Which credit card do you use the most?

@rpk or anyone else with spg, anyone try dining at Pinot Provence inside SCP Westin?  No corkage, decent reviews, and you get extra spg points
 
I totally agree with you the Visa Black is no Amex Centurian.

I have another comparison the Visa Black is like a loaded motorcourt Mcmansion home and the Centurian is the SFR with the garage at the back with its own motorcourt.

zovall said:
rkp said:
you are kidding right.  the visa black card is like having the nicest hyundai and thinking you are in the same company as the nicest BMWs or benzs. 

paying an annual fee doesnt get you status...many folks can get a visa black but to get a centurion card, you have to be invited.  wave that in front of people and you will get the status you seek so badly.  the reason people run over to you is because they are fooled by your visa black....

IHS, usually I get what you are saying but this time I'm not so sure.  It is very cool that you are buddies with the owner of the Visa Black Card.  But rkp has it right that people are fooled into thinking it is the Amex Centurion.  Same people who might confuse
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with

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Eh.. what do I know.. I'm much more likely to buy a Hyundai than use a Visa Black card.  ;)
 
ps9 said:
@rpk or anyone else with spg, anyone try dining at Pinot Provence inside SCP Westin?  No corkage, decent reviews, and you get extra spg points

i have not eaten their but you bring up a good reminder...enjoy the restaurants at starwood properties for triple starpoints per dollar.  when i was a point junkie, i made sure my customer dinners were at hotel restaurants
 
I'm looking for a backup reward/cash back card to my AMEX. I frequent too many small Asian stores that refuse to pay AMEX fees. Any suggestions on the best VISA or MC card? I don't want to pay any annual fees and I rarely travel.
 
iacrenter said:
I'm looking for a backup reward/cash back card to my AMEX. I frequent too many small Asian stores that refuse to pay AMEX fees. Any suggestions on the best VISA or MC card? I don't want to pay any annual fees and I rarely travel.
Either the Capital One Cash Rewards card for the Chase Cash Rewards card.

Edit - besides the two cards above I also use the PenFed Cash Rewards card for all gas purchases because they offer a 5% rebate.
 
USCTrojanCPA said:
iacrenter said:
I'm looking for a backup reward/cash back card to my AMEX. I frequent too many small Asian stores that refuse to pay AMEX fees. Any suggestions on the best VISA or MC card? I don't want to pay any annual fees and I rarely travel.
Either the Capital One Cash Rewards card for the Chase Cash Rewards card.

Edit - besides the two cards above I also use the PenFed Cash Rewards card for all gas purchases because they offer a 5% rebate.

LOL! Gotta have the that 5% back on gas given how poor your mileage is with your ///M.
 
iacrenter said:
USCTrojanCPA said:
iacrenter said:
I'm looking for a backup reward/cash back card to my AMEX. I frequent too many small Asian stores that refuse to pay AMEX fees. Any suggestions on the best VISA or MC card? I don't want to pay any annual fees and I rarely travel.
Either the Capital One Cash Rewards card for the Chase Cash Rewards card.

Edit - besides the two cards above I also use the PenFed Cash Rewards card for all gas purchases because they offer a 5% rebate.

LOL! Gotta have the that 5% back on gas given how poor your mileage is with your ///M.
Don't remind me....I get about 15-16 mpg (although not that much worse from the E46 M which got about 18-19mpg).  I spend about $200 to $250 on gas a month so the PenFed card does come in handy.
 
I was thinking about this... is it better to get a card with a good air miles program or a better hotel program?

Seems like it's harder to get a deal on flights than it is on lodging (for a family of four)... but then again, you don't always need flights (as in driving vacations).
 
airline miles suck.  i travel a ton for work and have tons of miles but never seem to be able to use them.  unless you are fully flexible and dont mind odd routes, airline miles are much harder to redeem than hotel points

plus with a card like starwood, you can always convert the hotel points to miles for free and even get a bonus of 5000 miles if you transfer 20K points:http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/starpoints/transfer/airline_partner_list.html

that way, you can find the exact flight you want and then get the points over

i know i sound like a starwood card sales rep but it really is one of the best cards out there.  flyertalk is full of threads about this card and the value. 
 
