What's the best Amex and non-Amex credit card combination

Leard91

I currently have the Amex platinum cashback credit card, and it's been pretty good. A £2-3 hundred cashback each year I'd say I get. However, I'm finding more and more places won't take Amex, meaning I usually resort to my debit card. This seems a waste when there are Mastercard and Visa credit cards that offer rewards, and I could use that instead.

What are people's combination of Amex and non-Amex credit cards, where the Amex is used primarily and the non-Amex as backup? I was thinking of changing to the Amex Avios card and the Barclaycard Avois card. However, Avios is really only British Airways, which don't fly from airports near me and so I don't see I'd have much use for. I don't think I'd ever accrue that much from just using the Barclaycard as my secondary card as well.

Voyager2002

Remember that you can use Avios on Iberia and on some other airlines (Qatar I believe).

If air travel is important to you, remember that Amex reward points can be exchanged for "miles" in most frequent flyer schemes.

Personally I have a barclaycard that gives me cashback of about half a percent of what I spend. I also have an M and S card that gives points that are exchanged for vouchers that can be spent at M and S.

Emmia

AMEX and Barclaycard Rewards cashback is my approach.

PRAISETHESUN

Emmia said:

AMEX and Barclaycard Rewards cashback is my approach.

This is my approach as well

Desmond_Hume

Amex and Tesco for me.  I'm contemplating ditching Tesco now though. The CC vouchers are dire now compared to when I first got it, back when points could be redeemed at 4x. 

jbrassy

My back ups for Amex are:
1 - Chase for small purchases 
2 - Capital One for larger purchases where I think I might need S75 protection (this card is no longer available but pays 0.5% cashback)
3 - Barclaycard Rewards for overseas spending.

WillPS

Putting airline redemptions aside, and assuming you value a Nectar point at exactly half a penny (i.e. the amount they can always be redeemed for at Sainsburys/Argos) the best value Amex rewards are as follows:


As you can see for most average spend the Nectar Amex is the winner.

The only exception to this I would point out is if you hold Vitality membership then you should look at the Vitality Amex, which gives potentially more than any of the cards listed above if you can get the activity in reliably. I'm in the process of proving to myself I can do that now before I apply for one.

For non-Amex, IMHO there are only two cards that make sense as a backup to an Amex - Santander Edge CC (1%, capped at £15 pm, £3 pm fee) and Barclaycard Avios (0.5% effectively when redeemed as Nectar, no annual fee). If you spend over £600 on spend which can't go through Amex, pick the Santander Edge CC. If not, go for the Barclaycard.

Honourable mention for the Chase account with its 1% cashback on debit card spend too.

Olenna

Obviously this should be heavily caveated -  there is proven risk with Barclaycard Avios - BA already devalued Avios to Nectar conversions with little notice. They could further devalue or pull the conversion entirety with zero comeback to the Barclaycard Avios holder as the award is Avios points not Nectar points directly.

WillPS

Olenna said:

Obviously this should be heavily caveated -  there is proven risk with Barclaycard Avios - BA already devalued Avios to Nectar conversions with little notice. They could further devalue or pull the conversion entirety with zero comeback to the Barclaycard Avios holder as the award is Avios points not Nectar points directly.

You're right, there is a risk, but it can be mitigated by turning on autoconvert. Points are paid out monthly on the second working day, and both times the conversion rate has been nerfed sufficient notice has been provided that points for rewards earned on existing spend to work its way through to Nectar, save for any 'loose change'.

In general all airline rewards will be devalued over time too at the whim of whoever partakes in the scheme. 

I prefer earning straight up Nectar to Avios because the standard redemption rate has been static since the scheme launched over 2 decades ago, but of course they could change that too; I would hope to be given sufficient notice to spend them all if the rate were to change negatively.

Cashback options are available if you prefer - but even then there's nothing to stop your issuer from changing the scheme in any way they like (including withdrawing it completely) so long as they give sufficient notice.

You can only play the cards in your hand.

Emmia

WillPS said:

Olenna said:

Obviously this should be heavily caveated -  there is proven risk with Barclaycard Avios - BA already devalued Avios to Nectar conversions with little notice. They could further devalue or pull the conversion entirety with zero comeback to the Barclaycard Avios holder as the award is Avios points not Nectar points directly.

You're right, there is a risk, but it can be mitigated by turning on autoconvert. Points are paid out monthly on the second working day, and both times the conversion rate has been nerfed sufficient notice has been provided that points for rewards earned on existing spend to work its way through to Nectar, save for any 'loose change'.

In general all airline rewards will be devalued over time too at the whim of whoever partakes in the scheme. 

I prefer earning straight up Nectar to Avios because the standard redemption rate has been static since the scheme launched over 2 decades ago, but of course they could change that too; I would hope to be given sufficient notice to spend them all if the rate were to change negatively.

Cashback options are available if you prefer - but even then there's nothing to stop your issuer from changing the scheme in any way they like (including withdrawing it completely) so long as they give sufficient notice.

You can only play the cards in your hand.

Personally I prefer cashback to nectar or avios -  I don't really shop in Sainsbury's and don't use airlines that take avios.

WillPS

Emmia said:

WillPS said:

Olenna said:

Obviously this should be heavily caveated -  there is proven risk with Barclaycard Avios - BA already devalued Avios to Nectar conversions with little notice. They could further devalue or pull the conversion entirety with zero comeback to the Barclaycard Avios holder as the award is Avios points not Nectar points directly.

You're right, there is a risk, but it can be mitigated by turning on autoconvert. Points are paid out monthly on the second working day, and both times the conversion rate has been nerfed sufficient notice has been provided that points for rewards earned on existing spend to work its way through to Nectar, save for any 'loose change'.

In general all airline rewards will be devalued over time too at the whim of whoever partakes in the scheme. 

I prefer earning straight up Nectar to Avios because the standard redemption rate has been static since the scheme launched over 2 decades ago, but of course they could change that too; I would hope to be given sufficient notice to spend them all if the rate were to change negatively.

Cashback options are available if you prefer - but even then there's nothing to stop your issuer from changing the scheme in any way they like (including withdrawing it completely) so long as they give sufficient notice.

You can only play the cards in your hand.

Personally I prefer cashback to nectar or avios -  I don't really shop in Sainsbury's and don't use airlines that take avios.

You do you, but it's worth pointing out that it's a (very common!) falsehood that you need to shop regularly at Sainsbury's/Argos for Nectar points to be of value. This myth is perpetuated even by MSE's editorial, unfortunately.

All you need is to be able to spend very occasionally at Sainsbury's or Argos - i.e. a trip to a Sainsbury's filling station 2 or 3 times a year, or a purchase of a new phone every few years at Argos (only if they're close to the best price, of course).

I believe you can also purchase branded gift cards at Sainsbury's using Nectar points.

One other advantage of the Nectar Amex over Cashback ones is the very regular payouts with the Nectar Amex (several times a month) vs the very rigid annual Amex payout.

There's definitely pro's and con's to both.