise. Cash rebates are by far the most flexible.

I have not had any problems getting my statements from Citibank, but to be honest it does not matter. Citibank can notify you online that your statement is ready so you can pay your bill then, and you can sign up for "Autopay" and they will pay your bill, either as much as you tell them (minimum or some set amount), or IN FULL, on the due date. If you have not signed up for this wonderful service, then you have only yourself to blame if you miss a payment, whether it's your fault or the bank's.

Once and for all. You can NOT win if you carry a balance. Don't let them sucker you with rebates, bonuses, etc... The average balance method will get you.

7/21/2002

regarding the Discover Gold rebate program (1% rebate on first $6000, .5% on amounts past that) being "good for people who don't charge a lot." Why not just get a card that'll give you a straight 1%, in case you actually do go above $6k? Not to mention it will be accepted in a lot more places than a Discover.

Read the grapevine after my last post. My questions have been answered. Thank you for a useful website...

I received my Fleet Visa card with the expectation of earning up to 2% on purchases with no strings attached. However, when I received my card the following statement appeared in the Welcome package... You can earn cash dividend as follows: .25% 0-$1999, .50% 1999.01-$3999, .75% 3999.01-$5999 and 1% above $5999. (Now here's the kicker...) Quote: "You can also double your earned Dividends(thereby earning up to an additional 1% Dividend on qualifying transactions) for any billing cycle in which your Account carries over an unpaid balance from the prior billing cycle. With a double Dividend, you have the opportunity to earn a total of: .5% 0-1999, 1% 1999.01-3999, 1.5% 3999.01-5999 and 2% over $5999" This is not the same as in the chart on your webpage. There are so many strings on this card, I can't get it through the card reader... Please let me know if you have any additional information about this change of policy on Fleet's part. Thank you.

For those of you with the Sunoco Mastercard, they finally have online access available. at www.sunocomc.accountonline.com. Too bad it isn't part of the normal Citibank site, formerly known as www.accountonline.com, since those cards you have regisitered there are now accessible directly from Quicken (set the bank name to Citi Cards and enable online banking and you will be pleasantly surprised). Also I do not see anything about Autopay on the Sunoco MC site, but hopefully they can enable that since they seem to have problems crediting online payments from Quicken and even Citibank (not done as a transfer as with their other cards), I got dinged a late charge 2 months in a row, I am now fighting to have them removed. Autopay is just wonderful, you don't need to worry about the bill, it just gets paid.

I use Discover and Mastercard only. I had the NextCard Mastercard with reward points (fortunately I just cashed in my points). However, I need to find another Mastercard/Visa. Does anyone have any suggestions of a card that offers cash back/rewards. I do not want frequent flyer points. Thank You

Double points on American Express Delta Airlines as per http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/page/0,1641,9316,00.asp

Spend $250 on your American Express Card and get a free pair of Vivitar Binoculars in addition to your membership rewards. Details at http://travel.americanexpress.com/travel/personal/at_a_glance/landingPages.asp?LPID=7

Sir, This is very good site for the people who are looking for cash back. I am , however, disappointed ( I spent only about 10 min. to go through the site ) that the site does not deal with other important issues a card holder should consider e.g. Amount of Travel accident insurance, Double manuf. warrenties, car rental insurance and other goodies that are almost important as cash.

Peter, can I turn the discussion over percentage rebates into a debate? It seems to me that the time value of money should be considered in looking at the "best choice." I'm at the max on my Amex card and know I'll get 1.5% on everything from now until the end of the year, at year end, a mere 5-1/2 months hence. I also have the Farmer Bureau Bank card. I have three years to accumulate $35k and receive 2% flat. If I can do that in a month, great!, this should be my card. If it will take me three years then maybe I should consider the *annual* return on their best offer, and compare it to what I can get on other cards which pay off annually (or better, monthly--though I think those cards have vanished). I have a straight 1% card, paying annually, to which all my automatic bill payments are charged, so I do not have to worry myself about limits. Finally, among my cards I admit (other things equal) to favoring those for which the cutoff date for the rebate is close. Some are calendar year, others are not -- go for the nearest payment. My choice of card should factor in not just the percent rebate, but the time 'til payoff.

To those who commented on carrying a balance in order to get a higher rebate. Although I think it is too much of a hassle but will this scheme works: You do it every second month. Month 1: Pay off the entire balance minus 1c Month 2: Buy nothing and pay off the bill. I think this will work if they use average daily balance. If they use the two-cycle one, you may need to buy nothing for two months.

