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Someone Asked Me “What’s the Best Credit Card?” Here’s How I Responded

Chris Carley by Chris Carley
June 17, 2021
in Credit Cards
4
What is the best credit card?
Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc. has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Eye of the Flyer and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.


My wife and I met some new friends last week during a neighbor’s backyard get-together. We’ll call them “Jack” and “Jill.” (We want to protect the innocent, after all. 🙂 )

Jack asked me a question I’m often posed in radio interviews, emails, text messages, meetings and appointments, and casual conversations:

“What’s the best credit card to get?”

It’s a great question. (Plus, I love discussing points, miles, credit cards, and travel!)

But answering it is rather difficult because (as I always say) everyone’s budgets, spending habits, travel goals, and travel needs are different.

This is sort of like, “What’s the best car?”

For example, I’m a Toyota Highlander guy: it works well for my family’s needs and our budget. Plus, I’m about the size of a football lineman. So it’s very comfortable for me. But someone else may say that a Porsche 911 or BMW Z4 is better. If they’re into sports cars and don’t have to transport a family (and all the strollers, bags, and everything else associated with that), then those cars are better for them. Neither of us are wrong. It’s all subjective.

See what I mean?

So here’s how we drilled it down for Jack and Jill.

First, she admitted she sometimes uses a debit card for some purchased. (She winced and said, “I know, I know!”) But she also occasionally pays with a Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

I asked her a few questions about rewards interests them.

What are the best credit cards for grocery shopping?
(©iStock.com/Davizro)

Jill wants something that features bonus points categories. She and Jack aren’t necessarily loyal to one airline or hotel chain. So co-branded airline or hotel cards won’t really do them any good. She’s fine with annual fees that aren’t too outrageous — as long as the card comes with good earnings potential and some decent benefits.

I suggested two cards.

What are the Best Credit Cards for Jack and Jill?

I told them to check out the American Express® Gold Card and Chase Freedom Flex℠.

Here’s why.

The American Express® Gold Card is great for their needs. They have an adorable two-year-old daughter. And another child on the way. So their grocery shopping and dining needs are only going to increase.

The American Express® Gold Card earns 4X Membership Rewards points on U.S. supermarket purchases (up top $25,000 in purchases each calendar year) and restaurants (including food delivery services) Plus, cardholders are eligible for monthly $10 dining credits at select restaurants and food delivery services (one-time enrollment required). Not to mention, Amex Gold Cards now receive monthly $10 Uber Cash deposits (enrollment requirement). Those can be used for Uber Eats deliveries.

The American Express® Gold Card earns Membership Rewards points, which can help pay for or offset great vacations and other trips.
A nice welcome bonus and multiple 4X categories can help get you to a beach vacation!

While the card carries a $250 annual fee, they can easily earn that back between monthly statement credits and points they’ll earn. (See Rates and Fees.)

Meanwhile, I’ve long suggested people hold the Chase Freedom Flex℠. Its quarterly 5% bonus cash back categories are reason enough to have the card. The benefit maxes out at $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter. So the most you get back each quarter is $75/7500 Ultimate Rewards points (or $300/30,000 Ultimate Rewards points each year). That’s not bad for a no-annual-fee card.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ Mastercard
Learn how to apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ Mastercard

Plus, the Flex pairs nicely with her Unlimited. She can combine her cards’ Ultimate Rewards points and redeem them for cash back, travel, gift cards, or a few other options.

Final Approach

Everyone’s financial and travel situations are different. So deciding “What’s the best credit card?” isn’t as easy as we may wish. But I think I steered Jack and Jill in the right direction.

You’re probably your friends’ and family’s resident point expert. What cards do you usually recommend?

A Tool to Find a Card That’s Great for You

Our credit card partner, CardRatings, has the tool below to help you figure out which card(s) are right for you. Just answer a couple of simple questions and they’ll show you your results!

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To see rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.

Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc. has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Eye of the Flyer and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.


Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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Chris Carley

Chris Carley

Chris Carley is the owner, editor, and lead writer of Eye of the Flyer (formerly known as Rene's Points).

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Comments 4

  1. Gene says:
    2 years ago

    @ Chris — Toyota Highlander all the way! We just bought our first one. I hope it lasts 25 years like our Ford Ranger has. Now that I’ve learned how to shut off all the eco-friendly stuff, I am loving it even more! It is amazing driving a vehicle with push button windows, satellite radio, and air-conditioned seats. What will they add in the NEXT 25 years?

    Reply
    • Chris Carley says:
      2 years ago

      I swore I’d never, ever pay for satellite radio.

      Then I got a free trial when I bought my new Highlander three years ago. Guess who’s been a SiriusXM subscriber since then? (If you call and barter with them, you can generally get it for ~$65/year).

      I missed the Apple CarPlay feature by a year. Ah, well. #FirstWorldProblems.

      Reply
  2. Greg says:
    2 years ago

    I get the same question a lot. My response is often – where do you put the majority of your spend and what do you want to accomplish with your points?

    I am confused why you would suggest the Flex over the Preferred. They would need an insane amount of spend to even come close to the 100k bonus of the latter. If they sign up at the branch, they could potentially avoid the fee and even receive a credit. Wouldn’t it make more sense to take this approach and then downgrade to the Flex after the first year?

    Reply
    • Chris Carley says:
      2 years ago

      They don’t own their own business or have a side hustle. So that’s (technically kinda sorta) a roadblock. They liked the Flex’s bonus categories and no annual fee.

      But your suggestion is a great idea for the right people.

      Reply

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