Any good credit cards?

[bczoom]

None of my current cards have any perks or bonus stuff.

I see cards offering as high as 5% back.

I don't want to be narrowed to a single airline or other restricted purchases (Disney, GM...).

Anyone have any good cards that offer nice perks?

 

[Junkman]

I have one by Direct Merchants Bank that gives you rewards benefits. I get $25.00 gift certificates for major retailers such as L.L. Bean, or many of the National restaurant chains. $3000 of purchases give you one $25 certificate. I always pay the card when the bill comes and I can pay it using my computer, which makes it easy. I get a email notice whenever the purchase exceeds $50 and I can check the balance by computer also. The only downside is they charge you $39 if you make a late payment. I schedule the payment as soon as I get the email saying that the new statement is available. I also have a "rewards" Visa card with my business banking relationship, but for that one, you need $10,000 of spending to get the $25 gift card. You have to shop around to find the best one, and even then, I haven't found any that are really super.... Junk.......

 

[DaveNay]

Anyone have any good cards that offer nice perks?

American Express. We use it for every possible purchase. The points are usable in almost unlimited fashion, even redeemable for cash. Sign up for the bonus points program, and you get double points for many purchases.

Only downside is the annual fee, but I believe it is worth it.

 

[Junkman]

Another down side is that many small business's accept American Express. I had two experiences with American Express where both times, American Express took the customers side of the problem and back charged us. Both times, the customer wasn't satisfied with the product and complained to them. Both times, I said that if they would return the items, I would issue them a refund. Both times, American Express said that the customer didn't have to return the items, and that the fact that they were unhappy with the item was enough to get them a refund. I no longer accept American Express from customers........ Master Card, Visa, Discover, cash and checks... My experience since has been that if they have American Express, they also have another brand of card.

 

[bczoom]

Only downside is the annual fee, but I believe it is worth it.

PS. I prefer to not pay an annual fee.

With rare exception, no bank nor CC company gets a dime from me.

 

[DaveNay]

My experience since has been that if they have American Express, they also have another brand of card.

Absolutely correct. We have a Visa also for exactly that situation. However, if you look at your major spending habits (gas, groceries, etc) we haven't found one yet that doesn't accept AMEX. If the name of the game is to collect points (and it is!), then for us AMEX makes a lot of sense. For the occasional merchant who doesn't take it, I have no problems at all using other payment, and I fully understand AMEX charges higher percentages.

 

[DaveNay]

PS. I prefer to not pay an annual fee.

With rare exception, no bank nor CC company gets a dime from me.

It's a trade off. How much "free" stuff are you going to get from the rewards program vs. the annual fee.

 

[DaveNay]

In all honesty, the best credit card is cash.

Credit is ruining a good number of people in the US. I have pretty much (very recently) switched to cash only (AMEX counts as cash because it has to be paid in full). I wouldn't even mind if merchandts returned to the practice of giving discounts for cash purchases, although I believe this is now illegal.

 

[bczoom]

It's a trade off. How much "free" stuff are you going to get from the rewards program vs. the annual fee.

That's what I'm asking... :StickOutT

In all honesty, the best credit card is cash.

Too inconvenient to always use cash. I do a lot of internet shopping. Even at the gas station, it's much easier to swipe the card, pump and go instead of going inside.

Credit is ruining a good number of people in the US.

Well, I've never had an issue with my credit nor spending habits on a card. I know my means and live within them. I never leave a balance from month-to-month (see my post about banks/cc companies not getting a dime from me).

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

I like my ShareBuilder VISA card. It gives me 1% cash back to my Sharebuilder money market account. It's all done automagically. I don't think there was an annual fee either but that may have been a promotional thing.

 

[Junkman]

It isn't illegal for a merchant to give a cash discount, but it is illegal to charge more for a credit card sale. i.e...... if the item is $19.99, then he can give you a discount on the $19.99 and charge you less, but he can't add a percentage for your using a credit card.

There are a few local fueling stations (can't call them service stations, because they don't offer any services) that have a cash discount of 6 cents per gallon for gasoline. There is one local service station, (they do pump the gasoline for you) that has a matching price to the one that offers the 6 cents a gallon discount, but they don't accept anything but cash. That is the best deal..... they pump the gas and you pay cash. I use another location that is 3 cents more because I can use my company credit card there.....

 

[Dargo]

I use one at gas stations and grocery stores that gives me 5% back. That knocks off .10 to .15c off of each gallon of gas I use. Being that I drive 3000 miles per month, that adds up. With a family of 7, you can figure the grocery part.

For other items, I use a card that gives me 2 miles for each dollar spent. That way we have enough for the wife and I to take a couple of trips each year without paying for the flights.

Under no circumstances will I pay an annual fee and I've not carried a balance on a credit card since 1986. I paid off a balance then that took me a few months, and said never again. I've never deviated from that. Every once in a while I have to change companies when one gets a burr up their ass because I never carry a balance and tries to add on an annual fee. They either drop that idea or I move on. It's always worked for me.

 

[DaveNay]

It isn't illegal for a merchant to give a cash discount, but it is illegal to charge more for a credit card sale.

Yep, that sounds like something a lawmaker would think up.

 

[bczoom]

Dargo,

Can you share/mention which companies offer the 2 cards you use?

 

[Dargo]

The gas/grocery card is the Citi "Dividend" MasterCard. Their number is (800) 950-5114. That one saves me a few hundred bucks a month over simply paying cash. I've used that one for a while and really like that benefit! I'm on the road right now in a hotel and I don't have the other card with me. I can post that info later if anyone is interested.

 

[dyt4000]

There is no such thing as a "GOOD" credit card! LOL

 

[Michael]

There is no such thing as a "GOOD" credit card! LOL

You got that one right Dyt4000, I do not even have a credit card anymore, I just have my debit card and it is accepted everywhere I need it, I make no payments to those blood suckers and I control evrything I spend. Plus the greatest thing is no high rate interest and everyplace I go I can either use the debit as a credit card or a regular debit and it always get the money from my account. The other thing is there is no way I can hit the limit on a credit card because I don't have one.

 

[Dargo]

You know the funny thing? I won't have a debit card. No way I'm going to have ready access to withdraw from any of my accounts out there at all these merchants. I do buy things over the internet. I have had some not deliver. I make one call and I'm never billed. I know most debit cards say that they will put the money back, but I'd rather that a criminal never be able to take it in the first place. I have no idea what the interest rate is on any of my cards, I've never paid a penny in interest or an annual fee.

I guess it's just a different philosophy with the same end.

 

[Melensdad]

I like my NRA card. I get nothing back, but the NRA does. So every time I buy something from a gun hating corporation like Hewlett Packard, I use the NRA card and a % of the purchase price goes to the NRA to support the organization. Just my little way of helping a cause I believe in.

I also don't carry balances so I don't pay interest.

I have one credit card and one debit card. For business I have an airline credit card, it earns me enough miles to fly first class on most trips I take with the family.