I have a CSP, C1 venture, and BOA CCR (use the 3% for online shopping), all for >6 years. My biggest monthly spends are dining (~$500) and groceries (~$1000). I’m interested in crowd feedback on two points:
1) Groceries is a big rewards hole I’m missing with this setup. I get one quarter of the year where my partner who has a Discover IT gets 5%; otherwise it’s 2% on C1. Amex BCP seems like it would not work since grocery limit is $6k; Disney bundle is not relevant for me. I’ve seen the AAA Daily option at 5% up to $500, but I’ve also seen some community dubiousness toward the bank that runs that. Maybe the C1 Savor would be useful, if I can get the Mastercard variant still? But see next point…
2) Any changes to the cards overall. While I’ve been happy with these cards generally, they’re not very synergistic – I get Chase UR, C1 miles, and cash. I’ve gotten a lot out of the CSP with Hyatt redemptions but I know that’s maybe getting a little tougher soon, and I can’t send C1 miles to Hyatt, so I have to put some random travel purchase on C1 to use the purchase eraser. Plus two AF. It's all fine, I just wonder if there's a better combo I could transition to with some combination of up/side-grades (and with less AF), and opening one or maybe two new cards. Of note, I’m not interested in churning or "complicated" cards (things with waiting lists, etc), so I'm looking for whatever maximization and ease something simple gets me, and it’s fine if that’s no change.
Thanks.
Looking for advice for grocery + general card profile improvement
byu/Hot-Refrigerator9558 inCreditCards
Posted by Hot-Refrigerator9558
4 Comments
Amex Blue everyday is 3% cash back on groceries, and I’ve taken the BCP upgrade twice with annual fee waived, the 6% you know about, and then downgraded before end of year the first time, I think I’m keeping it this year since Disney Plus is a good gift for a family member
The AAA card ran by Comenity Bank has been out for 4 years already with no change up until recently with Walmart being nerfed. I havent had any issues with it, and it’s currently one of the best for groceries.
As for your point about the ecosystem situation you got going on, you could just go for a Savor card to get the 3% on groceries and earn more miles on one ecosystem. But 1% more on groceries over the 2% from your Venture, is negligible benefit.
i would consider AAA daily advantage despite what people say about comenity. just be aware of the walmart nerf.
Savor pairs well with Venture, and the extra 1% (convertible to points if desired) adds up with your budget. I recommend swapping out Venture with Venture X at some point, as it is easier to offset the AF even though it’s higher. VX also has elevated travel perks and protections.
Alternatively, for a strictly no AF setup, I recommend Wells Fargo Active Cash paired with Autograph and your choice of grocery card. No AF grocery options include Amex BCE, AAA Daily Advantage, Citi Custom Cash, and Aven Rewards (the grocery version).