This is the exact duo I currently have, and it's perfect for pretty much everything I spend on. The 1x less on gas compared to some other cards is pretty immaterial as if you spend $5,000 on gas in a year (~$100 per week), it only really comes out to a 5,000 point difference, which is pretty negligible imo.
Spencer uses the citi custom cash which gives 5x, meanwhile, Ben uses the Wyndham business which gives 8x. That's a pretty decent difference, if spending $400 a month on gas. Worth it IMO, to get a dedicated gas card at that point
That's great to hear! As L.K. mentioned below, I do use the Citi Custom cash for gas and it's a really nice card to slot into this setup if you're looking for only one card to fit that spend. It depends on your goals though!
@@LK_EBM Thank you for pointing that out L.K.! I definitely think the Custom Cash has been worth it. Especially when I add the Citi Premier at some point down the line to transfer out to travel partners.
I agree!👍🏼 They’re a gem. As far as the gas, I’ve been using another credit card, which gives me 5% back, as Spencer recommended, but without any annual fee, of course. Nice video, guys!👍🏼
I'm glad you agree Raymond! The Citi Custom Cash is a solid addition for that dedicated gas card and it's provided me some solid value so far for sure.
Bit late to this video, but many Speedway gas stations code as restaurants with Amex. So, you get 4x back on gas at Speedway when you pay with the gold card.
Happy to hear that David! I do like having access to as many partners as possible and the fact that there's some overlap is actually a positive in a lot of cases since you can effectively combine points between multiple different lenders on those shared partners. I'm glad you agree though!
Someone who wants simplicity in only having a 2 card set up would not want to have to deal with optimizing the monthly/annual credits to eat up the annual fees. In my opinion.
You can add as many cards as you'd like to make this a more complete setup. Eventually you will start to add cards with overlapping categories, but if you can cover your main spending categories at a high earning rate in a point ecosystem you value, that's what matters.
Amazing collab, this is for sure a heavy hitter debate! Let me grab my 🥊 + 🍿 + 🍾! Spencer is great, and as sharp as they come! But Ben 师傅、is a master! 😂
Thanks for this! I’ve been running this setup for the last year and love it, and have wondered why I haven’t heard anyone talk about it. I live in a part of the country where bars have to serve food so they all fall in the “restaurant” category and no car so not worried about gas.
Of couse Sterling! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and also get a ton of value out of this duo as well. Being able to maximize each of the earning categories (and credits) is awesome!
That's a solid trifecta for sure! You'd have to add the Citi Premier as a 4th card to get max value with travel partners, but it's still a solid setup. Also, to my understanding, you'll have to hold another Citi card for 1-year before product changing to the Custom Cash which delays the completion of the setup a bit, but maybe that's changed!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial I’m in the process of accumulating points. So waiting out - actually makes sense for me. + additional sign-up bonus for Citi Premier
I just added the Savor last month and was able to use it for our trip to Universal Studios last week and earned 4x on the tickets and all of the food in the park. I'm going to easily hit my bonus which is $300, which makes the first year of the Savor free so it gives me 12 months to see if I hit the $9,500 threshold for dining and entertainment, which I think I will hit for a family of 5.
That's awesome! The value you get from a card in the first year is huge. I would also look at the end of this year to see how much value you would have gotten with the free version of the Savor card (the Savor One), because with that $95 annual fee on the regular Savor and no credits to cover it in year 2 and beyond, the free version could make a lot of sense.
Dining credit is not a credit, Uber credit is credit, but for dining credit you have to spend at least $10/ month additional to get this additional $10 back, initial $120 which is part of $250 fees is still not returned. So the effective fee is $130 not $10.
