Credit Card Tips
My Personal Credit Card Strategy for 2025
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Each year for the past several years, I’ve shared a look at “what’s in my wallet” and how I’ll be using each of the rewards credit cards I have. In 2024, my strategy actually saw some decently sized changes thanks to product changes, further lifestyle shifts, and more. Therefore, I was excited to write all about my 2025 rewards credit card mix, including what I’ll be keeping an eye on in the new year.
What Credit Cards I’m Using in 2025 and Why
American Express® Platinum Card
American Express® Platinum Card
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: Flight bookings, Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings, Amex Offers, credits, and lounge access.
As I recently shared, the American Express Platinum Card remains one of my top cards even with its $695 annual fee. Personally, the value I get from the included credits alone covers the annual fee, making the other benefits — including lounge access — icing on the cake. So while it’s never fun when that fee hits, I get to spend the rest of the year enjoying the perks.
Speaking specifically to rewards, the card remains great for purchasing flights as those earn 5x when booked directly with airlines. Hotel rooms are a bit more of a toss-up as, in order to earn 5x, you need to book them using Amex Travel. However, for those instances where I don’t want to use Amex Travel but want to earn Membership Rewards points, I have a new card in my wallet that will do the trick…
American Express® Green Card
American Express® Green Card
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: Dining, generic travel purchases, and the CLEAR credit
Recently, after a solid run, I elected to downgrade my Amex Gold card into the Amex Green card. You can read more about my reasoning in my post — but it basically boils down to the fact that the Gold card’s increased $325 annual fee gave me pause and that the credits no longer made sense for me mathematically. At $150, the Green card’s annual fee is not only easier to justify but the card now also fills a bit of a hole in my credit card set-up.
Something I love about the Green Card is that, in addition to earning 3x on dining, it earns 3x in broad travel and transit categories. This means everything from hotel bookings to airport parking should be included. That’s a win in my book as these are areas where I’ve never earned more than 2x previously. As for the credits, the Green Card does cover a CLEAR Plus membership for up to $199 — so, if valued at full price, that more than covers the annual fee.
Finally, I’m secretly (or not so secretly since I’m writing about it) wondering if the Green Card could see another revamp in 2025. After all, with the closure of Loungebuddy, the card is missing one of its credits. We’ll see whether any potential change ends up being better or worse but in the meantime, I’m excited to try out what is my third Amex card.
Capital One Savor
Capital One Savor
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: Entertainment purchases, streaming, and groceries
Another new addition to my wallet — on the technicality that it has an updated name — is the Capital One Savor. Previously, this was known as the SavorOne, but the bank discontinued the annual fee version of the card and made this no-annual-fee card the primary. This may be a bit confusing, but I think it will be a good move going forward.
With that out of the way, when it comes to my credit card mix, the Savor card will be getting a bit of an upgrade next year. That’s because, with the absence of my Amex Gold Card, it’s the Savor I’ll be relying on for groceries (which the card earns 3% back on). Similarly, the card’s 3% back on Entertainment category continues to be a winner for this theme park fan. The Savor also earns 3% back on streaming services, which is kind of nice. Lastly, as for the 3% back on dining, I may still call on this card to earn cashback in this category from time to time rather than tapping my Green Card for Membership Rewards.
Bilt Mastercard®
Bilt Mastercard®
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: Rent Day deals (and hopefully more in the future)
When I first got the Bilt Mastercard, it was quite exciting as it allowed me to earn credit card rewards on my rent payments. Alas, I no longer rent, so this star feature of the card is moot. Moreover, while it does offer 3x on dining and 2x on select travel, my Amex Green card now has both of those covered as well. So what role does the Bilt Mastercard have in my wallet now?
First, I plan to use it for its Rent Day promotions that earn double points on all non-rent purchases. They also offer some point transfer bonuses — but if I’m not using the card much, then I won’t have a whole heck of a lot of points to transfer, huh?
Really, what I’m hoping for in 2025 is that Bilt’s teased expansion into mortgage payments becomes a reality. With Mesa nearing the launch of their mortgage payments card, I’m betting on Bilt to make this upgrade sooner rather than later. Then again, it also seems that the company may be looking to introduce a separate card… so we’ll see what happens there.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: The hotel credit
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a card we got mostly for the sky-high bonus it was offering at the time. Since then, we’ve used it here and there, including for generic travel purchases in order to earn 2x. However, with the Green Card now taking over that job, there’s honestly not a lot for the Sapphire Preferred to do.
