Credit Card Reviews

Review: Huntington Voice

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The Huntington Voice Mastercard is an uncommon credit card which lets people choose a category for earning 3% cash back. This can be changed each quarter, and if you don’t change the category, then it remains the same until you decide to change it. The Voice card is similar to the more popular Bank of America Customized Cash Back Rewards. It does have some key differences, which we’ll explore in this review. The versatility of choosing one’s own category can be extremely useful. Especially with almost a dozen options at hand.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 3x points on a chosen category ($2,000 quarterly spending limit)
  • 1x points on everything else

3% eligible categories:

  1. Gas
  2. Travel and Entertainment
  3. Restaurants
  4. Discount and Warehouse Stores
  5. Grocery
  6. Utilities and Office Supply Stores
  7. Electronics, Computer, and Camera Stores
  8. Department Apparel, and Sporting Goods
  9. Auto Part and Service Stores
  10. Home Improvement Stores

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Review: Citi Custom Cash Card

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The Citi Custom Cash Card (CCCC) is a no-fee credit card which gives 5% cash back on your top spending category each month. Citi automatically calculates which category you spend the most in, giving you rewards at the end of each billing cycle. It requires zero effort from the cardholder. The Custom Cash is easier to use than competing cards, and may have higher rewards. It’s versatile enough that almost everyone can get use out of it, although it does depend on one’s spending habits.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • 5% cash back for the first $500 spent each billing cycle in 1 of 10 categories (see below)
  • 1% cash back on everything else

5% eligible categories:

  1. Restaurants/dining
  2. Gas
  3. Grocery stores
  4. “Select travel” (airlines, hotels, cruise lines, travel agencies, etc.)
  5. “Select transit” (car rentals, ferries, trains, taxis, bridge/road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, etc.)
  6. “Select streaming services” (Includes “Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, CBS All Access, Disney+, AT&T TV NOW, ESPN+, fuboTV, HBO Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV, and Tidal.”)
  7. Drugstores/pharmacies
  8. Home improvement stores
  9. Fitness clubs
  10. Live entertainment (concerts, theaters, etc.)

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Credit Card Issuers: Cardless (4+ Cards Reviewed)

Credit Card Reviews, Credit Card Roundups /

Update 2: IMPORTANT! As of August 2022, the below information no longer applies. Cardless gutted every credit card’s earn rates. And they reduced sign-up bonuses to almost nothing. None of these cards are worth getting anymore, unless MAYBE you’re a fan of the below teams. If not: Cardless has zero benefits compared to competitors. Very few people will find these cards useful – many better options exist!

2 out of 5 stars for everything from Cardless.

–

Update 1: As of April 2022, there are now 6 cards, and all of them now have the same sign-up bonus.

Although at first glance the “Cardless” credit cards look like novelties for certain sports teams, they’re surprisingly interesting. The sign-up bonuses and earning structures are reasonable for no-fee cards. Points are a standard $0.01 each as a statement credit. (Slightly more if you get gift cards related to the specific sport team instead.) Even if you don’t care about the team featured on each card, these are worth considering for long-term cash back benefits.

Cardless uses the Mastercard network. “Issued by First Electronic Bank, Member FDIC. Offers subject to credit approval.“ They reportedly use the Experian bureau. We haven’t verified yet if there are special benefits like World Elite status. Cards don’t have any fees. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, no late fees, nothing. Several reports say that Cardless doesn’t allow applications to more than one card. If you’re going to pick one of the below options, choose carefully, because that’ll be the only option for your foreseeable future.

Most of these cards earn cash back on streaming. This might be limited. According to their FAQ: “Purchases on subscription streaming services (including eligible music and video streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu and Disney+.) Some services, such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, ESPN+, Prime Video, AT&T TV and Verizon FIOS On Demand, are excluded, as well as audiobook subscription services & fitness programming.” Some cards have an extra monthly benefit, “$5 towards Peacock Premium after $500 in monthly spend.”

