Not only are Membership Rewards easy to get with sign - up bonuses, but there are a few options that are exceptional point earners
with bonus category spend.
You can earn up to 5 % cash back on rotating categories such as gas, groceries, dining, etc, each quarter and 1 % on
non bonus category spend.
If choosing one, the decision may ultimately come down to
bonus category spending habits and your willingness to be more hands - on with your credit cards by activating bonus categories each quarter.
These bonus categories can greatly enhance your cash back earnings so you should always try to maximize your earnings
with bonus category spend.
Also, you can earn more points with
bonus category spend on cards like the Premier Rewards Gold Card and Amex EveryDay, so if you're trying to amass a lot of Aeroplan miles, you might want to consider American Express cards first.
By doing this, you'll now still have the $ 50,000 a year
bonus category spend limit but it's essentially a work - a-round on the annual fee.
The Ink + allows for up to $ 50,000 in
bonus category spending while the Cash only allows for $ 25,000, the Ink + boasts a better sign - up bonus (usually around 50 - 70K); the Ink + has a $ 95 annual fee while the Cash has no annual fee; the Ink + is usually harder to get approved for; and finally, UR rewards from the Cash can not be directly transferred to UR travel partners.
It's these two cases where cash - back cards make sense to at least have as an option --(1) for people who don't have large
everyday bonus category spend to achieve the redemption threshold for airline miles and (2) for people with large mileage balances where the marginal value of another point in that program is low.
When you
combine bonus category spending, our businesses» spending and other personal spending, we were really able to build up large points balances very quickly.
If you need a little boost to maximize the
supermarket bonus category spending cap, most supermarkets carry Visa and MasterCard gift cards which could be used to do some manufactured spending.
Also, while the
Hilton bonus category spend isn't bad, the American Express Hilton Surpass actually offers better bonus earning potential.
Since Marriott Rewards points are worth less than one cent each under most circumstances, you'd be crazy to cannibalize any of your
valuable bonus category spend meeting that spending requirement, but might consider moving some of your cheaper spend towards the Premier card, as I in fact have.
And if we want to include other cards into the discussion, I really think the CSP blows away the Premier due to the earning potential
in bonus category spending with the «Chase Trifecta,» essentially turning the CSP into a card that earns 5x phone bills, television, office supply stores, internet, and on rotating categories like groceries and dining.
The Platinum is not really the card you want if you're solely interested in racking up points
with bonus category spending (although now it comes with 5X on airfare and hotels booked through the Amex travel portal).
Since 5/24 will likely exclude me, I'll probably have to product change to the Preferred but if it means earning more
through bonus category spending that's okay with me.
If you are a big spender remember to go back to using your Citi ® Double Cash Credit Card as soon as you've exhausted the $ 1,500
bonus category spending limit on a category — otherwise you will fall back down to gaining 1 % back.
The rewards rate you earn on an ongoing basis (not factoring in the annual fee) ranges from 1 % (
no bonus category spending and no travel redemption) to 6.25 % (all bonus category spending and only travel redemption).
The rewards rate you earn on an ongoing basis (not factoring in the annual fee) ranges from 1 % (
no bonus category spending and no travel redemption) to 6.25 % (all bonus category spending and only travel redemption).
While that earning rate is capped at $ 1,500 in spending per quarter, that works out to 7,500 points every four months if you max out
your bonus category spending.
As described in Chapter 2 of my book, if grocery stores are
the bonus category you spend the most in during a statement cycle, you'll earn 2 Flexpoints per dollar spent in that category.
While that earning rate is capped at $ 1,500 in spending per quarter, that works out to 7,500 points every four months if you max out
the bonus category spending.
Next, lets demystify
the bonus category spending.
It's pretty clear that the Premier offers more opportunities for earning points in
bonus category spending and so it really wins out in this category.
Even though the Platinum Card now offers
some bonus category spending, it's still a card that's all about the benefits.
Ink Preferred: Earn up to 3 points per $ 1 on the first $ 150,000 in business spending categories Ink Cash: Earn up to 5 points per $ 1 on business purchases for the first $ 25,000 * Both cards earn 1 point per dollar on all remaining purchases and 1 % when
you bonus category spending is maxed out for the year.
A quick aside: If you are highly concerned with earning a lot of MRs through
bonus category spending I would definitely consider the Amex Everyday Preferred.
The major difference between the two cards is that the Prestige is more benefit oriented while the Premier is more about earning Thankyou Points with
bonus category spend.
As seen above, the answer to that question depends on how you utilize
the bonus category spending and what level of overall spend you put on the cards.
Online Shopping portals are a great way to supplement the miles and points you are earning through credit card bonuses and
bonus category spending.
The annual fee can be offset with the sign - up bonus of $ 150 and if you're a high spender, it can be easily offset in the future with
bonus category spending (6 % of $ 6,000 equals $ 360).
I'm not big on most co-branded cards for
their bonus category spend potential.