If you want to get a card with a cosigner, the best thing to do would be to ask a bank or credit union. The bank is going to be more likely to be interested if both the applicant and the cosigner have accounts there. Or, you can go to a bank or credit union and put some money in a CD, then apply for a credit card with the CD as security. If you default the bank takes the CD+interest to pay off the debt. If you don't default you get to keep the interest. If you pay on time you will probably qualify for a regular card in a year or two.

FDIC closed NextBank on February 7, 2002. For more info, go to www.nextbank.com

We have been a member of MyPoints.com for sometime and have utilized their points program for about 1.5 years. We subscribed to their credit card backed by NextCard and have enjoyed earning points for all our purchases since that time, accumulating well over 30,000 points in that time frame. The terms disclosed by NextCard is that any benefits earned are forfeited due to the closure of their business, but MyPoints has committed to honoring the points anyway. Kudos to them and their wonderful program. I'm just sad that I've lost a no annual fee, 5.5% credit card. I can't find anything anywhere near to match it.

Has anyone not received their statements from Citibank? Their newest way of catching you off guard so that they can hit you with finance charges. It's to bad that those of us who actually pay off our bills on a monthly basis are being taken advantage of by Citibank. Are there any reputable companies left out there for the good and debt free consumer?

About the question on carrying $1 balance on a credit card to earn the extra rebate, I believe that if there is any balance carried over, the credit card company will charge interest on all of your purchases over the past month (it's not just interest on the $1 balance carried over), so you're not going to be better off!

Yep me to, I had over 20,000 points thanks for nothing.. These low lifes didn't even give any far warning, Guess they didn't want everyone with points getting what they paid for. Lets see I still have to pay them off but they don't have to stand behind thier promises. Hey shouldn't I just be able to say the same for my balance sorry I know longer feel like paying you just like you paying me. Hypocrits.. I think there is some typr of law suit we can charge on these thiefs..

In response to the person who asked if it is correct about Fleet that "those who had accounts before Fleet changed the rebate structure still received up to 2% without carrying a balance", that is true: my monthly account reports 2% rebates and I do not carry a balance.

I am thinking of joining Upromise. Do you think it is a good program? Have you saved much?

7/14/2002

I just received my $140 rebate Check from First USA (GE Rewards). That will be my LAST check from them becacause I'm cancelling my account since they have 'improved' their rebate program. Too bad, I've been with them from the time they used to send credit vouchers for K-Mart at a straight 2% rate.

Time to update your 'subjective analysis'. I have a promotiion from Discover Gold describing their new rebate program with a very odd twist. Rebates are a straight 1% for the first $6,000 (in $20 increments) and then 1/2% on balances over $6,000 yearly (in $10 increments) up to a total rebate of $500. This is rather bizarre as most cards INCREASE the rate of return as you spend more. This might work for those who don't spend a lot each year.

Has anyone out there gotten hosed by the failure of NextBank? My wife tried using the credit card yesterday and was told it wouldn't work. Well I called today to find out that the bank that sponsors the card folded and they just closed the account!! We pay off the bill every month in full and used this card solely to earn rewards points - got one point for every dollar and had almost 30,000 points - you guessed it - LOST!! Boy was I pi##ed! I guess the moral is that no card is any good if the bank that backs it fails.

Regarding Fleet's rebate, I have heard that the new refund is up to 2% only if you carry a balance. People before confirmed that those who had accounts before Fleet changed the rebate structure still received up to 2% without carrying a balance. Can anyone still confirm is this is correct?

This is in response to the person who asked about carrying over 1 cent to double the rebate on the Fleet card. I considered that as well but most cards will not apply the grace period to purchases if you fail to pay off the balance in full. That could bite you more than the benefit of carrying a balance and doubling the rebate.

It appears amazon may be working on something for credit card holders that had their points voided. If you are a credit card holder, look for a Amazon notice soon.

Next card was taken over by FDIC and they have canceled all reward points. Pretty bad deal.

Here's a challenge question: Some cards offer 2% cash rebates if you carry a balance. If you carry a very small balance - say, $1 - what does that cost in terms of fees and interest, vs. what you get for a healthy spending level, say, $3K/month? Any recommendations here?

