Introduction to Common Credit Cards

Common Credit Card Roundup

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• Sallie Mae — a must-have for students, simple and practical
• Aviator series — the swan song of US Airways

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Best All-Around Cards:

No-annual-fee cards worth keeping long term

• Discover it (strong for online shopping, gas, and dining, with rotating categories that can be very rewarding)
• American Express Blue Cash Everyday (BCE) (good cash back at supermarkets and department stores, plus AMEX Offer can be very rewarding)
• Chase Freedom (supermarkets, dining, gas, and Amazon categories rotate, and the points can become even more valuable)
• 【No longer available】 Sallie Mae (5% at supermarkets, Amazon, gas, and bookstores; a must-have for students)
• BofA Better Balance Rewards (BBR) (an easy $25 every quarter; do not forget BofA deal)
• AMEX EveryDay( good for grocery rewards, no annual fee, and still earns miles/points, plus AMEX Offer can be very rewarding )

Annual-fee cards worth keeping long term

• American Express Everyday Preferred (4.5X at groceries, 3X on gas, 1.5X on other purchases, valuable and flexible points, plus AMEX Offer can be very rewarding)
• American Express Starwood Preferred Guest (up to 3X at SPG hotels, 1X on other purchases, valuable and flexible points, plus AMEX Offer can be very rewarding)
• American Express Premier Gold Rewards( 3X on airfare, 2X on dining and supermarkets, 1X on everything else, valuable and flexible points, plus AMEX Offer can be very rewarding )

Best Cards by Category:

Credit cards for specific spending categories such as gas, groceries, travel, and more

• Comparison across 12 spending categories

Cards worth getting for the sign-up bonus (updated 2015.6):

• American Express Starwood Preferred Guest (25,000 SPG points as a sign-up bonus, worth $600+)
• American Express Premier Gold Rewards (25,000 MR points as a sign-up bonus, plus 2*$100 in airline credits, first-year value of $700+)
• American Express Platinum Card  (40,000 MR points as a sign-up bonus, plus 2*$200 in airline credits, worth $1,200)
• Chase Mileage Plus Explorer (35,000 UA points as a sign-up bonus, worth $550+)

Drawer cards worth keeping:

• Chase IHG (pay $49 and get one free night every year)
• BofA Better Balance Rewards（BBR）(an easy $25 every quarter; do not forget BofA deal)

Credit cards that are generally not recommended:

• Store credit cards offered by individual retailers, such as Macy's, Nordstrom, Sears, etc. (low returns and weak sign-up bonuses).