Best Credit Card for Rewards

[CruisinCouple5414]

Hello All!

 

I currently have the Royal Caribbean Visa from BOA and feel as though there has got to be some better options for quicker points/rewards.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or cards you use?

 

Thanks in advance.

[LMaxwell]

Nerdwallet.com to compare. Royal BOA card isn't so great for a travel card.

[masonpips]

We have the RCCL Visa as well. We use it only for cruising and take advantage of things like the "triple point deal" (December of last year) if possible.

 

Everything else we put on Capital One - Venture - double points on everything. We'll be flying to London next summer for our Explorer cruise (for 4) on points. You simply buy the tickets on whatever airline you want and "erase" the purchase afterwards. So you get double points for using the credit card for the free tickets too.

 

Unfortunately for them, we pay it off each month. That's not why they are in business. But it works for us :D

[CruisinQueen2013]

We have the Venture card too and like using it if we know we'll be traveling. For everyday purchases, I prefer a cash back card so we use Capital One Quick Silver. You get 1.5% cash back on every purchase plus a $100 bonus if you spend I think like $500 in the first 3 months. They also don't have any earnings limits like some cards. That way, I can either save up my cash rewards and use on a trip (like I am for our NOS cruise in March) or use anytime.

[FLACRUISER99]

I just changed from the BOA card to a Barclaycard arrival + with no foreign transaction fees. http://www.barclaycardarrival.com/arrival-plus/?campaignId=2043&cellNumber=9&referrerid=BCSBA1014HPG

[Kathie13]

I just did the same as FLACRUISER99! Double points and if you time it just so, you get $400 when you spend $3000 in 1st 3 months. I am using it to pay off cruise in March & use the $ for OBC & hotel the precruise. It also has the chip in it for international traveling.

 

 

Kathie

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[LuckyStar]

We have an AMEX Blue cash that is terrific. No annual fee and cash back that I can use on any airline or cruise company. I'm not limited in my choices. It is accepted most everywhere. I have very few problems with finding vendors who take AMEX. But I have an Amazon Visa just in case since I AM addicted to Amazon.

[jules815]

Chase Sapphire Preferred.

[Aquahound]

I currently have the Royal Caribbean Visa from BOA and feel as though there has got to be some better options for quicker points/rewards.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or cards you use?

 

Changing from my RCI BOA to a real travel card was one of the smartest decisions I ever made, and I wish I did it sooner. I have the Amex Gold Premier Rewards Card and I love it. I can't rmemeber the last time I actually paid for a flight or a hotel. There are better cards out there, so do your research. Barclays and Chase have good cards.

[CookieDiva]

Citibank's Double Cash Back card. No annual fee. 1% when you purchase, 1% when you pay your bill.

[iuki]

We use the RCCL VISA to pay for cruises and as the default card onboard. However, for other purchases we use AAA VISA card for cash back rewards. Both cards are issued by BOFA.

 

Just as an FYI, when I made the last two payments on our credit cards, they now state before authorizing the scheduled payment, to be sure the money is in your account a few days BEFORE the scheduled payment date in case they withdraw the money before the scheduled payment date. :eek: So, if you get paid on the 15th of the month and on the 5th of the month you go online to schedule the payment date to be on the due date of the 16th, and BOFA decided to process the payment on the 14th and you have insufficient funds on the 14th, you are charged for insufficient funds. I always schedule payments in advance before I go on any vacation, like many others do.

 

Therefore: With BOFA credit cards, do not schedule your payment online in advance unless you are sure you have funds to cover the payment a few days before the scheduled payment due date.

[helixair6]

We will be heading out on the Allure in November. Back in May, I signed myself and my wife up for the Barclay's arrival card. It does have a $75 annual fee, but it is waived for the first year.

 

As a couple posters above have mentioned, you get $400 worth of miles (redeemable for travel reimbursements) after you spend $3000 in the first 3 months... Which actually is $460 (because you get 6000 points from spending the $3000)... On top of the bonuses, once you reimburse your points for travel, you get 10% points back so getting the sign up bonus is equivalent to to $460 +$46, for a total of $506... I believe the 10% back goes down to 5% in November though...

 

Since June, my wife and I accumulated enough points on the two cards to book (and reimburse ourselves for) all of our drink packages (1 Ultimate, 1 Replenish) and excursions for the cruise, transportation two/from airport and port... With a few hundred dollars of onboard credit, we are good to go for that week (all thanks to a couple credit cards)

[BillOh]

We use the RCCL VISA to pay for cruises and as the default card onboard. However, for other purchases we use AAA VISA card for cash back rewards. Both cards are issued by BOFA.

 

Just as an FYI, when I made the last two payments on our credit cards, they now state before authorizing the scheduled payment, to be sure the money is in your account a few days BEFORE the scheduled payment date in case they withdraw the money before the scheduled payment date. :eek: So, if you get paid on the 15th of the month and on the 5th of the month you go online to schedule the payment date to be on the due date of the 16th, and BOFA decided to process the payment on the 14th and you have insufficient funds on the 14th, you are charged for insufficient funds. I always schedule payments in advance before I go on any vacation, like many others do.

 

Therefore: With BOFA credit cards, do not schedule your payment online in advance unless you are sure you have funds to cover the payment a few days before the scheduled payment due date.