I believe that AMEX has a new cash rebate card that offers 2% back (3% with balance). This apparently replaces, at a much sweeter rate, their former 1.5% cash rebate card. Can anyone verify?

Well, Nextcard officially closed shop yesterday. It provided points that could be used for gift certificates and airline flights. It worked out to be about approx. 1% back without a yearly fee. I also liked that I was able to send them a picture to personalize the credit card. Now I'm on the hunt for a credit card w/o yearly fee with the best cash back or benefits system going. I'd also like to be able to personalize the credit card with my own picture. Does anyone have any suggestions? I haven't found a card yet with those three things for free.

To the Fleet card holder who is thinking of carrying a $0.01 balance to double the rebate percentage: On most credit cards, if you carry a balance, you start to pay interest as soon as you make the purchase. This can make carrying a balance very expensive. If you do not carry a balance, you get your purchases interest free until the end of the billing cycle plus a grace period of 25 days or so (when the bill is actually due). This makes a big difference, especially if your interest rate is high. I have not done the math, but it probably makes no sense to carry a balance in order to get a higher rebate.

Just wanted to let everyone out there know about our wonderful experience with the farm bureau 2% cash back card. In my opinion, this is the best rebate card out available. Deal is: you earn 1 pt for each dollar spent on purchases, then can redeem them in amounts, if you redeem 35,000 pts, you get a $700 credit on your account (2%). You can redeem incrementally less pts for less of a rebate (there's a incremental rebate scale). The cool thing about this card is pts don't expire til 3 years from purchase date (unlike other cards which have annual or biannaul expiraton for points. We also had Farm Bureau set up an automatic monthly payment in full from our checking account on the paymt due date, there's so fee for this service, you can view all postings on line and still receive a monthly statement. We had checked out the fleet card, but this is a better deal for us with the longer time frame for pt redemption. We got a platinum card, bought our car with it (something I would've never dreamed about doing but it makes sense with this card), and paid off the balance in full the next month, thus earning a 2% rebate when we redeem the points!

Nextcard's shutting down most of their credit card accounts! I had an Amazon.com visa, which gave 2% back in Amazon GC's for regular purchases, and 6% on Amazon purchases. It was great! RIP. I'm thinking of getting either a Chase iCard (1% back as Webcertificates) and/or an FirstUSA eCard (5% back at Amazon and some other online merchants). Any tips?

I just called Farm Bureau Bank's 1-800 number to ask for my rebate, as I just went over the $35,000 mark. It took me about a minute and a half to verify my information and then she said I would see a $700 credit on my next statement. That's a flat 2% cash back, folks! (not tiered) And you can take up to 3 years to reach the 35,000 level if you need to. For anyone who charges more than $12,000 a year on their credit card, no other cashback plan makes sense! (I'm starting on my next $700 rebate)

State Farm has recently come out with a Visa card that works well if your insurance company is State Farm. Rebate is 1% of purchases toward State Farm premiums, up to $1,000 / year. You can apply the rebate when it is worth $50. This is a better deal for me than the CitiBank's StockBack card which requires $100 in rebates before cashing out.

7/9/2002

I'm pissed! Looks like Fleet gave me the ol' bait & switch.. On the phone the Fleet person quoted the up-to-2% reward ladder detailed on this site, but when I received the Visa card it states the reward is only 1.0% for anything above $6,000. The question I have is: can I just carry $0.01 of unpaid balance every month just so my reward percentages are doubled? Will that negatively affect my credit report??

To the person looking for Hotel Rewards credit cards, check here: http://www.expertcredit.com/expertcredit/rewardprograms.asp

To the guy with this question: "My brother In-Law uses his card for everything in order to get miles, but I rather use cash. I think I am programmed to not use credit? What is your opinion?" You are programmed all right and that's fine in my opinion. I think you should do what makes you most comfortable and continue to use cash. It's your life and if you don't make sure you're okay, who will? Also, in my opinion, you should try to convince your brother to use cash. No more statements to keep track of, no danger of overspending, etc. Oh, yea, I forgot about your other question: "Is it worth it to purchase an annual fee frequent flier card like Northwest or should we try to get a discount with a J. Crew card?" Figure out where it would save you the least money. By the way, will you send me some money?

card companies are modifying agreements to say if your late with a payment to any creditor they have the right to nullify your current int rate and put it to the max(about 24%).Makes it easy for them to cancel out the low int transfer rate you may have.

