Playing Cashback Roulette: It’s Harder Than You Think

by Robert McGarvey

I am three months into a cashback first philosophy – putting miles accumulation secondary, mainly because miles, increasingly, seem a fool’s errand.  Just when you have enough, the carrier pushes the goal out further because, of course, the era of awards charts is history.

So, how am I doing with cashback? Lemme tell you, it’s harder than I thought. The key is remembering to use the right card at the right place at the right time. If you liked calculus with multiple variables you’ll love playing cashback roulette.

Here’s the inventory of my cashback cards: Discover, where I will have maxed out the 5% grocery cashback in Q1 and earned around $80 In the first three months. In Q2 restaurants earn 5% cashback and I expect to pick up some coin there.  My 2023 goal for this card however is just $150 in cashback.

Amex Blue Preferred – where I will pocket around $100 in cashback in my first three months and am also galloping along to a $200 bonus for spending $2000 in the first six months. It’s picking up my supermarket spend with its 6% cashback (up to $6000 in groceries). I also buy gasoline with it (3%) and I pay for Netflix with it (6%). The fee is $95 after the first year.  My cashback goal for this card in 2023 is $600.

Affinity Cash Rewards – a newcomer to my wallet. I swapped out a great Affinity FCU credit card where the interest rate on a carried balance was very low. But I don’t carry a balance.  I happened to notice Affinity offered this no fee cashback card which offers 5% back on Amazon purchases, 2% cashback at restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets. It also offers $200 back after spending $3000 in the first 90 days. I will collect that bonus. My cashback goal for this card is $500 in 2023. A fee free card.

Apple Card – I realized I owned this card when I moved my cards from one wallet to a new one (with a built-in slot for an Apple Airtag!).  Up until now I have only used this card to buy from Apple (3% back).  But when I looked into it I realized I could also get 3% at Panera Bread, Walgreens, and Ace Hardware, all of which I patronize. My cashback goal for the Apple Card is a paltry $100 in 2023. Fee free.

REI Capital One – 5% back on REI purchases, 1.5% back on purchases elsewhere.  Mainly I will use it at REI but last year I did use it at European hotels because there is no foreign exchange fee.  Goal for 2023: $50.  I don’t plan much REI shopping this year.  Fee free.

Venmo – 3% back on my biggest spending category. A flexible card, it lets the user pick his/her biggest spending category. So far this year I have gotten $25 which I took in Bitcoin, not cash. This card has fallen to the back of my wallet but I imagine I’ll get back around $100 all in by year end.

That’s $1525 total.

Am I working too hard for the money?  I wonder.  Truth is, the main work is remembering to carry and use the right cards at the right places and I am hoping that over time I will form memories that free me from much of that conscious effort.

The main casualties are that I earn fewer rewards miles on my Amex Plat. I probably will sideline a Chase card that gets me 5% back at Amazon in favor of using the Affinity card but that is as much a consequence of my pique with Chase as anything else.  The card is the last remaining piece of our relationship and I will be happy to jettison it.

Are there better – different – cashback cards that I could get? Possibly. But for the present I am satisfied with my arsenal.

Btw Amex Plat is still paying for itself – $20/monthly towards a NY Times digital subscription, $15/monthly for Uber, $50 on a Saks credit. By year end I will more than cover the $695 annual fee. Even as I divert spending into the cashback cards. I remain a fan.