The Travel Rewards Cards I Actually Use Right Now

If you saw me at a supermarket, restaurant, hotel, gas station, doctor’s office, my kid’s school, wherever, you might wonder, “Will he actually pay with a credit card he writes about on his little blog?”

Here are the cards I currently use in a lot of everyday categories and a few others, as well. The only exceptions might be if I need to reach a card’s minimum spending requirement for a bonus, there’s a spending offer (i.e., an Amex Offer, a Chase Offer, etc.), or I’m doing blog research to see how certain purchases code on statements. Or I might just put a charge on a card to keep it current or maybe I get a random bug up my keister.

In days past, my wife and I would usually put most of our spending on her Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card so we could hit the now-defunct American Express MQD Waiver and earn Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) bonuses (may they rest in points).

But because Delta ditched both of those features and made it LOL-expensive to spend your way to Medallion status on their credit cards — at least Diamond and Platinum status after your MQD Headstarts — our cards are tucked away in our wallets just in case we ever need them.

We now spread our spending across multiple rewards cards, blissfully earning Chase points, American Express® Membership Rewards® points, Capital One Miles, and general cashback.

It’s pretty liberating.

We’d typically do that around mid-to-late year after we knocked out our Delta Amex requirements. But there’s really no reason for us to spend on our Delta cards. (If you love spending money on your Delta Amex and it makes you happy, then bravo to you!)

So, here are the cards we tend to use for purchases right now. There are exceptions, of course, such as:

• Amex Offers
• Chase Offers
• Forgetting to rotate cards in and out before and after trips (that’s generally me)

(Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. All information about the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®®, and Costco Anywhere Visa Business Credit Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer. It was neither provided by nor reviewed by the card issuers.)

Airfare

A few different factors come into play when deciding which rewards card I use to pay for airfare.

When I book through a credit card’s travel service, I have to use one of their cards. For example, I pay with my:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® on Chase Travel℠ purchases
• The Platinum Card® from American Express for Amex Travel
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for Capital One Travel

That’s simple enough. 🙂

When I purchase airline tickets directly through carriers, I usually use my Chase Sapphire Reserve®. It awards 3X Chase points on travel purchases (after the card’s annual $300 travel credit is exhausted). The Sapphire Reserve also includes excellent trip protection that kicks in after six (6) hours of a delay or interruption.

We also occasionally fly Southwest and stay at IHG and Hyatt properties, which are Ultimate Rewards transfer partners. (I anticipate we’ll take more Southwest trips during the coming year, considering I just became a Southwest Rapid Rewards® credit card holder just to get the Companion Pass.)

Restaurants, Take Out, and Delivery

I usually use my American Express® Gold Card dining purchases. That earns 4X points at restaurants worldwide (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) on up to the first $50,000 spent during a calendar year (then it’s 1X).

Amazon

For my company’s Amazon purchases, I use the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. It has a $0 annual fee and earns 2X Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases (up to $50,000 per year, then 1X. Rates and Fees.) In fact, the Blue Business Plus is where I put most of my unbonused business spending.

I like the Blue Cash Everyday Card® from American Express for my personal Amazon account. That also has a $0 annual fee and earns 3% cashback on U.S. Online Retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Rates and Fees). Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or during checkout at Amazon. I really like that option.

Cell Phone Bill

I split pay my cell phone bill each month.

I put $10 of it on The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Why? The Amex Business Platinum members can earn up to $10 each month in statement credit (up to $120 total annually) for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a U.S. wireless provider.

The balance goes on my Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. It earns 5% cash back (5X Chase points) on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year (then 1%) on internet, cable, and phone services and at office supply stores.

You’re missing out on hundreds of thousands of points in welcome bonuses and regular spending awards if you don’t use small business cards.

Gas

We use the Costco Anywhere Visa Business Credit Card for gas station purchases because it earns 5% at Costco gas pumps and 4% in rewards on other eligible gas purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter. The rewards are earned as credit that can be redeemed at Costco.

Groceries

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is our go-to because it earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1%). Cashback is earned as Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed toward statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

I occasionally get inspired and use my American Express® Gold Card, which earns 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per year. (Terms apply.)

Streaming Services

My Disney bundle and Peacock subscriptions go on my Amex Platinum Card. Cardmembers can earn up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal.

Everything else (i.e., Netflix, MAX, Paramount+) goes on my wife’s Blue Cash Preferred. That earns 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions (and there are many eligible providers). Again, cashback is earned as Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed toward statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

Hotels

I generally use that chain’s co-branded credit card when staying at hotels.

Pharmacies and Drug Stores

My wife and I have a seven-year-old daughter (she’ll be eight in a few weeks). In addition to homework, cute artwork, and amusing stories, our kiddo brings home from school delightful things such as strep throat, colds, stomach viruses, and stuff like that.

Naturally, we get about half of those, too.

And you tend to regularly take daily medications as you get older (uh, I’ve heard?).

So, we’re on a first-name basis with the folks at our local pharmacies.

When my wife picks up prescriptions or over-the-counter medications, she uses her Chase Freedom Unlimited®. When it’s my turn, I pay with my Chase Freedom Flex®. Both cards earn unlimited 3% cashback (3X points) at drugstores.

Keep this in mind about drugstores and pharmacies: those located inside supermarkets and big box stores generally don’t code as drugstores. For example, a pharmacy inside your supermarket will likely code as a supermarket. That’s great if you use a card with good supermarket earnings — but you probably won’t get the 3% back on the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimted cards.

Non-Bonused Spending

For personal purchases that generally aren’t bonused (insurance, doctor’s appointments and related costs, after-school care), we use our respective Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Cards. You’d be amazed how quickly those can add up. I just redeemed a bunch of Capital One Miles for a trip. I genuinely was (pleasantly) surprised by how many I reached up.

Final Approach

We’re using an array of cards for our purchases—mostly for Chase and Amex Membership Rewards, with some Capital One Miles and cashback thrown in there.

What cards are you using? What is your strategy?

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link.