I believe the amex card called the Executive allows a free ticket in coach with the purchase of a regular ticket.

Amen on the HH card. Lots of free vacations from Hilton. Also you can get Disney, Sea World & Universal tickets with your points as well. For the lady who wants to rebuild your credit. Start with your local credit union or bank. That way you can speak to the branch manager and explain your situation. If you have a car, your car loan will do wonders for your credit. If you don't owe anything on it, borrow against the car for $500 to $1000, put the money in the bank and pay your payments on time for 6 months or so then pay it off. Good luck!

7/07/2002

Hello Credit Gurus! My wife and I have a MBNA credit card that we do not like to use. It has no annual fee, so I like it. On the other hand, I want to get something back from the credit card company. We both fly back east about three times a year. We also order clothes from J. Crew quite a bit. Question: Is it worth it to purchase an annual fee frequent flier card like Northwest or should we try to get a discount with a J. Crew card? I hate credit cards and I like to use cash, so I do not feel comfortable using the card for everything. My brother In-Law uses his card for everything in order to get miles, but I rather use cash. I think I am programmed to not use credit? What is your opinion?

I recently signed up for a Fleet Bank Visa Card. They have changed their rebate program slightly; but significantly. The rebate schedule up to $6,000 is the same. Previously the rebate program was 1.0% from $6,000 to $8,000 and 2.0% beyond $8,000 up to a maximum of $500 per calendar year. It is now 1.0% for anything above $6,000. All percentages are doubled (for the 2.0% maximum) only if there is an unpaid balance at the end of the billing cycle. This effectively puts this card into the 1.0% maximum return. I hope this info is helpful for your purposes.

Discover Card's ONE TRANSACTION NUMBERS for Web Purchases. Beware! These are NOT "one time only" numbers being issued. They are "one number for merchant" issues. If you think you can circumvent companies with "one-month" offers from coming backi to charge you again...you're wrong. The numbers issued are still valid for that merchant. Worse still, if the online merchant has a "less than secure" website, if a hacker obtains the credit card "Individual Number", it is still valid for purchases from that merchant. In order to make a transaction number REALLY "one time only," the user has to call DISCOVER and have the "one time" number cancelled.

Saw the previous post on the Upromise and Exxon cards... I looked at them as well, but I found that BabyMint card is by far the better deal. In addition to the 1% cash-back rebate and merchant rebates, they are now offering matching scholarship rebates! It's an unbelievable program... they need to advertise it more. It would blow away any frequent flier card out there. Just my thoughts :-)

Hi, What an interesting site! I have a question. After my husband left, I discovered that he had not been paying the bills. All of our credit was in my name, since I had excellent credit when we got married and he had no credit. Because of this, my credit history is now absolutely awful!!! Literally worse than bankruptsy (accounts written off as a loss). And no, I will not consider filing Bankruptsy. QUESTION: Does anyone know of an unsecured credit card that will approve people like me THAT DOES NOT HAVE outrageous fees! Most cards to poor risks have a $150.00 to $200.00 application fee (cleverly disguised under several different names) PLUS an annual fee of almost $100.00 PLUS a monthly fee of $7.00 to $20.00. There is no way I can afford this, but I want to try and build good credit again. Heck, I don't care if they only give me a $25.00 spending limit! I just want a card I can afford! Thanks.

The American Express Card pays only a fraction of one percent on the first thousands of dollars of purchases. Check out StockBack, which pays a straight one percent from the first purchase. You can opt to invest in an index or get the cash. http://www.stockback.com/jsp/welcome/card_details.jsp

Thanks for an apparently reasonably unbiased site about credit cards for those of us who pay off our monthly charges vs. running a balance. We have been married 56 years and learned after maybe 6 to 8 years (slow learners?) the folly of doling out $10 to $20 per month to a whole range of gas cards, dept. store cards, etc., while paying THEM interest! So, the cards went into the drawer until we paid off the balances and have been careful not to get ourselves into that situation again. I have bookmarked your site and will be revisiting. Oh, we do use AMEX Senior Card now for my personal uses in my many volunteer activities. (A bookeeping technique to separate those activities from our other family activites.) Mostly use Discover for the 1% basis altho at this stage in life, our bills are not that big to inpress anyone! Keep up the good work, will be following you site with interest. HC PS: Sure, there have been times in our life when we may have had to run a balance because of job conditions, health, etc., but boy, did we work to get back on a 'pay off the bill ASAP' situation.

