Credit Card Recommendations

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

So what are they going to? Don't tell me it's just debit now? Well either way I guess I'll be dropping the Amex.

They could be just going to any credit card instead of an inclusive one. I think at the Costco's in Mexico you can use any credit card, or so I have been told.

[Canehdianman]

Supposedly they are going to Capital One.

http://business.financialpost.com/20...rican-express/

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Great....MasterCard Only....

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Great....MasterCard Only....

Honestly, I'd rather have visa or m/c accepted there than Amex.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by InBurkeWeTrust

I currently am using:
Scotia 4% back for groceries and reoccurring bills.

Is this card no longer available?
The best Scotia one I can find is 4% back on gas/groceries, but only 2% back on recurring bills.

[Calgary14]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Is this card no longer available?
The best Scotia one I can find is 4% back on gas/groceries, but only 2% back on recurring bills.

I have the scotiabank momentum visa infinite. It pays 4% cash back on gas and groceries and 2% on recurring bills. I don't know of any card that pays 4% on recurring bills.

If I flew Westjet more than once per year I'd consider the Westjet RBC Elite Mastercard. The card gives you free checked bags which would pay for the annual fee of $99 after 2 round trips per year

[caff]

40k bonus miles and First Year Free for the Amex business gold card!

https://www.americanexpress.com/cana...gBHRcTCw%3D%3D

Earn 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points through this referral offer when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your Card in the first 3 months of Cardmembership8. Offer subject to change at any time plus, the first year’s on us! That’s a value of $250*!

I could not believe it when I saw this. It is too generous. Amex is really trying hard to gain customers.

[TSXCman]

I have my Amex gold plus coming to its year anniversery, where I do not want to pay the next year's fee. Do you guys know if I'll have trouble using my aeroplan points from this card once it's cancelled?

Same goes to my Visa Avion for airmiles

[I-Hate-Hulse]

This is a great analysis of the Capital One Aspire Travel card that's totally sold me. 2% on everything is great as a primary non Visa card. Scotia Momentum Visa might be better but we need a Costco acceptable card.

Of particular note is how after the annual bonus it's only $20 a year in fees.

https://www.creditwalk.ca/capital-on...ercard-review/

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by TSXCman

I have my Amex gold plus coming to its year anniversery, where I do not want to pay the next year's fee. Do you guys know if I'll have trouble using my aeroplan points from this card once it's cancelled

Once you transfer the points to Aeroplan (or another service), the status of the AMEX card doesn't matter.

[caff]

Originally Posted by TSXCman

I have my Amex gold plus coming to its year anniversery, where I do not want to pay the next year's fee. Do you guys know if I'll have trouble using my aeroplan points from this card once it's cancelled?

Same goes to my Visa Avion for airmiles

Transfer all your points out of Amex then cancel the card, no problem at all.

[Wormius]

Okay. I am newbie when it comes to air miles. Can somebody explain exactly how they work. Does one air mile equate to a mile of a travel or is it more convoluted? Am I better off doing all of my credit card spending on my earning cash back rewards on my Scotiabank Infinite Momentum Visa, or would air miles yield a better equivalent return?

[caff]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Okay. I am newbie when it comes to air miles. Can somebody explain exactly how they work. Does one air mile equate to a mile of a travel or is it more convoluted? Am I better off doing all of my credit card spending on my earning cash back rewards on my Scotiabank Infinite Momentum Visa, or would air miles yield a better equivalent return?

Air miles are just reward points. You can book flights on Airmiles.ca. For example, a return ticket to Vancouver will cost you about 1200 air miles + $130 tax & fees.

I do not like air miles much. I prefer aeroplan miles which is great for long haul flights.

[Wormius]

Well, I still haven't decided on my replacement for the Costco Amex. The Capital One that they're recommending looks okay. The thing I can't seem to find is if it has no foreign transacation fees. A few websites note that Capital One doesn't charge these, but on the other hand, under the benefits of the card this isn't mentioned, which seems like a feature worth mentioning and it would be worthwhile to avoid those when travelling.

[Madman]

So before TD got the Aeroplan contract, we switched our main card to the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card and I don't know if we have the best travel card now or not.

Does anyone know if the Aeroplan miles are better off then the TD points?

[burn_this_city]

Wonder what the retailer fee reductions will do to the good cards, I'm assuming the points will accumulate slower.

[Iceman90]

I just signed up for the Amazon Visa card. It's 1% cash back on all purchases, and 2% on all Amazon purchases.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by Madman

Does anyone know if the Aeroplan miles are better off then the TD points?

No... I hate Aeroplan and I used to be a frequent flier. Bottom line, it's quite difficult to redeem miles unless you book well in advance. You also are left with some idiotic routings. For me to get to Hong Kong on Aeroplan on the day I needed I had to go via Toronto, vs going to Vancouver.

TD points are great in that you book whatever flight you want, on whatever airline, and just reedem points to reduce the cost of the flight. The Capital One Aspire travel works similar, although I'm hearing it has to be a 100% redemption - so if you're redeeming points it has to cover 100% of the item. No partial redemption (ie 50% off a flight).

[Calgary14]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Okay. I am newbie when it comes to air miles. Can somebody explain exactly how they work. Does one air mile equate to a mile of a travel or is it more convoluted? Am I better off doing all of my credit card spending on my earning cash back rewards on my Scotiabank Infinite Momentum Visa, or would air miles yield a better equivalent return?

Here are my thoughts on Air Miles and why I no longer use them as my main rewards program:

http://www.ourbigfatwallet.com/why-i...-on-air-miles/

I've switched to the scotiabank momentum visa infinite card (cash back) which gives 4% cash back on gas and groceries. This is worth it if you spend about $420 per month on gas and groceries (or more) since there's an annual fee of $99

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

Here are my thoughts on Air Miles and why I no longer use them as my main rewards program:

http://www.ourbigfatwallet.com/why-i...-on-air-miles/

I've switched to the scotiabank momentum visa infinite card (cash back) which gives 4% cash back on gas and groceries. This is worth it if you spend about $420 per month on gas and groceries (or more) since there's an annual fee of $99

Yes, we have been using the Scotiabank nearly exclusively, with exceptions of Costco and restaurants that accept the Amex. So far my wife and I have accrued $225 ($121 from gas/groceries, $12 from recurring payments, and $92 from everything else) since we acquired the cards back in July.

I think the Capital One Platinum (for Costco) would round things out. The 3% on restaurants would be nice, and at least restaurants will accept MasterCard as opposed to the semi-useless Costco Amex. I would like to confirm whether it has the zero foreign transaction exchange feature. We travel to the states, and I hate that fee. I don't think they do charge that, but the internet has been known to lie.