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

[jk2]

a question - if I am shopping via Chase Ultimate Rewards Mall - should I use ONLY Chase Sapphire card or I can use any other cards? I would like to make a purchase at dell.com, Chase UR Mall gives 3pts/$, but I want to use my AMEX Starwood card to get an extra year of warranty. Will I get UR points if I use SPG card at UR mall?

[DovidR]

What about gas?  My PRG card just got hit with annual fee and now that I'm about to cancel it, I was wondering which card would be best to use.

Chase Ink Classic gives 2 UR points for gas and has no annual fee.

[Devorah]

Chase Ink Classic gives 2 UR points for gas and has no annual fee.

Thanx.  If my husband has the Sapphire Preferred, can I transfer the points to his account so they can be transferred to airlines/hotels or do I need to have the SP or IB?

[bubbles]

Thanx.  If my husband has the Sapphire Preferred, can I transfer the points to his account so they can be transferred to airlines/hotels or do I need to have the SP or IB?

you can

[Devorah]

you can

Can this be done online or do I have to call?

[AsherO]

a question - if I am shopping via Chase Ultimate Rewards Mall - should I use ONLY Chase Sapphire card or I can use any other cards? I would like to make a purchase at dell.com, Chase UR Mall gives 3pts/$, but I want to use my AMEX Starwood card to get an extra year of warranty. Will I get UR points if I use SPG card at UR mall?

YMMV (people have reported both working and not working, my guess is it might depend on the site, but I'm not sure for Dell.com).

Can this be done online or do I have to call?

It can be done online.

[Shua]

So I have read through all this and the $90-100 cutoff for freedom makes sense. However, I will probably sell my UR points (or transfer them into CO points and sell them). Now my biggest expense by far is grocery shopping. So besides for the quarter where freedom has 5% for grocery shopping, would it make sense to use the AMEX Blue and get 6% back (6% grocery shopping, 3% gas and drugstore, 1% everything else)? Because even at $10 (for grocery shopping) for freedom= 22 points. If you would sell the UR for 1.9cpm that would equal $.0418. AMEX Blue for $10 would equal $.06! Only if you spend $5 then it becomes equal for both freedom and AMEX Blue (this is obviously NOT talking about during the 1st quarter of the year when its 5% for freedom because then freedom is the better card). Now I know that most people use the miles and dont sell so that would make sense to stay with UR (freedom etc) but if you are selling the points would it make sense to use the AMEX Blue for groceries instead of the freedom?

[Dan]

How much do you spend on groceries (excluding Costco/Sams/BJs) in a year?

[Jkhein]

How much do you spend on groceries (excluding Costco/Sams/BJs) in a year?

@Dan, just curious why excluding these three stores you mentioned?

[irleetnoob]

@Dan, just curious why excluding these three stores you mentioned?

Those 3 stores (Costco, Sam's, BJs) are categorized as "warehouse stores" instead of "grocery store", so they're not included in the 6x pts calculation.

[Jkhein]

Those 3 stores (Costco, Sam's, BJs) are categorized as "warehouse stores" instead of "grocery store", so they're not included in the 6x pts calculation.

get it.thanks

[Shua]

How much do you spend on groceries (excluding Costco/Sams/BJs) in a year?

Last year I spent around $8000.

[DovidR]

Last year I spent around $8000.

I think there's a AMEX cash back card that gives back 6% on groceries. Factoring in the $75 annual fee, you'd get $405. NOt bad at all!

[Jkhein]

If you would sell the UR for 1.9cpm that would equal $.0418. AMEX Blue for $10 would equal $.06!

Anyone have any idea who buys these points for such prices or similar?

[bubbles]

Anyone have any idea who buys these points for such prices or similar?

I don't think you'll get 1.9/ur but there is a banner on the DD mainpage for a mileage buyer

[Shua]

I think there's a AMEX cash back card that gives back 6% on groceries. Factoring in the $75 annual fee, you'd get $405. NOt bad at all!

That is my whole question!  But thanks... It seems that for groceries the AMEX Blue would be better if you are selling the points.

[gevaldig]

could anyone please explain why above $90 i should use SPG rather then freedom?

[springles]

could anyone please explain why above $90 i should use SPG rather then freedom?

Its explained several times in this thread but basically the extra 10 points per purchase on the freedom adds value to the freedom card but over about $90 that is mitigated by SPG being worth more when compared 1 to 1. 

[gevaldig]

any idea how to get faster signed in to chase exclusive bonus? i called a month ago they told me i'm enrolled, now they said you have to do it in a bank, and the banker told me will take 3/4 billing cycles

[bubbles]

Good job Dan on the UR card chart 

That should have a lot of peoples heads hurting for the next few days