That said, the $95 annual fee card does include a $50 per year hotel credit good for bookings made via Chase Travel. Yes, $50 is less than $95 — but we might as well use the perk that’s available to us. Still, unless something changes, it may finally be the time to downgrade this card to a Freedom Flex when the annual fee comes due again this summer.
Apple Card
Apple Card
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: Non-category spending where Apple Pay is available
As we head into 2025, the Apple Card is hanging tough in my (digital) wallet. Since I still lack a proper 2% flat rate card, thanks to the widespread acceptance of Apple Pay, this has been my solution. Of course, there are a few factors that could impact its effectiveness going forward.
On the personal side, I’m still waiting for Robinhood to roll out its Robinhood Gold Card to me. That card will offer 3% back across the board, besting the Apple Card. If that were to happen, I’d still use Apple Card to finance Apple products… but probably not much else. Meanwhile, with Apple looking to break up with Goldman Sachs, it’s unclear what will be happening with this card in the future. In other words, this one could have a rocky 2025.
PNC Cash Rewards
PNC Cash Rewards
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: Gas
The PNC Cash Rewards card was one we welcomed back into our mix in 2024 after the previous version of the card we had proved useless to us. Thankfully, an update fixed our main issue and it’s back in action… even if it still doesn’t have a lot to do.
Mainly, the PNC Cash Rewards card’s job in our mix is to earn us 4% back on gas. As luck would have it, this category is on the rise for us as my wife now has a bit of a commute and we own a second vehicle. Since we already have it, it’s enough to keep it around.
Barclays View
Barclays View
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: My Internet bill
While we’re on the topic of replaced cards, believe it or not, the Barclays View card is still chilling in my wallet (or at least somewhere in my room). This was the card that was issued to me when the Uber Credit Card finally bit the dust and I just haven’t bothered to cancel it. That said as of this time it does have a sole purpose.
Since the card earns 2% back on Internet services, it’s used to pay my fiber bill. That’s it. And, if the Robinhood card comes through, it would lose this task as well. Only then might I consider canceling one of my oldest cards. Until then, it remains.
Discover It
Discover It
What I’ll Be Using it For in 2025: Rotating quarterly categories
Speaking of my oldest cards, the Discover It was the first credit card I got when I got over my credit card phobia. These days, the 1% back on everything category doesn’t do much for me — but the 5% rotating quarterly bonus categories definitely keep things interesting.
Discover used to announce their full slate ahead of time but now just reveals them a quarter at a time. With that, Q1 will bring up to 5% back on dining, at home improvement stores, and on streaming. Those are pretty decent as 5% tops anything I’d have from any other card in my mix. As for my hopes for 2025 categories, 2024 missed out on a “mobile wallet” pick, so I hope that returns soon. Either way, the Discover It is a true “wild card” in my wallet and I love it for it.
Overall Thoughts on My 2024 Credit Card Strategy
The Green Card’s one-year trial
If I’m being honest, while I feel pretty good about my choice to downgrade from the Amex Gold to Amex Green, I’m not sure about the latter’s long-term viability for me. Although I have a very complicated idea for using the CLEAR Plus credit to get value from it, I’m not convinced that it will be worth the annual fee otherwise. Because of this, while I’ll wait to see if a refresh does arrive before it’s time to renew.
Waiting on Robinhood
In case I didn’t mention it enough in my write-ups, I’ll point out once again that I’m heavily anticipating the Robinhood Gold Card. Apparently, the product has been reaching some customers, but I guess my lack of referrals means I’m not worthy. It’s a good thing that I made enough money on my IRA contribution bonus to make up for the Gold membership fee or I’d be pretty annoyed that I signed up for the service just to sit on the waitlist for nine months now. Anyway, complaining aside, I do anticipate my strategy to significantly change if and when I do get my hands on this 3% back card.
Put PayPal Debit in?
Finally, I wanted to shout out a potentially impactful addition to my credit card mix… which is actually a debit card. With PayPal’s recently relaunched debit card, you can earn 5% back in a single category you choose from a handful of options. You do need to reselect a category each month and this 5% is capped at $1,000 in spending, but this could still be a pretty useful tool. Therefore, while I haven’t been too serious about integrating it yet, it’s something I’ll be further assessing in the new year.
Just in time for the end of the year, my credit card strategy has seen some last-minute shakeups. What’s more, if all goes to my expectations, 2025 will see even more disruption (mostly for good). So, while this is the plan I’m heading into the new year with, I’m interested to see where things sit this time next December.
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