Best rewards credit card for hunters?

[SticksMcKinley]

I sidelined my Cabela's card recently, too. I had billing trouble with it as others have described and sadly, Cabela's is not what it used to be. I took Big Fin's advice regarding debit cards and have stopped using mine almost entirely. Presently, I'm using a Delta SkyMiles AmEx card wherever I can and back it up with a Chase Southwest VISA. I studied thepointsguy.com before deciding on an everyday card. And btw, I've found AmEx customer service to be outstanding compared to other banks. The annual fee is a lot to swallow, but the benefits seem to outweigh it so far. I suppose the best card for you is the one with most benefits specific to your needs. For me, I try to offset my travel expenses as much as possible, so the SkyMiles card is a good fit.

 

[Kakapb33]

Banks charge a fee for servicing debit cards and conducting transactions on them. This is usually a small amount. Its size depends on the package of services and privileges.
The bank’s money is on the credit card, which it lends to its client, that is, it gives the right to use it for a period of time. Here It is a paid service for which the bank takes a certain percentage.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

Canuck here, I have a Royal Bank of Canada Visa, I collect a buttload of points which I can use for plane tickets which cost an arm and a leg up here...

 

[Marshian]

Another vote for the citi card 2% cash back and the Alaska card. Love that easy money and cheap trips to Alaska/Hawaii.

 

[hossblur]

"Cash"

Sounds great. Doubt many of you are running businesses without a CC . Especially businesses where emergency purchases and orders on materials and equipment are the norm. Doubt many guys are rolling around with a fist full of thousand dollar bills.

My partner and I had this debate when I started our business. I thought Cabelas with points back was good. She thought Disney Visa was the ticket. She was supposed to be my "silent" partner so I have a Cabelas Black Card.

I have growing boys who shoot thousands of rounds of ammo yearly so those points keep them in camo and ammo.

I've liked capital one. Like everyone else I'm sad at what Cabelas has become. I actually drove from N. Utah to Sydney just to see Cabelas as a young guy, now I rarely drive the 15 miles to the one by my house.

 

[MNHunter]

Guys, there's a couple things to think about when selecting a CC
1) Sign up bonus. This is big. That Sportsmans warehouse card has a terrible $50 signup. There are plenty of better cards out there that will give you $500-$1000 in rewards for signing up and a bit of spend
2) The ongoing earn rate.The floor is 1% and many cards will give you better earning in specific categories. Lots of cards give 5% on gas, grocery, etc but the rest of your earning is at 1%. If that's the case you will 9 of 10 times be better off with the simple to use Citi Double cash. If you are a points/miles/CC junkie like myself then you'll carry a CC for each category to maximize your rewards. Each year I easily cover my application fees with my rewards. I also play the game bit harder than most and engage in quite a bit of manufactured spending. Hunting is my first love but I also love to travel; hunting out west combines the two. Let me know if you have any questions or need any guidance.

 

[glass eye]

I live 120 miles from San Diego where Alaska Airlines has a major hub. So having an Alaska Airlines CC gets me free trips to Alaska every year and I don't mean just Anchorage. I've flown RT to Adak, Cold Bay, and even St. Paul Island for just 25k miles points. Also I buy cheap flights to Hawaii every year and my wife flies for $122 RT.

 

[jryoung]

Alaska is my vote. I live in the Bay Area and it gets me to WA, ID, MT and AZ with ease which is a big portion of my travel. AK and HI are nice bonuses too. Their Asia partnerships are too notch too, not to mention Europe through British and Air France. Flying BA to Rome, business class next month.

 

[Irrelevant]

Yes, though I'm considering getting rid of it along with my Prime membership.

Why? I was just looking at getting it.

 

[rwc101]

Why? I was just looking at getting it.

Partially due to the belief that I most likely spend more money just because I have it. They also screwed me over this holiday season. Two orders that were placed the week of Thanksgiving didn't ship until after Christmas and were left on my porch when I was out of town for two weeks. Despite contacting them they wouldn't cancel the order because it was in "advanced shipping" even though it had been in advanced shipping for three weeks and not left the warehouse. I ended up keeping my subscription for this year because my parents live in the boondocks and they use my account.

