There are some amazing ancillary benefits to credit cards, even with the (sometimes exorbitant) annual fees. Since I hold over 30 credit cards myself (many of which do charge an annual fee) I try to ensure I’m using these benefits to make retaining these cards worthwhile. In this post I will go through some of the cards I have and the benefits I use (or don’t) for each of them.
- American Express Platinum card ($695 annual fee): This is an amazing card to have and many people in the points and miles community retain it for years. Not only does it provide lounge access and 5x the points for any flight purchases that you can transfer to a variety of partners, but it has a host of other benefits that offset its cost. Each year you get $200 back for fees you may pay on airlines (not for ticket purchases but for things like seat assignments, luggage fees, etc). You also get $200 in Uber cash (split into monthly credits) that you can use for rides or food. There is an interesting $20/month credit for ‘entertainment’ that I used to use for a NY Times subscription and now use for Hulu. I have added $50 every six months to a Saks Fifth Ave gift card that I have yet to use, but I hope to get something nice and fancy. There is a $189 annual credit for a Clear subscription and $100 every 4 years for Global Entry or TSA Precheck (hopefully they raise it to $120 soon). There is also this $200 credit for fancy hotels but I’ve never had a use for it.
- United Quest card ($250 annual fee): I fly United often enough to make this card worth it. You get priority boarding and two checked bags for free. You also get $125/year in United flight credit and 5,000 United miles when redeeming miles for a United flight twice per year. If there were ever a year I didn’t fly United for some reason I’d probably downgrade the card but for now it retains its worth.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred card ($95 annual fee): I have had this card in my wallet since 2014 and it is not going anyway. Even with the annual fee I find it useful for transferring my Chase points to their partners (especially United and Hyatt). But it also comes with a $50/year hotel credit when you book on their portal. It’s a small amount of money but why not use it to offset the annual fee?
- IHG Rewards Premier card ($95 annual fee): I’m not usually certain if I get the most out of this card but then before the annual fee hits I end up using the benefits pretty well. First of all – it allows you to get a 4th night free when redeeming three nights using IHG points. Secondly, it gives you $100 fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck. But, most of all, I find it useful for the free anniversary night certificate that can be used at properties up to 40k points per night. And if you want to use it to discount something more expensive, you can do that, too.
There you have it – a short list of cards I have and keep because of the ancillary benefits. Feel free to be in touch if you want to have a points consultation to discuss your current points earning portfolio.
