Reward Credit Card options

[Mike_J_Smith]

Hi All,

looking for some advice / experience on reward credit cards.

Currently my wife and I have American Express BA cards and typically spend well over the £20k a year to get a companion flight.

For various reasons this isn’t useful to us as an award anymore, so I’m looking at alternatives that give eg cash back or vouchers etc.

Any suggestions? I don’t mind it having a yearly charge provided the benefits are good and it ideally needs to allow a joint account so we can both spend and accrue award benefits.

Thanks.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

I personally use the AmEx Everyday Cashback card. I guess I don't get as much value as the other rewards cards, but is then cash in hand (well, credit statement), so no restrictions on what it goes towards.

I wonder if Amex will let me convert the card type. That’ll be easier, I won’t have to get another card and hopefully my ridiculously large credit limit would carry over.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

There's the AMEX Cashback card as sudden mentioned. I personally have the Vitality AMEX Card through my health insurance, teamed with an Amazon mastercard for none-AMEX places. I spend a lot at Amazon so the rewards are decent there (works out at 1.5%) - none amazon purchases are not so good for rewards but still get something

AMEX cash back looks ok, 1% would be a few hundred pounds a year. I didn’t realise the Amazon card gave cash back too but possibly I don’t spend enough there to justify another card.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Had the Amex Gold for years and well worth the yearly cost so long as you stay on top of the freebies and cash back etc. Loads of reward points bonuses going atm too which can be used on a load of things including Amazon vouchers which can always be used.

Do you have to actively manage the freebies / cash back? I get quite a lot with current AMEX but rarely check. I know that’s bad! But unlikely to change

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Not really, they all just need saving to card (ie activating). Most get included in email updates, otherwise I tend to hop on once a month to check and activate them. Some are passive too, but not many.

Shop Small which is going on atm is an example of a decent one, others can be hugely lucrative; the best are the 100% cash back ones, such as spend £20, get £20 back. Then you just want to buy gift cards.

Ok great thanks. That gift card idea is a good one! I probably need to put some effort into it

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

I've not seen a decent cashback card for a good few years now. I had an Amex one about 7 years ago, I reckon that was earning a good 4%. Used to make a decent amount of money back on my train tickets.

4% would be epic.

Is there anything other than cash back or specific award cards (eg the airmiles) that I should consider?

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Quidco

Is that similar to TopCashback? Do you have to search for the offers before you spend? It’s a nice idea and I should do it, but know I won’t. Ideally I need automatic savings.

I already have a topcashback account and don’t use it. Come to think about it I think I have a Quidco account too; should look into that really!

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Quidco is great, I've received about £750 cashback over the last few years.
I would imagine it's the same principle as topcashback, but I haven't used that one.

how often do you check for deals? That’s what I can’t work out with cash back sites; it feels like you’d have to spend ages doing it in order to achieve anything worthwhile

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Thanks for the responses.

I’ll take a look at the moneysavingexpert site and the cashback sites and see what clicks. I like the idea of something telling me I can save before I buy.

Sounds like an Amex cashback card used where cashback sites don’t get you more is possibly the way to go.

We spend a lot, but probably not enough in anyone store.

I’m finding I’m using Paypal more and more these days, so someone needs to invent a cashback app for that. Unless it exists already?

actually, that’s a point. If you have a cashback AMEX linked to PayPal, do you earn cashback on that?

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

used to be a great card until they clamped down on churning

What’s churning?

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

there used to be huge sign up bonuses (they are still good put the time periods are longer)

as an example

1st Jan I sign up, get 35k points ish with the min spend

end Jun I refer my wife, I get 9k , she gets 35k , I cancel my card

december she refers me and then cancels, rinse and repeat as as soon as you had been cancelled 6 months you could re apply, the issue is it's now 24 months

Also card is free in first year and you get free airport lounge vouchers


at the same time I was doing the same with the BA and Virgin cards

Ah, crafty! I like it. Can see why they clamped down though

Yes

brucie bonus; that may work out well for me then