It also has been my experience that it's harder to deal with redeeming air miles... and you also need that minimum lead time and they will usually only give you a set dollar amount limit on the flight... just wondering if some of those double mile programs like Capital One has can be converted to lodging points instead.

It does sound like the SPG card is something we should get, we could have racked up some points when we stayed at the Westin Maui. :(
 
rkp said:
airline miles suck.  i travel a ton for work and have tons of miles but never seem to be able to use them.  unless you are fully flexible and dont mind odd routes, airline miles are much harder to redeem than hotel points

plus with a card like starwood, you can always convert the hotel points to miles for free and even get a bonus of 5000 miles if you transfer 20K points:http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/starpoints/transfer/airline_partner_list.html

that way, you can find the exact flight you want and then get the points over

i know i sound like a starwood card sales rep but it really is one of the best cards out there.  flyertalk is full of threads about this card and the value. 

i second RKPs comments.  we use our starwood amex for everything and now dont have to really pay for hotel stays anymore.
 
Capital one Spark card gives me 2% rebate on everything thats purchased, there are cards that give you 5% for food/dining on a consistent basis, there are cards that do 5% for fuel purchase on a consistent purchase... and of course, the Amex SPG card. If you stack your cards right, you'll always be getting some sort of discount. Lately I haven't been too fond of getting cash backs because my accountant is making me put them on the tax return essentially cutting cash back by 30%, so I've been putting mostly everything on the SPG card and gifting points to family members who cannot expense their hotel rooms and stuff.
 
buylowsellhigh said:
Capital one Spark card gives me 2% rebate on everything thats purchased, there are cards that give you 5% for food/dining on a consistent basis, there are cards that do 5% for fuel purchase on a consistent purchase... and of course, the Amex SPG card. If you stack your cards right, you'll always be getting some sort of discount. Lately I haven't been too fond of getting cash backs because my accountant is making me put them on the tax return essentially cutting cash back by 30%, so I've been putting mostly everything on the SPG card and gifting points to family members who cannot expense their hotel rooms and stuff.
Unless the credit card sends you a 1099, there is no reason you need to put the cash back on your tax return.
 
I always wonder why the govt has not taxed this part of our finances.  If they can tax our measly 1% savings account, why wouldn't they go after my annual $500 rebate from AMEX? 
 
ps9 said:
I always wonder why the govt has not taxed this part of our finances.  If they can tax our measly 1% savings account, why wouldn't they go after my annual $500 rebate from AMEX?

I'm not an accountant, but I think it' because it is a rebate. And rebates are usually not taxable.
 
sega said:
ps9 said:
I always wonder why the govt has not taxed this part of our finances.  If they can tax our measly 1% savings account, why wouldn't they go after my annual $500 rebate from AMEX?

I'm not an accountant, but I think it' because it is a rebate. And rebates are usually not taxable.
Sounds right to me hence why commission rebates are not taxable either.  ;)
 
USCTrojanCPA said:
sega said:
ps9 said:
I always wonder why the govt has not taxed this part of our finances.  If they can tax our measly 1% savings account, why wouldn't they go after my annual $500 rebate from AMEX?

I'm not an accountant, but I think it' because it is a rebate. And rebates are usually not taxable.
Sounds right to me hence why commission rebates are not taxable either.  ;)

i am an accountant - the rebate is not income, just a return of money you already paid them and therefore not taxable as mentioned by PS9. the same goes for USCTrojans commission rebate that he gives his customers. The origin of the commission rebate is borrowed money (you are paying it back to the bank), not income and therefore not taxable
 
qwerty said:
i am an accountant - the rebate is not income, just a return of money you already paid them and therefore not taxable as mentioned by PS9. the same goes for USCTrojans commission rebate that he gives his customers. The origin of the commission rebate is borrowed money (you are paying it back to the bank), not income and therefore not taxable
Bleh... the realtor I had *before* Scott 1099'ed me for my "rebate".
 
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