I currently have the Chase Sapphire Reserve + Chase Freedom Unlimited (as my catch-all for the 1.5x). I was thinking about getting the Amex Gold for a few reasons, aside from points diversification.

    1. on grocery — both cards in my lineup have no multipliers for groceries.

    I would use the Uber and Resy credits with no issue, as these are both things I already spend on. But it is still a $325 AF and I already have a $795 AF on the CSR — but tbf, I’ve gotten all the value and then some with CSR because I regularly travel, Doordash, dine, use Uber/Lyft, go to concerts, etc. The Gold credits aren’t as appealing to me, but I think if I tried I could at least break even.

    I was thinking of the Gold + Plat combo, but I ended up choosing CSR because I worried that Amex isn’t accepted everywhere and CSR still lets you bring lounge guests, and I often travel with others.

    So I’d use CSR for flights + hotels + dining when Amex isn’t accepted, Gold for dining + groceries + general shopping, and CFU on anything else (ex. in-person purchases). I feel like the Gold makes sense especially because of the Rakuten access, but I just wanted to hear opinions to make sure I’m not crazy in seeing the value for my current expenses. Also, another thing I’ve been hearing is that Amex points aren’t as valuable, so I’m curious about that.

    Does the CSR and Amex Gold combo make sense?
    byu/trapdoored inCreditCards



    Posted by trapdoored

    1 Comment

    1. Gain_Spirited on

      If you honestly like the Amex credits and think MR points are valuable then get the Gold card. Personally, I hate coupons, especially every month, and I think MR points are only good for international airline partners, so it wouldn’t be for me. Since Gold doesn’t have many travel benefits, you can easily get what you want with the PayPal debit card or Citi Custom Cash for groceries. You can still earn 3X UR points on dining which is fine because UR points are worth more than MR points and your Rakuten points can be redeemed for cash instead. If you put your cash back into an interest earning savings account that you use as your travel fund it works great, especially if you’re earning 5%.

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