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Every quarter, I like to re-evaluate the credit cards I actively carry in my wallet to ensure I’m maximizing rewards and cash back for my everyday purchases. Credit card rewards can be an effective way to optimize your spending if used wisely and responsibly. With rotating categories, limited-time promotions, and loyalty program enhancements, it’s important to stay updated and adjust your spending strategy accordingly.
As we dive into Q3 2025, here’s a breakdown of the credit cards I currently carry and how I’m using them this quarter. This list is in no particular order of importance—each card plays a unique role depending on spending categories, ongoing promotions, and my personal usage habits.
1. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Primary Use: Costco Membership Access & Gas Purchases at Costco
The Costco Anywhere Visa continues to earn its place in my wallet primarily because it grants me access to Costco warehouses—a must-have if you’re a regular Costco shopper like me. While the annual Costco membership fee is technically what allows entry, the Costco Anywhere Visa acts as your membership card too, consolidating your wallet space and making it more convenient during in-store visits.
Where the card truly shines is gas purchases made at Costco stations. It offers a robust 5% cashback at Costco gas (4% at other gas stations), up to the first $7,000 per year. After that, it drops to 1%. This quarter, I’ve been filling up at Costco more frequently to take advantage of the high cashback rate on gas, especially since gas prices have seen a seasonal uptick in many areas.
While it doesn’t offer rewards for shopping inside Costco warehouses (only 2% on purchases there), the real power lies in combining this card with Costco’s discounted fuel prices. That’s a win-win in my book.
2. Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Primary Use: Grocery Store Purchases
The Citi Custom Cash card is one of the most versatile cashback cards in the market due to its automatic 5% back on your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to $500 in purchases). There’s no need to activate categories or manually switch preferences—it just works behind the scenes.
I’ve dedicated this card solely to grocery store purchases. Given the way Citi Custom Cash selects the highest spending category each cycle, it makes sense to use it exclusively at grocery stores to ensure the 5% bonus kicks in every month. At $500 per month, that’s a $25 cashback potential monthly or $75 per quarter. While it’s not earth-shattering, it’s reliable and automatic, which I appreciate.
This card fits nicely into my ecosystem since it supplements other cards that may not offer a grocery-specific bonus.
3. Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Primary Use: Office Supply Stores & Gift Card Purchases
If you’re into points stacking or maximizing cashback through gift card arbitrage, then the Chase Ink Business Cash is a goldmine. It offers 5% cashback (or points) on the first $25,000 spent each year at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services.
My primary use this quarter is at office supply stores like Staples and Office Depot. These stores frequently run promotions offering no activation fee on Visa or Mastercard gift cards. By purchasing these gift cards and using them for future purchases (even on non-bonus categories), I can extend the 5% reward benefit across broader spending.
It’s important to be cautious with this strategy: don’t buy more than you can realistically use or liquidate. But when done responsibly, it’s a highly efficient way to convert 5% office supply spending into pseudo-5% spending nearly anywhere.
4. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Primary Use: Restaurants & Travel
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has remained a mainstay in my wallet for years now, thanks to its strong points-earning structure and travel perks. I’m using it exclusively at restaurants and for travel bookings, which earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points.
Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program remains one of the most flexible and valuable travel rewards ecosystems, especially when transferring points to travel partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest. I value points over pure cashback when dining and traveling, especially when I’m able to redeem them for higher-than-face-value bookings.
While this isn’t my most used card day-to-day, when travel or restaurant expenses come up, it’s my go-to. It’s simple, effective, and complements my cashback strategy with valuable points.
5. Chase Freedom® (Rotating Categories)
Primary Use: Gas Stations (Q3 2025 Bonus Category)
The Chase Freedom (the original version, not the Unlimited or Flex) remains valuable because of its 5% rotating quarterly categories. You have to opt in each quarter to activate the bonus, but it’s usually worth the two-click process.
For Q3 2025, one of the featured categories is gas stations, so I’ve been using this card exclusively for gas purchases—except at Costco, where I use the Costco Visa instead for the higher limit.
The 5% cashback is capped at $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter, which translates to $75 back if you max it out. It may not seem like much, but over the course of a year, it adds up. The Chase Freedom card’s rotating bonus is often a low-effort way to juice up your cashback returns—just make sure to track which card you’re using at the pump!
6. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
Primary Use: Online Shopping
This is one of the most underrated cashback cards when paired with Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program. Since I am a Platinum Preferred tier member, I receive a 75% bonus on rewards earned with this card.
By choosing online shopping as my 3% category, I’m effectively earning 5.25% cashback on online purchases—much better than standard rates offered by general cashback cards.
With e-commerce continuing to dominate how I shop—from household goods to tech gadgets to random Amazon finds—this card has become incredibly valuable this quarter. I’ve linked it to several of my go-to online retailers to ensure I always use it when shopping digitally.
Unlike other cards with rotating categories, this one allows you to set and forget your bonus category, which makes it easy to use strategically without needing constant micromanagement.
7. Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
Primary Use: General Non-Category Spending
Last but certainly not least is the BOA Unlimited Cash Rewards card. This is my catch-all card for purchases that don’t fit into any bonus categories covered by my other cards.
It earns a flat 1.5% cashback, but with my Platinum Preferred status, I receive a 75% rewards bonus, bumping the total cashback to 2.625%. That’s a great baseline return for non-bonus spending—beating out the usual 2% cashback cards on the market like the Wells Fargo Active Cash or Citi Double Cash (unless you’re redeeming those for ThankYou points).
Whether I’m buying coffee at a local shop, purchasing a parking meter ticket, or shopping at a merchant that doesn’t fall into any bonus categories, this card ensures I still get solid rewards on everything.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, I don’t believe in a “one card fits all” approach. Instead, I take a strategic multi-card approach to maximize my cashback and points across various spending categories. Here’s a quick summary of what each card is doing for me this quarter:
| Credit Card | Primary Use (Q3 2025) | Effective Cashback / Points Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Costco Anywhere Visa | Costco Gas, Warehouse Entry | 5% at Costco Gas |
| Citi Custom Cash | Grocery Stores | 5% (up to $500/month) |
| Chase Ink Business Cash | Office Supply Stores, Gift Card Purchases | 5% |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Dining & Travel | 3x UR Points |
| Chase Freedom | Gas Stations (Rotating Q3 Category) | 5% (up to $1,500/quarter) |
| BOA Customized Cash | Online Shopping | 5.25% (with Platinum Preferred bonus) |
| BOA Unlimited Cash Rewards | All Other Non-Bonus Purchases | 2.625% (with Platinum Preferred bonus) |
While managing multiple credit cards may seem like a hassle, the returns justify the system—especially if you automate payments, stay organized, and monitor rewards closely.
Q3 2025 is shaping up to be a solid quarter for credit card rewards, and I’m excited to continue optimizing my spending. Whether you’re new to the points game or a seasoned rewards chaser, hopefully this breakdown gives you ideas on how to better align your spending with the cards in your wallet.
