2023 Quarter 1 Credit Cards

Currently for Q1 my wallet contains a mix of short term sign up bonus related credit cards and long term point earning credit cards. I will break down my strategy and setup for what is in my wallet and why I each card is taking up a slot in my wallet.

American Express Gold Card

The AMEX Gold card has been in my wallet for over 2 years straight. Just like any card you need to see what your highest earners in points are and find a card that fills that need. I have always spent the most money on groceries and dining out. With the Gold Card I receive 4x points on these categories. On top the awesome multipliers you can also receive 75,000 MR points by spending $4,000 in 6 months but if you use my referral link above you can receive 90,000 MR points after spending $4,000 in 6 months. The Gold Card gets the most use out of all my cards currently.

Chase Freedom Flex

The Chase Freedom Flex is the newest card in my setup and a card I have been wanting for a while. I had to wait a while to get under 5/24. With chase you won’t be approved for a Chase card if you have opened 5 cards from any issuers within 24 months. The reason the Freedom Flex is in my setup is because I had a signup bonus of $200 for spending $500 in 3 months and also 10% in Groceries as a promotion for signing up. Unfortunately at this time that promotion has ended. The Chase Freedom Flex has revolving categories and Q1 has 5% on grocery stores (excluding Walmart), Target, and Fitness Clubs and Gym Memberships. Although I use my Amex Gold frequently, the Freedom Flex is my main card for groceries and Target purchases.

Citi Premier

The Citi Premier is my main gas card because it receives 3x on gas purchases. I am trying to earn Citi Thankyou Points as I’m planning for a few trips this year and I can transfer them to their airlines transfer partners. I completed the Signup Bonus a few months ago and I am trying to collect as many Thankyou Points as I can. The Premier card is also a good catch all card because it gives 3x points on Restaurants, Gas, and Grocery.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi

The Costco Anywhere Visa is a mainstay in my wallet because I shop at Costco almost weekly and I need the card to get inside. Although I am team points, this card is my only cash back card because it gives me back 2% cash back from Costco and Costco.com. Not a lot of cards give any multipliers above 1% for wholesale clubs, and you can only pay using a VISA card. This card also gives a very excellent 4% cash back on gas. I do use this card for gas sometimes but the cash back can only be used at Costco whereas the Citi Premier points can be used for travel, transfer partners, gift cards, etc. I feel the Premier card points give me more flexibility when using it for gas purchases.

American Express Business Plus

Finally, the AMEX Business Plus is my catch all card. It gives 2x points on all purchases no matter the category. This is much needed for my non category spending such as Walmart, Staples, Entertainment, etc. This is a great card to keep because there is no annual fee and they currently have a signup bonus of 15,000 MR points after $3,000 spent in 3 months. This signup bonus is awesome for a $0 annual fee card. Everyone should have a 2x minimum catch all card in their setup.