Best Reward / Cash Back Credit Cards

Got a new offer from Wells Fargo for 10 Bonus Pts/$1 on first grocery store purchase, up to 4000 “Go Far” points.

The only card I have from WF is a Propel (Amex) card which is in the socks drawer now.

What’s special about the Keesler 2% card vs all the other 2% cards? I’ve been using the State Department FCU’s 2% card and it seems sufficient.

Our friend shinobi is a collector. It’s not one or the other for him (and many other people here), it’s about adding another tool to the portfolio.

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Agreed. Thank you, glitch99.

I believe in load spreading when same can be accomplished without cost. Running up cards big time and then paying them off fully each month does not always go over well with the CC issuers. Better to go in smaller (i.e., charge less each month) . . . provided again it can be accomplished without extra cost. That way you have a lower profile with each of a larger number of cards.

I have been unable to determine, so far, the percentage size of the Keesler reward. It’s at least 2% I’m nearly certain. But it might be higher than that. I will figure it out eventually . . . . . . I hope. :grinning:

Why would it be higher than that?

Why? I dunno

I will know more in a week or two. For my initial rewards payment it seemed as it they were paying me about 4%. That, of course, is silly. Maybe it was some sort of unadvertised bonus they were awarding me . . . just a one time thing. Again, I dunno.

I need to use the card more to get a precise handle on their rewards algorithm. That requires spending money which is for me, temporarily, something of a challenge. So much more will be known in the fullness of time.

Noted in passing regarding rewards management:

Keesler employs a third party firm to manage their rewards program. This firm, once they have been earned, actually moves your rewards back into your Keesler savings account.

I can report MSD FCU (Merck) also employs the same management firm to run their CC rewards program. I do not as yet have an MSD FCU CC, even though I am a member there. Plan for 2020 is to obtain an MSD FCU CC and explore whether or not MSD CC rewards are as good as they appear to be with Keesler.

Just as a heads up, Freedom Credit Union (FCU) is once again running their $200 bonus deal if you get one of their credit cards.

Nota bene: It’s only a 1% card

So why would anyone want to bother with a 1% CC?

It’s the FCU terms. Among all my credit cards, to include also several I once owned and have lost, Freedom has the least stringent terms relating to earning of rewards. In short: if you spend money on your FCU card you get your reward . . . no questions asked, no BS, and no hassles.

What can I tell you; the card has worked for me, and I’m happy always to get my 1% reward like clockwork. Here is a link to the current $200 deal:

Link to $200 FCU deal

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I believe Keesler had a $100 bonus for spending a certain amount.

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I hereby nominate the Keesler FCU CC as being the best rewards/cash back CC of all time!! :smiley:

They just paid me another $200 in rewards and credits!! They either are the best or they know Christmas is imminent and are wanting to help me celebrate.

Q: So shin, you must have spent a bunch on the card to reap such rewards . . . right?

Absolutely not! I am spending peanuts right now on the Keesler card and on my others, too. I don’t have the dough at this point to go with big time all out spending. Period

But Keesler does not appear to mind. They just keep on sending me money!!

Keesler is the GOAT in everything. They also are offering the best CDs now. Between their CDs and their credit cards, joining Keesler for me has been same as discovering a gold mine! :grinning:

What were the rewards and credits for? This would be useful info.

PS-- Immanent: innate, inborn, intrinsic:

Not to be confused with imminent: about to occur at any moment; impending: in imminent danger

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I belong to Keesler FCU. Just checked to see the rewards/cash back CC you are speaking of here. Could not find this listed! What gives? :rage:

Thank you, Argyll, for correcting me. I’m very grateful and I was unaware of what you taught me. You are the best!

As for the details of my windfall:

It will take me some time to figure it out completely. $100 of what they gave me was NOT a reward. Instead, it was labelled as follows:

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’VE EARNED A REBATE!

This was followed by a sweet $100 account credit, quite unexpected. I had already paid off the account in full, so I telephoned them and requested they move the hundred bucks to my savings. They did. The money will be at Alliant tomorrow :grinning:

The other hundred they paid me (it’s on the way) is a reward that is double what I anticipated. Since I still have not figured out their rewards system, that is about all I have to offer until I do.

The people at Keesler must really like me. They just keep on giving me money!:laughing:

I’m sorry, pattyb53. I should have provided more detail:

Looking at my card, it is labelled as a

Keesler Federal Credit Union Visa Signature

card. I don’t know what other sorts of credit cards Keesler might offer . . . if any. But I can say this Visa Signature card of theirs is a for sure keeper!!

Benefits: Earns 2% cash back or 3 points for every $ spent; plus a $100 credit with $1,500 in purchases within the first 90 days of having the card.

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I use the Citi Double Cash cc. Get 2%, & charge all farm bills, so easy to have $1500 a month. So it would be nice to get that $100 extra. But after the first month that would drop off. So guess I’ll stick to Citi DC card.

I agree. If you already have a 2% everything cashback card, you’d only be doing it for the bonus. And I don’t think it’s worth taking the hit for a hard pull (and +1 churning count vs. 5/24 rule) for $100. There are better opportunities out there.

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If you spend on average more than $1,650 each month, it’s worth having Alliant’s Visa Signature with 2.5% cash back and $99 annual fee instead of a 2% card. With the AF waived and 3% cash back instead of the ongoing 2.5% the 1st year here’s your one-time $200+ (likely way more) right there.

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Thanks olegos.

I’m checking into the Alliant Visa Signature card. I just spoke to a Rep at Alliant CU & it being late on a Friday nite he will get back to me Monday. But this card sounds good except for the $99 annual fee. :wink:

My PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa card has been a good card for me as I qualify for and receive the full 2% reward.

Today received a concerning snail mail from PenFed regarding changes in terms. Front of letter, which they seem to be emphasizing, mentions CA fee being reduced to zero and a change to the late payment fee. Neither of those things is an issue for me. I don’t care.

But when I turned the page over, there on the back found new definitions for “cash-like transactions”. That sort of thing hits several of us in our wheelhouse and any attention given that realm is a concern.

Plan going forward:

Will do a test transaction before putting this card back to work with major charges. Their new language might or might not be a problem. Will have to make a determination following test.

Related note:

I posted up thread about the Freedom Credit Union card. Absence of the sort of “gotcha” language herein referenced is reason I like the FCU card.

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Sears Citi card has stepped up their game … Been getting random 10% cashback offers randomly for the last couple years, but this is pretty unprecedented ( for me at least ) for an existing card. $450 for $2250 in spend over 3 months… No wonder Sears is bankrupt ( multiple times ).

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