Did you hear the title in Samuel Jackson’s voice? Joking aside, there are tons of cards with good perks these days, so it takes some stand-out benefits to make it into my wallet. In this post, I’ll highlight the different cards I carry with me, their most valuable perks, and the real cost of owning one.
Cards I Always Carry With Me
Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Benefits: 3x Ultimate Reward points on travel and dining, 10x on Lyft, 1x on all other spend, $300 annual travel credit, $100 Global Entry fee waiver, Priority Pass membership, and no foreign transaction fees. New: Free Dashpass subscription for two years + $60 annual DoorDash credit. Free subscription to Lyft Pink (15% Lyft rides).
- Annual Fee: $550, first year not waived
- Why I love this card: Travel and dining are two of my largest expenses. Earning 3x Ultimate Rewards points on every purchase in these category goes a long way since UR points are one of the most valuable point currencies. The Global Entry waiver is also clutch for anyone who doesn’t already have TSA Pre-check. Nothing beats walking through airport security in less than 30 seconds! This is also my go-to card for international travel as Visa is accepted almost anywhere and no foreign transaction fees saves me from accumulating hefty fees.
- Real Cost: $550 AF – $300 travel credit = $250 annually.
- Currently, the top offer for this card is 50,000 UR points after $4,000 spend in the first three months, which conservatively equals $750 redeemed towards travel. You’ll always come out on top in the first year and will continue to do so as long as you spend enough in the bonus categories to offset the $150 effective AF.
- Benefits: 5x Membership Reward points on airfare when booked directly with airlines or hotels booked via amextravel.com, 1x on everything else, $200 annual travel credit, $100 Global Entry fee waiver, Priority Pass membership, no foreign transaction fees, hotel status with Hilton and SPG, $200 annual Uber credit, access to Centurion Lounge at select airports.
- Annual Fee: $550, first year not waived
- Why I love this card: The laundry list of benefits is impressive! For prolific travelers based in hubs with access to a Centurion Lounge (full list of locations), this card is a must have. Having access to premium lounges is a travel game changer and makes the airport experience immensely more enjoyable. I use the annual travel credit on future travel by purchasing airline gift cards and the Uber credit is valuable to me. Having Hilton and SPG/Marriott status is also useful for upgrades to better rooms, breakfast benefits, and overall better service at these hotels.
- Real Cost: $550 AF – $200 travel credit – $200 Uber credit = $150 annually.
- Currently, the top offer for this card is 60,000 Membership Rewards points after $5,000 spend in the first three months. Some users have reported success qualifying for a 100,000 point bonus via the CardMatch tool.
- Pro-tip: Apply for this card in December, so you can “triple dip” the annual airline credit. This credit is provided on a calendar year basis, so you can receive it in: December this year, January next year, and January the year after. Amex allows you to receive a refund on cancellations of the card within 30 days, so you’d be able to get the 3rd year credit and still receive a full refund of the $550 AF.
- Benefits: 2x points on all spend
- Annual Fee: $0
- Why I love this card: 2% back on everything is tough to beat. I use this for all non-category spend not covered by the cards above. Redeem for statement credit or a physical check.
- Real Cost: $0
- There is no public bonus for this card. You can apply now via Citi’s website.
- Benefits: 5% cash back on rotating categories, 1x on everything else
- Annual Fee: $0
- Why I love this card: 5x on rotating categories up to $1,500 per quarter has strong earning potential. When paired with a premium Chase card such as the Preferred or Reserve, points earned via the Freedom will be converted to Ultimate Reward points eligible to be redeemed towards travel.
- Real Cost: $0
- Bonus: $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first three months. You can apply now via Chase’s website.
- Benefits: 1.5% cash back on rotating categories
- Annual Fee: $0
- Why I love this card: When paired with a premium Chase card such as the Preferred or Reserve, points earned via the Freedom will be converted to Ultimate Reward points eligible to be redeemed towards travel, so effectively earns 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points.
- Real Cost: $0
- Bonus: $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first three months. You can apply now via Chase’s website.
Sign-up Bonuses I’m Working On
Chase Ink Preferred Business Card
- Benefits: Earn 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $5,000 spend in 3 months. 3x per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories. Does not count as one of your 5/24 slots.
- Annual Fee: $95
- Why I love this card: That bonus, though! 80,000 points is arguably one of the best sign-up bonuses in the game right now. When redeemed through the Chase travel portal, that’s worth at least $1,000 in travel redemptions. When paired with the CSR, which earns 1.5cpp in the Chase Travel Portal, 80,000 points becomes $1,200. Not bad!
- Real Cost: $95
- I don’t plan to keep this card open after a year. I’ll either downgrade or cancel.
Cards I Keep Open
Besides from the four cards I always keep in my wallet, I also keep many cards past their renewal dates for their specific perks or annual membership reward. Again, for these cards, I evaluate if their benefits outweigh the cost of annual membership. Here are my top “sock drawer cards” in table format.
| Credit Card | Benefits | Annual Fee | Pros & Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase World of Hyatt |
| $95 |
|
| IHG Rewards Club Premier |
| $89 |
|
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