I’m thinking about setting up a simple two-card strategy with the VentureX and either the Verizon Visa or the SavorOne. I’m curious about the pros and cons of the Savor vs. Verizon.
With the Verizon Visa, I get an extra percent back on food, but it can only be used for my cell bill and not for travel. Still, that’s an extra percent in my pocket. On the flip side, I know the SavorOne offers cash rewards that can be converted to miles on the Venture.
What scenarios would make the SavorOne rewards outshine that extra 1% from the Verizon card? This is crucial for me since it’ll determine which card becomes my daily driver.
Food is my biggest expense—about the same as my rent because I eat out way too much. I don’t travel often, just a long weekend a year with my girlfriend. But that usually racks up enough hotel costs to eat up the $300 travel credit and the 10,000-mile anniversary credit, which equals about $400 in rewards. So, I’d break even on the annual fee for sure.
It ain’t about either of those cards you mentioned, but let me just throw this out there—since you said your two biggest expenses are dining and rent. The Bilt Mastercard hooks you up with solid points in both areas (3x on dining, 1x on rent), and there’s no annual fee. Plus, it has some valuable domestic partners and gives you 1.25 cents per point through the travel portal.
If you’re really into that extra percent, why not pair the VX with the USB Altitude Go? It gives you 4X on dining with no cap, a $15 annual streaming credit, and no foreign transaction fees. If you’re eating out a lot, that extra 1% on groceries could really add up.
Also, if groceries are a big deal for you, check out the Navy Federal Amex More Rewards if you’re eligible. It’s got 3X on dining, groceries, and gas/transit…
Navy Fed Amex is still not quite as good. 3% back instead of 4% like Verizon’s. So I checked on the go. It’s got 4% on dining sure, but it’s got only 2% on groceries and gas, so I have no reason to get it. Difference in cashback would be $50/year, counting the streaming credit 35/year loss.
If you can snag 3X Capital One miles for 1.33 cents per point or more, then the SavorOne’s 3X categories might actually be a better deal than earning 4%.
So the real question you gotta think about is whether you can use those Capital One miles for transfer partner redemptions and score better than 1.33 cpp. If you’re traveling domestically, it’s gonna be pretty tough and time-consuming to beat that, since you’ll have to book through alliance partners. Those sweet deals do exist, but they’re hard to come by, and you need to be flexible with your travel plans.
But if you’re flying internationally, it’s way easier to get close to 2 cpp if you’re willing to put in a bit of effort…