@@Spend.Earn.Travel. The Sapphire Preferred is also a Visa. Its good to keep at least one Visa, Mastercard and Discover just in case especially when traveling domestically, but especially internationally since Amex isn't widely accepted overseas.
Amex is the best. The customer service, lounge network, Airline partnerships, and hotel statuses are 2nd to none. Chase could be #1 if they added more meaningful multipliers, increased their lounge network footprint, offered statuses, etc... but then they'd have to charge as much as Amex for their ecosystem - or more😎
So run a blended setup of Chase and Amex. Amex is definitely my primary setup but I get huge value out of the CFF & CSR. I know pairing the CSR & Platinum together is pricey but the expanded lounge access is huge for my work travel.
I have the Amex quadfecta for one simple reason: FX fees on the BBP. When in the US / charges in USD I have BBP, outside the US I have Hilton business that has flat 5x points on everything WITH NO FX FEE with 3% return if valued at 0.6cpp
Agreed. However, I would recommend the Schwab Platinum instead of a regular platinum and either invest your points, or use for travel. Personally by in investing them, I can see tangible value and growth over time that far exceed annual fees by return on investment.
Another set up to run is the platinum card, the green card for general travel and restaurant, and the everyday preferred for 3x groceries and gas and still get the BBP for 2X spend and it will cost be less the the platinum, gold, bbp combo.
another big perk of AE platinum is FHR $100 hotel credit + free breakfasts (sometimes even buffet breakfasts). do a few times a year and half of the annual fee is already back.
I just churn SUBs they are the true papa. I think break even is rough to hit if you arent spending like 20K a year in a trifecta especially with the opportunity cost of non sub spend.
I don't understand the appeal of the lounges. When I'm at the airport, I want to be as close as possible to the boarding gate.That's just something that has no importance to me.
I understand. I really enjoy the atmosphere of an airport so they are lots of fun for me. But it's not for everyone! The Chase trifecta might make more sense for you!
just do the credits on the Amex cards so that you can offset that annual fee, what I do also every year when it's time to pay my annual fee is I do bank offers like for example the one I'm doing now US Bank $800 bonus for opening a checking and saving account, I did one earlier this year a new chase business checking account $400 offer just made $1200 so paying the annual fee doesn't hurt that much, I'm about to do a wells fargo bonus $525 to help pay us bank altitude reserve $400 annual fee, This is what I do to offset annual fees
I wonder how much more powerful Amex would be if they were largely accepted worldwide compared to Visa & Mastercard. Because that’s one of the big cons I see people often bring up. Besides Amex being coupon cards.
I can do a cheaper trifecta of the Green, Gold and Blue Business Plus since I don't live near any airports with lounges or even Centurion Lounges for that matter. That trifecta is $400 a year. That one I have no more use for, but on the Green card, the LoungeBuddy and Clear credits to me are useless. I have the Gold, Blue Business Plus paired with Team Cash Back's Blue Cash Preferred or I can downgrade it to the Blue Cash Everyday after a year.
It is nice that there are lots of different ways to make the trifecta work. I do wish the green card had a few more credits to offer. Like a dining or travel credit.
@@Spend.Earn.Travel. I agree. I like the classic look of the Green card. Its a shame that Amex craps on it and makes it an afterthrought and make it the card that nobody wants by giving it crappy credits to offset the fee. I can use the 3x on cruises should I go back and downgrade to it if they raise the Gold card annual fee and make useless credits to offset Gold or the Gold card raised fee if and when it happens is too much to stomach after 1 year plus.
As far as credit score goes, how does it help credit score if you’re supposed to pay the card in full every month? Wouldn’t that show no balance on the credit score as far as credit utilization?
Your credit utilization looks at your available credit vs how much of it is used. The lower the number the better. Even if the balances are low or 0 because you have paid offer your card. Your credit score will also have record of on time payments which all factors together.
very sharp point... Amex charge cards "do not" help your credit utilization (a major part of your score). It only weights on length of time and "paid as agreed"
Let's say you owe 300 instead of saying you owe 300 out of 5000 a available it will say you owe 300 out of NA then just calculate 300 out of your Total credit limit of all cards it actually helps more than it hurts if you have 300 out of a card that's 1000 it'll knock you down a couple points . Just think of it like an unlimited credit for that card that's not counted for your overall credit profile
Worth it only if you spend a lot of $$$ on their elevated multiplier categories. So if you have the trifecta means annually figure platinum need at least 30k on 5x, gold need at least 20-25k on 4x This is the bare minimum figure. If you’re struggling to have this spend amount it means you’re better off with Chase or other lenders.
