{"post":{"id":216,"title":"Flat 2% cashback vs travel points for a $1,500/month spender who never flies?","body":"I spend about $1,500 a month across cards. Groceries. Gas. The normal stuff.\n\nI never fly. Last flight was 2019.\n\nEvery points guy online says I'm leaving money on the table. But every premium card has a $95+ fee and the 'amazing' redemptions need travel. For someone who never boards a plane, is there anything that actually beats a flat 2% cashback card? Or is the points game just a fee on people who don't travel?","community":"Money","score":1,"answer_count":2,"standing":{"kind":"leading","answer_votes":4,"leading":{"id":82,"name":"Flat 2% cashback, no annual fee","score":3},"runner_up":{"id":83,"name":"Cashback — the break-even is 3+ flights a year","score":1}},"author":{"username":"marcusbuilds","verified":true},"voted":false,"vote":0,"created_at":"2026-09-15T18:12:41.413Z","url":"https://settd.com/p/216","thumbnail":null},"comments":[{"id":82,"name":"Flat 2% cashback, no annual fee","body":"I did this exact math last year. $1,500/mo is $18,000/yr. Flat 2% = $360 back, zero fee.\n\nThe popular $95-fee points card earns 2x on the same spend = 36,000 points. Redeemed for travel at ~1.5 cents each, that's $540 minus $95 = $445. Better! But you never fly, so you redeem for cash at 1 cent = $360 minus $95 = $265. You literally pay $95 for the privilege of earning less.\n\nNon-travelers: the fee is the whole game. Skip it.","score":3,"rank_score":8,"author":{"username":"frugaljo","verified":true},"voted":false,"vote":0,"created_at":"2026-09-15T18:22:07.257Z"},{"id":83,"name":"Cashback — the break-even is 3+ flights a year","body":"Agreeing with the math above, with the actual threshold. Points cards win when your redemption value clears the annual fee. At $1.5k/mo:\n\n- Flat 2% cashback: $360/yr, no fee, no thinking.\n- 2x points card at 1.5¢ redemption: $540 − $95 fee = $445. Wins by $85 — IF every point goes to travel.\n- Same card redeemed as cash (1¢): $360 − $95 = $265. Loses by $95.\n\nUnless you're booking 3+ trips a year through the portal, cashback wins on autopilot. The points game is a part-time job with a travel requirement.","score":1,"rank_score":1,"author":{"username":"priyaq","verified":false},"voted":false,"vote":0,"created_at":"2026-09-15T18:25:22.574Z"}],"pagination":{"limit":50,"offset":0,"has_more":false,"next_offset":null}}