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Review: Capital One SavorOne

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The Capital One SavorOne Rewards Mastercard is a no-fee card which earns unlimited rewards in popular categories. Although it usually isn’t considered the “best” for any single category, few cards have a decent earn rate in 4+ spend categories. This makes the SavorOne worth considering as a general everyday card, especially for grocery spending. Their new Uber partnership is another strong point to consider.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

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Review: Capital One Quicksilver

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The Capital One Quicksilver Rewards Mastercard is a no-fee card which earns unlimited 1.5% cash back rewards on all purchases. It’s simple and easy to use, but is now outclassed by many other credit cards for earning rewards. Banks and fintech startups have created aggressive offerings which make the Quicksilver difficult to justify in someone’s wallet. Dozens of cards earn 2% or more cash back on everything.

Note that 4 different versions of the Quicksilver card exist. In this review, we’re going to cover the “best” one for earning rewards..

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 1.5% cash back on everything else

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Review: Capital One Venture X Visa Infinite

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The Capital One Venture X is a premium card focused on travel and everyday spending. It has an annual fee and it can be difficult to optimize rewards, so it’s not for everyone. Still, Venture X does have plenty of perks, aiming to compete with cards like the Chase Reserve Sapphire. It’s worth a look for anyone who travels at least once or twice a year. And as a general-spending card, it’s much better than the lower-tier Venture and VentureOne cards from Capital One. Venture X is a newer Visa Infinite card and was released in early November 2021.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

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Review: Capital One Venture

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The Capital One Venture is a travel-focused card for everyday spending. The card has an annual fee and it can be difficult to optimize rewards, so it’s not for everyone. The pros and cons take more time to weigh compared with other credit cards. It’s a card which is best for people who aren’t loyal to a particular airline or hotel chain. The added flexibility of transferable miles is generally a good thing. Some people may get plenty of value from the Venture card, but other options are usually better, including the new Capital One Venture X. It’ll require a lot of research and travel know-how to truly maximize the Venture.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee (sometimes waived the first year)
  • Zero foreign transaction fees
  • 5x points on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2x points on everything else
  • $100 Global Entry credit (once every 4 years)
  • Metal card

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Review: PSECU Founder’s Rewards Card

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PSECU Founder’s Rewards (Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union) is a basic cash back credit card for everyday spending. It can earn 2% without any annual fees or foreign transaction fees, which is slightly better than competing cards. The only drawback is that it requires credit union membership, and a free checking account with direct deposit enabled.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 2% cash back on everything (with eligible direct deposits, otherwise 1.5% cash back)

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Review: M1 Finance Owner’s Rewards

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The M1 Finance Owner’s Rewards Visa Signature credit card is a potentially high earner with small hoops to jump through. It earns a lot of cash back in a lot of categories, although the value will vary from person to person. In November 2022, they made some changes which we’ll take into account below.

M1 Finance is a “super app” which combines investing with a checking account and other perks. They aim to be a bank-within-an-app which can potentially replace a traditional banking relationship. This credit card is their latest shot at the traditional financial system.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee (previously waived with M1+ membership – after a free trial, it’s $125 per year)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 10% cash back with 11 companies (must have M1+ membership to unlock this)
  • 5% cash back with 36 other companies (must have M1+ membership to unlock this)
  • 2.5% cash back with 32 other companies (must have M1+ membership to unlock this)
  • 1.5% cash back on everything else (applies to all categories if not part of M1+)
  • Metal card

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Review: Kroger World Elite Mastercard

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The Kroger World Elite Mastercard is a simple and flexible option for everyday spending. It was updated in late 2021 to add more features and cash back benefits. This was a big upgrade, considering how the old version was outclassed by competitors. The main draw of the Kroger card is now its 5% cash back on all mobile wallet purchases. We’ll explore the pros and cons here, since restrictions apply. Also note that different versions of the card exist with Kroger’s various affiliates (“Kroger Family of Companies Rewards Elite Mastercard”).

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 5% cash back on mobile wallet purchases (the first $3,000 spent each year)
  • 3% cash back on dining/gas (the first $6,000 spent each year; feature only available on Kroger Family of Companies variant cards)
  • 2% cash back at Kroger stores
  • 1% cash back on everything else

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