That's true. If you don't look at your effective annual fee, yes it is hard to make up the difference. But those credits and benefits can be super helpful to bring down the effective annual fee which makes the spending requirements much less.
@@Spend.Earn.Travel. but if you always rely on the credits to offset the annual fee, you are bound to get “burned out” eventually and then you will get tired of Amex. Thats why many people are canceling their amex
Yes it can be a lot and it’s not for everyone. But I only utilize 5 credits and 4 of them happen behind the scenes. 2 of them are Uber credits that atomically get used. The digital entertainment credit automatically gets used. The dining credit gets used when I use grub hub. The only one that I have to do something for is the hotel credit.
I dunno man, that is a lot of money, and credits I have to now work for? I would be paying to give myself more errands instead of it making my life simpler? seems like a bad idea. Not a fan of putting personal spend on a business card either, which is against the T&C, so the majority of my purchases in this setup would be 1x which is eh 9:28 I think it is worth having neither setup 9:41 yes, please do this, you say the Gold is the best earner of the three, and since the Platinum doesn't give the MR points any boost, there isn't really a reason why you can't use the Gold in some other setup
There’s certainly the factor of the Terms and Conditions. Alternatively you could look at the everyday preferred and green card setup. That one only cost $245 and has some pretty great multipliers! I’ll put that video on my list!!
Chase just works better for me. easier everyday use and don't have to mess with credits. 3% on dining and with the CSR it's actually 4.5%. and 3% on all travel is actually the same 4.5% and no hassle, just book wherever and however you want. and 1.5% with freedom unlimited is 2.25% on everything. hard to beat the multipliers and ease of use for me. Plus this quarter dining is 7% which is 10.5%!! same with hotels. Plus I can cash out for .01 if I wanted, vs amex .006.
Hey Matt , really nice video ! I was wondering if I could help you with Best Quality Editing in your videos which visually appeal to audience and would increase average view duration and will also make a highly engaging Thumbnail which will overall help your videos to reach to a wider audience ? Pls let me know what do you think ?
I only need the Platinum to complete the Trifecta. I recently applied, but I am in pop-up jail. How long do I need to wait until I can earn the 175,000 SUB?
When did you apply for your last card? Amex has two application rules. The first one is 1 in 5, meaning you can apply for 1 amex card every 5 days. The second rule is 2 in 90. This means you can only be approved for 2 amex cards in a 90 day window. Are you within either of those application rule timelines?
Probably right. I chose to go with chase tho due to domestic travel, shop at Costco, and a 20k sq ft lounge coming to my home airport. If later on in life i start spending a lot more I’d consider Amex.
Why did you specify the benefits that reduce the effective Amex annual fee but not do the same for chase...? no point in comparing if you don't compare equally. Free doordash dashpass ($120) + $5 credit per month ($60), lyft pink ($120) (also 10x points on lyft) + $300 travel credit = $600 >> $550 fee Leaving CSR at a $250 effective fee means you should leave the Plat at a $695 effective fee.
I did! I talked about the credits each card offers and what there effective annual fees would come down too. I didn’t include the partner benefits on the Chase cards as they don’t always last forever. There’s a lot on the Amex cards that I didn’t include as well!
Amex customer service is peak tier, and the cards work in synchrony with each other. No complicated rocket science, you know what cards are for what.
That's true. I have had really good customer service from Amex!
My man Sledge says that is the best set up. Been a Amex fan girl for a minute, but just this year got my first Chase(prefered)....still thinking
They are both great setups! Have had the Amex setup before while also holding the Sapphire Preferred. Just to keep a foot in the Chase world of cards.
@@Spend.Earn.Travel. The Sapphire Preferred is also a Visa. Its good to keep at least one Visa, Mastercard and Discover just in case especially when traveling domestically, but especially internationally since Amex isn't widely accepted overseas.
Amex is the best. The customer service, lounge network, Airline partnerships, and hotel statuses are 2nd to none. Chase could be #1 if they added more meaningful multipliers, increased their lounge network footprint, offered statuses, etc... but then they'd have to charge as much as Amex for their ecosystem - or more😎
I have the Amex Green, Amex Platinum, Amex BBP! I have other Amex cards and cards in general bringing in the grocery rewards! ✊
That’s awesome!
