# Thread 216

> Flat 2% cashback vs travel points for a $1,500/month spender who never flies?

Author: marcusbuilds
Score: 1
Answers: 2

> I spend about $1,500 a month across cards. Groceries. Gas. The normal stuff.
> 
> I never fly. Last flight was 2019.
> 
> Every 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?

## Answers (ranked)

### Answer 82

Author: frugaljo
Score: 3

> Flat 2% cashback, no annual fee

> I did this exact math last year. $1,500/mo is $18,000/yr. Flat 2% = $360 back, zero fee.
> 
> The 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.
> 
> Non-travelers: the fee is the whole game. Skip it.

### Answer 83

Author: priyaq
Score: 1

> Cashback — the break-even is 3+ flights a year

> Agreeing with the math above, with the actual threshold. Points cards win when your redemption value clears the annual fee. At $1.5k/mo:
> 
> - Flat 2% cashback: $360/yr, no fee, no thinking.
> - 2x points card at 1.5¢ redemption: $540 − $95 fee = $445. Wins by $85 — IF every point goes to travel.
> - Same card redeemed as cash (1¢): $360 − $95 = $265. Loses by $95.
> 
> Unless 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.

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