Now and again I get emails from bank reps touting the virtues of their products and asking me to mention them in the blog. I guess they didn’t get the memo that this is a very small site that doesn’t have a ton of influence in the miles and points industry.
Anyway, I read all of them and politely thank the reps for taking the time to email me. No sarcasm intended. Then I go and write on topics that I was planning on writing anyway, which at times, coincides with something they’ve mentioned in their correspondence.
At first, I wasn’t planning on doing anything about this particular email (click on the screenshot if you want to make it bigger):
You can follow this link to see the whole thing on Twitter And here is my message to Capital One:
I don’t know if the tweet ends up getting deleted, but I just couldn’t help adding a little controversy to this otherwise cheerful gathering of Capital One fans. So, why was I a party pooper, you may ask? Well, because if you have been reading my blog for a few months, you probably know that neither card is a good choice for everyday spending. And make no mistake about it, Capital One is not looking for churners when they do these type of PR events.
Capital One Venture Rewards is on my list of best sign-up bonuses and you can read about it here Once you hit a 1-year mark, though, there is very little incentive to hang on to it because it has a $59 annual fee. Sure, it earns 2 miles per dollar on spending. Except, they are not actually miles and they are not cash back either.
The points are redeemable on travel purchases, but why bother if you can get a Citi Double Cash card instead? It earns 2% real cash back on everything and you can redeem rewards toward statement credit or check, no need to worry about qualifying travel expenses.
But what about Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards, the other team in Twitter war? It earns real cash back and doesn’t have an annual fee. I’ll let the terms speak for themselves:
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or sign ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back doesn’t expire and there’s no limit to how much you can earn
Hmm, 2% or 1.5% cash back? That’s a tough one, but I think I’ll go with the former. Well, when I actually stop chasing sign-up bonuses, that is. Right now I’m team #AmexPlatinum, but my loyalties will shift in a few months, guaranteed. Fingers crossed, US Olympic team will perform well. I’ll be cheering for them, especially if US Bank brings back the offer on Flexperks card, tied to the number of medals.
#GoUSA!
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Oh my Gosh! My mouth was hanging open as I read the whole post! Way to rock the boat. So gutsy…and hilarious!
@Amanda That’s the beauty of the Internet. Anyone can be gutsy! I normally try to be polite and not rock the boat too much, but figured Capital One can take it.
You just threw some serious shade at Cap1. #impressed.
Cheapblackdad, ha! I’ve got nothing but love for all banks, I promise. Though I admit, I love CapOne less than the other guys because we keep getting denied for Venture Rewards Visa, the one offer I covet.