This hand gesture on repeat needs a bit more variation 😂
If you can believe it, I even tried to stop myself!!!
So run a blended setup of Chase and Amex. Amex is definitely my primary setup but I get huge value out of the CFF & CSR. I know pairing the CSR & Platinum together is pricey but the expanded lounge access is huge for my work travel.
I have the Amex quadfecta for one simple reason: FX fees on the BBP. When in the US / charges in USD I have BBP, outside the US I have Hilton business that has flat 5x points on everything WITH NO FX FEE with 3% return if valued at 0.6cpp
I like the Amex trifecta but sometimes when i travel internationally some places don’t accept it. Visa has a bigger imprint.
That is one downside to Amex
Agreed. However, I would recommend the Schwab Platinum instead of a regular platinum and either invest your points, or use for travel. Personally by in investing them, I can see tangible value and growth over time that far exceed annual fees by return on investment.
Great idea. I sometimes forget about that card. And the ability to take cash back at 1.1 cents per point!
Another set up to run is the platinum card, the green card for general travel and restaurant, and the everyday preferred for 3x groceries and gas and still get the BBP for 2X spend and it will cost be less the the platinum, gold, bbp combo.
Also another great option!
And you’ll still need a VISA card since AE is not universally accepted.
That's true. I like to keep the Capital One Venture X on hand as my non Amex card. Because it earns 2x back on everything.
another big perk of AE platinum is FHR $100 hotel credit + free breakfasts (sometimes even buffet breakfasts). do a few times a year and half of the annual fee is already back.
Definitely a great perk for this card!
Nice video Matt. Don't have the Platinum or Gold, but the BPP is next on my list to help me stay under 5/25
Thank you! Getting those business cards is a great way to stay under Chase 5/24
I just churn SUBs they are the true papa. I think break even is rough to hit if you arent spending like 20K a year in a trifecta especially with the opportunity cost of non sub spend.
Churning sign up bonuses can be a good option if you are looking for some quick points!
I don't understand the appeal of the lounges. When I'm at the airport, I want to be as close as possible to the boarding gate.That's just something that has no importance to me.
I understand. I really enjoy the atmosphere of an airport so they are lots of fun for me. But it's not for everyone! The Chase trifecta might make more sense for you!
just do the credits on the Amex cards so that you can offset that annual fee, what I do also every year when it's time to pay my annual fee is I do bank offers like for example the one I'm doing now US Bank $800 bonus for opening a checking and saving account, I did one earlier this year a new chase business checking account $400 offer just made $1200 so paying the annual fee doesn't hurt that much, I'm about to do a wells fargo bonus $525 to help pay us bank altitude reserve $400 annual fee, This is what I do to offset annual fees
I wonder how much more powerful Amex would be if they were largely accepted worldwide compared to Visa & Mastercard.
Because that’s one of the big cons I see people often bring up. Besides Amex being coupon cards.
I can do a cheaper trifecta of the Green, Gold and Blue Business Plus since I don't live near any airports with lounges or even Centurion Lounges for that matter. That trifecta is $400 a year. That one I have no more use for, but on the Green card, the LoungeBuddy and Clear credits to me are useless. I have the Gold, Blue Business Plus paired with Team Cash Back's Blue Cash Preferred or I can downgrade it to the Blue Cash Everyday after a year.
It is nice that there are lots of different ways to make the trifecta work. I do wish the green card had a few more credits to offer. Like a dining or travel credit.
@@Spend.Earn.Travel. I agree. I like the classic look of the Green card. Its a shame that Amex craps on it and makes it an afterthrought and make it the card that nobody wants by giving it crappy credits to offset the fee. I can use the 3x on cruises should I go back and downgrade to it if they raise the Gold card annual fee and make useless credits to offset Gold or the Gold card raised fee if and when it happens is too much to stomach after 1 year plus.
Great video 🙏🏽🙏🏽thank you king !!!
You are very welcome
As far as credit score goes, how does it help credit score if you’re supposed to pay the card in full every month? Wouldn’t that show no balance on the credit score as far as credit utilization?
Your credit utilization looks at your available credit vs how much of it is used. The lower the number the better. Even if the balances are low or 0 because you have paid offer your card. Your credit score will also have record of on time payments which all factors together.
