May I also suggest https://www.gototravelgal.com. She is a Chase cards/Southwest cards expert and proponent. Recently she has done some free zoom consultations on the very thing you are asking. What are the best travel cards for me.
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Thanks @Agent355 I will check it out. I also came across Asksebby.com and I like the feature of checking out if the card is for you based on anticipated spending . I think for now I am having a hard time deciding if I want to focus on cash back(can use anywhere) or using something with partnerships and hoping it fits my needs. I will look at my past yr spending report and see what will work.
Yes they were great suggestions!
Thanks @chloe173 for the great suggestions! On the Hilton Aspire can I use that for Marriott properties? The DAR has contracts with Marriott and I know for at least the next 2 yrs they are the property where our State and National conventions are and I can find them on Long Island for when we go home 2xâs a year for a day or two. We have DVC so I am not looking for free hotels at WDW, but I wouldnât turn it away either- maybe it would get me another trip ( ;0 ). Last year I think I had $1200 in Disney rewards and I use it every yrâŚgoes toward my food budget or upgrading tickets to AP if avail this year.
If you stay at primarily at Marriott, then then it would make more sense to get a Marriott credit card than a Hilton card. Their cards are fine too, they just donât have as good of a redemption rate as the Hilton cards, and donât come with automatic diamond status.
Of course, if youâre not trying to get free hotel rooms, then thereâs not much point in getting a hotel card. You might look into a cash back card instead.
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Just where I am committed to having to stay at Marriott for at least 10-12 nights a year before I even throw in a WDW girls trip(not DVC)âŚmaybe a hotel card would help with that. I have to see who offers the most on travel category because that cruise is going to be $8,000 alone.
agreed. The Disney card, with 2% rewards only on select categories, is easily trumped by 2% unlimited cash back cards with no annual fee.
I carry the Amex Bonvoy Brilliant Marriott card. It has a high annual fee ($450), but hear me out. It has a $300 Marriott credit that can be used on room rates. Plus it comes with a free annual night award up to 50k points, which can pretty easily be redeemed for a room that might cost well over $300-400 out of pocket. Plus, automatic gold status (points boost on stays, free upgrades, late checkout). At 10-12 nights a year, youâll easily come out ahead with this card.
A version of the Points Guyâs chase âtrifectaâ is what I use. Sapphire reserve, freedom, freedom unlimited.
Reserve: 3% on travel, 3% dining
Freedom: Rotating 5% bonus categories
Freedom unlimited: Unlimited 1.5%, 5% travel through chase portal,
If you have the sapphire reserve or preferred, you can transfer all your points to your Ultimate Rewards account, where points can be worth 2 cents or more if used wisely. That means a 5% points earning could actually be worth 10 cents or more (i.e. 10% cash back). Sounds complicated, but itâs not really that hard once you try it.
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Thank you @terp05 - I am strongly looking at 3-4 cards and closing 1-2 others we have out there. 5 is the optimal number to have open at anytime? I do want to keep my Disney oneâŚbecause it is my oldest cardâŚjust wish I could break it(maybe in time) as I do have other sources of discounts for Disney(DVC). But I am going to note rates of return on cards and maybe that will help
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Great idea not closing the Disney card since itâs your oldest one. If you have the one with the annual fee, you could probably downgrade to the no annual fee one to save yourself $95/yr, then just tuck it in your drawer. Iâve downgraded several chase cards to no AF cards just to avoid closing them and taking a credit hit.
I donât think thereâs really a limit on, or an ideal number of, cards you can hold at any time. There isnât really a penalty for having lots of cards open. (Obviously, you donât want to be paying lots of unnecessary high annual fees though). I think I have 8 cards open right now, but each serves a purpose.
Oh great, thanks.