They are both credits. One is a statement credit and the other is a credit deposited into your Uber cash account. However, neither of them roll over, so they are valued at the same number. At the end of the day, if you use both credits every month, you're getting $20/month back, bringing the effective annual fee down to $10 since you're paying $250 for the annual fee and get $240 back.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial No, Uber credit gets deposited no matter if you use it or not, does not require any additional effort. Dining credit requires you to spend an additional $10 which will be returned back. So, you paid $250 for a card, the card returned $120 use it or not, but it was deposited into an Uber account so all we have to do is to pick up something that costs $10 or more, or less, doesn't matter. Now dining credit, you paid $120 for the card, now you have to spend $120 more, to get the initial $120 back. Let's calculate $120 + $120 - $120(credit)=$120, ups, where is credit? Card cost $250-$120 Uber + $120 additional spend - $120 dining credit= $130, not "effective" $10. If you don't believe me ask your accountant.
@@eduardazayev4230 If you don't use the Uber credit, your effective annual fee will be $120 more as well. It goes both ways. I understand what you're trying to say, but at the end of the day, you get $240 back from this card every year if you spend $10/month with the dining credit and $10/month with the Uber credit.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial even if I don't use it Uber credit still starts with -$10, so now it is my choice to take $10 or not, with dining I don't have choice, I have obligation to spend $10, to get it back, never mind that I already prepaid it for the whole year.
@@eduardazayev4230 You prepay the Uber credits as well since they don't accumulate month to month. It's always your choice to use a credit or not. In this case, one is an Uber cash credit and one is a statement credit, both of which have credit in the name. However, I respect your opinion here and if you don't want to call it a credit you don't have to. The fact of the matter is you spend $250 to use this card every year... therefore you are prepaying for both the Uber and dining credits. If you choose to use both every month, you recoup $240. If you choose to not use one, but use the other every month, you recoup $120, if you choose to use neither, you recoup $0. It's just a math problem here and how you word it may be different, but the math stays the same. I think this is a good discussion to have so people can better understand what a credit really is, so thank you for bringing it up and I hope you understand where I'm coming from here.
🚨🚨🚨CHECK OUT Spencer's interview with me on his channel: ua-cam.com/video/76a8JcJF0AU/v-deo.html 🚨🚨🚨
Why do you keep pushing max rewards when that application doesn’t work as you describe it. You have no credibility. You are a sell out.
Ben is assembling his Credit Avengers.
🤣 I'd be proud to be a part of that group lol
Does that make Jerome Powell Thanos? 😅
This is the exact duo I currently have, and it's perfect for pretty much everything I spend on. The 1x less on gas compared to some other cards is pretty immaterial as if you spend $5,000 on gas in a year (~$100 per week), it only really comes out to a 5,000 point difference, which is pretty negligible imo.
Spencer uses the citi custom cash which gives 5x, meanwhile, Ben uses the Wyndham business which gives 8x.
That's a pretty decent difference, if spending $400 a month on gas. Worth it IMO, to get a dedicated gas card at that point
That's great to hear! As L.K. mentioned below, I do use the Citi Custom cash for gas and it's a really nice card to slot into this setup if you're looking for only one card to fit that spend. It depends on your goals though!
@@LK_EBM Thank you for pointing that out L.K.! I definitely think the Custom Cash has been worth it. Especially when I add the Citi Premier at some point down the line to transfer out to travel partners.
Back to back videos with yal both... Not a bad day so far
Love to hear that!!
Thank you for having me on Ben! I appreciate you giving me the chance to defend my pick for the #1 credit card duo here 😉
Big time Spence!
@@Jay-L I appreciate you Jay!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial You're moving on up like the Jeffersons.
@@Jay-L 🤣 I'm just trying to enjoy the journey and connect with like-minded folks along the way!
He makes a good point, but I'll keep applying for new cards so I can hit those sign up bonuses
I do the same! This was more of a hypothetical, but I'll be continually applying for new cards personally.
I agree!👍🏼 They’re a gem. As far as the gas, I’ve been using another credit card, which gives me 5% back, as Spencer recommended, but without any annual fee, of course. Nice video, guys!👍🏼
I'm glad you agree Raymond! The Citi Custom Cash is a solid addition for that dedicated gas card and it's provided me some solid value so far for sure.
This can't be on zoom. The quality is too nice!
Streamyard
Why does nobody talk about travel specific cards like Delta or United
It is such a great duo!