Just report a small balance monthly and once the statement posts pay in full.
very sharp point... Amex charge cards "do not" help your credit utilization (a major part of your score). It only weights on length of time and "paid as agreed"
Let's say you owe 300 instead of saying you owe 300 out of 5000 a available it will say you owe 300 out of NA then just calculate 300 out of your Total credit limit of all cards it actually helps more than it hurts if you have 300 out of a card that's 1000 it'll knock you down a couple points . Just think of it like an unlimited credit for that card that's not counted for your overall credit profile
I think I could hack the Amex trifecta and after that I would suffer from credits fatigue.
That’s a real issue. Certainly something to consider
Worth it only if you spend a lot of $$$ on their elevated multiplier categories. So if you have the trifecta means annually figure platinum need at least 30k on 5x, gold need at least 20-25k on 4x
This is the bare minimum figure. If you’re struggling to have this spend amount it means you’re better off with Chase or other lenders.
That's true. If you don't look at your effective annual fee, yes it is hard to make up the difference. But those credits and benefits can be super helpful to bring down the effective annual fee which makes the spending requirements much less.
@@Spend.Earn.Travel. but if you always rely on the credits to offset the annual fee, you are bound to get “burned out” eventually and then you will get tired of Amex. Thats why many people are canceling their amex
Yes it can be a lot and it’s not for everyone. But I only utilize 5 credits and 4 of them happen behind the scenes. 2 of them are Uber credits that atomically get used. The digital entertainment credit automatically gets used. The dining credit gets used when I use grub hub. The only one that I have to do something for is the hotel credit.
I prefer the amex trifecta. I also have the hilton aspire card.
The Aspire is also a great card!
I dunno man, that is a lot of money, and credits I have to now work for? I would be paying to give myself more errands instead of it making my life simpler? seems like a bad idea. Not a fan of putting personal spend on a business card either, which is against the T&C, so the majority of my purchases in this setup would be 1x which is eh
9:28 I think it is worth having neither setup
9:41 yes, please do this, you say the Gold is the best earner of the three, and since the Platinum doesn't give the MR points any boost, there isn't really a reason why you can't use the Gold in some other setup
There’s certainly the factor of the Terms and Conditions. Alternatively you could look at the everyday preferred and green card setup. That one only cost $245 and has some pretty great multipliers!
I’ll put that video on my list!!
Chase just works better for me. easier everyday use and don't have to mess with credits. 3% on dining and with the CSR it's actually 4.5%. and 3% on all travel is actually the same 4.5% and no hassle, just book wherever and however you want. and 1.5% with freedom unlimited is 2.25% on everything. hard to beat the multipliers and ease of use for me. Plus this quarter dining is 7% which is 10.5%!! same with hotels. Plus I can cash out for .01 if I wanted, vs amex .006.
That’s a super valued point. Chase just works better for some people!!
Hey Matt , really nice video ! I was wondering if I could help you with Best Quality Editing in your videos which visually appeal to audience and would increase average view duration and will also make a highly engaging Thumbnail which will overall help your videos to reach to a wider audience ? Pls let me know what do you think ?
I think I am all set! Thanks for offering!
I only need the Platinum to complete the Trifecta. I recently applied, but I am in pop-up jail. How long do I need to wait until I can earn the 175,000 SUB?
When did you apply for your last card? Amex has two application rules. The first one is 1 in 5, meaning you can apply for 1 amex card every 5 days. The second rule is 2 in 90. This means you can only be approved for 2 amex cards in a 90 day window. Are you within either of those application rule timelines?
@@Spend.Earn.Travel. I got the AmEx BBP in December 2023. I am not in either app rule timeline.
Though I saw a 170k offer, when I applied it was 125k
That might have been the Business Platinum. I have seen those ones get pretty high
@@Spend.Earn.Travel. I think you are right.
But is it worth $1020 now 🤔
That is certainly a question I have been asking myself....
Amex > Chase
Probably right. I chose to go with chase tho due to domestic travel, shop at Costco, and a 20k sq ft lounge coming to my home airport. If later on in life i start spending a lot more I’d consider Amex.
Why did you specify the benefits that reduce the effective Amex annual fee but not do the same for chase...? no point in comparing if you don't compare equally.
Free doordash dashpass ($120) + $5 credit per month ($60), lyft pink ($120) (also 10x points on lyft) + $300 travel credit = $600 >> $550 fee
Leaving CSR at a $250 effective fee means you should leave the Plat at a $695 effective fee.
I did! I talked about the credits each card offers and what there effective annual fees would come down too. I didn’t include the partner benefits on the Chase cards as they don’t always last forever.
There’s a lot on the Amex cards that I didn’t include as well!