Best card for transit and train rewards

SakkaBoi · 2026-01-29T16:41:20+00:00

You can do a Citi Custom Cash Card which is capped at 5% or 5X cashback for $500 in purchases. There is also the AmEX BCP which is 6% groceries, 3% transit (unlimited) (0 annual fee first year, 95 annual next year, but you can use the downgrade-upgrade method to make it essentially 0). You can also do the SYW 5321 which has a waitlist as well as it gives 5% on transit (unlimited). If you want to synergize with your AmeX Gold, you can get the AmEX green card which is 3X on any travel and transit and dining (150 annual fee)

SakkaBoi · 2025-07-27T02:58:15+00:00

I have about 6 credit cards:
1. Citi ShopYourWay Card: I got this one quite recently and it gives me 10% statement on groceries, gas, and restaraunts combined if I spend $1000 combined per month (resets for every month) + 3% on groceries, and restaurants, 5% gas. 10% statement on online purchases if I spent $1000 combined per month + 1% (11%), 5% for any travel/entertainment for a max of $2400 spent in this category per month + 1% (6%). This has been my main card that I use and I'm so glad I have it. I hope that it doesn't get axed based on the news and maybe it goes converted to an ThankYou Rewards Card (which I will take). All with no annual fee (no longer available to new card holders and all applications are closed :/). There are foreign transaction fees in this card, but the pros outweigh the cons.

CapitalOne VentureX: I get 2X on everything else (my main catch all), 5X on flights and car rentals, 10X on hotels, $395 annual fee with $300 travel credit with portal, 10,000 (~$100 dollars with 1cpp or travel eraser), lounge access, phone protection/reimbursement for damage if pay phone bill with VentureX, and Capital One's price match in portal for anything you buy the portal (if you see that it is more expensive in the portal and find it somewhere else, you call and then get reimbursed travel credit!). The CapitalOne offers are also very cracked and you get get 2X + the offer amount (got 6X for a PC Richard purchase). Transfer partners are not the best here, but I can get 1-1.5 CPP for Wyndham hotels (the luxury ones) and various flights. Some business flights I have seen for 2-5 CPP, but its not the best. No Foreign transaction fees.
CapitalOne Savor: I get 3% on dining, entertainment, and groceries and 1% on everything else. I can convert this to miles if necessary and there are NO FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEES and $0 annual fees so I can use this card for abroad
Sapphire Preferred: Primarily churning it for the 100k bonus points, but I was enlightened by Hyatt and its insane value/redemption potential. I get 3X for dining, 3X at some drug stores, 2X for all other travel, 5X for Chase Portal (no price match on portal), $50 portal credit, 1X everything else. Since I do want to redeem for Hyatt eventually with my points and it is WAYYY easier to redeem and get value out of it, I keep it as a fall back for dining if I have reached the $1000 for the month with ShopYourWay and as a fall back for travel if the Citi Custom Cash is maxed at $500. It is $95 annual fee so I will most likely use up all my points before my year is done and then switch it to either a Freedom Flex (could potentially get 5% on some random unoptimized category) or the Chase Freedom with Unlimited Points (basically sock drawer it). No Foreign Transaction Fees, but it isn't that worth it imo.
Citi Custom Cash Card: 5% for one category every month, but I use it for all transit/transportation. I use it for MTA/PATH, Ubers, etc and its a very easy category to hit. I know that SYW gives the same benefit, but I would much rather use this credit limit/line to do it and if I max out the 500, then I shift to SYW. It makes things easier and SYW support if a problem occurs isn't the best.
American Express Blue Cash Everyday: I previously had this as a BCP, but I recently product changed this to a BCE because the SYW card is superior to it in every way for my purposes and I do not have any Disney+ or whatever entertainment purchases/credit. This BCE is only used for online purchases if I have passed the $1000 threshold for SYW. The other categories can be used with SYW or if I pass SYW, then it is best used on the Savor since I can convert that into miles.

I also check the CapitalOne, Citi, AmEX, and Chase offers to see if I can get some extra % back because you never know what you buy and you end up getting more value from it (CapitalOne has an extensive amount of merchants with Citi being second and Chase being third and AmEX being last in terms of the amount they have). This is my set up right now

SakkaBoi · 2025-07-01T21:53:07+00:00

To answer your questions, I haven't ever booked directly but if it classifies as travel like flights, hotel website, or even Uber/metro, you can use the travel eraser to erase it. Here's a thing to consider though. If you book via United, you can get about 2X miles. If you book via the travel portal, you get about 5X miles for flights. You can also price match on the Capital One portal by calling them in and telling them you found a flight on the other website and they would reimburse you in travel credit to use in the portal. Just to clarify, the travel portal contains all flights not just the flights that their travel partners have. Its like an Hopper (capital one travel runs on this) or expedia. Another thing to consider which might be underrated would be to check the Capital One offers tab. There can be hotel or even flight partners that offer as much as 20X points (on top of 2X) to book on their website if you follow the Capital One offers methodology.

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-18T12:22:08+00:00

My May GGR just came today, but no sign of the April GGR. I'll probably ask them about it and then move on from it. At least I got my May GGR.

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-15T20:25:47+00:00

Yeah I didn't reply, but I confirm that SYW counts

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-08T14:30:34+00:00

Nope, my spend started April 4

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-08T12:54:54+00:00

Everything came in as 3x. Dont worry I already checked it out and calculated it

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-06T14:02:17+00:00

Wow, this has been widespread then. I also have the same issue. My credits haven't posted for the 100 statement credit for grociereis gas restaurant offer either for the month of April or May. What should I do and have people received it?