I received my $140 GE Rewards rebate check about two weeks after my June anniversary date. Not everyone has had a bad experience with this.

Just want to mention that I'm one who has found the Shell card to be the best out there due to availability and convenience of Shell gas and fact Shell gas is priced comparably before discount. It also should be noted that it is extremely convenient since points are automatically redeemed. It should also be mentioned that certain free VISA cards double warranties.I carry one of these for any purchase involving consumer electronics, gladly giving up 1% for the extended warranty. I have another card issued through my electricity coop (I live in the "ruburbs"--rural suburbs) that gives 3% of coop electricity payments in cash rebate, up to $100/yr.

Trying to find a card that gives a broad base of Hotel Rewards. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I just called Fleet about the cashback card. The 2% level is only if you carry a balance, otherwise it's 1%. I did look at their website, and it's a little misleading. It's in the fine print they said, but I couldn't find it. Glad I called.

1) we got a call from lexus who was doing a survey on what kind of credit card their customers would be interested in. i went for a 45 minutes session (an office at southpoint) for which they paid me $75. sounds like they are at least considering a cash back, which my responses would certainly support.

2) i just received my firstUSA visa bill today - the cash back for last month is 2%. so i don't know where the info is coming that they are no longer doing the 2%. of course, you know i pay the balance monthly so it is a legitimate 2%.

FYI, I just received the Fleet cash back card and found that in order to get 2%, you actually have to leave a balance. Otherwise, you get up to 1%. I just found something in the mail from CITI for 1% cash back straight from the start. Have you heard of that one?

Hey just wanted to take a second and thank you for the info - it's rare that someone does things like this web page in this day in age without alterior motives -- thanks again

Thanks for providing us debt-free consumers a valuable service. I didn't see any reference for my favorite card--if you're into buying cars every few years--the Citibank Driver's Edge, which allows 2% rebate on any car (new or used), but I think you have to cash out every three years. It was great for me since I have teenagers who just went through a few cars....now I'm seeking something that gives 2% for anything.... also, I tried your link for FirstUsa, but it wasn't working...

I want to find a card that I can get where my father signs with me as a guarantee. I applied for a card to get credit and they say I don't have bad credit, I just don't have credit. I was turned down for not having any credit. So How do I get one.

Any comments on the (farily) new Orbitz MasterCard by Juniper Bank that gives you Orbitz Reward points for purcahses? The "cash value" is 1.33% to 2% (7,500 pts. gets $100 off from Orbitz; 20,000 pts. gets a free airline ticket up to $400). The cost is $39 for a regular card and $49 for platinum. Good deal? Bad deal? Same deal as the rest of them? Thanks!

I m looking for a better rate 9.9% on my visa. My current card holder said they could not reduce my rate. I would like to transfer my current balance to another lower interest card.

We are of similar ilk, myself having been hooked on cash back since Discover-ing the world of cash back when I was only 19.

Later I was wowed by the now defunct GTE Mastercard issued by Capitol One that offered a flat 5% cash back as long as you carried a balance, no matter how small. Well I discovered that balance could be as low as $1, and if I made any returns during the month I was not charged any finance charges but still earned my 5%.

They sent me quarterly checks, usually $300 or so, and once, when I had bought a car with the card, it was $1,000. Amazing, but that party ended sometime in '98, and I always imagined my account being examined in some office as an example of why this card was losing money.

Then I played around with a variety of the 1% cards, and explored the Amex 2% tiered and the Principal 1.25% flat. But today I'm convinced that the very best (for me) right now is the Amex Hilton HHonors card. I keep very detailed records, and so far this year I have redeemed my points for a cash back equivalent of 2.64%. This beats the pants off any other card I know of.

The card isn't for everyone. First off, if you don't travel, HHonors isn't worth it for you. But if you do travel, do note that Hilton owns not just Hilton Hotels, but Embassy, Doubletree, Hampton, and a bunch of other brands. Second off, you've got to take some time to learn the twists of the program. But once you do, you can benefit by using your HHonors account to accumulate mega points via FF account transfers and the like.

And that's only half the story, because, again, if you know the HHonors ropes each free stay, with a little judicial spending, can start a cycle of end up earning you even more points, so the program becomes somewhat self perpetuating, and can double your cash back equivalent.

