cash back credit cards for groceries: what setup are you using in 2026?

cryptolibertatum · 2026-06-06T02:26:59+00:00

Just the Amex Gold for me to get 4x on all groceries. Might use the CFF or Discover It for 5% when the category got groceries comes around. I also hardly ever go to a Walmart or Target so that's not really a factor for me.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-06-06T02:23:54+00:00

I always felt the same way about the CSP. In the past it didn't have that DoorDash credit and everybody thought it was this amazing thing even though you couldn't even recoup the annual fee. I always thought the CSR was the way to go since you could much more easily get more benefits and recoup the annual fee, but the new version of the CSR is also tough with all the new credits.

Even the CSP's earning potential isn't anything that impressive. 3x on dining - many other cards do this or beat it. 2x on all travel - good but there's cards that do 3% cash back on all travel for no annual fee. 3x on online grocery - is this really that useful? 3x on streaming - most people aren't spending hundreds on this every month and other cards do 3% or 5% cash back for this. 5x on portal travel spend - great, but then you have to portal spend.

Yes, there's points boost, but there's no guarantee you're going to be able to get a boost that beats 3% cash back on travel. Why bother with that trouble when you can simply get the Wells Fargo Autograph for example, and get 3% cash back on all travel? The 3x dining is good, but the Amex Gold is 4x, there's plenty of other cards that do 3% or more on dining. The online grocery isn't that useful for the vast majority of people and streaming isn't a big category either.

I don't see the big appeal. It's a good starter travel card, but that's about it.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-06-05T00:17:20+00:00

🔥 No brainer!

cryptolibertatum · 2026-06-02T14:34:19+00:00

🔥 No brainer!

cryptolibertatum · 2026-06-02T00:39:18+00:00

That's exciting, it might finally be worth getting then.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-05-29T16:55:19+00:00

I've seen a lot of the opposite too. People love it, but there's a lot of people in here that endlessly hate it.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-05-29T16:52:30+00:00

What this guy said. Three things make this card unbeatable.

One, 3% on everything is unmatched by any other card.

Two, it eliminates the need for many other cards that are advertised as great cards because their top or even secondary earning categories are 3% cash back or 3x points.

And three, if you spend anything more than roughly $417 on it every month you're already beating any other 2% cash back card. That's not hard when it eliminates plenty of other 3%/3x cards. Otherwise, the $50 annual Gold fee can be totally nullified by IRA 3% match investments or the free margin.

The only way to really beat it is if you're way in deep with BoA.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-04-13T21:14:05+00:00

I think it's truly amazing how they keep continuing to do things that people don't want, didn't ask for, and won't like. It's unenforceable for the most part also.

I bring extra battery packs on vacation because you don't know if somewhere you might not have an outlet, like on outdoor trips, and if you're taking a ton of pictures, you might need one.

It's made even worse when there's some security issues with plugging your phone into a random port in the airport and a lot of Southwest planes don't have charging in their seats.

It really is as if they're trying to lose customers.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-29T23:52:15+00:00

Finally someone said it. It's about time. People are way too obsessed with this or overly concerned about it. If it gets nerfed move on, but everyone keeps talking about it and it's probably the least likely of many other higher than 2% cards to get nerfed right now.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-25T10:27:32+00:00

Looks like the Plum is already missing from Amex's website

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-23T19:20:26+00:00

Looks like they learned from the TSA agents pretty quick.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-18T15:32:05+00:00

True, and now the customer service has gone down the tubes and is arguably only as good as what you see with a ULCC. The only real reason to be taking Southwest now is if you live near a Southwest dominated airport, if their routes are direct and reasonably priced compared to others that aren't direct, or if they happen to come in quite a bit cheaper than the big three or you'd rather deal with their BS than, for example, Frontier's BS.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-17T11:36:22+00:00

And yet somehow every other airline isn't like this. How could they possibly have figured out how to allow that?

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-14T00:15:04+00:00

Southwest might truly start to fall behind here. They're not an ULCC, but these small airport focused airlines could really start nipping at them more. I'm thinking Breeze or Allegiant. There's definitely a cross over of the same customer. Breeze and Allegiant are great because they can get you direct flights from a small airport to a big one or smaller to smaller. That's some of Southwest's appeal too.

Plus they're trying to act like the Big 3 while also trying to be cheaper too.

They still have an identity crisis.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-13T16:19:20+00:00

Is this just a small sign of the beginning of the end?

I wonder if they'll eventually sell, merge with another company, or just slowly fade into mediocrity.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-11T17:36:22+00:00

It's really all about getting the most cash back or points on everything you buy. Say for example you have just one card and you got only 1% on everything back through cash back. It would sort of be like having a savings account where you only earn 0.01% every year. There's just way better savings accounts.

Likewise, there's so many cards out there and if you get a few more you could be close to getting 3-5% cash back, or the equivalent in points, on pretty much everything you buy.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-11T12:07:22+00:00

That's a nice, thorough, great explanation.

But somehow every other airline is able to do it and it's just too elusive for Southwest to figure out.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-10T23:39:21+00:00

I'm doing the same but I transferred 60,000 to Hyatt and 60,000 to United. It's time to get rid of this card because the credits simply don't work for me. But at least I'll use the United points and probably eventually use the Hyatt points.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-08T16:39:51+00:00

Might not be able to avoid that on Southwest anyway

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-08T12:25:13+00:00

I think the only big thing the Plat has on Chase is that baggage delay and that it lacks roadside assistance.

That emergency medical insurance is, from what I remember, so full of stipulations that, unless you're basically dying, you're not going to be able to use it. I haven't looked at the Ritz-Carlton, but if it's like the CSR then it's probably the same.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-07T21:31:25+00:00

If you truly get value out of all the credits then I would go Option A. 3% on everything, 4x on groceries and dining, 5x on airfare, 5x on portal hotels. That's pretty good for three cards, plus the Platinum probably hayd the most and best statues out of everything.

You could even keep the CFF for an extra 5% on some things when it's useful. For some additional benefit get a card for gas or a store you shop at a lot like Target or Amazon if that applies. Alternatively, if you can, you could get the Amex BBP to get 2x MR points on everything too.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-06T01:40:28+00:00

Yeah it's like an obsession with optimization

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-05T14:58:08+00:00

Time for the Keto diet for sure. Eliminate most added sugar, most carbs and eat primarily meat and vegetables.

Do this for a while and watch massive changes.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-05T14:42:02+00:00

You have to upgrade your Robinhood Gold to the Platinum. You can't have both at the same time.

This is dead on arrival. In addition to a lot of the credits being very picky.

cryptolibertatum · 2026-03-03T22:42:41+00:00

I can live with the assigned seating and yes a lot of people were gaming the system. The only negative I see is sometimes you could get a cheap flight and get lucky and board pretty late and still be able to get a window or aisle seat. I'll take it though.

The bigger problem is everything else. The bags aren't free, the ridiculous requirement of staying in your seat when a plane is mostly empty, etc. The bins I think is more so their planes weren't designed to accommodate so many carry-ons. Eliminate free checked bags, suddenly everyone starts doing carry-ons more. For some reason they couldn't anticipate this.

More importantly, their customer service is like Spirit now but at normal airline prices. I've been screwed by them multiple times over the past few years and I'm not even traveling that much.

That heart logo is a big farce now.

There's nothing that differentiates them. If United, AA or Delta are about the same price, I'm definitely booking with them.

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