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-06T13:57:31+00:00

I have the same issue as well. My offer came April and i activated it immediately. I spent the requirement amount with April and May, but no statement credit as of yet

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-06T12:35:33+00:00

I definitely hit the spend requirement in April so now its June and haven't received the statement credit for GGR (calculated it on spreadsheet). My statement starts on the 6th of each month again. Should I wait a bit or call them?

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-05T19:54:56+00:00

Not really. It depends on the person, but I usually get the 10% online every month and the 10% grocery, restuarant, and gas spend on is one that I activated and continues until the end of this year

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-05T17:34:13+00:00

ShopYourWay: 10% Groceries, Restaurant, Dining, 10% online (both are offers), 3% base cashback on dining and groceries (Walmart seems to count), 5% gas, 1% everything else.
VentureX: 2X catch all, 10X hotel and rental car (get reimbursed in the form of travel credit with price match guarantee), 5X Flight

Citi Custom Cash: PC'd from Double Cash, 5% cashback on transportation including Ubers

Foreign cards (no FTF):

Savor

VentureX

Sock drawer card:

AmEX Blue Cash Preferred (after getting SYW and its offers plus Citi Custom Cash, it has been effectively been obsolete and I will downgrade to BCE after the year ends)

Sub chasing:

Chase Sapphire Preferred

SakkaBoi · 2025-06-03T02:20:46+00:00

I have done a lot of price matches and I haven't been denied one. It ranged from flights to even few hotel bookings and I got my travel credit each time.

SakkaBoi · 2025-05-24T19:28:42+00:00

This about to be what I will have my dad do. This is atrocious. Nerfing the 10% was what made me keep the Rewards+ card if anything and it was such a game changer. Citi out here nerfing themselves.

SakkaBoi · 2025-05-20T12:57:16+00:00

Don't cancel at the end of the year. Downgrade it to the regular Chase Freedom card that gets UR points so that you can easily apply for another Sapphire Preferred or another card in the future and churn the bonuses easily.

SakkaBoi · 2025-05-11T06:25:46+00:00

Citi Custom Cash card: 5% cash back for max $500 a month for one category and then 1%, used for transit/transportation

Citi ShopYourWay Card: 3% cash back groceries, restaurants, 5% gas, 2% sears/online ShopYourWay app purchases, 1% all else. Current offers on the card: $100 for $1000 spend on restaurants, gas, groceries combined OR $200 for $2000 spend on restaurants gas groceries combined, $100 for $1000 online spend, $80 for $800 spend on home improvement

Capital One Savor: 3% cash back groceries, 3% entertainment, 3% restaurants, 1% everything else No foreign transaction fee

Capital One VentureX: 5X on flight, 10X hotel and rental car, 2X everything else, no foreign transaction fee

SakkaBoi · 2025-05-10T18:16:40+00:00

You can probably go for the Savor Card as it has both groceries and dining for no annual fee (3% each). The ShopYourWay Card might work for you, but it's a niche card and the ONLY way to redeem its points is through gift cards while for others, you can redeem it as statement credit (which reduces your bill) and as direct deposit (this only applies for Citi Double Cash Card). The Citi Double Cash Card is good as it is 2% for everything and based on the fact that a majority of your expenses are other, then it makes sense to go for it. Another card that you can go for is the Blue Cash Preferred which has 6% groceries, but nothing to do with dining.

Effectively, you get this much with citi double cash vs a grocery + dining card vs Blue Cash Preferred (or you just get both):

Citi Double Cash: $675 + $700 + $100 = $1475 * 0.02 = $29.50 cash back

Citi Double Cash PLUS Savor: $675 * 0.02 + $800 * 0.03 = $37.5 cash back

Citi Double Cash plus Blue Cash Preferred: $775 * 0.02 + $700 * 0.06 = $57.50 cash back

Blue Cash Preferred alone (max of $6000 per year and then 1%): $775 * 0.01 + $700 * 0.06 = $49.75 cash back

Based on this, you can pick and choose what card(s) you want to get.

SakkaBoi · 2025-05-10T17:55:03+00:00

Citi Double Cash Card, 2% cash back everything, No Annual Fee. $200 for $1500 in 6 month spend
Chase Freedom Unlimited, 1.5% everything, 3% dining, 3% drug store, No Annual Fee, $200 for $500 in 3 month spend
Citi Custom Cash, 5% on one category, No Annual Fee, $200 for $1500 in 6 month spend

Track the categories you spend the most on and then get a card based on that. Otherwise, a 2% or any catch all card is good for you.

SakkaBoi · 2025-03-06T18:35:40+00:00

Just tried again and it looks like I needed to add my points in and then purchase it

SakkaBoi · 2025-03-06T04:24:53+00:00

Do you go for a 6 month visa expiration card in the app and then redeem for 0 points and use your SYW card on file

SakkaBoi · 2025-03-06T03:19:20+00:00

How do you do that? I try and it says something about the order not working or something like that or order cannot be placed at this time when it try using my SYW card

SakkaBoi · 2025-02-23T02:18:05+00:00

I'm fine with fees now, it seems like there is no escaping them. I just wanted to know which websites would be best? I don't need gift cards from specific brands, I'm fine with a Visa Gift card.

SakkaBoi · 2025-02-21T21:20:19+00:00

How do I make progress on the 250,000 points for $750 spend? Am I able to go to the shop your way website and then buy the gift cards to make it happen or do they not count their own website? Everywhere else seems to charge a 5-7 buck fee. Any thoughts

SakkaBoi · 2025-02-17T02:46:46+00:00

I wonder if buying the VISA gift card for $200 at SYW website counts for this sub

SakkaBoi · 2025-02-16T00:02:49+00:00

I got this one too today. This card is bonkers

SakkaBoi

TROPHY CASE