👍
Bit late to this video, but many Speedway gas stations code as restaurants with Amex. So, you get 4x back on gas at Speedway when you pay with the gold card.
Great duo. I'd say Savor and Venture X but like Soencer I think multiple ecosystems is vital. Some overlap and also some unique partners each.
Happy to hear that David! I do like having access to as many partners as possible and the fact that there's some overlap is actually a positive in a lot of cases since you can effectively combine points between multiple different lenders on those shared partners. I'm glad you agree though!
This is my current duo and it’s honestly perfect for me, food on gold everything else on venture X
That's exactly how I use them!
Recently got my Amex Gold with a nice 90k bonus offer🤑 Now have to get to work on that spending goal!
Congrats on that approval! As you can tell, I'm a big fan of the Amex Gold if you can take advantage of those credits naturally.
Someone who wants simplicity in only having a 2 card set up would not want to have to deal with optimizing the monthly/annual credits to eat up the annual fees. In my opinion.
I got the Savor one and Venture X, tempted to pick up the Gold once I’m done with the welcome bonus
That Wyndham Rewards Business Card is a sleeper. That’s pretty amazing for 8 points per dollar back.
I agree. Ben is the one who brought that card to my knowledge and it's definitely solid if you like to earn Wyndham points.
Great collaboration and card setup 👍
I'm glad you enjoyed it Cesar!
This has been my main set up for months. So simple!
Simplicity is a big perk of this duo, that's for sure!
If I think the X marks buried treasure, then a Leprechaun could hold these cards forever!
Love to hear it! 😆
this is my core setup
love the simplicity
4X food 2X everything else
I love it when y'all Collab
I love to hear that!
I have the Chase Trifecta and Amex Gold. Would it make sense to get the Venture X and maybe the Savor One Rewards…or is that too much?
You can add as many cards as you'd like to make this a more complete setup. Eventually you will start to add cards with overlapping categories, but if you can cover your main spending categories at a high earning rate in a point ecosystem you value, that's what matters.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial Thank you. I appreciate the feedback.
@@Ryan-iq2zd No problem!
I like the SavorOne and VentureX. I like that Savor points convert to miles and how many different categories the SavorOne has
Did you know bars and clubs don't count as dining? For anyone who likes to go to bars and clubs. That category won't count as dining.
Yep, that is a separate category
That's why I like Chase for my food and dining spend. They cover categories like coffee shops, bakeries, bars.. etc
Random guy comes on the show with 4.5k subs. He is either a relative or he paid for the video, either way, use all of your resources.
My main one is Amex Gold!
It's such an easy card to get value from if you take advantage of those credits, that's for sure!
Amazing collab, this is for sure a heavy hitter debate!
Let me grab my 🥊 + 🍿 + 🍾!
Spencer is great, and as sharp as they come!
But Ben 师傅、is a master! 😂
I appreciate you Tony! You're the man.
Well well well who’s here the one and only Anthony Venture X 😅 👍
@@chrisv4920 Hahaha my day was brightened when I saw his comment on this video lol
@@chrisv4920 And look who’s also here, my brother, Chris Venture X!
Thanks for this! I’ve been running this setup for the last year and love it, and have wondered why I haven’t heard anyone talk about it. I live in a part of the country where bars have to serve food so they all fall in the “restaurant” category and no car so not worried about gas.
Of couse Sterling! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and also get a ton of value out of this duo as well. Being able to maximize each of the earning categories (and credits) is awesome!
3 card setup:
1. Venture X
2. Citi Custom Cash - Gas
3. Citi Custom Cash - Restaurants
(Yes, you can have as many Custom Cash cards as you wish)
Can you transfer Citi points to partners with only the custom cash card? Or are you just getting cash back?
i haven’t tried yet, but I guess for this you will need Citi Premier card.
@@LK_EBM You'd have to have the Citi Premier to transfer out, so that would be a 4th card to add if you wanted this to be a full travel setup.
