Credit card rewards

[renaissance]

Any advice on the best rewards credit cards out there?

I am looking at a new job which will give me a really long commute for the next several months, which = lots of $$ spent on gas. I was looking at the Shell Platinum MasterCard, which gives you 10cents off every gallon if you spend at least $500 in the previous billing cycle on qualifying purchases.

Does this seem like a good deal? Or are there better ones out there. I wouldn't be carrying a balance so that's not an issue.

If there are no good gas rewards cards, then what about one that I can use to build up some frequent flier miles or something like that?

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

Any advice on the best rewards credit cards out there?

I am looking at a new job which will give me a really long commute for the next several months, which = lots of $$ spent on gas. I was looking at the Shell Platinum MasterCard, which gives you 10cents off every gallon if you spend at least $500 in the previous billing cycle on qualifying purchases.

Does this seem like a good deal? Or are there better ones out there. I wouldn't be carrying a balance so that's not an issue.

That sounds like a great deal if you also shop at Giant....you could get 60cents off if you spend enough money (Giant max discount is 30cents)/

[renaissance]

That sounds like a great deal if you also shop at Giant....you could get 60cents off if you spend enough money (Giant max discount is 30cents)/

We shop at Safeway. Their closest gas station to us is down towards Waldorf, haha.

[LD0506]

Credit card rewards is kinda like the weight-loss benefits of heroin. Want a reward? Don't use a credit card, keep that money you pay them for fees and interest.

[Prosperity]

if you're a student the amazon.com card is money. You get something like 3% cash back on amazon.com purchases... in the form of Amazon.com credits. But you can buy damn near everything on that website, and as a student you can get amazon prime for free

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

We shop at Safeway. Their closest gas station to us is down towards Waldorf, haha.

Shell is partnered with Giant....just scan your Giant card at the pump and if you have enough purchases, you get big ass discounts.

Youre welcome. And stop rubbing it in, jerk.

---------- Post added October-11th-2011 at 11:12 AM ----------

Credit card rewards is kinda like the weight-loss benefits of heroin. Want a reward? Don't use a credit card, keep that money you pay them for fees and interest.

you dont pay your card off at the end of the month?

[Brad_Edwards_Fan]

Credit card rewards is kinda like the weight-loss benefits of heroin. Want a reward? Don't use a credit card, keep that money you pay them for fees and interest.

Gotta disagree, if you are disiplined enough to pay it off every month and use a no annual fee card, points can be a pretty solid value. I put everything on my card and used my points to fly my wife and I to italy last year.

[techboy]

Here's a topic that covered this a bit back in July. The only change, really, is that the Schwab 2% card is dead. You can still get a Fidelity Investment Rewards card that has 2% cashback, but that's AMEX, so perhaps a bit less useful than Visa.

The best advice is still to read the sticky thread (or at least its quick summary) at Fatwallet Finance.

Rewards can be quite lucrative, if you discipline yourself to spend only what you would spend anyway, put everything on the card that you can, and pay it off in full each month to avoid interest. I have made tens of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes (to use game show language ) over the years, but they always have a very high interest rate, so they're not too smart if you carry a balance at all.

[Drew_Fl]

Credit card rewards is kinda like the weight-loss benefits of heroin. Want a reward? Don't use a credit card, keep that money you pay them for fees and interest.

yea i gotta disagree too. just get a no fee card and pay your balance off and you will be collecting rewards for money you would spend anyways. i estimate i've collected nearly $700 in best buy, amazon, and wal mart gift cards over the last 4 years and i'm not a heavy spender.

[techboy]

yea i gotta disagree too. just get a no fee card and pay your balance off and you will be collecting rewards for money you would spend anyways. i estimate i've collected nearly $700 in best buy, amazon, and wal mart gift cards over the last 4 years and i'm not a heavy spender.

It's important to keep in mind that studies repeatedly have shown that people spend more when they are using a credit card (it doesn't feel like real money, psychologically), so one has to be very self-aware, aside from the regular issues of people that have difficulty using debt responsibly.

It's all about what a person can handle, individually.

[renaissance]

Thanks techboy, I'll check the links.

Like I said, I'll be paying off the balance every month. And I'll be using the card just on groceries and other regular expenses where I already use my debit card.

[Drew_Fl]

It's important to keep in mind that studies repeatedly have shown that people spend more when they are using a credit card (it doesn't feel like real money, psychologically), so one has to be very self-aware, aside from the regular issues of people that have difficulty using debt responsibly.

It's all about what a person can handle, individually.

Yea there are pitfalls in this game for sure and it's not for everybody. Just one late payment fee can eat into your profits for a long time.

Sidenote: They finally added Amazon gift cards to Citi's "Thank You" points reward system. Pretty awesome since Amazon pretty much has everything.

[Predicto]

Credit card rewards is kinda like the weight-loss benefits of heroin. Want a reward? Don't use a credit card, keep that money you pay them for fees and interest.

Depends on who you are. The cash-back credit card I have been using for the past few years has no fee and we pay it off every month. I have made a couple of thousand dollars in cash back rewards.

---------- Post added October-11th-2011 at 08:54 AM ----------

Here's a topic that covered this a bit back in July. The only change, really, is that the Schwab 2% card is dead.

And, unfortunately, that is the card that I have been using.

[Skinz4Life12]

i have a venture card and i like its rewards

[Bubble Screen]

Yea there are pitfalls in this game for sure and it's not for everybody. Just one late payment fee can eat into your profits for a long time.

Sidenote: They finally added Amazon gift cards to Citi's "Thank You" points reward system. Pretty awesome since Amazon pretty much has everything.

Make sure you always pay your credit card bill online, as to avoid it being late and getting hit with the fees.