For example, my last stay at a (very nice) Doubletree in Denver cost me only 6,000 points. These stays are not supposed to earn points, but they will if you spend a little money on room service and the like. So by spending $45 on food, charging it to my HHonors Amex, double dipping on FF miles, plus earning regular HHonors points for money spent at the hotel, I earned 3247 points. At the rate of 2.64%, those points are worth $85 to me!

As a result, I've stayed at some very nice hotels, like the Waldorf=Astoria, paid nothing, and continue to earn points towards my next stay -- or flight, or car rental, etc. But more important, when discussing credit cards, since I halved the number of total points used to I have doubled my cash back bonus value. So now I can argue that I'm earning over 5% in rewards, harkening back to the glory days of GTE/Capitol One.

Like I said, if you don't travel this card isn't worth a thing to you. But if you like traveling, and can take some time to learn the ins and outs of this program, I don't think it can be beat.

And if it can, I really want to hear about it.

Cheers.

6/23/2002

what happens when you dont pay your amex bill on time? do you lose all your cashback dollars?

just spoke to a mr xxxxx xxxxx at farm bureau and he said that if there is an interest rate change people would be given enough time to act so that they wouldnt lose their 2%. should've recorded that conversation.

6/23/2002

I know this site is mainly about credit cards but a few months ago someone on here mentioned onesuite.com as a cheap long distance calling card. I use it and it is great. Would someone mind mentioning a good place for great deals on cell phones complete with lots of free minutes, nationwide long distance(with no roaming) and a cheap monthly plan. I am from WV and so some companies like cingular dont have many towers here. If anyone could direct me to a web page where great deals are offered for cell phone plans it would be much appreciated.

We would suggest that the Citibank Upromise card is one of the best deals out there. It helps us save a 1% flat rate on everything we buy which all goes for our son's education, as well as get the other Upromise deals out there for free. Citibank may not have lots of those flashy low rate interest offers, but they have been pretty good to us. Yes we've had some problems from time to time but very few. Our credit line has risen to $14000 in the 5 years we've had their card. It started at only $1500. Also we give good marks to the ExxonMobil MasterCard. We get 3% for gas purchases plus the additional contributions from ExxonMobil to our son's Upromise account, and 1% for everything else. Why buy gas anywhere else? We don't. We're not really concerned about the APRs, because we try to pay off our balances monthly. I'm sure everyone has their own views but that's our 2 cents worth.

To the person who thoughtfully took it upon themselves to lecture me about my FirstUSA "bashing": 1. Work on your reading comprehension - $140 means nothing, but the PRINCIPLE means everything. 2. I WAS nice to the "girl" on the phone, until it was time to stop being nice. 3. They sent me my $140 a few days later, so MY approach was obviously successful.

To the person who says they have good payment habits...Banks are desperate for money right now. You're not going to be able to find a bank that will agree to cut off authorizations at an agreed upon limit (not unless that limit is OVER your actual credit limit). They have to make money from you SOMEHOW, and if you pay it off every month, then where are they getting their profits, especially if you want a card with the freebie perks like points and stuff. Your better option would be to just ask your bank to give you a MUCH higher credit limit so you don't run into the overlimit problem. Just having the higher limit doesn't mean you need to USE it all. You just have to have some self-discipline when it comes to spending.

Citibank has a fairly straightforward 1% cashback card. The only thing is you get the rebate only when it reaches $100, so you have to wait.

Someone mentioned the REI Visa card. You can get details at http://www.reivisa.com , but basically the deal I think is this: you have to join their co-op (one time $15 fee). The 1% (actually, I think much higher than 1% when you buy gear at REI stores) of your Visa charges becomes part of a once-per-year rebate voucher thing they mail you. The voucher is good for buying REI stuff, but if you wait several months, you may then mail in that voucher to ask for an actual check that you can deposit in a bank account. This is kind of a hassle unless you like to buy at REI.

Cards like Farm Bureau Bank's are good only if you charge a lot per year. But which card gives good cash back if you only charge $5000 to $10000 per year, or even less per year? A card that simply credits 1% to your charge account would be perfect.

I don't understand the person who pays his/her statement each month, gets socked with fees for exceeding the limit, yet wants a low credit limit. If you have the self-discipline to pay in full each month, don't you want a *high* limit to avoid such fees? You should track your expenses better, with Quicken or Money or just a spreadsheet.

Please continue to the grapevine archive of this continuing Saga!