That's a solid trifecta for sure! You'd have to add the Citi Premier as a 4th card to get max value with travel partners, but it's still a solid setup. Also, to my understanding, you'll have to hold another Citi card for 1-year before product changing to the Custom Cash which delays the completion of the setup a bit, but maybe that's changed!
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial I’m in the process of accumulating points. So waiting out - actually makes sense for me.
+ additional sign-up bonus for Citi Premier
I use custom cash for groceries 5X and Abound Platinum Visa for gas 5X unlimited!
TEAM CASHBACK!
This was a great Collab! I enjoyed the podcast style. We’ll done guys!
Question, what card would you recommend for me next. Currently have discover it, Apple Card, freedom flex, sapphire preferred
Freedom or Hyatt to close out 5/24. Then Venture X or one of the Citi.
I feel like the US Bank Altitude Reserve is something better to consider as partner with the Cap VX
Nice and Amazing Collaboration
Thank you for watching!
Miss seeing Credit Shifu :D Ben who? :D
The best gas cc is the gemini card. 10% back.
I use the American blue cash every day card
Td double up and citi custom cash
I agree this due is great
I just added the Savor last month and was able to use it for our trip to Universal Studios last week and earned 4x on the tickets and all of the food in the park. I'm going to easily hit my bonus which is $300, which makes the first year of the Savor free so it gives me 12 months to see if I hit the $9,500 threshold for dining and entertainment, which I think I will hit for a family of 5.
That's awesome! The value you get from a card in the first year is huge. I would also look at the end of this year to see how much value you would have gotten with the free version of the Savor card (the Savor One), because with that $95 annual fee on the regular Savor and no credits to cover it in year 2 and beyond, the free version could make a lot of sense.
Dining credit is not a credit, Uber credit is credit, but for dining credit you have to spend at least $10/ month additional to get this additional $10 back, initial $120 which is part of $250 fees is still not returned. So the effective fee is $130 not $10.
They are both credits. One is a statement credit and the other is a credit deposited into your Uber cash account. However, neither of them roll over, so they are valued at the same number. At the end of the day, if you use both credits every month, you're getting $20/month back, bringing the effective annual fee down to $10 since you're paying $250 for the annual fee and get $240 back.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial No, Uber credit gets deposited no matter if you use it or not, does not require any additional effort. Dining credit requires you to spend an additional $10 which will be returned back. So, you paid $250 for a card, the card returned $120 use it or not, but it was deposited into an Uber account so all we have to do is to pick up something that costs $10 or more, or less, doesn't matter. Now dining credit, you paid $120 for the card, now you have to spend $120 more, to get the initial $120 back. Let's calculate $120 + $120 - $120(credit)=$120, ups, where is credit? Card cost $250-$120 Uber + $120 additional spend - $120 dining credit= $130, not "effective" $10. If you don't believe me ask your accountant.
@@eduardazayev4230 If you don't use the Uber credit, your effective annual fee will be $120 more as well. It goes both ways. I understand what you're trying to say, but at the end of the day, you get $240 back from this card every year if you spend $10/month with the dining credit and $10/month with the Uber credit.
@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial even if I don't use it Uber credit still starts with -$10, so now it is my choice to take $10 or not, with dining I don't have choice, I have obligation to spend $10, to get it back, never mind that I already prepaid it for the whole year.
@@eduardazayev4230 You prepay the Uber credits as well since they don't accumulate month to month. It's always your choice to use a credit or not. In this case, one is an Uber cash credit and one is a statement credit, both of which have credit in the name. However, I respect your opinion here and if you don't want to call it a credit you don't have to. The fact of the matter is you spend $250 to use this card every year... therefore you are prepaying for both the Uber and dining credits. If you choose to use both every month, you recoup $240. If you choose to not use one, but use the other every month, you recoup $120, if you choose to use neither, you recoup $0. It's just a math problem here and how you word it may be different, but the math stays the same. I think this is a good discussion to have so people can better understand what a credit really is, so thank you for bringing it up and I hope you understand where I'm coming from here.
Hey Ben, can you do a video with @TripPlus as well? They're the most famous UA-cam channel from Taiwan that talks about credit cards!