Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Amex SPG - Which Card Do You Reach For First?

[AsherO]

where did you do it?

Rightmost column.

[smurf]

Ashero and Bubbles; forget the spreadsheets, which one of you is gonna make an APP first?

[bubbles]

Rightmost column.

lol didn't notice i thought you just typed in all the info on yours .

[springles]

Ashero and Bubbles; forget the spreadsheets, which one of you is gonna make an APP first?

Thats a good idea, but make it a bb app

[AsherO]

Ashero and Bubbles; forget the spreadsheets, which one of you is gonna make an APP first?

Talk to BAHayman about that

How much would y'all pay for something like that?

[smurf]

Maybe when NFC is popular enough we can get an app to automatically process the charge on the most rewarding card

[bubbles]

Let's see you code it from scratch the way I did, without copying the logic formula

How about this?

[AsherO]

How about this?

Very nice, I've never used the Index function, thanks for introducing me to it.

All I'd add is a thing at the bottom that says "How much do you value your points at: SPG _____ UR ________ and calculate row N based on that.

[bubbles]

Very nice, I've never used the Index function, thanks for introducing me to it.

All I'd add is a thing at the bottom that says "How much do you value your points at: SPG _____ UR ________ and calculate row N based on that.

I hear that, no time right now but I'll take care of it soon 
edit: actually just did it

also, not sure why but was having problems getting the freedom to show 0 with when there are no purchases if you can fix that up for me

[AJK]

Maybe when NFC is popular enough we can get an app to automatically process the charge on the most rewarding card

+10

[AsherO]

+10

I don't think NFC is standardized with an API for stuff like that, AFAIK the various implementations are proprietary

[Dan]

I think for sellers that a ratio of 1.75 for UR and 2.2 for SPG would be fair in the current market.
I'm coming from the perspective of a redeemer and just posting my minimum value, which is about 1.9 for UR and 2.3 for SPG.

I think UR may still appreciate from 1.7-1.75 though as people's CO stocks from AMEX wind down.  Their value should also be helped as UR doesn't charge a transfer fee like AMEX did and UR can be transferred into anyone else's UR account so that there is a CO name match is desired.
I think a 2012 target rate of 1.85 for UR isn't overly bullish.  And as USAir, the "*A consolidator of awards" raises their price for selling miles (now up to 3.7625 or 1.88125 during a promo period), SPG should also appreciate slightly to at least 2.25 (at 2.25 an airline mile is 1.8 though that price can be lower during a SPG transfer promo period).

[Dan]

It's not exactly $90. Here's a chart I made with Excel that shows the breakdown, I'm not sure if the 10/20% is rounded up or down, so I included both scenarios. It seems to be a wash (same points for Freedom/Ink) for like $95-105, so it might make sense to set the cutoff point to $100 for simplicity's sake.

(actuaries, CPAs, and math majors, please hold your judgment, I went to an elementary school that didn't teach me to count my fingers (forget about any real math), so it might not be perfect)

Hate to bring this back on topic, but I did get 1 charge on my dusty freedom card before the statement closed.

Spent $7.97, got 19 UR points.  8 for the charge, 1 for the 10% bonus and 10 for the transaction.  Not bad at all!

So whos going to build the app to tell people which card to use?

[BAHayman]

So whos going to build the app to tell people which card to use?

If I get the exact formulas I could try to throw something together when I've got a few minutes...

[Dan]

Here's a better example from a past bill.

12/10: Spent $0.71 in 22 transactions.  1 mile earned for base spend, 1 mile earned for 10% bonus (rounded way up), 220 miles earned for 22 transactions.
$0.71 was forgiven as Chase doesn't bill for $1 or less.
Total of 222 miles.

[bubbles]

So whos going to build the app to tell people which card to use?

could be ill get around to it but BAHayman can prob do it alot quicker than me

I updated my chart to include the citi dividend with the 6 month promotional 5% back on gas+groceries plus its rotation 5% categories

[bubbles]

Here's a better example from a past bill.

12/10: Spent $0.71 in 22 transactions.  1 mile earned for base spend, 1 mile earned for 10% bonus (rounded way up), 220 miles earned for 22 transactions.
$0.71 was forgiven as Chase doesn't bill for $1 or less.
Total of 222 miles.

they round up for everything?

[Dan]

Here's a better example from a past bill.

12/10: Spent $0.71 in 22 transactions.  1 mile earned for base spend, 1 mile earned for 10% bonus (rounded way up), 220 miles earned for 22 transactions.
$0.71 was forgiven as Chase doesn't bill for $1 or less.
Total of 222 miles.

Based on this I think $100 is the right crossover.

Seems like the 10% bonus is rounded up, but on a per statement basis, not a per transaction basis.
The only way to get an exact read on a per transaction basis would be to award partial points to each transaction.  True Chase will round up, but it seems only on a per statement basis, so actual transactions will be closer to the partial point basis.

Thus at $25 Freedom would earn 25+10+2.5=37.5
Ink Bold would earn 25+5=30

At $95 Freedom would earn 95+10+9.5=114.5
Ink Bold would earn 95+19=114

At $99 Freedom would earn 99+10+9.9=118.9
Ink Bold would earn 99+19.8=118.8

At $100 Freedom would earn 100+10+10=120
Ink Bold would earn 100+20=120

At $101 Freedom would earn 101+10+10.1=121.1
Ink Bold would earn 101+20.2=121.2

At $200 Freedom would earn 200+10+20=230
Ink Bold would earn 200+40=240

[Saver2000]

Here's a better example from a past bill.

12/10: Spent $0.71 in 22 transactions.  1 mile earned for base spend, 1 mile earned for 10% bonus (rounded way up), 220 miles earned for 22 transactions.
$0.71 was forgiven as Chase doesn't bill for $1 or less.
Total of 222 miles.

Isn't the 10% bonus for each transaction -- not per statement balance?

[Dan]

Isn't the 10% bonus for each transaction -- not per statement balance?

Seemingly, no.