In many cases, there is hope that you can find just one credit card that gives you everything you want in terms of cash-back rewards and more. Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality we live in right now, as you likely need a combination of cards to maximize your cashback benefits across all of your shopping habits.
This is exactly the question one Redditor posed in r/CreditCards about a dream setup for those who want to maximize rewards. Unsurprisingly, the answers varied quite a bit, but there is no question that these Redditors are willing to carry wallets the size of bricks.
The hope is that things like 2.5% cashback will be standard one day, but until there is a one-size-fits-all card, it’s okay to carry more than one card at a time.
Multiple Cards Are Okay
Look, I won’t lie, but I would rather carry around one or two cards that can do “everything ” than a whole wallet full of cards. I’m a minimalist in this regard, but in the comment section on this Reddit post, carrying just one or two cards would be unheard of.
Instead, multiple respondents announced they carry between 5 and 10 cards regularly, with one or two cards as everyday staples. The most common staple card is the US Bank Cash+ card, which offers 5% rotating categories, 2% cash back on a category you choose, and 1% on everything else.
Alongside this card, another popular option is the Fidelity Visa, which has a flat rate of 2% cash back, no annual fees, and comes without any thinking whatsoever. However, another big option is for Merrill customers who have achieved a certain net worth and can qualify for its Bank of America cards with Platinum Honors, where you can get as high as 5.25% on gas, online shopping, streaming services, dining, travel, and other categories.
Mix and Match Rewards
As you look through the comments responding to the original poster’s question, it goes without saying that many Redditors here have a dream vision of what they perceive as the ideal scenario. This doesn’t just include cash-back cards, as many Redditors believe that mixing and matching travel reward cards is also necessary to earn here.
For this argument, they generally lean on hotel cards from Hilton or Marriott that can be used when traveling and not to make all their purchases. Instead, most Redditors agree that they want to focus heavily on cashback and only take advantage of travel rewards when traveling.
Ideally, you should have at least one 5% rotating category card, which could be from US Bank, Discover It, or Chase Freedom Flex. Alongside this, the Chase Amazon card for 5% at both Amazon and Whole Foods is another hugely popular choice.
One great setup would have you focusing on having the Amazon Chase Card for its benefits and the Capital One Savor for unlimited 3% on “food and fun” and 1% cash back on everything else. For a third card, Reddit would throw in the Chase Freedom Flex to spend up to $1,500 per quarter on 5% rotating categories like home improvement stores, gas stations, and more.
A second option for the ideal setup would be to focus on having the Bank of America Premium Rewards, and assuming you qualify for its highest tier, you would get 2.625% cash back on all purchases and 3.5% cashback on any travel or restaurants. Add to this the Chase Freedom or Capital One Quicksilver as a fallback card for 1.5% on all other purchases, and a hotel credit card here and there, and you have another strong option to maximize everyday purchases.
The Best Choice
Choosing just one cash-back card that gives you a flat rate back on everything is the best way forward. The hope is that there will be a credit card one day that does everything we want and more, but competition is fierce in this space, so finding just one card is tricky. Until such a time exists, you might want to consider a flat-rate card of 2%, the best case scenario for most people without any fees or restrictions, and you can see our top picks here: https://a673b.bigscoots-temp.com/go/qs/cc/cashback
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