Question
I have status with Delta and SPG, and have been building up miles with both of these in conjunction with an Amex card. This has worked really well, HOWEVER:
We are planning a wedding and the place that is doing our wedding does NOT take American Express. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding the ideal Visa or MasterCard to pair with SPG/Delta?
Right now I am thinking Continental Mastercard or the Chast Travel Plus card are my best bets, but neither really seems ideal.
Answer
That's a very open ended question, and the only answer to it is, "It depends." What are you looking for? How much do you value miles? Are you looking for a big sign-up bonus too? Is this primarily going to just be for this one time or will you be using it regularly in the future?
One baseline card for these purposes is the Fidelity Visa card. 1.5% cash back. But I might see if your location would be willing to offer a discount for cash payment (say 2-3%) if this is primarily a one-off kind of thing.
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-diners club (MC)
-merrill+ (VI)
-citi premier pass elite (MC)
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Regarding usage, I think I would hold this card and use it when I otherwise couldnt leverage SPG Amex. This means usage would be a bit low as I generally get great distance out of SPG Amex. I guess this qualifies as a one-off then?
In general I guess I am looking for miles that can be combined with what I have on Delta/SPG/Amex.
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im sorry?
diners club has a number of transfer partners.
http://www.dinersclubus.com/dce_content/clubrewardsandbenefits/clubrewards/clubrewardscompared
merrill offers BA transfers, and other redemption options.
premier pass elite uses citi's thank you network, which is good proprietary reward program.
there is also the citi AA MC.
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The answer partially depends on how much money you are talking about spending on it.
Disney Visa sometimes (like right now through June) gives 2% back in the form of credit usable for pretty much any Disney purchase. If you think you'll have kids, that's about as good as money in the bank. It has some other perks, too.
Choice Privileges Visa is good, especially should that be a hotel chain you ever use. Those Choice points can convert into Southwest RR credits at a time of your choosing, should you ever be going for a Southwest Companion Pass. Southwest Visa is worth looking at, too, if you fly them, with extra RR credits for rental cars and Southwest purchases.
If a Discover card will serve, Sam's Club Discover gives 2% cash back after the first $10K in a calendar year. 1.5% back over something like $3000.
I don't think any of these have annual fees, except the Southwest Visa, which gives a couple credits annually on the re-up anniversary.
I think that Merrill+ gives a bonus free DL Crown Room membership with $50K annual spend.
Answer
Regarding usage, I think I would hold this card and use it when I otherwise couldnt leverage SPG Amex. This means usage would be a bit low as I generally get great distance out of SPG Amex. I guess this qualifies as a one-off then?
In general I guess I am looking for miles that can be combined with what I have on Delta/SPG/Amex.
It is the eternal question! Generally Amtrak Guest Rewards card was the best fit, now that it is cancelled and waiting to be reissued. I think the lead contenders are Merill+ , continental, AA Gold MC, Diners.
I have chosen Merill+ because it is fee free and has a low rate for a rewards card...which is important as I am not sure how much i will end up spending finishing these Java & CFA exams!!
PS: That said "awake" seems to be the person to go to regarding such an advice ... he generally is helpful & dead on with recommendations.
Answer
It is the eternal question! Generally Amtrak Guest Rewards card was the best fit, now that it is cancelled and waiting to be reissued. I think the lead contenders are Merill+ , continental, AA Gold MC, Diners.
I have chosen Merill+ because it is fee free and has a low rate for a rewards card...which is important as I am not sure how much i will end up spending finishing these Java & CFA exams!!
PS: That said "awake" seems to be the person to go to regarding such an advice ... he generally is helpful & dead on with recommendations.
If the OP is not going to spend very much on the card, I would choose from the following:
1. Fidelity Visa Signature - 1.5% plus Visa Signature benefits
2. Citi Premier Pass - Up to 2 points per $ plus World MC benefits
3. Citi Professional - Up to 3 points per $
4. Chase Freedom Visa Signature - Up to 3% or points per $ plus Visa Signature benefits
These cards would provide a decent reward rate and some benefits without an annual fee.
An alternative is Merrill+ which provides a good concierge service. However the reward rate is low compared to the cards above. Given the low spending level, the +2 and +3 benefits would not apply.
If the OP is interested in paying for benefits, consider:
a. Diners Club - Primary rental car coverage; flexible rewards
b. Marriott Premier Visa Signature - 1 free night; plus status
Answer
For low-usage, I would aim to maximize the sign-up bonus more than the spending rebate (depending, of course, on how much you need to spend for your wedding). Consider a 20k miles sign up bonus would require $20k in spending just to match that. Citi PremierPass Elite is probably a good choice. I believe the first-year free offer is still working (?) and comes with 15k points (= to at least $150 in GCs), plus you earn 2 TY pts/$ spent assuming you can earn enough flight points. See the many PP Elite threads floating around here for more details.
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looking for miles that can be combined with what I have on Delta/SPG/Amex.
Diners Club is the only Mastercard that can transfer 1:1 to Delta (and to many other airlines). Diners also offers the best redemption rate for Ritz-Carlton award stays, which might make a nice anniversary venue.
Diners requires a $95 annual fee, but this is offset in the first year by 12,000 point bonus earned 1,000 per month with at least one transaction per month. On renewal the fee is negotiable by speaking with Diners retention department. Diners also offers superior insurance and other benefits compared to American Express credit cards, such as SPG or Skymiles.
Bear in mind that Diners is a charge card, the entire balance must be paid in full every month.
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For low-usage, I would aim to maximize the sign-up bonus more than the spending rebate (depending, of course, on how much you need to spend for your wedding). Consider a 20k miles sign up bonus would require $20k in spending just to match that. Citi PremierPass Elite is probably a good choice. I believe the first-year free offer is still working (?) and comes with 15k points (= to at least $150 in GCs), plus you earn 2 TY pts/$ spent assuming you can earn enough flight points. See the many PP Elite threads floating around here for more details.
Citi Professional is currently offering 15,000 bonus points. See the thread that I started for details. This card has no annual fee and up to 3 points per $. This may be a better choice since you don't have to deal with flight points.
Of course, the OP could churn other cards too for bonus points. PP Elite is a good one. Also consider:
Chase Freedom - See the thread for the $250 bonus
Citi AA World MC
etc.
Answer
You might want to try plugging your spending profile into the rewards calculator at:
Credit Card Tune-Up: Discover the Best Credit Card Reward Deals (http://www.creditcardtuneup.com/)
From a pure dollar value of your rewards perspective, that tool will find the best credit card(s) to pair with your AmEX SPG card.