My precious… Points: How I wield 9 cards like the rings of power

As you may have noticed, I’ve been using ChatGPT to generate the images for these posts. This week’s AI owl with its intense stare and what I can only assume is a Smart hoodie felt particularly appropriate given the title. Powerful. Wise. Possibly eligible for 6% cashback on groceries.

Anyone who knows me is very much aware of the fact that I seem to have a credit card for every occasion. I’ll rifle through my stack of cards in my Fidelo wallet to find just the right one to use (often causing the waiter or sales associate to wait patiently for me to pay).

I don’t know what initially got me started on this journey but I now have 9 credit cards and I’ll walk through each of them. Please note, I am not promoting any of these cards and the card info may not be complete or up to date. I am just sharing how I use them in my everyday life to maximize the cash back or rewards. I encourage you to visit the official websites for information if any of these interest you.

• 1) Amex Blue Cash Preferred

  • 6% on groceries

  • 6% on select streaming subscriptions

  • 3% on transit (taxis, rideshares, parking, tolls, trains, buses, etc)

  • $95 annual fee after the first year

• 2) Costco Anywhere Visa Credit Card by Citi

  • 5% on gas at Costco

  • 4% on eligible gas and electric EV charging

  • 3% on restaurants, eligible travel, and Costco Travel

  • 2% on purchases at Costco

  • 1% on all other purchases

• 3) PayPal Credit

  • No Interest if paid in full in 6 months for purchases of $149 or more

• 4) Apple Card

  • 3% on Apple products and select merchants

  • 2% on purchases using Apple Pay

  • 1% on cash when using Apple Card or VCN online

• 5) Capital One VentureX

  • 2x miles on all purchases

  • 10x miles on Capital One Travel

  • $395 annual fee

  • $300 travel credit every year

  • 10,000 miles every year

• 6) Chase Freedom Unlimited

  • 5% on travel through Chase

  • 3% on dining

  • 3% on drug store purchases

• 7) Amazon Prime Store Card

  • 5% on purchases at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market

  • Promotional Financing

• 8) Best Buy Credit Card

  • 5% back or flexible financing options

• 9) Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards

  • 3% on selected category (mine is Online Shopping)

  • 2% on groceries and wholesale clubs

  • 1% on all other purchases

TL;DR — Here are the categories of purchases I have and what cards I use for them:

• Groceries - Amex Blue Cash Preferred - 6%

• Gas - Costco Anywhere Visa Card - 5%

• Transit - Amex Blue Cash Preferred - 3%

• Flights, Hotels, Rental Cards - Capital One VentureX - 5-10%

• Online Shopping - Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards - 3%

• Dining - Chase Freedom Unlimited or Costco Anywhere Visa Card - 3%

• Amazon.com purchases - Amazon Store Card - 5%

• Best Buy purchases - Best Buy Credit Card - 5%

• Apple purchases - Apple Card - 3%

• Large purchases to pay over time - PayPal

• Everything else - Capital One VentureX - 2%

Managing 9 cards isn’t for everyone. It takes time, attention, and the occasional spreadsheet. But for someone like me, who enjoys optimizing rewards, it’s oddly satisfying to see the cash back pile up. Maybe I’ll use the cash back I get to do something Lord of the Rings related? Stay tuned for more!

If you’d rather keep things simple, a good flat-rate card can still offer solid returns without the juggling act. Whether you carry One Card to rule them all or nine rings of financial power, what matters is using them with intention. Just maybe don’t keep the waiter waiting too long.