 

That is good information to pass on. I just had a similar thing happen, not with my credit card, but my car payment thought Capital One. I set up automatic transfers from my saving account for the 13th, knowing I got paid on the 11th, but they took the money out on the 11th right before my pay went in! Expensive mistake.

[RocketMan275]

The Sams Club Master Card works well for many purchases. It's a cash back card. 5% on gasoline, 3% on travel including cruises, and 1% on all else. We use a quick silver card for the "all else".

 

The two best things about a cash back card are these:

-cash can be combined with any offer or promotion.

-cash can be used on any cruise line.

[FlyerTalker]

Everything else we put on Capital One - Venture - double points on everything. We'll be flying to London next summer for our Explorer cruise (for 4) on points. You simply buy the tickets on whatever airline you want and "erase" the purchase afterwards. So you get double points for using the credit card for the free tickets too.

The "double points" is a marketing trick. Most airline program points get values of appx two cents per mile or more. CapOne values their points at a penny a point. Thus, they say "double points" and you think that you are getting a great deal - but it's only bringing it back towards the standard value of "miles".

[FlyerTalker]

Citibank's Double Cash Back card. No annual fee. 1% when you purchase, 1% when you pay your bill.

Which is the same as a 2% return at one time....only they make it seem like a bonus deal. Also, for those who keep a balance, you actually help them by deferring what they have to give you for the second 1%.

[FlyerTalker]

In the FF world, some of the best cards out there for regular use include the Starwood AMEX, Chase Sapphire and AMEX Membership Rewards. I personally use the Starwood card, but get no referral benefit.

 

However, there are many times when a card is good to get for the bonuses and NOT for regular spend.

 

Places to read to get good information include View from the Wing, The Frequent Miler, The Points Guy, Frugal Travel Guy and Million Mile Secrets. Any internet search will find the URLs.

[CookieDiva]

Which is the same as a 2% return

 

Exactly. I don't know that there are many (if any) cards where you get 2% back in cash - which can be used anywhere for anything. Ours is going towards our cruise. [emoji106]🏻

[Flatbush Flyer]

We live in a United main hub area -SFO. Because our pre-retirement air travel for work favored United and Star Alliance routes, we have chosen the United Explorer Visa for its numerous United/Star Alliance benefits and travel protection add-ons. Just charge anything and everything to it and pay it off every month.

[montekat]

Citibank's Double Cash Back card. No annual fee. 1% when you purchase, 1% when you pay your bill.

I just switched to the Citibank's double Cash Back card also, after doing alot of research. I have had the RCCL BofA card for several years but decided I could do better. I now have 60,000 pts. to redeem for $600 on a cruise. If I had had the 2% back card, I would have had about 110,000 pts. by now, or $1,100.

 

I always pay my card off as soon as I get the bill. No way am I paying anything extra!

Edited September 2, 2015 by montekat

[CaveDiving]

I have found the best travel card to be the Chase Bank Visa card offered in conjunction with AARP. The card rebates 3% in cash for all "travel" expenses with no limit and has no annual fee.

 

It covers all cruising and airlines.

 

Scott & Karen

[TheMiz]

We use the RCCL VISA to pay for cruises and as the default card onboard. However, for other purchases we use AAA VISA card for cash back rewards. Both cards are issued by BOFA.

 

Therefore: With BOFA credit cards, do not schedule your payment online in advance unless you are sure you have funds to cover the payment a few days before the scheduled payment due date.

 

I know this is an old thread but I have a question regarding AAA Visa cards

You stated you use your RCCL B of A Visa to get double points on your cruise but the AAA offers 3 points per dollar spent. Do I have this correct?

[navybankerteacher]

I find that using an airline-linked card is preferable - we fly American, Delta and Jet Blue almost exclusively - at least one of them is going where we want to go. Using the right card gives cash discount when buying tickets, usually double miles, plus miscellaneous other benefits.

[TheMiz]

I find that using an airline-linked card is preferable - we fly American, Delta and Jet Blue almost exclusively - at least one of them is going where we want to go. Using the right card gives cash discount when buying tickets, usually double miles, plus miscellaneous other benefits.

 

 

 

This doesn't appear to be bad, I was hoping someone might have used the

AAA Visa in the past, I never knew there was one.

 

The Fine Line :

 

Earn 3 Points: Earn 3 points (consisting of 2 bonus points and 1 base point) for every dollar of Purchases made with the card through any participating AAA Club, when AAA is the merchant of record or at eligible retail travel merchants. Eligible travel merchants include: (a) Airlines (individual major airline carriers, Airlines/Air Carriers); (b) Car Rental Agencies (individual major agencies and Automobile Rental Agencies); © Hotels, Motels, Inns and Resorts (individual major hotel/motel chains and Hotels/Motels/Resorts); (d) Steamship/Cruise Lines; (e) Travel Agencies and (f) Rail Transactions (representing Commuter Transport/Ferries & Passenger Railways).

 

 

 

There is a 2% • Foreign Transaction Fee

 

The B of A RCL Visa has the 3% Foreign Transaction fee

 

BTW both cards are Bank of America issued

Edited June 10, 2016 by TheMiz

[marco]

Someone with a bit more expertise regarding airline cards might want to chime in, but there was a piece on the Today show a week or so ago that mentioned that some airlines have and/or will change how they compute reward miles from how many miles flown to how much you paid for the ticket. If you're able to take advantage of the lowest fares, it might be more advantageous to switch cards that offer alternative perks.