 

[glass eye]

This thread reminded me to check availability and I just now bought RT San Diego to St. Paul Island AK for 25k miles and $11.20 9/11 tax.

 

[Bob-WY]

Look at CaptialONe, we got 50,000 points after spending $3000 in the first 2 months (easy), we run most things through it and pay it off every month. Additioanlly I now travel for work and run all that through there. then turn around and use the points for travel related things, they hit as statement credits, not direct to vendors. In under a year we've paid off a full trip back to NH for wife and I, when combined with Hilton points which I get for just staying there, we were in NH for a week, free flight, hotel and car.

Also have 2 other ticktets back east paid for.

Add in frequent flier miles and we go back and forth reguarly for little to no cash.

To tie to hunting, if you are traveling to hunt, that's a huge part of the expense, anything travel related gets a good payment points discount: cars, flights, restaurants etc.

These schemes ONLY WORK if you carry no balance, pay it off every month.

 

[devon deer]

Their Asia partnerships are too notch too, not to mention Europe through British and Air France. Flying BA to Rome, business class next month.

Rome? (unless you have already flown?)Even with the virus in Italy and spreading fast?
Sorry it's off topic, but avoid BA like the plague if you ever travel with a firearm, probably wouldn't affect you as you can afford business class, but for us poor mortals it's and extra $700!

 

[VikingsGuy]

Credit cards are for losers. Similar to ponzi schemes and suckers’ bets. The House/Bank always wins. If you can’t pay cash then don’t buy the item. You don’t need to win a “free” blender or a set of encyclopedias with the silly points offered by the credit card companies! The creditors know that debt is a drug to most Americans. Its all about discipline. Good luck!

You do realize you are paying more for everything so the stores can pay visa and then give some of it back to card users? You may not like the game, but those are the rules, seems foolish not to play if you have the discipline to pay off every month. Also, also seems foolish to travel with $5,000 in your pocket so not sure a credit card free world would be an improvement.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Good point on the maximizing overall. I guess my initial point was I could grow my hunting gear budget without taking anymore out of main family budget if I used rewards that were only good at hunting retailers. Looks like you’ve got it down to an art. Not gonna sit here and argue with people who are against credit cards but I am gonna maximize the use system whenever possible to my advantage.

Money is fungible. Spending $100 of rewards at Cabelas with Cabelas card is the same as spending $100 out of your checking account. But the clear downside of store-based rewards are you can only spend there. So better to get $100 rewards from Chase/USBank/etc that you can spend any where.

 

[VikingsGuy]

CASH!

Does your cash give 2% back? If so, send me some, I would love to use it.

 

[NEWHunter]

You do realize you are paying more for everything so the stores can pay visa and then give some of it back to card users? You may not like the game, but those are the rules, seems foolish not to play if you have the discipline to pay off every month. Also, also seems foolish to travel with $5,000 in your pocket so not sure a credit card free world would be an improvement.

That guy’s post was dripping with sarcasm, wasn’t it? If not

 

[VikingsGuy]

That guy’s post was dripping with sarcasm, wasn’t it? If not

He may have been (no way of telling), but I have seen many serious posts of that ilk.

 

[NEWHunter]

Money is fungible. Spending $100 of rewards at Cabelas with Cabelas card is the same as spending $100 out of your checking account. But the clear downside of store-based rewards are you can only spend there. So better to get $100 rewards from Chase/USBank/etc that you can spend any where.

Similarly, our house works on the one big pot of money theory. If it gets spent on something, you can’t spend it (or save it) on something else. That said, I make sure we save like crazy. My wife sometimes gets down about how much we (don’t) spend, ie save. So fairly regularly I pull up the Ameritrade account and show her that all that money we didn’t spend on a new couch, or a new pair of shoes, or saved by fixing the garage door ourselves, etc. is still around and then some. Sure stuff and new things are nice, but all that stuff is sitting in marketable securities and now I could buy a couch and love seat - if I wanted to.

 

[sneakypete]

Does your cash give 2% back? If so, send me some, I would love to use it.

No, but how much does it cost you in interest for that 2%.