Review: PSECU Founder’s Rewards Card

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

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)

…

Review: PSECU Founder’s Rewards CardRead More »

The Top 5+ No-Fee Credit Cards For Streaming

Credit Card Roundups /

Streaming is a category that’s growing in popularity, although it isn’t as important as other categories. Most people probably spend $30-40 monthly on a couple of streaming services. If you’re spending $50-100 every month on streaming, you’re probably oversubscribed; consider cutting down on your subscriptions. Streaming is typically a low-ROI activity as it is.

Remember that bonus offers and free trials exist for most services on a limited basis. Existing credit cards may give small discounts for new subscribers. As another example, Discovery+ can be free via Verizon, and Amazon Prime members can get Showtime for $5 per month for 6 months. Check deal sites before signing up for a new streaming service. A free or discounted introductory period is likely available.

Note: Credit card issuers have different definitions for “streaming” eligibility. The top cards might not be the best cards for you. Check your subscription(s) against each card’s list of eligible categories.

 

…

The Top 5+ No-Fee Credit Cards For StreamingRead More »

Review: M1 Finance Owner’s Rewards

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

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

…

Review: M1 Finance Owner’s RewardsRead More »

Discover Releases 2022 Categories For 5% Cash Back

News /

Discover released their cash back calendar for 2022. Anyone who has the Discover It Cash Back can get 5% cash back on the following categories, up to $1,500 spent each quarter ($6,000 annual limit). You do have to “activate” the bonus earnings ahead of time but it’s a simple process. Only takes a couple seconds, four times per year.

Q1 (January, February, March)

  • Grocery Stores
  • Fitness Clubs
  • Gym Memberships

Alternative cards: Click here for our list of the best grocery credit cards. For fitness clubs and gym memberships, the next best card could be the Venmo Visa. Cash back earnings may depend on where you go, since Venmo won’t classify all gyms as eligible for 3% cash back. The best option is to use Discover It to buy an annual gym membership. Depending on where you live, that’s probably $300-500 toward the $1,500 quarterly spending limit. This is a valuable category since zero cards give 5+% cash back at clubs/gyms, and everyone should have a gym membership of some kind.

Q2 (April, May, June)

  • Gas Stations
  • Target

Alternative cards: Click here for our list of the best gas credit cards. At Target, people with the Target Red Card already get 5% off, although Discover can be slightly better.

Q3 (July, August, September)

  • Restaurants and Dining
  • PayPal

Alternative cards: Click here for our list of the best restaurant credit cards. For Paypal, any everyday card is the next best thing. There aren’t any cards which earn 5% back at Paypal year-round.

Q4 (October, November, December)

  • Amazon.com
  • Digital Wallets

Alternative cards: If you have Amazon Prime, the Chase Amazon card gives 5% cash back at Amazon. There are a few options overall for Amazon spend. Then for digital wallet purchases, the closest alternative is the Kroger Mastercard or U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve.

 

Categories in recent years

2019 & 2020
Q1 Jan-March: Grocery stores
Q2 April-June: Gas stations, Uber/Lyft
Q3 July-Sept: Restaurants, Paypal
Q4 Oct-Dec: Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com

2021
Q1 Jan-March: Grocery stores, Walgreens, CVS
Q2 April-June: Gas stations, Wholesale Clubs, Streaming Services
Q3 July-Sept: Restaurants, Paypal
Q4 Oct-Dec: Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com

Review: Kroger World Elite Mastercard

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

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

…

Review: Kroger World Elite MastercardRead More »

Review: American Express Blue Cash Preferred

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred (AMEX BCP) credit card is a mid-tier card for groceries, streaming, and getting around. It can be a decent card for everyday use, and/or a complement for premium cards like the American Express Platinum. The annual fee can effectively pay for itself over time, depending on your spending habits, although other options might be better.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee (usually waived the first year)
  • 2.7% foreign transaction fee
  • 6% cash back on groceries (up to $6,000 in annual spending, then 1% back)
  • 6% cash back on select streaming
  • 3% cash back on transit
  • 3% cash back on gas
  • 1% cash back on everything else
  • AMEX Offers

…

Review: American Express Blue Cash PreferredRead More »

New Features And Bonuses For Chase Southwest Credit Cards

News /

Chase Southwest credit cards received a bunch of positive changes, including increases to the sign-up bonus and referral bonuses. All 3 personal cards now have the same welcome bonus: “Earn 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn an additional 50,000 points after you spend $12,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening” Offer expires 12/1/2021. At this time, 100k points is the highest-ever bonus for Southwest credit cards.

Link to Press Release

Chase has a handy comparison chart to check all the details of each card. Note that all of the options have an annual fee (not waived the first year). And as always, Chase’s 5/24 rule applies.

…

New Features And Bonuses For Chase Southwest Credit CardsRead More »

Review: PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa Signature is one of the best travel cards. Although this card technically has an annual fee, it’s so easy to avoid, Pathfinder should be considered a no-fee card. It includes essential benefits plus a variety of credits to make the card a continuous net positive.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee ($95 if you’re not a PenFed Honors Advantage Member)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 4x points on travel (3x if you’re not a PenFed Honors Advantage Member)
  • 1.5x points on everything else
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)

…

Review: PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa SignatureRead More »

Review: USAlliance Financial Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The USAlliance Financial Visa Signature card is a general-use no-fee credit card. It isn’t that popular since most people haven’t heard of the USAlliance Credit Union, but it’s a high earner worth looking into. Its simple cash back structure is attractive for both maximalists and minimalists. It’s loaded with Visa Signature perks as well.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 1% foreign transaction fee
  • 3x points on everything (until 12/31/22, then 2x points on everything as of 1/1/23)

…

Review: USAlliance Financial Visa SignatureRead More »

Review: Venmo Visa

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Venmo Visa card is an interesting take on the typical 3/2/1 credit card structure. You automatically earn 3% cash back on your eligible top spend category, and 2% on the next highest. The category resets each month, so you can always get 3% cash back wherever you spend the most money. With 8 categories to earn from, most people can effectively use this credit card.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 3% cash back on your top spending category for each month
  • 2% cash back on your second-highest spending category for each month
  • 1% cash back on everything else

Eligible spending categories:

  1. Transportation
    • “Ground transportation such as rental cars, taxicabs, ride share merchants, limousines, bus lines and passenger railways. This category also includes tolls, parking meters and parking garage fees.”
  2. Travel
    • “Airlines, hotels, motels and resorts. This category may include bed and breakfast establishments, resorts, cabins, cottages, hostels, timeshares, short-term property rentals less than 30 days in length, and local inns.“
  3. Grocery (including wholesale clubs)
  4. Entertainment
    • “Movie theaters, theatrical and concert promoters, video rental and game stores, books and newsstands, amusement parks, music stores, and toy and hobby stores.”
  5. Dining and Nightlife (restaurants and bars)
  6. Bills and Utilities
    • “Telecommunications, internet service providers, ongoing delivery of television/radio/streaming content on a subscription or fee basis, subscription products or services (such as magazine/newspaper subscriptions), electric or gas power, water supply, and refuse disposal or other utility services.”
  7. Health and Beauty
    • “Drug stores and pharmacies… and cosmetic stores that sell beauty products. This category also includes sports and recreation facilities that require membership such as health clubs, tennis, golf and swimming clubs.”
  8. Gas

…

Review: Venmo VisaRead More »